cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Raman study of pure and doped (Li,Sr) single crystals of La2CuO4-y.

Raman spectra are presented of pristine and doped (Li,Sr) single crystals of ${\mathrm{La}}_{2}\mathrm{Cu}{\mathrm{O}}_{4\ensuremath{-}y}$. Based on polarization measurements, we assign the 424-${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ line to the symmetric ${A}_{1g}$ vibration of the out-of-plane oxygen atoms along the tetragonal axis. The line at 231 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ is identified as the ${A}_{1g}$ vibration of the La atoms along the tetragonal axis and the line at 238 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ as the ${E}_{g}$ vibration of the out-of-plane oxygen atoms parallel to the Cu-O layers. A symmetry-forbidden Raman line is observed at 680 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ which, by comparison with infrared measurements, can be tentatively assigned to an in-plane oxygen vibration. The dependence of the Raman spectra upon Li and Sr doping is presented and discussed. Especially noteworthy are two strong and sharp Raman lines (at 757 and 773 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at room temperature) in the Sr-doped crystals, because of their higher frequencies, polarization sensitivities, and unusual temperature dependences.
Valence-bond analysis of extended Hubbard models: Charge-transfer excitations of molecular conductors

The low-energy charge transfer (CT) excitation characteristic of both $\ensuremath{\pi}$-molecular conductors and complex-ion-radical salts is interpreted as a nearest-neighbor Coulomb interaction $V$ that is comparable to the bandwidth, $4|t|$. Partly filled segregated regular stacks in organic conductors are represented by extended Hubbard models, whose exact CT energies and intensities are obtained by diagrammatic valence-bond (VB) methods for four electrons on finite rings and chains, together with an approximate treatment of $V$ in partly filled infinite stacks for infinite on-site correlations $U$. Finite $V\ensuremath{\sim}4|t|$ yields an intense low-lying CT band, containing $V$ and $U\ensuremath{-}2V$ excitations, that depends weakly on the band filling. Finite $V$ also splits the usual CT absorption around $U$ for half filled bands into strong absorptions around $U\ensuremath{-}V$, weak ones around $U$, and much weaker bands around $U+V$ and $U+2V$. The CT spectra of mixed-valence tetrathiofulvalene (TTF) salts are modeled with $V\ensuremath{\sim}0.4$ eV, $U\ensuremath{\sim}1.4$ eV, and $|t|\ensuremath{\sim}0.10\ensuremath{-}0.13$ eV. Similar CT transitions in complex tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) salts are consistent with the insensitivity of the $V$ peak's position to the filling or the structure. Restricting the basis to one valence state per site produces several general consequences for dipole-allowed optical transitions.
Unexpected Roles of the Na-K-ATPase and Other Ion Transporters in Cell Junctions and Tubulogenesis

Recent work shows that transport-independent as well as transport-dependent functions of ion transporters, and in particular the Na-K-ATPase, are required for formation and maintenance of several intercellular junctions. Furthermore, these junctional and other nonjunctional functions of ion transporters contribute to development of epithelial tubes. Here, we consider what has been learned about the roles of ion pumps in formation of junctions and epithelial tubes in mammals, zebrafish, Drosophila, and C. elegans. We propose that asymmetric association of the Na-K-ATPase with cell junctions early in metazoan evolution enabled vectorial transcellular ion transport and control of intraorganismal environment. Ion transport-independent functions of the Na-K-ATPase arose as junctional complexes evolved.
Conversion of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone to 5α, 3α, and 20α-reduced metabolites by female rat anterior pituitary and hypothalamus

The metabolism of 17 alpha-[3H]hydroxyprogesterone was examined in female rat anterior pituitary and hypothalamic tissues. After reverse isotopic dilution analysis and purification to constant specific activity, the following 5 alpha-, 3 alpha- and 20 alpha-reduced products were detected in both tissues: 17 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione; 3 alpha,17 alpha-dihydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one; 17 alpha,20 alpha-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one and 5 alpha-pregnane-3 alpha,17 alpha,20 alpha-triol. While the metabolites formed were qualitatively the same, there were quantitative differences between the two tissues. The 3 alpha,5 alpha-reduced metabolite, 3 alpha,17 alpha-dihydroxy-5 alpha-pregnan-20-one, was the principal product in the anterior pituitary while the 5 alpha-reduced metabolite, 17 alpha-hydroxy-5 alpha-pregnane-3,20-dione, was produced in largest amount by the hypothalamus. With both tissues, the aforementioned four products plus starting substrate accounted for nearly all of the starting radioactivity. There was no evidence for the formation of C19 steroids (androgens) despite the presence of the 17 alpha-hydroxy group.
The Partisan Origins of Great Power Politics

