cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Micro-electromechanically Informed Phenomenological Constitutive Models for Ferroelectrics

Accurate phenomenological constitutive laws for ferroelectric ceramics that can be rapidly integrated are required for finite element models aiming to resolve the complex fields in ferroelectric devices. At best, phenomenological theories can provide a framework within which thermodynamic restrictions are satisfied and undetermined functions exist for "fitting" material behavior. The ultimate challenge in deriving a final constitutive law is to capture the physics of the material deformation and polarization processes within these undetermined functions. A number of micro-electromechanical models exist in the literature. These models are bases on domain switching events at the domain/grain level and then are generalized to polycrystalline behavior by averaging over many different domain/grain orientations. In this work it will be shown how information obtained from these micro-electromechanical models can be incorporated directly into the undetermined functions of a phenomenological theory.
In vitro inhibitory effect of gossypol from gossypol-acetic acid, and (+)- and (−)-isomers of gossypol on the growth of Edwardsiella ictaluri

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the toxic effect of gossypol from gossypol-acetic acid, and (+)- and (−)-isomers of gossypol on the growth of Edwardsiella ictaluri. Methods and Results: Inhibitory effect of various concentrations of gossypol on the growth of E. ictaluri was determined. Bacterial recovery was performed by preincubation of bacteria in medium containing various concentrations of gossypol and subsequent activation of bacteria by inoculating on gossypol-free plates. Concentrations of racemic gossypol, (+)-gossypol and (−)-gossypol of 1·5 μg ml−1 or higher significantly reduced the number of bacterial colonies compared with that of the control. The growth of E. ictaluri was completely inhibited on agar plates supplemented with 3 μg ml−1, regardless of the forms of gossypol. The inhibitory effect of (+)-gossypol was higher than that of (−)-gossypol or gossypol-acetic acid. Recovery of E. ictaluri was <50% for all three forms of gossypol at concentrations of 5 μg ml−1. Bacterial recovery remained relatively constant (6·5%) at gossypol concentrations from 10 to 100 μg ml−1. Complete killing of E. ictaluri was not reached at gossypol levels up to 100 μg ml−1. Conclusion: Gossypol-acetic acid, and (+)- and (−)-optical isomers have anti-bacterial effect against E. ictaluri. The results suggest the action is bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal. Significance and Impact of the Study: The therapeutic effect of gossypol against E. ictaluri may be useful in controlling enteric septicaemia of catfish.
CIRCULAR THIN-LAYER CHROMATOGRAPHY OF TETRACYCLINES.

A simple circular thin-layer chromatographic method is described for the separation of hydrochlorides of tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline employing three sequestering agents—viz., disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, tartaric acid, and oxalic acid. Better resolution has been achieved by the use of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate in the stationary phase and n -butanol saturated with water as the mobile phase.
Mathematical modelling of lake breeze

Abstract A two-dimensional lake breeze model covering both sides of the lake and allowing for simultaneous imposition of synoptic pressure gradients has been developed. The model uses Estoque's techniques for the sea breeze and is essentially the extension of Moroz's lake breeze model with modifications in the treatment of the continuity equation, eddy diffusivity, boundary conditions and the numerical scheme. The model is applied to the cross-section of Lake Ontario at Toronto with the prevailing wind from the northwest and perpendicular to the shore. The ground temperature record at Guelph, which is sufficiently far from the lake to be free from lake breeze effect, is used to compute the temperature input to the model. The contours of wind velocities and potential temperature at 1, 9 and 17 h of the model time and the variation of lake frontal distance from the shoreline are presented. The result shows that only one circulation tube with axis parallel to the shoreline is developed over the north-western half of the lake extending a horizontal dimension of 8 km inland and 12 km offshore from the shoreline and a depth of 700 m at midday. The maximum onshore flow velocity in the tube is 5 m s −1 . This maximum occurs 4 km inland from the shoreline and 300 m above the ground.
Heat conduction with finite signal time

Abstract A damped, hyperbolic equation is obtained for the description of heat propagation using a generalization of Fourier's law of heat conduction. The reduction to a single equation for the temperature requires many simplifying assumptions for the constitutive relations and uses the full set of mechanical equations, continuity, momentum and energy.
Measurement Equivalence Using Generalizability Theory: An Examination of Manufacturing Flexibility Dimensions

