cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward a systematic design theory for silicon solar cells using optimization techniques

This work is a first detailed attempt to systematize the design of silicon solar cells. Design principles follow from three theorems. Although the results hold only under low injection conditions in base and emitter regions, they hold for arbitrary doping profiles and include the effects of drift fields, high/low junctions and heavy doping concentrations of donor or acceptor atoms. Several optimal designs are derived from the theorems, one of which involves a three-dimensional morphology in the emitter region. The theorems are derived from a nonlinear differential equation of the Riccati form, the dependent variable of which is a normalized recombination particle current.
Benefits of Multi Wavelength Approach to Converter Placement to Support Broadcast with Available Wavelengths

Optical networks are widely used in communication systems. Finding optimal converter placement for broadcast on optical networks has been an important area of research. In this problem, the free wavelengths on different links of a optical network are used to support network-wide broadcast, which is useful as a control channel or other OAM tasks. Previous work has articulated the essential difficulty of this problem. In this work, we recognize that bandwidth minimization is not an appropriate goal for this problem, and by using multiple wavelengths, and replicating some transmissions, it is possible to reduce the number of converters. We show example schemas to show that the difference in the optimal number of converters can be arbitrarily large, that adopting multiple wavelength paths whose union contains cycles can strictly reduce the optimal number, and then present a heuristic algorithm for broadcast path assignment to minimize converters under the new model.
Orbit determination for the Voyager II Uranus encounter

The Voyager II flyby of Uranus in January 1986 was the most distant planetary encounter ever attempted, and presented unique challenges to the process of orbit determination. Long light-times and spacecraft receiver difficulties hampered the collection of two-way radiometric data and helped bring about the maturation of a Very Long Baseline Interferometry navigational data type during the long cruise from Saturn. Planet and satellite ephemeris uncertainties necessitated the use of the onboard spacecraft optical system for Uranus-relative navigation. During the close approach phase, these optical data were combined with radiometric data to drive the Uranus system-relative uncertainties down to the level of a few tens of kilometers. This paper contains qualitative and quantitative results and conclusions based on orbit determination experience during Uranus cruise and encounter. Topics include an overview of the navigation-related mission events and requirements, and a review of the salient orbit determination results.
Completeness In The Sequential Case

Recently, in a series of papers, Girshick, Mosteller, Savage and Wolfowitz have considered the uniqueness of unbiased estimates depending only on an appropriate sufficient statistic for sequential sampling schemes of binomial variables. A complete solution was obtained under the restriction to bounded estimates. This work, which has immediate consequences with respect to the existence of unbiased estimates with uniformly minimum variance, is extended here in two directions. A general necessary condition for uniqueness is found, and this is applied to obtain a complete solution of the uniqueness problem when the random variables have a Poisson or rectangular distribution. Necessary and sufficient conditions are also found in the binomial case without the restriction to bounded estimates. This permits the statement of a somewhat stronger optimum property for the estimates, and is applicable to the estimation of unbounded functions of the unknown probability.
A global analysis of matrices of functions of several variables

Let x = (x1, xs , 0-e) x,) be an r-dimensional vector, where q are real or complex numbers, and let 9 be the domain defined by I xj I < l (j = 1,2, *.., r). (l-1) Consider a family 3 of functions of x which are defined on 9, and consider an n by TZ matrix A(x) whose elements belong to this family 9. Let p(h; x) be the characteristic polynomial of A(x): p(h; x) = det (A(x) Al,), (1.2) where 1, is the TZ by TZ identity matrix, h is a complex variable, and det means the determinant. We assume that the polynomial p(X; X) is factored as PC& 4 = P&t x) PA& 4 for every x in 9, (1.3) where
Advanced Undergraduate French Composition: Problems and Solutions.

This article presents the results of a study undertaken to determine the number and nature of the problems encountered by advanced undergraduate students in a French composition course. It was hoped that, after identifying the problems, explanations could be found for the frequency and repetition of students' errors. The primary objective was to use the study findings to modify the approach or content of the course. A secondary and broader objective was to further the development of the methodology used at the beginning and intermediate levels of the study of French. This report explains why the study was undertaken, how it was conducted, what the quantitative results were, and what conclusions were reached.
Bhubaneswar : from a temple town to a capital city