Realists have long held the grand strategies of the great powers are largely a function of the international distribution of power. Ascendant states tend to pur sue more ambitious grand strategies in both the core and the periphery, while declining states tend to retrench their strategic commitments. Leaders determine the "national interest" based upon assessments of the current balance-of-power and anticipated power trends. Especially in the case of the two dominant great powers of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the United States and Great Britain, domestic politics stop at the water's edge. Kevin Narizny's The Political Economy of Grand Strategy joins a long list of recent books that challenge this realist orthodoxy by positing a central role for unit level variables (Snyder 1991; Rosecrance and Stein 1993; Kupchan 1995; Katzenstein 1996; Lobell 2003; and Haas 2005). Narizny poses three fundamental questions: Why do some great powers aggressively expand their international influence, while others refuse commitments that they could easily protect given their relative power? Why do some states seek control over peripheral territories, while others eschew imperialism? Why do some leaders support internationalist initiatives, while others pursue policies more consistent with Realpolitik? Drawing upon the international political economy (IPE) literature and liberal international relations (IR) theory, Narizny contends the leaders of rising and declining great powers are not neutral arbiters of the "national interests," but instead act as agents of domestic coalitional interests. Different sectors?domes tic manufacturers, exporters and outward investors seeking markets in the core or the periphery, and military-colonial interests?have competing economic interests and consequently radically divergent views on international politics. Political parties aggregate those interests and then select candidates whose strate gic beliefs will likely benefit their constituents. As a result, the economic interests that back governing parties largely determine whether great powers pursue expansionist or status-quo policies in the core or the periphery. Narizny tests his coalitional theory of interest aggregation using case studies of US grand strategy from 1865 to 1941 and British grand strategy from 1868 to 1939. The competing economic interests that supported the Democratic and the Republican parties in the US after the Civil War and the Conservative, Liberal, and later Labour parties in Britain after the 1867 Reform Act, in effect, deter mined whether successive US presidents (Andrew Johnson to Franklin Roosevelt) and British prime ministers and cabinets (William Gladstone to Neville Chamber lain) seized or avoided opportunities to expand their respective countries' influence abroad. His analysis purports to shed light on long-standing debates about the revival of British imperialism in the 1880s and 1890s, the United States' shift from westward expansion in North America to the acquisition of ter ritories in the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean, and East Asia, the creation of the
The Effects of Political Advertising on Young Voters

Political advertising effects on candidate evaluations, issue recall, political cynicism, and gender differences are explored in this pretest—posttest examination of 764 young adult participants. Results show no major gender differences in evaluation of candidates. Participants reported learning more about Bush's image and more about Kerry's issues through the ads. Exposure to ads did not produce increased cynicism among the participants but significantly increased political information efficacy.
Leaders and Followers: Students Developing Transformational Leadership Through Collaborator Feedback

Transformational leadership is emerging as the operational leadership paradigm for twenty-first century leaders. Additionally, the concept of leadership as a relationship between leaders and collaborators is being accepted and understood as a significant framework for leadership education. This paper addresses the problem of how transformational leadership is best developed in the collegiate population for both leaders and collaborators. A description is provided of an educational methodology that utilizes collaborator feedback to assist both leaders and collaborators in the development of transformational leadership in a relational context. Additionally, student assessments are provided regarding their perspectives of leadership education that actively engages leaders and collaborators in sharing and receiving feedback. This observation/reflection dynamic adds a strategic component to experiential, leadership education.
Cell Proliferation in Mesenteric Microvascular Network Remodeling in Response to Elevated Hemodynamic Stress

The objective of this study was to quantify the proliferation of existing vascular and perivascular cells during a specific form of microvascular remodeling characterized by increased coverage by smooth muscle cells (SMCs), in response to increased mechanical stress. Coordinated ligations of artery/vein pairs in the rat mesentery resulted in hemodynamic stress elevations within the targeted microvascular network. BRDU incorporation per unit length of smooth muscle (SM) alpha-actin positive vessel was evaluated following ligation at 2, 5, and 10 days. At 2 days, BRDU incorporation was significantly increased for both sham and ligated treatments, but the ligated response was not elevated over the sham response. After 5 days, proliferation for both groups returned to unstimulated levels. The results indicate that moderate elevations in hemodynamic stress do not cause perivascular cell proliferation along rat mesenteric microvessels, therefore, the increased coverage of differentiated SMCs along the same microvessels does not involve proliferation of vascular or perivascular cells.
Ultrasensitive Qβ Phage Analysis Using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy on an Optofluidic Chip

We demonstrate detection and analysis of the Qbeta bacteriophage on the single virus level using an integrated optofluidic biosensor. Individual Qbeta phages with masses on the order of attograms were sensed and analyzed on a silicon chip in their natural liquid environment without the need for virus immobilization. The diffusion coefficient of the viruses was extracted from the fluorescence signal by means of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and found to be 15.90+/-1.50 microm(2)/s in excellent agreement with previously published values. The aggregation and disintegration of the phage were also observed. Virus flow velocities determined by FCS were in the 60-300 microm/s range. This study suggests considerable potential for an inexpensive and portable sensor capable of discrimination between viruses of different sizes.
Hydrolysis of human plasma high density lipoprotein2-phospholipids and triglycerides by hepatic lipase

