cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the organization of protein films on solid surfaces by ESCA

Abstract An ESCA study of hemoglobin adsorbed to poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) and platinum is described. A new technique thought to preserve the structural integrity of the adsorbed protein was used. Wet adsorbed protein films were rapidly frozen prior to placing them in the ultrahigh vacuum environment of the electron spectrometer. On PTFE, hemoglobin was localized into islands approximately 50 A in thickness, with relatively little coverage between the islands. In contrast, however, adsorbed hemoglobin appears to completely and uniformly cover the platinum surface, and may be preferentially oriented with the majority of the protein nitrogen atoms toward the aqueous interface.
Model Based Testing in Practice at Microsoft

As part of Microsofts Trustworthy Computing [Trustworthy Computing : Reliability URL http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/twc/reliability/default.mspx] initiative the company has sought many ways to increase reliability. One approach being extensively investigated and used is Model Based Testing. With a Finite State Machine modeling tool (TMT) successfully deployed and in use by many test groups, a need for more powerful and exible modeling has arisen. Several product groups are exploring the use of the Abstract State Machine Language (AsmL) and its associated test tool (AsmL/T). Results from both approaches have shown an increased ability to nd defects earlier, including in the specification and design stages, as well as achieve higher structural code coverage on the actual systems under test.
Sister-chromatid exchange frequency in lymphocytes of smoking and nonsmoking mothers and their newborn infants

Sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) frequency in lymphocytes of 8 smoking mothers and their 9 newborns (one subject bearing twins) was compared to 6 mothers who had never smoked and their 6 newborn infants. Mothers in the first group were required to have smoked throughout pregnancy and to have a minimum of 15 pack-years smoking history. Results confirm our earlier smoking effect reported for adults, deny an effect on the newborn, and concur with other studies that show neonates have consistently lower SCE frequencies than adults. Overall, results are consistent with the idea that toxic substances in tobacco smoke interact with chromosomal DNA of circulating human lymphocytes.
Constructing and Reconstructing a Critical Discourse and Pedagogy of Techno-Knowledge

Electronic technologies, technology initiatives, and technology-driven policies have become mundane, widespread, and assumed as inevitable in the everyday of American schooling. Corporate school an...
Factors affecting calling behavior by Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), under field conditions.

Effects of age, mated status, provision of food, and temperature on calling behavior under field conditions by females of Lambdina fiscellaria fiscellaria (Guenee) were examined. Eighty to 100% of virgin moths aged 1 to 7 d called for a mean total of 3.3 to 6.7 h during the night in bouts averaging 0.6 to >3 h; calling did not occur during the day. Marking, a behavior characterized by the rubbing of fully extruded terminal abdominal segments against the substrate, was exhibited by virgin moths for brief periods in the afternoon and for total durations averaging 25 min to 4 h at night. Old moths called longer and in fewer bouts and marked less often than young moths. Mated moths usually did not call but, like virgin moths, did exhibit erratic marking patterns early in the scotophase. The provision of goldenrod flowers had little effect on marking or calling. When temperatures were <10°C, the percentage of moths calling rose, calling bout length and total time spent calling increased, the onset time of calling shifted to earlier in the scotophase, and the amount of marking decreased.
Hwang case review committee misses the mark.

![Graphic][1] ©cartoonbank.com. All Rights Reserved. The peer review system is not broken. But journal editors should do something beyond normal peer review to ensure the integrity of the data they publish. But they only have to do so for the papers that might make the journal look
Cytotoxicity to Endothelial Cells by Sera from Aged MRL/lpr/lpr Mice Is Associated with Autoimmunity to Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate

Vasculitis is an common clinical feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in humans and in animal models of this disease. Humoral autoimmunity against endothelial cells has been previously demonstrated in SLE and other autoimmune disorders, but the precise cell surface antigenic targets involved in the initiation and progression of vascular injury are still essentially unknown. In the current studies, we demonstrate the presence of autoantibodies in the sera of MRL/lpr/lpr mice which bind endothelial cell surface antigens by ELISA and also cause complement-dependent cytotoxicity of these cells. These MRL/lpr/lpr sera induced complement-dependent cleavage and release of 35SO4-labeled material containing primarily cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans from these cells, and react with heparin (a glycosaminoglycan related to heparan sulfate) by ELISA and liquid-phase competitive inhibition ELISA. These data indicate that antiendothelial cell autoantibodies present in autoimmune MRL/lpr/lpr mice are directed at least in part against cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Autoantibodies to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan may play a role in vascular endothelial cell injury in these animals through complement-dependent, autoimmune mechanisms.
A stopped stochastic approximation algorithm