When Orissa was constituted as the eleventh province of British India in 1936, the need for a new capital was immediately evident. In explaining the political, economic, and religious reasons for constructing the new capital of the region at Bhubaneswar, Ravi Kalia notes the often conservative attitudes of the Oriyan people, who initially opposed the transformation of this revered site into a capital city. Before it became the capital of Orissa in 1948, Bhubaneswar had been a temple town and an important Hindu cultural and religious center to followers of Buddhism, Jainism, Shaivism, and Vaishnavism. The presence of so many different religions in fact gave the city its pluralistic character, one of the factors responsible for its eventual selection as the capital city.The German planner Otto Koenigsberger was hired to implement the design of the new capital city. As Kalia explains, Koenigsberger and the Oriyas disagreed broadly in concept, with Koenigsberger perceiving the development of New Bhubaneswar along secular lines. He saw a flourishing city with political autonomy, organized commercial relationships, and brave new architecture that could accommodate the requirements of modern life. In contrast, the Oriyas wanted the city to retain its close relationship to its religious past. As a result, the conflicting concepts of temple town and capital city struggled for dominance.In the end, even though Koenigsberger provided a master plan, the developments in Bhubaneswar were carried out by British-trained Indians eager to find their own identity. The final shape and style of Bhubaneswar, Kalia concludes, bear the imprint of Indian religion as much as that of Western rationalism."
GLUT4 AND TRANSFERRIN RECEPTOR ARE DIFFERENTIALLY SORTED ALONG THE ENDOCYTIC PATHWAY IN CHO CELLS

The trafficking of GLUT4, a facilitative glucose transporter, is examined in transfected CHO cells. In previous work, we expressed GLUT4 in neuroendocrine cells and fibroblasts and found that it was targeted to a population of small vesicles slightly larger than synaptic vesicles (Herman, G.A, F. Bonzelius, A.M. Cieutat, and R.B. Kelly. 1994. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 91: 12750–12754.). In this study, we demonstrate that at 37°C, GLUT4-containing small vesicles (GSVs) are detected after cell surface radiolabeling of GLUT4 whereas uptake of radioiodinated human transferrin does not show appreciable accumulation within these small vesicles. Immunofluorescence microscopy experiments show that at 37°C, cell surface–labeled GLUT4 as well as transferrin is internalized into peripheral and perinuclear structures. At 15°C, endocytosis of GLUT4 continues to occur at a slowed rate, but whereas fluorescently labeled GLUT4 is seen to accumulate within large peripheral endosomes, no perinuclear structures are labeled, and no radiolabeled GSVs are detectable. Shifting cells to 37°C after accumulating labeled GLUT4 at 15°C results in the reappearance of GLUT4 in perinuclear structures and GSV reformation. Cytosol acidification or treatment with hypertonic media containing sucrose prevents the exit of GLUT4 from peripheral endosomes as well as GSV formation, suggesting that coat proteins may be involved in the endocytic trafficking of GLUT4. In contrast, at 15°C, transferrin continues to traffic to perinuclear structures and overall labels structures similar in distribution to those observed at 37°C. Furthermore, treatment with hypertonic media has no apparent effect on transferrin trafficking from peripheral endosomes. Double-labeling experiments after the internalization of both transferrin and surface-labeled GLUT4 show that GLUT4 accumulates within peripheral compartments that exclude the transferrin receptor (TfR) at both 15° and 37°C. Thus, GLUT4 is sorted differently from the transferrin receptor as evidenced by the targeting of each protein to distinct early endosomal compartments and by the formation of GSVs. These results suggest that the sorting of GLUT4 from TfR may occur primarily at the level of the plasma membrane into distinct endosomes and that the organization of the endocytic system in CHO cells more closely resembles that of neuroendocrine cells than previously appreciated.
Time-Domain Pure-state Polarization Analysis of Surface Waves Traversing California

— A time-domain pure-state polarization analysis method is used to characterize surface waves traversing California parallel to the plate boundary. The method is applied to data recorded at four broadband stations in California from twenty-six large, shallow earthquakes which occurred since 1988, yielding polarization parameters such as the ellipticity, Euler angles, instantaneous periods, and wave incident azimuths. The earthquakes are located along the circum-Pacific margin and the ray paths cluster into two groups, with great-circle paths connecting stations MHC and PAS or CMB and GSC. The first path (MHC-PAS) is in the vicinity of the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS), and the second (CMB-GSC) traverses the Sierra Nevada Batholith parallel to and east of the SAFS. Both Rayleigh and Love wave data show refractions due to lateral velocity heterogeneities under the path, indicating that accurate phase velocity and attenuation analysis requires array measurements. T he Rayleigh waves are strongly affected by low velocity anomalies beneath Central California, with ray paths bending eastward as waves travel toward the south, while Love waves are less affected, providing observables to constrain the depth extent of anomalies. Strong lateral gradients in the lithospheric structure between the continent and the ocean are the likely cause of the path deflections.
Mass spectral behavior of the hydrolysis products of sesqui- and oxy-mustard type chemical warfare agents in atmospheric pressure chemical ionization.

Bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)alkanes and bis(2-hydroxyethylthioalkyl)ethers are important biological and environmental degradation products of sulfur mustard analogs known as sesqui- and oxy-mustards. We used atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI MS) to acquire characteristic spectra of these compounds in positive and negative ionization modes. Positive APCI mass spectra exhibited [M + H]+; negative APCI MS generated [M + O2]−, [M − H]−, and [M − 3H]−; and both positive and negative APCI mass spectra contained fragment ions due to in-source collision-induced dissociation. Product ion scans confirmed the origin of fragment ions observed in single-stage MS. Although the spectra of these compounds were very similar, positive and negative APCI mass spectra of the oxy-mustard hydrolysis product, bis(2-hydroxyethylthiomethyl)ether, differed from the spectra of the other compounds in a manner that suggested a rearrangement to the sesqui-mustard hydrolysis product, bis(2-hydroxyethylthio)methane. We evaluated the [M + O2]− adduct ion for quantification via liquid chromatography-MS/MS in the multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by constructing calibration curves from three precursor/product ion transitions for all the analytes. Analytical figures of merit generated from the calibration curves indicated the stability and suitability of these transitions for quantification at concentrations in the low ng/mL range. Thus, we are the first to propose a quantitative method predicated on the measurement of product ions generated from the superoxide adduct anion of the sesqui-and oxy-mustard hydrolysis products.
Concurrent calpain and caspase-3 mediated proteolysis of αII-spectrin and tau in rat brain after methamphetamine exposure : A similar profile to traumatic brain injury

Neurotoxicity in rat cortex and hippocampus following acute methamphetamine administration was characterized and compared to changes following traumatic brain injury. Doses of 10, 20, and 40 mg/kg of methamphetamine produced significant increases in calpain- and caspase-cleaved alpha II-spectrin and tau protein fragments, suggesting cell injury or death. Changes in proteolytic products were significantly increased over vehicle controls. Use of fragment specific biomarkers detected prominent calpain-mediated protein fragments in the cortex and hippocampus while caspase-mediated protein fragments were also detected in the hippocampus. Remarkably, proteolytic product increases at the 40 mg/kg dose after 24 h were as high as those observed in experimental traumatic brain injury. Use of calpain and caspase proteolytic inhibitors may be useful in preventing methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity.
Mental models of safety: do managers and employees see eye to eye?

Abstract Problem: Disagreements between managers and employees about the causes of accidents and unsafe work behaviors can lead to serious workplace conflicts and distract organizations from the important work of establishing positive safety climate and reducing the incidence of accidents. Method and Results: In this study, the authors examine a model for predicting safe work behaviors and establish the model's consistency across managers and employees in a steel plant setting. Using the model previously described by Brown, Willis, and Prussia (2000), the authors found that when variables influencing safety are considered within a framework of safe work behaviors, managers and employees share a similar mental model. The study then contrasts employees' and managers' specific attributional perceptions. Findings from these more fine-grained analyses suggest the two groups differ in several respects about individual constructs. Most notable were contrasts in attributions based on their perceptions of safety climate. When perceived climate is poor, managers believe employees are responsible and employees believe managers are responsible for workplace safety. However, as perceived safety climate improves, managers and employees converge in their perceptions of who is responsible for safety. Impact on Industry: It can be concluded from this study that in a highly interdependent work environment, such as a steel mill, where high system reliability is essential and members possess substantial experience working together, managers and employees will share general mental models about the factors that contribute to unsafe behaviors, and, ultimately, to workplace accidents. It is possible that organizations not as tightly coupled as steel mills can use such organizations as benchmarks, seeking ways to create a shared understanding of factors that contribute to a safe work environment. Part of this improvement effort should focus on advancing organizational safety climate. As climate improves, managers and employees are likely to agree more about the causes of safe/unsafe behaviors and workplace accidents, ultimately increasing their ability to work in unison to prevent accidents and to respond appropriately when they do occur. Finally, the survey items included in this study may be useful to organizations wishing to conduct self-assessments.
Self-Assembly of Silver(I) Coordination Polymers Formed through Hydrogen Bonding with Ditopic Heteroscorpionate Ligands

Eight coordination polymers of silver Ag(I) derived from bidentate coordinating heteroscorpionate ligands, (4-carboxyphenyl)bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane (L4c) and (3-carboxyphenyl)bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane (L3c), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, ESI-MS, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. By varying the solvent polarity, the protonation state of the uncoordinated carboxylate groups and hence their solid-state interactions can be controlled. While the silver monomers (tectons) possess chirality due to the asymmetric coordination of the achiral ligands to the silver ion, all of the solid-state materials were isolated as racemic mixtures.
Adjoint-Based Design of Rotors in a Noninertial Reference Frame

Optimization of rotorcraft flowfields using an adjoint method generally requires a time-dependent implementation of the equations. The current study examines an intermediate approach in which a subset of rotor flowfields are cast as steady problems in a noninertial reference frame. This technique permits the use of an existing steady-state adjoint formulation with minor modifications to perform sensitivity analyses. The formulation is valid for isolated rigid rotors in hover or where the freestream velocity is aligned with the axis of rotation. Discrete consistency of the implementation is demonstrated by using comparisons with a complex-variable technique, and a number of single- and multipoint optimizations for the rotorcraft figure of merit function are shown for varying blade collective angles. Design trends are shown to remain consistent as the grid is refined.
Renal tubular antigen excretion in normal human urine. I. Immunochemical identification