Summary To determine the physiological role of hepatic lipase in lipoprotein metabolism, human plasma very low (VLDL), low (LDL) or high (HDL 2 and HDL 3 ) density lipoproteins were labeled with [ 14 C] triolein or [ 14 C] dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine and the rates of lipid hydrolysis were determined using human heparin-releasable hepatic lipase. Compared to LDL and HDL 3 , HDL 2 phospholipids were the preferred substrate for hepatic lipase; 17% of HDL 2 phospholipids were hydrolyzed. [ 14 C] Triolein-labeled HDL 2 were also hydrolyzed by hepatic lipase. However, purified bovine milk lipoprotein lipase had negligible activity on HDL 2 -triglycerides. After incubation of HDL 2 with hepatic lipase, there was a decrease in the size of the particle as demonstrated by gel filtration and an increase in the density as shown by zonal ultracentrifugation. These results suggest that hepatic lipase may play a role in the interconversion of HDL subfractions.
Dynamic Regulation of Vascular Myosin Light Chain (MYL9) with Injury and Aging

Background Aging-associated changes in the cardiovascular system increase the risk for disease development and lead to profound alterations in vascular reactivity and stiffness. Elucidating the molecular response of arteries to injury and age will help understand the exaggerated remodeling of aging vessels. Methodology/Principal Findings We studied the gene expression profile in a model of mechanical vascular injury in the iliac artery of aging (22 months old) and young rats (4 months old). We investigated aging-related variations in gene expression at 30 min, 3 d and 7 d post injury. We found that the Myosin Light Chain gene (MYL9) was the only gene differentially expressed in the aged versus young injured arteries at all time points studied, peaking at day 3 after injury (4.6 fold upregulation (p<0.05) in the smooth muscle cell layers. We confirmed this finding on an aging aortic microarray experiment available through NCBI's GEO database. We found that Myl9 was consistently upregulated with age in healthy rat aortas. To determine the arterial localization of Myl9 with age and injury, we performed immunohistochemistry for Myl9 in rat iliac arteries and found that in healthy and injured (30 days post injury) arteries, Myl9 expression increased with age in the endothelial layers. Conclusions/Significance The consistent upregulation of the myosin light chain protein (Myl9) with age and injury in arterial tissue draws attention to the increased vascular permeability and to the age-caused predisposition to arterial constriction after balloon angioplasty.
Grain size distribution effects on the corrosion behaviour of materials

Abstract While the effect of grain size refinement on the corrosion behaviour of materials is well studied, the effect of grain size distribution has not been explored. By utilising existing correlations between corrosion current and grain size, we derive relationships for corrosion current and grain size distribution. These relationships suggest that for the same average grain size, a broader grain size distribution leads to increased corrosion resistance in a non-passivating environment and vice versa in a passivating environment. These relationships are also used to predict the corrosion behaviour of bimodal microstructures.
Three-dimensional structure of a hammerhead ribozyme

The hammerhead ribozyme is a small catalytic RNA motif made up of three base-paired stems and a core of highly conserved, non-complementary nucleotides essential for catalysis. The X-ray crystallographic structure of a hammerhead RNA-DNA ribozyme-inhibitor complex at 2.6 A resolution reveals that the base-paired stems are A-form helices and that the core has two structural domains. The first domain is formed by the sequence 5'-CUGA following stem I and is a sharp turn identical to the uridine turn of transfer RNA, whereas the second is a non-Watson-Crick three-base-pair duplex with a divalent-ion binding site. The phosphodiester backbone of the DNA inhibitor strand is splayed out at the phosphate 5' to the cleavage site. The structure indicates that the ribozyme may destabilize a substrate strand in order to facilitate twisting of the substrate to allow cleavage of the scissile bond.
On the competitive resolution of trading uncertainty

Abstract We present a model in which sellers must set prices in the face of uncertain demand. Demand is realized sequentially and sellers who set low prices sell before those who set high prices. Sellers who set high prices sell only when the realization of demand is high. In equilibrium the expected profit is the same for all the prices which are announced. We establish the existence of a unique equilibrium. It is also shown that the equilibrium allocation is a solution to a well defined planner problem (Pareto efficiency) and to a special monopoly problem.
Computer construction of equal-angle fabric diagrams and program comparisons

Abstract Several existing computer programs producing fabric diagrams with symbols or contour lines are either not available, or inefficient and difficult to handle. The computer program presented here considers a 1-percent spherical counting area on the lower hemisphere, calculates the densities on a spherical grid, develops the contours, and projects them in an equal-angle mode on the meridial plane. This program is small, accurate, and efficient, handles all data points in a systematic manner, and may be easily applied in geosciences.
Dermal-epidermal interactions and the action of alleles at the agouti locus in the mouse.