As the field of decision sciences in general and operations management in particular has matured from theory building to theory testing over the past two decades, it has witnessed an explosion in empirical research. Much of this work is anchored in survey-based methodologies in which data are collected from the field in the form of scale items that are then analyzed to measure latent unobservable constructs. It is important to assess the invariance of scales across groups in order to reach valid, scientifically sound conclusions. Because studies have often been conducted in the field of decision sciences with small sample sizes, it further exacerbates the problem of reaching incorrect conclusions. Generalizability theory can more effectively test for measurement equivalence in the presence of small sample sizes than the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) tests that have been conventionally used for assessing measurement equivalency across groups. Consequently, we introduce and explain the generalizability theory (G-theory) in this article to examine measurement equivalence of 24 manufacturing flexibility dimension scales that have been published in prior literature and also compare and contrast G-theory with CFA. We show that all the manufacturing flexibility scales tested in this study were invariant across the three industry SIC groups from which data were collected. We strongly recommend that G-theory should always be used for determining measurement equivalence in empirical survey-based studies. In addition, because using G-theory alone does not always reveal the complete picture, CFA techniques for establishing measurement equivalence should also be invoked when sample sizes are large enough to do so. Implications of G-theory for practice and its future use in operations management and decision sciences research are also presented.
What is the life of virtue

The student fires a hard question, and the teacher finds out that in answering that question he is teaching himself.
Suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity by FG 7142, a benzodiazepine receptor inverse agonist

Abstract A dose-dependent (12.5–100 mg/kg) suppression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity was observed in mice after administration of the benzodiazepine receptor ‘inverse agonist’ FG 7142 (N-methyl-β-carboline-3-carboxamide). This compound produces a syndrome resembling stress or anxiety in both animals and man. Addition of FG 7142 (1–1000 nM) to either a 4-hour 51Chromium-release assay or 5-day in vitro CTL generation system did not affect CTL activity. Pretreatment with the benzodiazepine receptor antagonist Ro 15-1788 (10 mg/kg) attenuated FG 7142-induced suppression of CTL activity, but had no effect when administered alone. Time-course studies indicated that FG 7142-induced suppression of CTL activity was long-lasting. The suppression of CTL activity by FG 7142 provides further evidence that the central nervous system pathways subserved by the benzodiazepine/GABA receptor chloride channel complex may play an important role in the modulation of immune function.
Finding functions for small nuclear RNAs in yeast

Abstract Small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) have been suggested to mediate a variety of steps in gene expression, with an emphasis on essential RNA processing reactions. By using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , in which genetic and biochemical approaches can be coupled, it is now apparent that the ways in which snRNAs contribute to the growth of even a simple eukaryote are also likely to be more diverse, and possibly more subtle, than previously imagined.
Valproic acid induction of coma in rats: synergism with NH4+ and pentobarbital

Dose-response curves for the incidence of coma after intraperitoneal injections of various doses of valproic acid (VP) and octnoic acid (OA) showed that, mole for mole, valproic acid was less toxic than octanoic acid. However, a simultaneous subcoma dose of pentobarbital (PB) enhanced the toxicity of VP more than that of OA. The dose-response curve for NH4C1 was affected by simultaneous subcoma doses of VP and OA but not by PB. VP enhanced the toxicity of the NH 4 + by 52%; OA enhanced the toxicity by 12%. PB added significantly to the toxicity of VP and NH 4 + when the three were given simultaneously. Doses of 0.7 mmol NH 4 + and 0.5 mmol VP given separately had little or no encephalopathic effect, with blood ammonias of 250–1250μg/dl. When given simultaneously they induced a deep coma and raised the blood ammonia threefold, to about 3600μg/dl. Similar doses of OA and NH 4 + , induced a similar deep coma, but blood levels of ammonia were not as high. Simultaneous injections of 250 mg glucose did not alter the results. Thus VP toxicity is enhanced substantially by its synergistic interactions with PB and the NH 4 + .
The relationship between surface protease activity and the rate of cell proliferation in normal and transformed cells.