Renal tubular antigen excretion in normal human urine. I. Immunochemical identification. A tissue antigen which is derived from the cells of the renal tubular epithelium was isolated from normal human urine (URTE). The URTE antigen is immunologically identical with one of the membrane-bound proximal renal tubular antigens and has an electrophoretic mobility in the alpha-two globulin region. The URTE antigen is kidney-specific and is localized selectively to the brush border of the proximal renal tubules. This antigen could not be detected in serum by immunoprecipitation. Excretion d'un antigene renal d'origine tubulaire dans l'urine humaine normale. I. Identification immunochimique. Un antigene tissulaire tirant son origine de l'epithelium des tubules renaux a ete isole de l'urine humaine normale. L'antigene urinaire a une identite immunologique avec un des antigenes renaux liee aux membranes plasmiques de l'epithelium tubulaire et il possede une mobilite electrophoretique dans la region des alpha-deux globulines. L'uroproteine tubulaire est un antigene specifique des reins et se situe uniquement sur les bordures a brosse des tubules renaux proximals. Cet antigene n'a pas ete decele dans le serum par immunoprecipitation.
Surface modification of a neural sensor using graphene

Abstract Electrodes are known to degrade after implantation. This research used a novel approach to improve the performance of electrodes. Graphene obtained using the method of graphite exfoliation was applied to a neural implant. Electrochemical experiments were carried out to evaluate the properties of graphene as a coating material in two aspects. The first was to study the effects of a graphene coating on metal and its oxidation. The second was to investigate effects of the same on tissue encapsulation. Results of AFM analysis showed that the graphene not only provides good electrical conductivity for signal transport, but also serves as a coating material in order to prevent the substrate from being oxidized. The variation of phase shift in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurement was reduced due to the graphene coating. In addition, the Nyquist loci showed less pronounced RC effect of the electrodes coated with graphene. A circuit model of an electrode interface was established in order to represent the interfacial impedance. Results in this study suggest that the graphene has great advantages in the application of neural implant.
Plasma vitamin D levels and cognitive function in aging women: the nurses' health study.

Background Vitamin D may play a role in preserving cognitive function. However, there is a paucity of prospective studies on the relationship between vitamin D and cognition with aging. The aim of this study was to examine the association between plasma levels of vitamin D and subsequent cognitive function.
Induction of protein X in Escherichia coli

Certain treatments that damage DNA and/or inhibit replication in E. coli have been reported to induce synthesis of a new protein, termed protein X, in recA + lexA + strains. We have examined some of the treatments that might induce protein X and we have, in particular, tested the hypothesis of Gudas and Pardee (1975) that DNA degradation products play an essential role in the induction process. We confirmed that UV irradiation, nalidixic acid treatment, or thymine starvation result in protein X synthesis in wild type strains. However, we found that UV irradiation, unlike nalidixic acid, also induced protein X in recB strains, in which little DNA degradation occurs. Furthermore, we found that the presence of DNA fragments resulting from host-controlled restriction of phage λ DNA did not affect protein X synthesis. We conclude that no causal relationship exists between the production of DNA fragments and induction of protein X. The presence of the plasmid R46, which confers enhanced mutagenesis and UV resistance on its host, did not affect protein X synthesis. Growth in the presence of 5-bromouracil, which does not result in production of degradation fragments, resulted eventually in a low rate of protein X synthesis. In dnaA mutants, deficient in the initiation of new rounds of replication, UV irradiation induced protein X, again unlike nalidixic acid. Thus, the inhibition of active replication forks is not an essential requirement for protein X induction.
Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells Interact with Tenascin-C through Its Fibrinogen-like Domain

The extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C is a multidomain protein that regulates cell adhesion. We used two different smooth muscle cell subtypes derived from adult and newborn rat aorta to investigate the interaction of tenascin-C or its various domains with these cells using an adhesion assay. Newborn cells were three times more adherent to tenascin-C than adult cells. Tenascin C-adhering cells remained round, whereas they spread rapidly on a fibronectin substrate. Adhesion assays showed the interaction between tenascin-C and newborn cells to be predominantly RGD-independent. Mg2+ increased newborn cell adhesion to tenascin-C in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas Ca2+ had no effect. To analyze the structure-function relationships of different domains of tenascin-C, we used recombinant full-length fibronectin-like and fibrinogen-like domains and various subdomains corresponding to the alternatively spliced regions of tenascin-C. The cells adhered to the fibrinogen-like domain but not to the fibronectin-like domain or its subdomains. As with the intact tenascin-C molecule, adherent cells remained round, and the Mg2+, but not Ca2+, promoted this interaction. The interaction of cells with the fibrinogen-like region was further mapped to a 30-amino acid peptide located near the carboxyl-terminal part of the tenascin-C molecule. The same 30-amino acid peptide was active in promoting cell migration. Our results provide a basis for understanding the mechanism of interaction of tenascin-C with smooth muscle cells and a framework for isolating membrane binding sites that mediate the cellular responses to this molecule.
Traumatic occlusion and dissection of the main renal artery: endovascular treatment.