In the mouse, alleles at the agouti locus determine eumelanin or pheomelanin synthesis by the follicular melanocytes. Previous studies have identified the dermis as the site of action of these alleles. However, a recent investigation utilizing the yellow (Ay) allele suggested a possible role of the epidermis in the expression of agouti locus alleles. Using dermal-epidermal recombinations of embryonic skin of various agouti genotypes, the present investigation supports the role of both the dermis and epidermis. If nonagouti (aa) dermis is recombined with agouti (AA) epidermis, the resulting hairs are pigmented in the nonagouti pattern. The reciprocal recombination of agouti dermis and nonagouti epidermis results in hairs pigmented in the agouti pattern. The recombinations of yellow (Aya) dermis and agouti or extreme nonagouti (aeae) epidermis result in hairs completely pigmented in the yellow pattern (pheomelanin). However, when extreme nonagouti or agouti dermis is recombined with yellow epidermis, the resulting hairs are completely pigmented with pheomelanin. Similar results occur in recombinations of “young” yellow epidermis (13 days) and “old” dermis (17 days) even though dermal papillae are present. The role of dermal-epidermal interactions in the expression of agouti alleles as well as possible explanations for the unique action of the yellow allele are discussed.
Effect of lattice relaxation on magnetic anisotropy: Zr-doped Sm 2 Co 17

The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) in rare-earth/transition-metal hard magnets originates from the onsite anisotropy of the rare-earth element with additional contribution from the transition-metal sublattice. While ${\mathrm{SmCo}}_{5}$ can be transformed to ${\mathrm{Sm}}_{2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{17}$ by partial substitution of Sm by ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}$ dumbbells, the MAE in ${\mathrm{Sm}}_{2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{17}$ is noticeably smaller compared to that in ${\mathrm{SmCo}}_{5}.$ However, small dopings of nonmagnetic Zr significantly increase the MAE in ${\mathrm{Sm}}_{2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{17}.$ We show that the changes to the MAE in ${\mathrm{Sm}}_{2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{17}$ can be traced down to the reduction of the crystal field at the Sm site due to the Co sublattice relaxation upon $\mathrm{Sm}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\mathrm{Co}}_{2}$ substitution which is subsequently restored upon substitution of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\mathrm{Zr}.$
Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of Octaacetic Acid Tetraphenylporphyrins

Members of a new class of water-soluble, nonplanar porphyrins based on 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporpyrin-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaacetic acid (OAATPPs) have been synthesized, and their physical and chemical properties as well as their interactions with complexing agents have been investigated using UV-visible absorption, EXAFS, nuclear magnetic resonance and resonance Raman spectroscopies. Red shifts of 19-36 nm in the major absorption bands are noted for Ni derivatives of OAATPP and its octamethyl ester (ME), meso-tetrakis(p-nitrophenyl)-porphyrinoctaacetic acid octamethyl ester, and octakis(hydroxyethyl)tetraphenylporphyrin relative to nickel tetraphenylporphyrin. These red shifts are indicative of a high degree of nonplanarity. The short Ni-N distances of 1.92(2) {Angstrom} for NiOAATPP-OME and 1.89(2) {Angstrom} for NiOAATNPP-OME from EXAFS experiments corroborate the nonplanar nature of these porphyrins. The decreased ring current effect and temperature-dependent NMR measurements also confirm that the porphyrins are nonplanar in solution. Resonance Raman studies also indicate nonplanar conformations for NiOAATPP and its derivatives by the characteristic downshifts in the frequencies of the structure-sensitive marker lines. At low pH(<3) or in 4.5 M NaCl, conditions under which planar octaacid porphyrins like nickel uroporphyrin form {pi}-{pi} aggregates that give small characteristic upshifts in the structure-sensitive Raman lines, NiOAATPP shows no significant changes in either the absorption or the Raman spectra. The {pi}-{pi} aggregatesmore » formed by planar Ni uroporphyrin do not form for NiOAATPP most likely because of the steric difficulty in stacking the highly nonplanar and sterically hindered OAATPPs. Finally, the affinity for axially coordinated nitrogenous bases is decreased by nonplanarity and increased by electron-withdrawing peripheral substituents.« less
Effects of 2,4-d on nitrogen fixation and carbon dioxide evolution in a soil microcosm

Two concentrations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) 1.7 kg ha−1 and 3.4 kg ha−1 were applied to oats (Avena sativa L. ‘Orbit’) grown in terrestrial microcosms in a sandy soil. Carbon dioxide evolution and non-symbiotic N2 fixation (C2H2 reduction) were measured weekly. On day 70 of the study, 2,4-D was applied a second time at the same application rates and soil CO2 evolution and N2 fixation were measured more frequently. Soil CO2 evolution over 24 h period was significantly decreased by 40 to 50% at both application rates of 2,4-D. This response lasted less than 7 days. Nitrogen fixation was unaffected by 2,4-D except for an unexplained decrease observed in the 1.7 kg ha−1 treatment 35 days after 2,4-D application. This effect was not observed on the following sampling date. The second application of 2,4-D failed to produce any significant change in soil CO2 evolution or N2 fixation. From these studies we conclude soil microbial populations either degraded or became acclimated to 2,4-D as a result of the initial application and that 2,4-D has no significant adverse effect on N2 fixation or soil CO2 evolution.
Paying Back and Paying Forward

This talk will discuss the value and benefits of volunteering - to one's career, to one's profession, and to one's life.
Life patterns and age styles in older adults.