Surface protease activity and secreted protease activity has been determined on several cell lines utilizing 3H-acetyl casein as substrate. When normal rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts stopped proliferating at high cell density a decrease in surface protease activity was observed. No decrease in surface protease activity or in the rate of cell proliferation was observed in either transformed melanoma or epidermal cells. The decrease of surface protease activity was related to a decrease in cell proliferation.
Rewriting History: Animality in J.M. Coetzee's Dusklands and Richard Flanagan's Wanting

This article examines two works of fiction that speculatively rewrite settler histories in South Africa and Australia, J.M. Coetzee’s Dusklands and Richard Flanagan’s Wanting . In the interest of critically addressing the silences, elisions, and ideological simplifications of imperialist histories of the colonial encounter, both texts imaginatively attend to the lived experiences of European settlers and indigenous peoples during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In their respective accounts of the colonial encounter, Coetzee and Flanagan represent how racist, anthropocentric, and ecophobic mentalities are unsettled by affective intensities that instantiate the body’s resistance to the political, economic, social, and religious logics of colonialism. Both authors coordinate the body’s resistance with animality, which in its turn is posited as a kind of affective power that has the potential to ethically and aesthetically reconfigure the human-animal binary of western discourse. Inasmuch as they rewrite history, imaginatively recuperate the value of indigenous sensibilities, and positively reinscribe human animality, this essay proposes that Coetzee and Flanagan attempt to resituate the human ecologically.
Method of increasing the speed of a grazing-incidence spectrograph

The speed of a grazing-incidence type concave grating spectrograph in the extreme ultraviolet can be increased appreciably by the use of a suitable toroidal focussing mirror placed before the slit so as to receive the light from the source at grazing-incidence. The radii of the toroidal mirror are chosen so that its first (horizontal) astigmatic image falls on the slit and its second (vertical) astigmatic image falls beyond the grating. Increased aperture and reduced astigmatism for the spectrograph as a whole are thus achieved. The elementary theory is developed and sample spectrograms presented.
Increase in brain serotonin produced by bromocryptine

Abstract The dopamine agonist, bromocryptine (BrC), 5 mg/kg, was administered intraperitioneally to rats. Br-C-treated and matched control animals were sacrified 1, 2 and 4 h later. Some were pretreated with an inhibitor of l -aromatic amino acid decarboxylase to determine 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) synthesis rate. An increase in brain serotonin (5-HT) occurred 2 h after BrC and persisted at 4 h. 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid was reduced about 35% at 1, 2 and 4 h. Only slight changes in 5-HTP synthesis and tryptophan concentration were seen. It is concluded that BrC reduces 5-HT release in vivo , possibly by direct effects on 5-HT neurons as well as indirectly by effects on dopamine receptors.
The spectrophotometric determination of the ionisation constants of some derivatives of barbituric acid

Abstract The ionisation constants of dilituric acid (5-nitrobarbituric acid), violuric acid (5-isonitrosobarbituric acid) and 1,3-dimethylvioluric acid (1,3-dimethyl-5-isonitrosobarbituric acid) have been determined by measuring the variation of absorbance with pH. The spectrophotometric method offers a practical means of determining the dissociation constants of substances that ionise with a detectable change in their absorption spectra with change in pH.
Vanishing interfacial tension in an immiscible polymer blend

The properties of the interface between polystyrene (PS) and a random copolymer of polystyrene and poly(parahydroxystyrene) (PPHS) were modified by addition of a diblock copolymer of deuterated polystyrene (dPS) and poly(2‐vinylpyridine) (PVP). Segregation of diblock copolymer chains to the interface between the immiscible blend components is driven by the compatibility of the dPS block with the PS phase and by a strong favorable interaction between the PVP block and the PPHS units of the random copolymer. Forward recoil spectrometry was used to measure the equilibrium excess of copolymer chains at the interface as a function of the copolymer volume fraction in the bulk PS phase. A dramatic increase in the interfacial adsorption is identified with the formation of emulsified ‘‘droplet’’ phases which appear when the interfacial free energy between the immiscible blends becomes vanishingly small. Dynamic secondary‐ion mass spectrometry was used to characterize these emulsified phases, and to verify our pict...
Modified Bayes technique in sequential clinical trials.