Abstract Purpose To report experience with endovascular treatment of traumatic injuries of the main renal artery. Materials and Methods A retrospective review of traumatic injuries to the main renal artery was performed in three major trauma institutions. Eight patients (age range, 17–46 y; mean age, 27 y) presented with main renal artery occlusion (n = 7) or dissection (n = 1) after major blunt abdominal trauma. Associated injuries were present in the majority of patients. The mean time from injury to intervention was 5 hours (range, 2–8 h). Results Recanalization of the occluded renal artery with stent placement was successfully achieved in six patients. In two of the eight patients, interventions resulted in extravasation of contrast medium, and embolization of the main renal artery was performed. At follow-up 2–24 months after injury, four patients had kidney atrophy (two treated with embolization and two with stents), two had proven stent patency with functional kidneys, one was normotensive with unknown stent patency, and one was lost to follow-up. One of the patients with an occluded stent developed severe renal hypertension and required nephrectomy. Conclusions The majority of occlusions and dissections of the main renal artery after major blunt abdominal trauma can be successfully treated with recanalization and stent placement. However, long-term kidney salvage is not always achieved, and there is a potential of development of renovascular hypertension, which may require late nephrectomy.
Free-field unmasking response characteristics of frog auditory nerve fibers: comparison with the responses of midbrain auditory neurons.

Previous studies in the inferior colliculus have shown that spatial separation of signal and noise sources improves signal detection. In this study, we investigated the free-field unmasking response properties of single fibers in the auditory nerve – these were compared to those of inferior colliculus neurons under the same experimental conditions to test the hypothesis that central processing confers advantages for signal detection in the presence of spatially separated noise. For each neuron, we determined the detection threshold for a probe at the unit's best azimuth under three conditions: (1) by itself, (2) when a masker at a constant level was also presented at the unit's best azimuth, and (3) when the masker was positioned at different azimuths. We found that, on average, maskers presented at a unit's best azimuth elevated the probe detection threshold by 4.22 dB in the auditory nerve and 10.97 dB in the inferior colliculus. Angular separation of probe and masker sources systematically reduced the masking effect. The maximum masking release was on average 2.90 dB for auditory nerve fibers and 9.40 dB for inferior colliculus units. These results support the working hypothesis, suggesting that central processing contributes to the stronger free-field unmasking in the inferior colliculus.
Interaction analysis using switching structured autoregressive models

This paper explores modeling the dependency structure among multiple vector time-series. We focus on a large classes of structures which yield efficient and tractable exact inference. Specifically, we use directed trees and forests to model causal interactions among time-series. These models are incorporated in a dynamic setting in which a latent variable indexes evolving structures. We demonstrate the utility of the method by analyzing the interaction of multiple moving objects.
Quantum Mechanical Study of β-Lactam Reactivity: The Effect of Solvation on Barriers of Reaction and Stability of Transition States and Reaction Intermediates

β-Lactams are widely used in medicine as potent antibacterials and in chemistry as synthetic intermediates. The investigation of the intrinsic reactivity of β-lactams is important for the understan...
Transient detection of Chlamydial-specific Th1 memory cells in the peripheral circulation of women with history of Chlamydia trachomatis genital tract infection.

Problem Development of safe and effective Chlamydia trachomatis vaccines requires better understanding of the host immune responses elicited by natural infection. Method of study Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from women with or without history of genital tract chlamydial infection were stimulated with inactivated C. trachomatis elementary bodies (EB) in ELISPOT assays that enumerated frequencies of cells producing interferon (IFN)-γ or interleukin (IL)-17. Results IFN-γ-positive cells were highest among women sampled 30–60 days after diagnosis of C. trachomatis infection and treatment initiation, while the numbers of IFN-γ-positive cells were equally low among uninfected women and women sampled 60 days after diagnosis of infection. Conversely, IL-17-positive cell numbers were uniformly low among all participants. Conclusion Dramatically reduced numbers of Chlamydia-specific Th1 memory cells in the peripheral circulation of study participants sampled more than 2 months after diagnosis, and initiation of treatment provides new insight into the results from C. trachomatis vaccine trials, in which immunization with EB provided only short-lived protection. Our results also suggest that an effective vaccine against this weakly antigenic intracellular pathogen will need to generate immunological memory more durable than that elicited by natural infection.
Quantitative analysis of oil removal from cotton fabrics through thein situ formation of microemulsions by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance

Solubilization and subsequent removal of soybean oil from cotton fabrics through thein situ formation of microemulsions were evaluated by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. Regions of water-in-oil and oil-in-water microemulsions were identified for systems that contained polyoxyethylene (60) sorbitol hexaoleate, soybean oil, and an aqueous phase composed of water/ethanol or isopropanol (80:20 wt%) at 25°C. The amount of oil removed from the cotton fabrics was determined by solid-state NMR after constructing a calibration curve relating the intensity of camphor/oil NMR signals (Ic/Io) to their molar ratio (Mc/Mo). A precision Crockmeter (Mul-Tech Industries, New York, NY) was used to reproducibly remove soybean oil stain from cotton fabric, which was subsequently analyzed by NMR. Typically, more than 90% of the oil stain was removed after 200 revolutions of the Crockmeter finger with 2 wt% surfactant at 25°C. Increasing the amount of surfactant to 6 wt% improved soybean oil removal from the fabric to 99 wt%.
Cryopreservation of gametes and embryos of non-domestic species

Many species of mammals are threatened or endangered. Methods of assisted reproduction that are being used with increasing frequency to produce offspring of domestic animals and humans are often viewed as offering innovative ways to reproduce non-domestic species as well. Uncounted millions of live young of domestic or laboratory species have been produced from gametes and embryos stored at -70 degrees C or below, sometimes for as long as 25 to 35 yrs. Such methods of cryopreservation are now being applied with increasing frequency and urgency to preserve gametes and embryos of non-domestic and threatened species to establish "genome resource banks" or "frozen zoos." But levels of success to produce live young from such cryopreserved gametes or embryos vary considerably from species to species, as well as from individual to individual. It is sometimes thought that differences among species in fundamental characteristics of their gametes may determine the efficacy of cryopreservation and the production of live young. However, it may not be that ineffective cryopreservation is responsible for low success rates. Rather, the limiting factor may be insufficient information and knowledge of the most basic reproductive biology of such non-domestic species. Even standard methods of cryopreservation may be completely adequate to act as a "temporary" expedient to preserve germplasm of non-domestic species to permit time to acquire a fuller understanding of the biology and behavior of non-domestic species.
Fructooligosaccharides exhibit more rapid fermentation than long-chain inulin in an in vitro fermentation system

This study investigated how chain length affects fermentation properties of fructooligosaccharides (FOSs) and inulin (IN). Chain lengths of FOSs and IN vary from an average degree of polymerization (DP) of 3 to greater than 20. Three samples classified as FOSs (samples A, B, and C) and 3 samples classified as IN (samples D, E, and F) were fermented via an in vitro batch method with human fecal inoculum as the source of microbes. Samples were removed at 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours for total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), acetate, propionate, and butyrate measurement via gas chromatography. Sample chain length did not affect SCFA concentrations in a predictable manner. Sample E (90%-94% DP > 10, 6%-10% DP = 1-2), a mixture of long-chain IN and short-chain FOS, produced significantly more total SCFA and acetate than the other samples. Sample F (DP > 20), the longest-chain IN, produced the lowest concentration of butyrate at 24 hours. The rate of FOS fermentation was higher than IN fermentation during 0 to 4 hours for all SCFAs, and the rate of IN fermentation was higher than FOS fermentation during 12 to 24 hours for all SCFAs. Chain length affects in vitro fermentability, with short chains being rapidly fermented and long chains being steadily fermented. Clinical studies should follow this work to verify if these differences exist in vivo.
Alpha-thalassemia screening reveals quadruple zeta-globin genes in a Laotian family.

In screening families for α-thalassemia (thal) by the Southern blot technique, several Laotian families were found which had anomalous ζ-globin haplotypes. The ζ-globin genes encode α-like embryonic hemoglobin subunits in the α-globin multigene complex on chromosome 16. There are normally two ζ-globin genes in this cluster: 5′ ζ2 and 3′ ψζ1. In our study, six individuals in three families had triple ζ-globin genes. Another family revealed a novel quadruple ζ-globin arrangement. Two abberrant fragments were seen in Eco R1, Bam H1, Bgl II and Hind III digests using a ζ-globin gene probe. These anomalous bands were in the 10 kb range consistent with duplication of the ζ-globin region. This haplotype interpretation was confirmed by Southern blot analyses using double digestions hybridized to a cDNA ζ-gene probe, and Pvu II digests probed with a 5′-ψζ1 intergenic fragment. Proposed mechanisms of recombination and implications of this novel arrangement are discussed.
Insulin Resistance, Dyslipidemia, and Cardiovascular Disease

Perspectives on the News commentaries are now part of a new, free monthly CME activity. The Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, is designating this activity for 2.0 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. If you wish to participate, review this article and visit www.diabetes.procampus.net to complete a posttest and receive a certificate. The Mount Sinai School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. This is the fourth in a series of four articles on presentations at the World Congress on the insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), reviewing aspects of insulin resistance pertaining to dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. ### Insulin resistance and dyslipidemia Ronald Krauss (San Francisco, CA) gave insights in the genetics of the more common forms of IRS based on the understanding of the complex topic of dyslipidemia. There is an intimate relationship between diet and dyslipidemia, and dietary manipulations may be used to understand the mechanisms of these abnormalities. LDL particles exist in multiple subclasses, differing in size, density, and lipid content. Large and medium LDL comprise the most abundant species in plasma of the most healthy individuals, but there are two forms of small LDL, exhibiting reduced receptor binding, greater endothelial transport, greater arterial proteoglycan binding, and greater susceptibility to oxidation. Small LDL is associated with elevations in triglyceride levels. Traditional models describe a pathway from VLDL formation in the liver to formation of IDL and then of LDL particles via lipolysis. Actually, there is heterogeneity in size subspecies of VLDL and IDL (1). With low levels of triglyceride transport from the liver, triglyceride-poor particles are exported as IDL, with lipolysis by lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to form LDL1. Under more typical circumstances of triglyceride formation, VLDL2 is formed. These VLDL particles are substrates for LPL, producing LDL2, …
The discursive construction of identity and power in the critical classroom: Implications for applied critical theories