A biographical approach was used to investigate life themes, life experiences, and personality styles in older adults. Extensive interviews were conducted with fifteen individuals, who sorted index cards with life events and filled out a personality inventory. A typology was developed that distinguished individual life patterns (i.e., specific life themes and life events) and age styles (i.e., personality traits). Three case histories illustrate each of the major life patterns found in the interviews.
Electronic image formation in high-voltage TEM by sequential pixel acquisition.

SUMMARY We describe a complete hybrid imaging system for the electronic detection and manipulation of high-voltage TEM images. The system includes a recently incorporated two-dimensional beam deflector for dissecting the image into pixels by displacing it in a raster in front of an aperture leading to an electron detector. The characteristics of images thus formed by sequential pixel acquisition and displayed on a CRT are discussed and illustrated. Absorption or thickness profiles are also obtained by displaying the scanned pixel intensity in Y-modulation. Similarly, the displacement of an entire diffraction pattern allows the intensities of individual diffraction spots to be quantitated directly over a wide dynamic range. The direct splitting of the image into electronically controlled pixels can be applied to local mass measurements and to energy-loss analysis by means of a simple magnetic prism that can also provide energy filtering in lieu of a more elaborate electron-optical, image-preserving system.
Inhibition of invasiveness of human lung cancer cell line H1299 by over-expression of cofilin

Abstract The Rho–LIM-kinase (LIMK) signaling pathway, believed to be involved in the regulation of tumor invasion, specifically regulates the activity of cofilin. However, it is unclear whether cofilin plays a pivotal role in tumor invasiveness. In this paper we show using a tet-on gene expression system that over-expression of cofilin inhibits the invasiveness of human lung cancer H1299 cells. Over-expressed cofilin disrupts the actin cytoskeleton at the leading edge of the cell and up-regulates p27kip1, which is known to be involved in regulating cell motility. Removal of cofilin over-expression normalizes the p27kip1 level and concomitantly restores the invasiveness of the cultured cells. These findings suggest that excessive cofilin production might prevent cancer cell invasion.
Quantitative evaluation of oxygenation in venous vessels using T2‐Relaxation‐Under‐Spin‐Tagging MRI

Noninvasive measurement of cerebral venous oxygenation can serve as a tool for better understanding fMRI signals and for clinical evaluation of brain oxygen homeostasis. In this study a novel technique, T2-Relaxation-Under-Spin-Tagging (TRUST) MRI, is developed to estimate oxygenation in venous vessels. This method uses the spin labeling principle to automatically isolate pure blood signals from which T2 relaxation times are determined using flow-insensitive T2-preparation pulses. The blood T2 is then converted to blood oxygenation using a calibration plot. In vivo experiments gave a baseline venous oxygenation of 64.8 +/- 6.3% in sagittal sinus in healthy volunteers (n = 24). Reproducibility studies demonstrated that the standard deviation across trials was 2.0 +/- 1.1%. The effects of repetition time and inversion time selections were investigated. The TRUST technique was further tested using various physiologic challenges. Hypercapnia induced an increase in venous oxygenation by 13.8 +/- 1.1%. On the other hand, caffeine ingestion resulted in a decrease in oxygenation by 7.0 +/- 1.8%. Contrast agent infusion (Gd-DTPA, 0.1 mmol/kg) reduced venous blood T2 by 11.2 ms. The results of this study show that TRUST MRI is a useful technique for quantitative assessment of blood oxygenation in the brain.
Is It Time for Telerehabilitation to Go Mainstream

Moffet et al. present a very well done, prospective, randomized, single-blinded, noninferiority study with excellent methodology comparing in-home telerehabilitation and in-home face-to-face physical therapy following total knee arthroplasty. The results of this study are important, given the increasing frequency of knee replacement surgery, shrinking health-care resources, and increasing expectations of patients for a quicker and optimal recovery, as well as the increased scrutiny and public reporting by various payers with regard to patient satisfaction and outcomes of knee replacement surgery. In the United States, depending on the type of care after discharge, over one-third of the overall cost of total knee arthroplasty occurs following discharge from the acute care facility1. Much of this cost is for postoperative rehabilitation in either an inpatient setting (e.g., an acute care rehabilitation or skilled nursing facility) or an outpatient setting (e.g., in-home or outpatient physical therapy). The frequency of total knee arthroplasties is expected to increase, with an earlier estimate of nearly 3.5 million procedures annually by 20302, although more recent data have suggested the rise in the frequency of total knee arthroplasties may be leveling off3,4. Nevertheless, one must question whether we can sustain the same level and cost of care after discharge. Less costly methods that are equally effective must …
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation for the Head-Injured Patient