Abstract We consider the problem of optimizing the treatment of a population by two drugs of unknown efficacy. The success or failure of each treatment is assumed to be known before the next patient arrives to be treated, and the objective is to use the developing information both to select optimally for a given patient and to asymptotically restrict treatment to the better of the two drugs. A straightforward Bayes estimator is first assumed. It is shown by computer simulation, and to some extent algebraically, that this leads to the possibility of “trapping” into treatment by the poorer drug, due to early anomalously poor performance by the better drug. The difficulty is ameliorated by imposing a bias towards success on the input (a priori) distribution of the unknown success probabilities. In fact, the resulting protocol, which is ethical from the point of view of the individual patient, is also superior for the full treated population to a few sampling-plus-stopping-rule techniques against which it is compared.
Definitive Molecular Evidence of Renin-Angiotensin System in Human Uterine Decidual Cells

The tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) has been suggested to be present in human gestational tissues, but uncertainty exists about the authenticity of this RAS, and the cellular origin of this RAS has not been defined. In the present study, we confirmed the presence of authentic renin and angiotensinogen in the prolactin-producing decidual tissue by sequencing the cDNAs generated through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, confirming cDNA product sizes, and by performing Northern blot analysis of the RNA. Our comparative data demonstrate that prolactin has the highest expression in the decidual tissue, followed by renin, and that angiotensinogen has the least expression. We demonstrated with fluorescent in situ hybridization that prolactin-expressing endocrine decidual cells are the same cells that express both renin and angiotensinogen. These results have implications in regard to how the decidual RAS may be regulated and what potential role this local RAS may have in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia.
Single-Port-Access Surgery with a Novel Magnet Camera System

In this paper, we designed, built, and tested a novel single-port access laparoscopic surgery (SPA) specific camera system. This device (magnet camera) integrates a light source and video camera into a small, inexpensive, portable package that does not compete for space with the surgical tools during SPA. The device is inserted through a 26-mm incision in the umbilicus, followed by the SPA port, which is used to maintain an insufflation seal and support the insertion of additional tools. The camera, now in vivo, remains separate from the SPA port, thereby removing the need for a dedicated laparoscope, and, thus, allowing for an overall reduction in SPA port size or the use of a third tool through the insertion port regularly reserved for the traditional laparoscope. The SPA camera is mounted to the abdominal ceiling using one of the two methods: fixation to the SPA port through the use of a rigid ring and cantilever bar, or by an external magnetic handle. The purpose of the magnet camera system is to improve SPA by: 1) eliminating the laparoscope SPA channel; 2) increasing the field of view through enhanced camera system mobility; and 3) reducing interference between the camera system and the surgical tools at the port, both in vivo and ex vivo.
Application of Conductive Polymers in Bone Regeneration

The role of electromagnetism in the physiology of the human body and in the healing process is well accepted. Electroactive polymers, such as electrically conducting polymers, by virtue of their susceptibility to either electrical, mechanical, optical or thermal phenomena, could be utilized as an interface between the external world and the physiological environment1. In this study we have evaluated the utility of polypyrrole (PPy)-a conductive polymer, as an interactive substrate for inducing differentiation in bovine bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC). It was observed, the PPy is an excellent substrate for BMSC attachment, proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, an application of an electrical stimulus (ES) to BMSC via PPy substrate was found to enhance the osteogenic commitment of these cells.
Specific factor conferring nuclease hypersensitivity at the 5' end of the chicken adult beta-globin gene.