The role of teacher identity and micro-level interaction in the construction of power relations in the critical classroom is investigated. This study took place in an American university in an English composition program that had implemented ‘critical pedagogy’, an applied critical theory that has the goal of changing the traditional power relations between teachers and students. Analysis of the institutional context and the discursive construction of teachers’ identities revealed contradictions between this goal and some of the teaching practices and suggested that power was not effectively redistributed as intended. The findings suggest that applied critical theories are often too simplistic, assuming that power can be straightforwardly transferred from the ‘powerful’ to the ‘powerless’. It is argued that proponents of such theories have under-theorized the notion of power, overlooking the paradox of ideology, which points to the role of micro-level interaction in the construction of power relations.
Development of Roof-Bolting Machine Bit and Chuck Isolators for Drilling Noise Reductions

Among underground coal miners, hearing loss remains one of the most common occupational illnesses. In response, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research to reduce the noise emission of various underground coal mining equipment, an example of which is a roof bolting machine (RBM). After the removal of coal or rock, the remaining strata may be subject to fall, either from overhead (the roof) or from the side (the rib). One method used in underground coal-mines to prevent failures requires the installation of roof bolts. The roof bolting machine operator trams the machine to the required location, drills a hole into the strata, and then installs a roof bolt, supporting the roof or the rib, as the case may be. Field studies support the premise that, on average, drilling noise is the loudest noise that a roof bolting machine operator would be exposed to and contributes significantly to the operators’ noise exposure. NIOSH has determined that the drill steel radiates a significant amount of noise during drilling. NIOSH is developing bit and chuck isolators to reduce vibration, and thus noise radiation of the drill steel, with the longer-term goal of reducing roof bolting machine operator noise exposure. Laboratory testing has shown that operator ear sound pressure levels may be reduced by 3 to 7 dB(A), depending upon the test configuration and drilling media.
Understanding muscle coordination of the human leg with dynamical simulations

Muscles coordinate multijoint motion by generating forces that cause reaction forces throughout the body. Thus, a muscle can redistribute existing segmental energy by accelerating some segments and decelerating others. In the process, a muscle may also produce or absorb energy, in which case its summed energetic effect on the segments is positive or negative, respectively. This Borelli Lecture shows how dynamical simulations derived from musculoskeletal models reveal muscle-induced segmental energy redistribution and muscle co-functions and synergies. Synergy occurs when co-excited muscles distribute segmental energy differently to execute the motor task. In maximum height jumping, high vertical velocity at lift-off occurs desirably at full body extension because biarticular leg muscles redistribute the energy produced by the uniarticular leg muscles. In pedaling, synergistic ankle plantarflexor force generation during leg extension allows the high energy produced by the uniarticular hip and knee extensors to be delivered to the crank. An analogous less-powerful flexor synergy exists during leg flexion. Hamstrings reduce crank deceleration during the leg extension-to-flexion transition by not only producing energy but delivering it to the crank through its contribution to the tangential (accelerating) crank force, though this hamstrings function occurs at the opposite (flexion-extension) transition when pedaling backwards. In walking, the eccentric quadriceps activity in early stance not only decelerates the leg but also accelerates the trunk. In mid-stance, the uni- and biarticular plantarflexors, by having opposite segmental energetic effects, act in synergy to support the whole body, so segmental potential and kinetic energy exchange can occur. To conclude, the extraction of unmeasurable variables from dynamical simulations emulating task kinematics, kinetics, and EMGs shows how the production of force and energy by individual muscles contribute to the energy flow among the individual segments during task execution.
Synthesis of 6- and 7-propargyloxy derivatives of 4-(3-fluoroanilino)-quinazoline

Abstract The preparation of the novel isomeric 6- and 7-propargyloxy derivatives of 4-(3-fluoroanilino)-quinazoline was achieved using a six-step process. An alternate method to the 7-propargyloxy derivative and analogous 7-propargyloxy containing compounds is also described.
Composted Municipal Garbage for Broiler Litter