Abstract A stopping time problem for multidimensional stochastic approximation algorithms is studied in this paper. The stopping rule is so determined that the recursive procedure will be terminated if the unknown parameter θ is inside a desired ellipsoidal confidence region with high probability. The stopped process is shown to be asymptotically normal by means of weak convergence methods.
Tocilizumab Versus Methotrexate in Moderate to Severe Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients have elevated serum and synovial fluid levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) that correlates with disease activity. Tocilizumab, an anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, has shown efficacy in moderate to severe, active RA that has failed to respond to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDS). MTX, the most commonly used DMARD, is the background drug used in clinical trials to compare with other newer therapies.
Theory of molecule-surface scattering

Abstract A theory of molecule-surface scattering is developed which includes energy and momentum transfers between the surface and projectile for translational motion, rotational exchange and internal mode excitation for the molecule. The translation and rotation motions are treated with classical mechanics, while a semiclassical quantum treatment for internal vibrational mode excitation is used. Calculations are presented for diatomic molecules and other small molecules scattering from a LiF(001) surface.
Public Sociology and the Sociological Imagination: Revisiting Burawoy’s Sociology Types

Reflecting on Michael Burawoy’s classification of sociology into professional, critical, policy, and public types, and the adoption of the latter as the theme of the ASA’s 99th Annual Meeting, in this paper I argue that the drive toward public sociologies of new global realities may prove hazardous in the absence of a parallel emphasis on the development of reflexive private sociologies. This requires critical reconsideration of our basic definitions of society and sociology in order to develop theoretical frameworks that meet the challenges of understanding and practicing the dialectics of public and private social processes devoid of rigid pre-determinist frameworks. Proposing an alternative reconsideration of Burawoy’s sociology types away from a formal logical framework and in favor of the part-whole dialectic, I argue that even though personal troubles can best be understood in relation to broader public issues, the latter themselves can most effectively be recognized, understood, and practically addressed through the actions of specific agencies who champion the need for broader socio-historical knowledge and change as deeply personal exercises in self-knowledge and self-transformation. As C. Wright Mills emphasized, what sparks the sociological imagination is the intersection of history and biography.
The locomotor effects of a putative dopamine D3 receptor agonist in developing rats

Dopamine receptors have been categorized into subfamilies D1 and D2, each with separate roles in dopamine-mediated behaviors. Of the D2 subfamily, the dopamine D3 receptor has been cloned, but the behavioral effects of selectively stimulating the D3 receptor are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to quantify the locomotor responses of developing rats to the putative dopamine D3 receptor agonist, 7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetralin (7-OH-DPAT). One of three doses of 7-OH-DPAT (0.01, 0.10, 1.00 mg/kg) or saline was injected subcutaneously into rats at the age of 10,20,30, or 60 days. Five minutes after the injection, rats were placed in automated activity monitors which recorded locomotor behavior at 5 min intervals for 2 h. The high dose of 7-OH-DPAT increased locomotor activity in rats of all ages. The medium and low doses increased activity in 10- and 20-day-old rats but not in 30- or 60-day-old rats. The level of drug-induced activation peaked at 20 days of age. In 30- and 60-day-old rats, but not 10- and 20-day-old rats, a period of locomotor suppression preceded the activation in response to the high dose of 7-OH-DPAT. In rats aged 20 days and older, the middle and low doses decreased locomotion early in the test session, but activation did not ensue. This dose-response pattern across ontogeny closely resembles that induced by quinpirole, an agonist at the dopamine D2 receptor subfamily.
Needs for controlled-availability micronutrient fertilizers

Use of micronutrients for agronomic and horticultural crops has increased markedly in recent years. Increased use is related to higher nutrient demands from more intensive cropping practices and also from farming marginal lands. Most of the fertilizers used to correct micronutrient deficiencies are water- soluble inorganic sources or soluble organic products such as synthetic chelates or natural organic complexes. These fertilizers may react with soil to decrease their availability to plants. The rates of such chemical reactions may differ considerably with each micronutrient fertilizer and soil environment. Recommended micronutrient rates have been based on results of numerous experiments, and these rates vary with crop, soil, and other factors. The usual application rates (on an elemental basis) range from 1 to 10 kg ha−1 for Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn; < 1 kg ha−1 for B; and < 100 g ha−1 for Mo. Because the metallic micronutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) generally are sorbed strongly by soil clays, they do not move significantly in soil. Hence, they are not leached readily from the zone of application to lower soil depths or into groundwaters. Mobility of these micronutrient cations is higher in sandy soils, especially with high leaching conditions. Therefore, their movement out of the root zone is possible under some situations. Significant residual effects of soluble Cu and Zn sources greatly reduce the need for controlled-availability Cu and Zn products. Controlled-availability Fe and Mn fertilizers have not been effective because the rapid oxidation of Fe and Mn and reactions with soil reduce their availability upon release. Because soluble B fertilizers form boric acid molecules in soil, they are mobile and subject to leaching conditions. While mobility of B is less than that of NO 3 - -N in soil, field results have demonstrated loss of applied B from the root zone in sandy soils. Slightly soluble B fertilizers, such as colemanite and ulexite, and fritted B products (powdered glass-like materials whose solubility is controlled by particle size) have been used in sandy soils for some crops. Molybdenum requirements are much lower than those of the other micronutrients. Deficiencies generally are corrected by liming the soil or by seed or foliar applications, so there is little need for controlled-availability Mo fertilizers. Little research has been conducted on controlled availability micronutrient fertilizers. While fritted products are considered in this category, they are difficult to handle and only may be of value in supplying B under specific conditions. Coating soluble granular micronutrient fertilizers also has been attempted, but there are few reported results of their relative effectiveness in comparison with conventional fertilizers and application methods. New micronutrient products may be needed for specific conditions such as greenhouse-culture or container-grown crops, but plant needs also may be met by multiple applications of soluble sources.
Global lightning and climate variability inferred from ELF magnetic field variations