Recent research has shown that electrical stimulation is effective in treatment programs designed to maintain or gain range of motion, to facilitate voluntary motor control, and to strengthen muscles weakened by disuse. All of these treatment goals are relevant to the head-injured patient who frequently demonstrates profound disuse atrophy, joint contractures with excessive muscle tone, and decreased voluntary motor capabilities. As the cognitive status of the head-injured patient improves, electrical stimulation can be incorporated into traditional treatment programs to enhance their effectiveness. This article discusses using neuromuscular electrical stimulation with programs aimed at managing contractures, reducing spasticity, and facilitating voluntary motion. The limitations of electrical stimulation in the head-injured patient population are addressed.
Robust Adaptive Nonlinear Control of High Peformance Aircraft

A robust adaptive control law for multivariable nonlinear systems affine in the input was presented in [2]. All constant parameters that could be linearly parametrized in the input-output dynamic equation were adaptively estimated, and uncertainties in all the other terms were accounted for by appropriate choice of sliding gains. This adaptive control law is implemented in the control of the pitch axis dynamics of an AFTI-16, a high performance aircraft. The lift, drag and moment coefficients corresponding to the control surfaces, the elevator and the flaperons, are adaptively estimated.
Critical role for CD8 in T cell receptor binding and activation by peptide/major histocompatibility complex multimers.

Recent data using MHC/peptide tetramers and dimers suggests that the T cell coreceptors, CD4 and CD8, although important for T cell activation, do not play a direct role in facilitating T cell receptor (TCR) binding to multivalent MHC/peptide ligands. Instead, a current model proposes that coreceptors are recruited only after a stable TCR–MHC/peptide complex has already formed and signaled. In contrast, we show using multimeric class I MHC/peptide ligands that CD8 plays a critical (in some cases obligatory) role in antigen-specific TCR binding. T cell activation, measured by calcium mobilization, was induced by multimeric but not monomeric ligands and also showed CD8 dependency. Our analysis using anti-CD8 antibodies revealed that binding to different epitopes of CD8 can either block or augment TCR–MHC/peptide interaction. These effects on TCR binding to high-affinity agonist ligands were even more pronounced when binding to multimeric low-affinity ligands, including TCR antagonists, was studied. Our data have important implications for the role of CD8 in TCR binding to MHC/peptide ligands and in T cell activation. In addition, our results argue against the view that multimeric MHC/peptide ligands bind directly and solely to the TCR; rather, our data highlight a pivotal contribution of CD8 for this association.
Localization and Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-4 in the Immature Gonadotropin-Stimulated and Adult Rat Ovary

The tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are important regulators of the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), proteolytic enzymes essential for controlling the coordinated tissue remodeling that takes place in the ovary. In the present study, we characterized the ovarian expression pattern of TIMP-4. The localization of TIMP-4 mRNA was determined by in situ hybridization in adult cycling rats. TIMP-4 mRNA on the day of estrus was expressed in a punctate pattern in stroma and in corpora lutea (CL) from previous cycles but not in newly formed CL or follicles. At metestrus, TIMP-4 mRNA was present in certain CL from the current and previous cycles and continued to exhibit a punctate pattern of expression in the stroma. By diestrus, TIMP-4 mRNA was detected in the thecal layer surrounding follicles, and a relatively high level of expression was observed in a punctate pattern within new and previous CL and in the stroma. TIMP-4 mRNA was also observed in the thecal layer at proestrus, but the punctate pattern within CL and stroma was absent. To correlate the changes in cellular localization with changes in overall TIMP-4 levels, ovarian mRNA and protein levels were examined in adult cycling rats and in gonadotropin-stimulated immature rats. In cycling rats, there was no change in mRNA or protein levels across the cycle, although there was a trend towards higher levels during estrus (P = 0.08). In gonadotropin-treated rats, there was an increase in TIMP-4 mRNA 48 h after eCG administration with a corresponding doubling of TIMP-4 protein. Although TIMP-4 mRNA and protein tended to decline after hCG treatment, this trend was not significant (P = 0.08). These findings indicate that TIMP-4 could play an important role in regulating MMPs in a localized manner in follicles and CL throughout the cycle.
Historical Impacts of Precipitation and Temperature on Farm Production in Kansas

We quantify weather effects on output and incomes for a panel of Kansas farmers. The effects of weather are largely asymmetric with negative temperature and precipitation values affecting output and income differently than above average observations. Precipitation effects depend on timing and seasonal averages. The number of days exceeding 32.2°C (i.e., the ‘‘hot’’ years) negatively impacts production and income measures, although the impact is positive for crop output in the cooler years. The results indicate the importance of including weather in predicting output and income and designing risk management instruments to mitigate weather trends and variability.
Reply to the ‘Comment on “On electrical conductivity of microbial nanowires and biofilms”’ by N. S. Malvankar, M. T. Tuominen and D. R. Lovley, Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, DOI: 10.1039/c2ee02613a