Abstract Chromatin in the 5' flanking region of the transcriptionally active chicken adult beta(beta A) globin gene is hypersensitive to nuclease digestion. When plasmids carrying this gene are combined with histones in the presence of extracts from 9-day-old chicken erythrocyte nuclei, the resultant complex displays hypersensitive behavior in the same region. No such behavior is observed with extracts from cells in which the beta A-globin gene is not expressed. Partially purified preparations of the factor conferring hypersensitivity bind preferentially to DNA fragments containing the hypersensitive region.
Cell behavior on a CCN1 functionalized elastin-mimetic protein polymer

We report the design of an elastin-mimetic triblock copolymer with the ability to guide endothelial cell adhesion, spreading, and migration while maintaining the elastomeric properties of the protein polymer. The V2 ligand sequence from matricellular protein CCN1 (cysteine-rich 61, CYR61) was multimerized and cloned into elastin polymer LysB10, creating LysB10.V2. Cell adhesion studies demonstrated that a LysB10.V2 surface density of at least 40 pmol/cm2 was required to elicit cell attachment. Peptide blocking studies confirmed V2 specific engagement with integrin receptor αvβ3 (P < 0.05) and we observed the formation of actin stress fiber networks and vinculin clustering, characteristic of focal adhesion assembly. Haptotatic migration assays demonstrated the ability of LysB10.V2 surfaces to stimulate migration of endothelial cells (P < 0.05). Significantly, we illustrated the ability of LysB10.V2 to support a quiescent endothelium. The CCN1 molecule functions to support many key biological processes necessary for tissue repair and thus presents a promising target for bioengineering applications. Collectively, our results demonstrate the potential to harness CCN1 specific function in the design of new scaffold materials for applications in regenerative medicine.
Being there versus seeing there: trust via video

We studied the emergence of trust in a social dilemma game in four different communication situations: face-to-face, video, audio, and text chat. Three-person groups did 30 rounds of a social dilemma game and we measured trust by the extent to which they cooperated vs. competed. The face-to-face groups quickly achieved cooperative behavior, while the text chat groups continued to compete throughout. The video groups achieved the same levels of trust as the face-to-face groups, although perhaps a bit more slowly. The audio group was intermediate. These results show that trust can emerge through mediated communication.
Detection of Particles inside Potential Barriers

THERE appears to be some uncertainty regarding the interpretation of wave functions in classically inaccessible regions, where the total energy is less than the potential energy. The following question is asked often : Can one detect a particle inside a barrier without giving it enough energy to be, classically, in the region of localization?
Effect of Oxide Defect Structure on the Electrical Properties of ZrO2

The defect structure of monoclinic ZrO2 was studied by measuring the transfer numbers and electrical conductivity as functions of O2 pressure and temperature. The data suggest a defect structure of doubly ionized oxygen vacancies at low pressures, i.e. 10−9 atm. Zirconia is primarily an ionic conductor below #700°C and an electronic conductor at 700° to 1000°C for 10−22≤Po2≤1 atm.
Increased Expression of Rififylin in A < 330 Kb Congenic Strain is Linked to Impaired Endosomal Recycling in Proximal Tubules

Cell surface proteins are internalized into the cell through endocytosis and either degraded within lysosomes or recycled back to the plasma membrane. While perturbations in endosomal internalization are known to modulate renal function, it is not known whether similar alterations in recycling affect renal function. Rififylin is a known regulator of endocytic recycling with E3 ubiquitin protein ligase activity. In this study, using two genetically similar strains, the Dahl Salt-sensitive rat and an S.LEW congenic strain, which had allelic variants within a <330kb segment containing rififylin, we tested the hypothesis that alterations in endosomal recycling affect renal function. The congenic strain had 1.59 fold higher renal expression of rififylin. Transcriptome analysis indicated that components of both endocytosis and recycling were upregulated in the congenic strain. Transcription of Atp1a1 and cell surface content of the protein product of Atp1a1, the alpha subunit of Na+K+ATPase were increased in the proximal tubules from the congenic strain. Because rififylin does not directly regulate endocytosis and it is also a differentially expressed gene within the congenic segment, we reasoned that the observed alterations in the transcriptome of the congenic strain constitute a feedback response to the primary functional alteration in recycling caused by rififylin. To test this, recycling of transferrin was studied in isolated proximal tubules. Recycling was significantly delayed within isolated proximal tubules of the congenic strain, which also had a higher level of polyubiquitinated proteins and proteinuria compared with S. These data provide evidence to suggest that delayed endosomal recycling caused by excess of rififylin indirectly affects endocytosis, enhances intracellular protein polyubiquitination and contributes to proteinuria.
Resonant uv pump-probe spectroscopy of dipicolinic acid via impulsive excitation