We report characteristics of global lightning activity on a seasonal time scale as inferred from two independently operating instruments measuring magnetic field variations in the lower ELF range. In this picture, the strongest source of lightning activity is centered on the North American continent. We reduce the source proximity effect to the observing sites experimentally with a simple differential technique and reconfirm the conclusion of Holzer and Deal (1956) that wave propagation conditions in the lower ELF range are of minor importance. The resulting mean seasonal variations of continental lightning in mid- and tropical latitudes are found to be related to surface temperature variations in moderate- and tropical rain forest climates and they support the view of Williams (1992) that monitoring of global lightning activity may provide a thermometer-independent measure of temperature changes associated with climate variability.
Preoperative evaluation of patients with primary colorectal cancer

Preoperative evaluation should focus on techniques that either preclude surgery entirely, alter the planned operation either preoperatively or intraoperatively, or suggest the need for preoperative adjuvant therapy. The presence of a synchronous colonic neoplasia should be excluded by colonoscopy or air-contrast barium enema combined with sigmoidoscopy. A preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level provides useful prognostic information. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) or hepatic ultrasonography should be done in patients with hepatomegaly or abdominal liver function tests. Those with rectal cancer should undergo a careful digital palpation done by an experienced observer combined with rigid proctosigmoidoscopy. Intrarectal ultrasonography may provide more objective data in regard to the extent of the local disease. If preoperative radiation therapy is planned, abdominal CT is appropriate to exclude extrapelvic disease that would preclude such a strategy. The benefit of routine preoperative CT in patients with otherwise resectable colonic or rectal cancer remains unclear.
Unraveling the secrets of a double life: contractile versus signaling Ca2+ in a cardiac myocyte

No other inorganic molecule known in biology is considered as versatile as Ca(2+). In a vast majority of cell types, Ca(2+) acts as a universal second messenger underlying critical cellular processes varying from gene transcription to cell death. Although the role of Ca(2+) in myocyte contraction has been known for over a century, it was only more recently that this divalent cation has been implicated in mediating reactive signal transduction to promote cardiac hypertrophy. However, it remains unclear how Ca(2+)-dependent signaling pathways are regulated/activated in a cardiac myocyte given the prevailing conditions throughout the cytosol where Ca(2+) concentration oscillates between 100 nM and upwards of 1-2 μM during each contractile cycle. In this review we will examine three hypotheses put forward to explain how Ca(2+) might still function as a hypertrophic signaling molecule in cardiac myocytes and discuss the current literature that supports each of these views. This article is part of a special issue entitled "Local Signaling in Myocytes."
Teaching Privacy: Multimedia Making a Difference

As part of the Teaching Privacy project, researchers at the International Computer Science Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, are developing learning tools to empower K-12 students and college undergraduates in making informed choices about privacy. Teaching Privacy in part grew out of empirical research on the privacy implications of multimedia technology; this research generated a great deal of interest from teachers, who often want to provide students with guidance on online privacy but feel they are not sufficiently versed in the technical details. These interactions inspired the project, which focuses on working with teachers through outreach, curriculum-building, and professional development. This article describes the project team's interdisciplinary approach to developing and disseminating engaging, interactive educational apps that demonstrate what happens to personal information on the Internet, with a particular focus on multimedia, and their approach to explaining the underlying social and technical principles in accessible terms.
Intellectual Property and the Cultures of BitTorrent Communities

Abstract In Technics and Time, 1 , Bernard Stiegler (1998) challenged the prevalent philosophical distinction between tekhnē and ēpistēmē , arguing that humans are fundamentally technical beings. According to Stiegler, the industrialization of civilization led to a disequilibrium in the evolution of culture and the evolution of technics, with technics evolving more quickly than culture. Stiegler's discussions of technics, culture, time, and memory provide a useful theoretical framework for understanding some of the cultural implications of copyright issues, which are often viewed in terms of economics, legality, and/or ethics. In this article, I focus on the intellectual property debate as it pertains to peer-to-peer networks and the music industry. Drawing from Technics and Time , I theoretically frame these issues as a problem of temporality, memory, and a disconnect in the evolution of culture and technology. I then use small-scale/observational ethnographic analysis to examine a private torrent community to consider how torrent communities are cultural phenomena, the implications of this assumption, and how these considerations might inform or extend existing approaches to issues of intellectual property. More broadly, I ask, what are the affordances of thinking about these economic, legal, and political issues from a cultural framework?
Dystonia musculorum deformans: A ‘critical phenomenon’ model involving nigral dopaminergic and caudate pathways