Abstract Composted municipal garbage (CMG) from two sources was evaluated as broiler litter in three experiments involving a total of 33,920 broilers. An aerobically digested CMG and a windrow processed CMG were each compared to a wood shavings control. Broilers reared on the CMG had statistically or numerically improved body weights compared to the wood shavings control in all trials (31, 12, and 44 g heavier in Experiment 1, 2 and 3, respectively). Feed efficiency was also improved with CMG, whereas litter treatments did not differ in other production or carcass characteristics. Based on limited published reports with wood base litter materials, select trace elements and pesticide levels in CMG litter and tissue were generally within previously reported levels. Exceptions were high mercury, lead, chromium, and nickel in CMG litter, which will require additional research to quantitate significance.
Joint fourier transform processor

A joint Fourier transform processor can be used as a conventional coherent optical processor. In principle, the joint transform processor can perform all the optical data processing that a conventional coherent optical processor can offer. Sample illustrations for signal extraction and image subtraction are given. The major advantages of the joint transform processor must be (1) the avoidance of synthesizing a matched spatial filter, (2) higher space-bandwidth product, (3) lower spatial carrier frequency requirement, (4) higher output diffraction efficiency, etc.
Diversity of indigenous Bradyrhizobium japonicum in North Carolina soils

The diversity of Bradyrhizobium japonicum in agricultural fields has not been well characterized. Therefore a study was conducted to determine the serotypic diversity of B. japonicum both within and among six fields in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of North Carolina where soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] are grown. Nodule samples were collected from non-inoculated standing soybean crops. Both nodules and isolates were typed by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. Serotypes and their proportions varied both within and among locations. Common serotypes in order of abundance across all sites were 76, M1 (multiple reaction beyween 31 and 94), 94, 24, and 122, and together accounted for over 66% of the typable reactions. No cultivar effect on serotype distribution was observed. Unknown types ranged from 4 to 24%. Based on the total number of serotypes identified and the Shannon diversity index (H′), the mean population diversity was 0.76 for the Piedmont sites and 0.91 for the Coastal Plain sites.
Beam-gas jet lifetimes for O II

Using the beam-gas method with $\mathrm{O}_{2}^{}{}_{}{}^{+}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{+}$ beams incident on a differentially pumped gas-jet target, we have reinvestigated some visible lines of OII and have obtained the following radiative lifetimes (in nsec): $3p^{4}P^{o}$, 6.0 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.5; $3p^{2}P^{o}$, 7.3 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.7; $3{P}^{\ensuremath{'}}^{2}F^{o}$, 11.3 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.8; $3d^{4}F$, 5.0 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.4; and $3{d}^{\ensuremath{'}}^{2}G$, 5.0 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.5.
Nuclear self coupling via the hyperfine interaction in molecules

Abstract Nuclear self coupling via hyperfine interaction occurs in molecules as well as in metals. To obtain a finite result for this coupling, the effect of vibrational modes will have to be taken into account in molecules.
Water desalination across nanoporous graphene

We show that nanometer-scale pores in single-layer freestanding graphene can effectively filter NaCl salt from water. Using classical molecular dynamics, we report the desalination performance of such membranes as a function of pore size, chemical functionalization, and applied pressure. Our results indicate that the membrane’s ability to prevent the salt passage depends critically on pore diameter with adequately sized pores allowing for water flow while blocking ions. Further, an investigation into the role of chemical functional groups bonded to the edges of graphene pores suggests that commonly occurring hydroxyl groups can roughly double the water flux thanks to their hydrophilic character. The increase in water flux comes at the expense of less consistent salt rejection performance, which we attribute to the ability of hydroxyl functional groups to substitute for water molecules in the hydration shell of the ions. Overall, our results indicate that the water permeability of this material is several ...
Fluid phase equilibria in supercritical fluid chromatography with CO2-based mixed mobile phases: A review

In supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC), cosolvents (modifiers) have been added to CO2 in order to deactivate the analytical column and to improve the solvating power of CO2 for extending the utility of SFC to polar and high molecular weight solutes. However, the use of modifiers has proven to be difficult, and irreproducibility in retention and selectivity is often observed. This comprehensive review focuses on the phase behavior of analytically useful CO2-based mixed mobile phases in SFC. All of the CO2-based mixed mobile phases which have been used in packed or open tubular column SFC are reviewed. All of the available fluid phase equilibria data for such binary fluids are discussed, and the P-T-x region which is applicable to SFC is compiled in both graphs and tables. Single phase regions (pressure and temperature) are listed by mol% modifier. However, only mixtures of CO2 + benzene, + ethanol, + hexane, + methanol, or + toluene have enough P-T-x data points to enable extrapolation to any other conditions used in conventional SFC (0–20 mol% modifier, 40–400 atm, and 0–200°C). Problems associated with estimating the critical parameters of the pure components or the mixtures are reviewed. Phase transitions in the syringe pump, transfer lines, injector, column, and restrictor are delineated. Equilibration problems associated with the preparation of mixed mobile phases (premixed cylinders, liquid or gas phase saturation, and dual pumps with on-column mixing) and phase transitions during the operation of SFC instrumentation are discussed. Finally, future research needs are outlined.