We present experimental evidence of coherent wave packet motion in dipicolinic acid $({\mathrm{C}}_{7}{\mathrm{H}}_{5}\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{O}}_{4})$ which is an important marker molecule for bacterial spores. Resonant impulsive excitation is achieved by applying a uv pump pulse ($267\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$, $16\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{fs}$) which has a duration that is shorter than the vibrational period of the molecules. The resulting dynamics is then probed with a weaker pulse of the same width and frequency. Evidence of the important ``fingerprint'' region for this molecule (between $1000\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $1500\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) is found in the transient absorption of the probe. We present simulations of the pump-probe experiment, based on the Liouville equation for the density matrix, and predict the optimal pulse width and detuning.
Ligation of fibrinogen by factor XIIIa with dithiothreitol: mechanical properties of ligated fibrinogen gels.

Human fibrinogen (concentration 8.4 mg/mL) was ligated (cross-linked) with factor XIIIa and dithiothreitol (DTT) at pH 8.5, ionic strength 0.45. With 7.5 μg/mL of factor XIIIa alone, there was almost no γ-γ ligation, but with 2 mM DTT added, oligomers appeared, and γ-γ and Aα-Aα ligation was nearly complete after 3 days. At 38 μg/mL of factor XIIIa, some γ-γ and Aα-Aα ligation occurred even without DTT. For fibrinogen concentrations of 4.0 and 8.4 mg/mL, 38 μ/mL factor XIIIa, 2.0 mM DTT, clot-like gels formed and the shear modulus of elasticity increased slowly over several days to a constant value. The final modulus was similar in magnitude to those of ligated clots of α-fibrin (clotted by thrombin) and α-fibrin (clotted by batroxobin) under the same conditions. However, the opacity was somewhat higher; whereas in fine fibrin clots there is minimal lateral association of the protofibrils, in fibrinogen gels at the same pH and ionic strength the protofibrils (which are presumably single chains of fibrinogen monomers joined end to end at their D domains) are evidently associated in bundles (although not to the degree seen in coarse fibrin clots). Creep and creep recovery measurements showed almost perfect elastic behavior, with essentially no creep under stress and complete recovery after removal of stress. The modulus was scarcely affected by introduction of lithium bromide by diffusion to a concentration of 0.6M, which in unligated fibrin clots causes substantial softening. Whereas in fine fibrin clots (both αβ-fibrin and α-fibrin) factor XIIIa causes only γ-γ ligation, addition of 2 mM DTT produced some α-α ligation in these also.
Programming Non-Trivial Algorithms in the Measurement Based Quantum Computation Model

We provide a set of prescriptions for implementing a quantum circuit model algorithm as measurement based quantum computing (MBQC) algorithm via a large cluster state. As means of illustration we draw upon our numerical modeling experience to describe a large graph state capable of searching a logical 8 element list (a non-trivial version of Grover's algorithm with feedforward). We develop several prescriptions based on analytic evaluation of cluster states and graph state equations which can be generalized into any circuit model operations. Such a resulting cluster state will be able to carry out the desired operation with appropriate measurements and feed forward error correction. We also discuss the physical implementation and the analysis of the principal 3-qubit entangling gate (Tooli) required for a non-trivial feedforward realization of an 8-element Grover search algorithm.
Time-resolved fluorescence of benign and malignant breast tissues

ABSTRACT Time-resolved fluorescence measurements have been performed on benign and malignant breast tissue samples using 310 excitation of a 100 fs pulse. Fluorescence decay times were found to be double exponential. The 340nm band of benign and malignant tissues displayed differences in the slow components of lifetime and the ratio of the fastto the slow components. INTRODUCTION Fluorescence lifetimes can provide direct information on various physical processes on a molecular and macromolecular scale [1]. Composite heterogeneity of tissuefluorescence is difficult to separate using steady-state methods, but using time—resolved spectroscopic techniques one may be able to isolate the participating biological fluorophores. Recently it was shown [2,3] that malignant tumors from breast, cervix,ovary and uterus can be separated, in vitro, from benign tissues and tumors by using steadystate uv fluorescence spectroscopy. In this report, fluorescence relaxation parameters are determined from the time-
NbIT - A New Information Theory-Based Analysis of Allosteric Mechanisms Reveals Residues that Underlie Function in the Leucine Transporter LeuT