In physical systems, a 'critical phenomenon' is a macroscopic occurrence which arises from a change in the relative magnitudes of two or more physical influences whose action is expressed purely in microscopic terms. This concept is potentially valuable in describing the clinical symptomatology of dystonia musculorum deformans (DMD) and other movement disorders. The lateral inhibitory network of Spiny I caudate cells and the profuse neostriatal projection of dopaminergic neurons from the substantia nigra are proposed as anatomic substrates for two short-range neostriatal influences whose interaction contributes to the onset and progression of global dystonic spasm in DMD. Such spasm may be explainable as a critical phenomenon, suggesting new directions for research into the etiology and treatment of this disorder.
Platelet function, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in behçet's syndrome

In 10 patients with Behcet's syndrome, various parameters of platelet function, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis were studied. With varying frequency the following abnormalities were found: increased retention of platelets in glass bead column, reduced platelet aggregation to low concentrations of adenosine diphosphate, elevated plasma levels of fibrinogen concentration and factor VIII activity, increased plasma antiheparin activity and impairment of fibrinolytic activity. The above abnormalities were found long after the last thrombotic episode and were more frequent in patients with a history of thrombophlebitis. It is suggested that certain hemostatic abnormalities accompany or form part of Behcet's syndrome and that they are related to the thrombotic complications characteristic of this syndrome.
Effect of Nucleic Acid Length and Chemistry on Structure-Function Properties of Cationic Lipid-Nucleic Acid Complexes

The success of gene therapeutics is tied to the efficiency of transfer of the nucleic acid (NA) into a target cell type with minimal side effects. Synthetic vectors for delivery, such as cationic lipids (CL), can satisfy these criteria but only though a fundamental understanding of the structure-function relationship between CL-NA. The delivery efficiency of CL-DNA complexes follows a universal relationship that depends on the membrane charge density of the lipid layers but is independent of the type of CL. Our work on CL-siRNA complexes reveals stark differences in delivery behavior: the efficiency is not only broadly lower when compared with equivalent composition CL-DNA but also depends on the valence of the CL with multivalent favored over monovalent [1]. X-ray structural work indicates that siRNA ordering in CL-siRNA is isotropic, contrasting the smectic ordering of DNA in CL-DNA. We hypothesize that this isotropic behavior prevents optimal packing of the siRNA and is responsible for lower efficiencies. This behavior is in general agreement with Onsager rigid rod criteria for liquid crystal order transitions that depend on the dimensional anisotropy of the molecules. Our work with analogues CL-short DNA (sDNA) contradicts these findings; ordered sDNA phases can be seen in the 2D environment between the lipid layers well below the Onsager limit. This is consistent with recent work on sDNA suspended in bulk water [2]. While the ordered phase transitions of sDNA depend on length they also depend on the chemistry of the NA ends. These considerations may be applied to the siRNA in an attempt to improve the CL-siRNA packing efficiency.Supported by NIH GM-59288, DOE DE-FG02-06ER46314, NSF DMR-0803103[1] Bouxsein et al. Biochemistry (2007) 46, 4785.[2] Nakata et al. Science (2007) 318, 5854.
Rapid high-performance affinity chromatography on micropellicular sorbents.

Short columns (30 x 4.6 mm I.D.), packed with 2-micron fluid-impervious silica microspheres with surface-bound Protein A or a lectin were used for fast separation and quantitation of immunoglobulins and glycoproteins by biospecific interaction chromatography. With stepwise elution, the total analysis time including column reequilibration did not exceed 3 min. In the assay of IgG with a stepwise change in pH best results were obtained with citrate buffer, which facilitated not only fast but also very sensitive analysis. The calibration curve was linear in the range 0.5-40 micrograms of human IgG. By using morpholinoethanesulfonic acid-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazineethanesulfonic acid-acetic acid buffer with a linear decrease in pH from 6.0 to 4.0 and an increase in magnesium chloride concentration to 200 mM for elution, the subclasses of human IgG were separated at 40 degrees C above pH 4.0 in 3 min. Micropellicular concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin were used for rapid affinity chromatography of horseradish peroxidase and fetuin, respectively. The results suggest that micropellicular affinity sorbents afford fast and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis by biospecific interaction chromatography. Although developed primarily for rapid analysis, the micropellicular Protein A exhibited unexpectedly high adsorption capacity (e.g., 4.5 mg human IgG per ml of wet bed volume). This suggests that such columns could be employed in preparative protein chromatography as well.
Pendular mechanics and the kinematics and energetics of brachiating locomotion