Geobacter sulfurreducens can acquire energy by coupling oxidation of acetate with extracellular electron transfer to an anode, forming an electrically conductive biofilm extending many cell lengths away from the anode surface. Owing to their conductivity, such biofilms may play important roles in emerging technologies referred to as bioelectrochemical systems (BES). In these systems, microbes are used to catalyze anode processes for which abiotic catalysts do not exist, such as wastewater treatment and energy generation from biomass by fuel cells. Two models describing the conductive nature of G. sulfurreducens biofilms grown on anodes (biofilm anodes) have recently been put forth; superexchange proposed by our group, recently published in Energy and Environmental Science, which invokes electron-transfer among a network of cytochromes, and metallic-like conductivity proposed by Malvankar et al., recently published in Nature Nanotechnology, which invokes intrinsic conductivity of certain secreted microbial filaments referred to as nanowires. Here, we respond to criticisms raised by Malvankar et al. in the preceding commentary concerning superexchange.
Proteomic analysis of human prostasomes

BACKGROUND Prostasomes are secretory particles in human seminal fluid. Other than a microscopic description of these secretory particles and an incomplete two–dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) study, little is known about the composition of proteins in prostasomes. METHODS We employed a direct iterative approach using Gas phase fractionation and microcapillary HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry (μLC-MS/MS) to catalogue the prostasome proteome. RESULTS We identified 139 proteins that can be divided into the following categories: (1) enzymes (33.8% of total), (2) transport/structural (19.4% of total), (3) GTP proteins (14.4% of total), (4) chaperone proteins (5.8% of total), (5) signal transduction proteins (17.3% of total), and (6) unannotated proteins (9.4% of total). A total of 128 of the 139 proteins have not previously been described as prostasomal. CONCLUSIONS The proteins identified can be used as reference dataset in future work comparing prostasome proteins between normal and pathological states such as prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, and infertility. Prostate 56: 150–161, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A survey of low-cost, user-friendly sqc software for microcomputers

Major factors to consider in selecting a microcomputer SQC package are discussed, and a selection of low-cost user-friendly software is described. Functions of each package are considered in the context of their purchase cost and arrangements for reproduction. Focus is on the classroom, but this software is also suitable for use in industry and commerce.
Combustion of Highly Reactive Fuels in Supersonic Airstreams

The feasibility of adding heat to supersonic airstreams by combustion was studied in a small wind tunnel. Aluminum borohydride, pentaborane, hydrocarbon-aluminum borohydride mixtures, trimethylaluminum, diethylaluminum hydride, alkylboranes, alkylboron hydrides and vinylsilane were tested. The first three ignited easily and burned well. The others either failed to ignite or burned only in the diffuser. Trimethylaluminum and diethylaluminum hydride produced light and other evidence of heat evolution when water was simultaneously injected into the tunnel. Gross effects on flow were studied by observation of shock patterns and water sprays injected from the tunnel walls. Examples are given which illustrate the use of these techniques in aerodynamic studies in larger wind tunnels.
The orientable genus of some joins of complete graphs with large edgeless graphs

In an earlier paper the authors showed that with one exception the nonorientable genus of the graph K"[email protected]?+K"n with m>=n-1, the join of a complete graph with a large edgeless graph, is the same as the nonorientable genus of the spanning subgraph K"[email protected]?+K"[email protected]?=K"m","n. The orientable genus problem for K"[email protected]?+K"n with m>=n-1 seems to be more difficult, but in this paper we find the orientable genus of some of these graphs. In particular, we determine the genus of K"[email protected]?+K"n when n is even and m>=n, the genus of K"[email protected]?+K"n when n=2^p+2 for p>=3 and m>=n-1, and the genus of K"[email protected]?+K"n when n=2^p+1 for p>=3 and m>=n+1. In all of these cases the genus is the same as the genus of K"m","n, namely @?(m-2)(n-2)/[email protected]?.
Optimal algorithm for minimizing the number of twists in an on-chip bus

Complementary bus architecture is used to achieve higher speed and lower power in VLSI chips. However, in deep submicron circuit design, the effects of crosstalk become more and more serious, especially in the bus structure where wires are placed close to each other. Complementary bus architecture with twisted wires can reduce the coupling noise. But in current chip design flow, engineering change order (ECO) happens commonly to meet improvement requirement. Layout changes due to ECO introduce obstacles to the twists, which could reduce the number of twists and increase the coupling noise. In this paper, an ECO algorithm for generating twisted complementary architecture is proposed based on the shortest path algorithm. Our algorithm guarantees to give the minimum number of twists along the bus wires under noise constraints. Experimental results show that the twist patterns generated by our algorithm can effectively reduce the capacitive coupling noises.
PINEAL AND METAMORPHOSIS THE INFLUENCE OF PINEAL FEEDING UPON THE RATE OF METAMORPHOSIS IN FROGS

Before taking up the discussion of the effect of pineal feeding on amphibians, it might be well to summarize the effect of pineal feeding on higher animals, as reported by different observers. Very little has been done in this field.
Poker Flat MST radar observations of high latitude neutral winds at the mesopause during and after solar proton events

A~~act~b~~atio~s with the Poker Flat, Alaska, MST radar during and after solar proton events in 1982 and 1984 suggest that winds in the altitude range of -S&90 km were altered as a consequence of the influx of energetic charged particles and large electric fields at high latitudes. The atmospheric changes accompanying these events appear to result in a reduction of the semidiurnal tide and an enhancement in the diurnal tide. It is suggested that these changes could result from the alteration of the local tidal heating distribution produced by the particle precipitation. either through changes in the local ozone distribution or as a result of mesospheric Joule heating.
The acquisition of the present perfect: explaining differences in the speech of Scottish and American children.