Because brachiating locomotion is characterized by a pattern of swinging movements, brachiation has often been analogized to pendular motion, and aspects of the mechanics of pendular systems have been used to provide insight into both energetic and structural design aspects of this locomotor mode. However, there are several limitations to this approach. First, the motions of brachiating animals only approximate pendular motion, and therefore the energetics of these two systems are only roughly comparable. Second, the kinematic similarity between brachiation and pendular motion will be maximal at only one velocity, and the correspondence will be even less at greater or lesser speeds. Third, all forms of terrestrial locomotion that involve the use of limbs incorporate elements of pendular systems, and therefore brachiation is not unusual in this respect. Finally, it has been suggested that the mechanics of pendular motion will constrain the maximum attainable body size of brachiating animals and that this mechanical situation explains the lack of brachiating primates of greater than 30-kg body size; the present analysis provides evidence that the constraints on body size are far less strict than previously indicated and that extrinsic factors such as the geometry of the forest environment are more likely to dictate maximum body size for brachiators.
Building OM Curriculum for the New Millennium: Industry Perceptions

This paper studies current trends in the teaching of operations management. Research questions focus on how well operations management curriculum in American business schools match employers’ perceptions of required skills. Through surveys of both universities and business firms, we assess the value of general skills such as communication, team building and mathematical modeling. We also assess the importance to employers of incorporating specific computer‐based applications into the curriculum, and well as the value of building stronger management information system (MIS) skills in operation management majors.
Transverse arrest: a review of outcomes of rotational forceps and cesarean delivery at a single center.

Abstract Objective: To assess whether Kielland forceps rotational delivery causes a significant increase in maternal or perinatal morbidity in comparison with cesarean delivery in the clinical situation of transverse arrest. Rotational forceps delivery has been reported to have unacceptably high maternal and neonatal complication rates when compared with either spontaneous vaginal delivery or non-rotational forceps delivery. Clinically, however, we considered the more relevant comparison between Kielland rotational forceps delivery and cesarean delivery as these are generally the two modes of delivery for the fetus in transverse arrest. Study Design: The charts of all the mothers delivered by Kielland forceps or cesarean delivery for the main indication of transverse arrest between July 1995 and June 1996 were reviewed. The following were evaluated: Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes, cord pH, birth weight, neonatal superficial facial laceration or bruising, bone or nerve injuries, maternal injuries, 3rd and 4th degree perineal or vaginal lacerations, post-partum fever. Statistical analysis was by χ 2 (for Apgar scores), two-tailed Fisher Exact test (for post-partum fever), and t test (for birth weight and cord pH). A P value Results: Fifty-two Kielland forceps and 30 cesarean deliveries were performed. One-minute Apgar scores of less than or equal to 7 were noted in 11.5% and 6.7% of the forceps and cesarean section groups, respectively ( P = NS); mean arterial cord pH was 7.26 for both groups; no cases of post-partum fever were noted in the forceps versus 16% in the cesarean group ( P P Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first study that compares rotational forceps delivery for transverse arrest with its true clinical alternative, cesarean delivery. No significant difference in cord pH and Apgar scores were noted between the two groups. The birth weight was greater and post-partum fever was more common in the cesarean section group. Neonatal facial bruising, temporary facial nerve palsy, and maternal perineal and vaginal lacerations were more common in the forceps groups. This study suggests that rotational forceps may be a reasonable alternative to cesarean delivery in the management of transverse arrest.
Measurement of surface diffusion by laser-beam- localized surface photochemistry

The surface migration of a weakly adsorbed molecular species has been measured by studying the kinetics of a highly spatially localized laser-beam-driven photoreaction in an adsorbed layer. The measurement technique, which is based upon a saturation in photodeposition rate due to limitations on mass transport by surface migration, has been applied to a study of tetraethyllead (TEL) adsorbed on sapphire substrates. A theoretical analysis has been made in which the diffusion equation is solved by a Green's function integral technique. The solution is numerically integrated in order to calculate the spatial and temporal evolution of the adsorbate surface number density of parent and product molecules in a beam-localized adsorbate reaction. Comparison between experiment and theory indicates a room-temperature surface diffusivity of Dsurf=3×10−7 cm2/s and gives the room-temperature rate and activation energy of TEL desorption, at ∼1 monolayer coverage, as kdes=7×10−3 s−1 and Edes=0.13 eV, respectively. The method of measurement may be broadly applicable to studies, impractical by high-vacuum techniques, of the surface-migration kinetics of other fragile or weakly adsorbed molecules.
Europium(III) complexation with glycine

Abstract A one to one complex is formed between Eu(III) and glycine in water, with the complexation constant log β 11 = −1 ± 0.2 at 25 ° C and an ionic strength of 1.0 in HClO 4 —NaClO 4 . An examination of the complexation thermodynamics leads to the conclusion that the complex is predominantly inner sphere. This is confirmed by preliminary ultrasonic relaxation data below 50 MHz on 0.17 M Eu(III) with 1.92 M glycine at 25 °C.
Ventriculoperitoneal shunting of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus increases midbrain size: a potential mechanism for gait improvement.

Objective Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (INPH) is characterized by a classic clinical triad of symptoms, including dementia, urinary incontinence, and gait disturbance. Recent work has demonstrated that the maximal midbrain anteroposterior (AP) diameter is significantly smaller in patients with INPH than in healthy, age-matched controls. The current study was undertaken to determine the effect of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement on midbrain dimensions in INPH patients. Methods Twelve consecutive INPH patients undergoing ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement with pre- and postoperative computed tomographic scans at the Columbia University Medical Center were enrolled. Each patient's pre- and postoperative maximum AP and left-to-right diameters of the midbrain at the pontomesencephalic junction were independently measured in a blinded fashion by two of the authors. The average value of each dimension was computed by calculating the mean values of the measurements of the two observers. Results Both the mean AP diameter (preoperative mean, 2.06 +/- 0.04 cm; postoperative mean, 2.27 +/- 0.05; P = 0.0007) and left-to-right diameter (preoperative mean, 2.80 +/- 0.07; postoperative mean, 3.03 +/- 0.08; P = 0.0029) increased from pre- to postoperative imaging. The approximate cross-sectional area determined as the product of AP and left-to-right diameters also increased from pre- to postoperative images (preoperative mean, 5.79 +/- 0.22 cm; postoperative mean, 6.90 +/- 0.25 cm; P = 0.00049). Conclusion This study provides supportive evidence that midbrain cytoarchitecture may play a role in the pathophysiology and post-ventriculoperitoneal shunt gait improvement of INPH patients.
Performance of 1-THz-bandwidth, two-dimensional smoothing by spectral dispersion and polarization smoothing of high-power, solid-state laser beams

Laser beam smoothing achieved with 1-THz-bandwidth, two-dimensional smoothing by spectral dispersion and polarization smoothing on the 60-beam, 30-kJ, 351-nm OMEGA laser system is reported. These beam-smoothing techniques are directly applicable to direct-drive ignition target designs for the 192-beam, 1.8-MJ, 351-nm National Ignition Facility. Equivalent-target-plane images for constant-intensity laser pulses of varying duration were used to determine the smoothing. The properties of the phase plates, frequency modulators, and birefringent wedges were simulated and found to be in good agreement with the measurements.
MRI of intracerebral hematoma: value of vasogenic edema ratio for predicting the cause.

We evaluated a method for quantifying vasogenic edema (VE) on MRI to identify brain hematomas caused by neoplasms. We performed a blinded review of 68 acute and subacute hematomas caused by neoplasms (22), hypertension or presumed amyloid angiopathy (27), or vascular malformations (19). The extent of vasogenic edema was quantified on an axial T2-weighted image using the VE ratio: the maximum width of high signal surrounding a hematoma and the mean diameter of the hematoma. Hematomas caused by neoplasm were associated with more vasogenic edema (mean VE ratio 104%±15%; mean VE width 2.4±0.7 cm) than non-neoplastic hematomas (mean VE ratio 37%±5%; P =0.001). When the width of VE was equal to or more half the diameter the hematoma (VE ratio 50%), the positive predictive value for tumor was 66%; when it was equal to or more than the diameter, the positive predictive value was 71%. All six hematomas with VE ratios ≥150% were caused by neoplasm.
Cross‐Pacific internationalization of R&D by U.S. and Japanese firms

Efforts by MNCs to develop coordinated international R&D networks have taken place from different historical bases of internationalization and in the context of differing trends in the role of R&D within the corporation, as the cross-Pacific R&D investment in leading U.S. and Japanese firms in the electronics industry shows. Japanese firms, although they espouse a strategy of ‘localization’, are establishing wholly-owned R&D centres in the U.S. with highly specialized technology mandates that to be used by the company must be networked with their parent organizations. U.S. firms rely on joint ventures or wholly-owned labs with a wider array of technologies that face strong pulls to a local orientation. The patterns are somewhat out of line with the models of internationalization each side is espousing.
Winding resistance of litz-wire and multi-strand inductors

This study presents an approximate model for multi-strand wire winding, including litz-wire winding. The proposed model is evaluated using Dowell's equation. The model takes into account the existence of proximity effect within the litz-wire bundle between the strands and between the bundles, as well the skin effect. The expressions for optimum strand diameter and number of strands at which minimum winding AC resistance is obtained for the litz-wire windings are derived. The boundary frequency between the low-frequency and the medium-frequency ranges are given for both litz-wire and solid-round wire inductors. Hence, the low-frequency ranges of both wire windings are determined. It is shown that litz-wire is better than the solid wire only in specific frequency range. The model has been verified by the measurements, and the theoretical results were in good agreement with those experimentally measured. Comparison of the theoretical predictions of the proposed approximate litz-wire model with models proposed in other publications and with experimental results is given.
Holographic Fourier Transform Spectrometer for THz Region