This study assesses the role of frequency of input in the acquisition of the present perfect by Scottish and American children. Two questions were addressed: (1) Do adults speaking Scottish English use the present perfect more frequently in speech to children than those speaking American English? (2) If there is a difference in the frequency of input, how does this affect the course of development of this structure in the language of Scottish vs. American children? Cross-sectional data were collected from 12 Scottish and 12 American children aged 3; 0 to 6; 4 and from adults interacting with them in naturalistic settings. The data led to the conclusions that (1) Scottish adults use the present perfect construction in their speech to children much more frequently than American adults do; (2) Scottish children use the present perfect construction in their speech long before their American counterparts; and (3) frequency of input does play a major role in the timing and order of acquisition of the present perfect. However, its role appears to be an interactive one, in which it conspires with factors such as semantic, syntactic, and cognitive simplicity to make some forms easier to learn than others.
Are men and women really so different

Distinct differences in the behaviour and preferences of men and women have conventionally been attributed to Trivers' powerful insights regarding the impact of parental investment on sexual selection and mating systems. This has spawned a huge literature about the evolutionary significance of human sex differences. But are men and women really so different? An elegant new study shows that men and women are strikingly similar in their mate preferences. Have conventional models blinded us to the obvious, and precluded the posing of far more interesting questions?
Acquired QT interval changes and neck dissections

Abstract Study Objective: To determine if acquired long QT syndrome following right or left, radical or modified, neck dissections result in malignant arrhythmias or deaths. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Inpatient head and neck service of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Patients: 69 patients who underwent extensive neck surgery, without congenital long QT syndrome, medications known to prolong the QT interval, preoperative ventricular arrhythmias, or electrolyte abnormalities. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Preoperative and postoperative electrolytes were evaluated. Preoperative and postoperative electrocardiograms and QT intervals were evaluated. Continuous intraoperative and 10- to 12-hour postoperative monitoring of lead II or V5 were evaluated. Twenty-six patients (Group 1) underwent either right radical neck dissection or modified right radical neck dissection, 25 patients (Group 2) underwent either left radical neck dissection or modified left neck dissection, and 18 patients (Group 3) underwent extensive neck surgery without radical or modified neck dissection. Postoperatively, 38 patients (19 Group 1, 11 Group 2, and 8 Group 3 patients) developed a QT interval corrected for heart rate (QTc) of greater than 440 milliseconds. Repeated measures analysis of variance, comparing preoperative and postoperative QTc showed a statistically significant preoperative to postoperative change, but no significant difference among the three groups. No malignant arrhythmias or deaths were recorded in any of the three groups. Conclusions: Acquired long QT syndrome following radical neck dissection, without congenital, metabolic, or pharmacologic disturbance, is unlikely to trigger malignant arrhythmias, as previously reported for right radical neck dissection.
Rab GTPases Are Recruited to Chlamydial Inclusions in Both a Species-Dependent and Species-Independent Manner

Chlamydiae are obligate intracellular bacteria that replicate within an inclusion that is trafficked to the peri-Golgi region where it fuses with exocytic vesicles. The host and chlamydial proteins that regulate the trafficking of the inclusion have not been identified. Since Rab GTPases are key regulators of membrane trafficking, we examined the intracellular localization of several green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged Rab GTPases in chlamydia-infected HeLa cells. GFP-Rab4 and GFP-Rab11, which function in receptor recycling, and GFP-Rab1, which functions in endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-to-Golgi trafficking, are recruited to Chlamydia trachomatis, Chlamydia muridarum, and Chlamydia pneumoniae inclusions, whereas GFP-Rab5, GFP-Rab7, and GFP-Rab9, markers of early and late endosomes, are not. In contrast, GFP-Rab6, which functions in Golgi-to-ER and endosome-to-Golgi trafficking, is associated with C. trachomatis inclusions but not with C. pneumoniae or C. muridarum inclusions, while the opposite was observed for the Golgi-localized GFP-Rab10. Colocalization studies between transferrin and GFP-Rab11 demonstrate that a portion of GFP-Rab11 that localizes to inclusions does not colocalize with transferrin, which suggests that GFP-Rab11's association with the inclusion is not mediated solely through Rab11's association with transferrin-containing recycling endosomes. Finally, GFP-Rab GTPases remain associated with the inclusion even after disassembly of microtubules, which disperses recycling endosomes and the Golgi apparatus within the cytoplasm, suggesting a specific interaction with the inclusion membrane. Consistent with this, GFP-Rab11 colocalizes with C. trachomatis IncG at the inclusion membrane. Therefore, chlamydiae recruit key regulators of membrane trafficking to the inclusion, which may function to regulate the trafficking or fusogenic properties of the inclusion.