A multichannel spectrometer for THz region has been designed and built based on a static version of a Fourier transform spectrometer. Performance factors of this device are analyzed and first experimental results are presented.
Evaluation of adamantane hydroxamates as botulinum neurotoxin inhibitors: synthesis, crystallography, modeling, kinetic and cellular based studies

Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are the most lethal biotoxins known to mankind and are responsible for the neuroparalytic disease botulism. Current treatments for botulinum poisoning are all protein based and thus have a limited window of treatment opportunity. Inhibition of the BoNT light chain protease (LC) has emerged as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of botulism as it may provide an effective post exposure remedy. Using a combination of crystallographic and modeling studies a series of hydroxamates derived from 1-adamantylacetohydroxamic acid (3a) were prepared. From this group of compounds, an improved potency of about 17-fold was observed for two derivatives. Detailed mechanistic studies on these structures revealed a competitive inhibition model, with a K(i)=27 nM, which makes these compounds some of the most potent small molecule, non-peptidic BoNT/A LC inhibitors reported to date.
Structuring biographical data in EAD with the Nomen DTD

Biographical data, including authorized name information, adds depth, richness and retrievability to bibliographic records and archival finding aids. The use of encoded archival description (EAD) has enabled the description of archival collections in fine detail. EAD allows for biographical information to be coded directly into finding aids in several ways. However the process is time consuming and may result in duplication of effort and inconsistency. This article presents the Nomen XML DTD for biographical data, and puts forth the idea that its use could simplify and enhance the encoding of biographical data in EAD. The Nomen DTD provides a record structure for encoding the authorized name, variant names and biographical details of a person or a group being associated with informational items as subjects or creators. The structure of the Nomen DTD is described in relation to the MARC21 name authority format followed by a discussion of how it may be used as a means to create an authority file for EAD biographical data encoding and linking.
Polymers: A multitude of macromolecules

The world of polymer science is running in 100 different directions. Some pursue the most basic chemistry and physics questions, others have immediate industrial concerns; remarkably, the end-points tend to converge.
Force Dependent Regulation of Myosin-I

Myosin-Is are the single-headed, membrane-associated members of the myosin superfamily that are found in most eukaryotic cells. They have been shown to play essential roles in membrane dynamics, cytoskeletal structure, mechanical signal-transduction, endosome processing, and possibly nuclear transcription. Unlike many other unconventional myosins, vertebrate myosin-Is are catalytically and mechanically active in the absence of post-translational modification, bound cargo or accessory proteins, or other signaling molecules. Therefore, it appears that recruitment of myosin-Is to specific cellular regions of high actin concentration is all that is required for catalytic activation. However, once activated, the kinetic activity of at least one isoform, myo1b, has been shown to be dramatically regulated by tension. Using an optical trap, we found that the rate of myo1b detachment from actin decreases >75-fold under tension of 2 piconewtons or less, resulting in myo1b transitioning from a low ( 0.9) duty-ratio motor. We are investigating the mechanism of this force regulation, and we are investigating the effects of these forces on the attachment of myosin-I to lipid membranes.
Differential Regulation of Angiotensinogen Transcripts After Renin Infusion

To investigate angiotensinogen regulation in high-renin hypertension, we infused porcine renin intravenously at either a low (4 mU/kg per hour, n=6) or high (20 mU/kg per hour, n=9) dose into male Sprague-Dawley rats (225 to 250 g) for 5 days using osmotic minipumps. Control rats received 0.9% NaCl. In renin-infused rats, mean arterial pressure and plasma renin activity were significantly elevated. Both low- and high-renin infusions lowered plasma angiotensinogen levels. Plasma angiotensin II was elevated in rats given renin but reached statistical significance only at the higher dose. Angiotensinogen mRNA isolated from the liver, adrenal gland, kidney, and brain was measured by slot blot analysis. Both renin doses were associated with significant decreases in the levels of liver and hypothalamic angiotensinogen mRNA. In the medulla oblongata, angiotensinogen mRNA was reduced only by the higher renin dose. The lower dose increased angiotensinogen mRNA in the adrenal gland, and in kidney, angiotensinogen mRNA level was unchanged by renin infusion. Angiotensinogen mRNA visualized on Northern blots showed that the number of mRNA species in liver decreased from three in control rats to a single mRNA species after renin infusion. Tissue differences in the size of the major angiotensinogen mRNA species were also apparent. This, together with changes in the total hybridization signal of angiotensinogen mRNA in tissues, suggests that renin differentially affects the different angiotensinogen mRNA transcripts. Results of this study indicate that angiotensinogen gene expression is regulated not only by alterations in levels of circulating angiotensin II but also by other mechanisms, presently unidentified, that are activated by renin infusions.
Nest‐Site Defense by Competing Honey Bee Swarms During House‐Hunting

Cavity-nesting animals must often defend their homes against intruders, especially when the availability of suitable cavities is limited. Competition for nest sites is particularly strong when multiple groups of the same species migrate synchronously to found a new home. This may be the case for honey bees during the reproductive season, because neighboring colonies often cast swarms simultaneously, leading to potential competition for high-quality nesting cavities. To test the idea that honey bee swarms may compete for and defend potential nest sites as they search for a new home, we observed pairs of artificial swarms that were house-hunting concurrently. Workers from one swarm in each pair carried a gene influencing body color, so that the bees from the two swarms were easily distinguished. We set up a high-quality nest box and waited for nest-site scouts from each swarm to explore and recruit swarm mates to it. We recorded all the interactions between competing scouts at the nest box and found that when scouts from both swarms explored the box simultaneously they behaved agonistically toward bees from the other swarm. The level of aggression depended on the number of scouts from each swarm present at the nest box. When only one to three scouts from each swarm were at the box, they rarely fought. But when the scouts from one swarm outnumbered those from the other swarm (4–20 vs. one to three bees), those in the majority advertised their presence with a buzzing behavior at the entrance opening, and started mobbing and killing those in the minority. When one swarm gained clear control of the nest box (20+ vs. zero to one bees), some of its scouts guarded the box’s entrance, preventing entry by foreign scouts. Our study exemplifies how cavity-nesting animals may compete for and defend suitable nesting sites.
Ingestion of Acidic Foods Mimics Gastroesophageal Reflux During pH Monitoring

Ingestion of acidic foods may produce artifactual drops in pH to < 4 that may be difficult to differentiate from a true acid reflux event. We aimed to evaluate intraesophageal pH changes during the ingestion of acidic food and describe the frequency and implications of acidic food ingestion on ambulatory pH monitoring. Ten normal volunteers (six females; mean age, 34) underwent combined impedance–pH testing with a pH electrode placed 5 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter. Each volunteer received 50 ml each of acidic foods in random order. Nadir and mean pH for 30 sec after ingestion of each substance were recorded. Subsequently 100 randomly selected reflux monitor diaries were reviewed, searching for ingestion of acidic foods, and 100 pH tracings were reviewed to evaluate the impact of including/excluding meal periods on percentage time pH < 4 and DeMeester scores. All foods produced abrupt drops to pH < 4, in 80% of cases exceeding 30 sec. During ambulatory pH monitoring 78% of patients recorded ingestion of at least 1 of the 10 tested substances during meals, the majority admitting ingesting carbonated beverages. Not excluding meal periods would have led to the misinterpretation of 6–16% of tracings, depending on the criteria used to identify abnormal acid exposure. We conclude that ingestion of acidic foods is frequent and carries the risk of overdiagnosing GERD. Current findings support the recommendations to carefully instruct patients to record all oral intake and to exclude meal periods from the analysis.
Measuring and modeling the seasonal changes of an urban Green Treefrog (Hyla cinerea) population

Abstract Green Treefrogs ( Hyla cinerea ) were captured, marked, measured and released at an urban study site in Lafayette, LA, during the 2004 and 2005 breeding seasons. A statistical method based on a generalization of the hypergeometric distribution was used to derive weekly time-series estimates of the population sizes. To describe the population dynamics, a stage structured mathematical model was developed and compared to time-series obtained from the weekly population estimates study using a least-squares approach. Two fitting experiments were done: (1) Using uniform distribution for the birth rate during the breeding season; (2) Using a birth rate distributed according to weekly data on frog calling intensity. Although both model-to-data fits look very promising during the years 2004 and 2005 and result in similar inherent survivorship rates for the tadpoles, juvenile and adult frogs, the fit that uses the calling data predicts a lower number of tadpoles and frogs in the long term than the one that uses uniform birth distribution. The parameter estimates resulting from these fitting experiments are used in the context of stochastic simulations to derive extinction and persistence probabilities for this population. Due to the oscillatory dynamics (with high amplitude) evidenced by the capture–recapture data and corroborated by the model, it is suggested that anuran monitoring efforts should take into account the natural intra-annual variation in population size.
The Synthesis, Photophysical Characterization, and X‐Ray Structure Analysis of Two Polymorphs of 4,4′‐Diacetylstilbene

A palladium(II) acetate-catalyzed synthesis of 1 that utilizes the novel triazene 1-{4-((E)- morpholin-4-yldiazenyl)phenyl}ethanone as a synthon is described. The room temperature absorption spectra of 1 in various solvents exhibited a p ! p* transition in the range of 330 - 350 nm. Compound 1 was observed to be luminescent, with room-temperature solution and solid-state emission spectra that exhibited maxima in the range 400 - 500 nm. All room-temperature absorption and emission spectra exhibited some degree of vibrational structure. The emission spectrum of 1 at 77 K in propanenitrile glass was broad and featureless with a maximum at 447 nm. Compound 1 crystallized as a yellow and colorless polymorph. X-Ray structure analyses of both of these polymorphs and 1-{4-((E)-morpholin-4- yldiazenyl)phenyl}ethanone are presented.