Complex networks of interacting residues and microdomains in the structures of biomolecular systems underlie the reliable propagation of information from an input signal, such as the concentration of a ligand, to sites that generate the appropriate output signal, such as enzymatic activity. This information transduction often carries the signal across relatively large distances at the molecular scale in a form of allostery that is essential for the physiological functions performed by biomolecules. While allosteric behaviors have been documented from experiments and computation, the mechanism of this form of allostery proved difficult to identify at the molecular level. Here, we introduce a novel analysis framework, called N-body Information Theory (NbIT) analysis, which is based on information theory and uses measures of configurational entropy in a biomolecular system to identify microdomains and individual residues that act as (i)-channels for long-distance information sharing between functional sites, and (ii)-coordinators that organize dynamics within functional sites. Application of the new method to molecular dynamics (MD) trajectories of the occluded state of the bacterial leucine transporter LeuT identifies a channel of allosteric coupling between the functionally important intracellular gate and the substrate binding sites known to modulate it. NbIT analysis is shown also to differentiate residues involved primarily in stabilizing the functional sites, from those that contribute to allosteric couplings between sites. NbIT analysis of MD data thus reveals rigorous mechanistic elements of allostery underlying the dynamics of biomolecular systems.
An unusual occurrence on attempted purine C-8 electrophilic fluorination of 5'-noraristeromycin.

Reaction of the in situ generated purine C-8 carbanion of a protected 5‘-noraristeromycin derivative with N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide gave 8-phenylsulfonyl-5‘-noraristeromycin rather than the expected 8-fluoro derivative. A single electron transfer (SET) mechanism is proposed for this occurrence. The phenylsulfonyl product offers a structural feature common to some anti-HIV agents.
Theoretical Formulations for Finite Element Models of Functionally Graded Beams with Piezoelectric Layers

In this paper an overview of functionally graded materials and constitutive relations of electro elasticity for three-dimensional deformable solids is presented, and governing equations of the Bernoulli–Euler and Timoshenko beam theories which account for through-thickness power-law variation of a two-constituent material and piezoelectric layers are developed using the principle of virtual displacements. The formulation is based on a power-law variation of the material in the core with piezoelectric layers at the top and bottom. Virtual work statements of the two theories are also developed and their finite element models are presented. The theoretical formulations and finite element models presented herein can be used in the analysis of piezolaminated and adaptive structures such as beams and plates. © 2011 IAU, Arak Branch. All rights reserved.
Object structures for real-time systems and simulators

The market for real-time applications has grown considerably in years, and in response engineering methods have also improved. Today's techniques, while adequate for building moderately complex embedded applications, are inadequate for building the large, highly reliable, very complex real-time applications that are increasingly in demand. To build such large systems, engineering teams need a more uniform, integrated approach than is available today. Ideally, the development approach would make uniform the representations of both application environments and control systems as they proceed through various system engineering phases. The ideal representation (or modeling) scheme should be effective not only for abstracting system designs but also for representing the application environment. It should also be capable of manipulating logical values and temporal characteristics at varying degrees of accuracy. This ideal modeling scheme is not likely to be realized through conventional object models. Although they are natural building blocks for modular systems, conventional object models lack concrete mechanisms to represent the temporal behavior of complex, dynamic systems. This article describes a real-time object structure that can flexibly yet accurately specify the temporal behavior of modeled subjects. This approach supports strong requirements-design traceability, the feasibility of thorough and cost-effective validation, and ease of maintenance.
Individual differences reveal stages of L2 grammatical acquisition: ERP evidence

Here we report findings from a cross-sectional study of morphosyntactic processing in native German speakers and native English speakers enrolled in college-level German courses. Event-related brain potentials were recorded while participants read sentences that were either well-formed or violated German subject–verb agreement. Results showed that grammatical violations elicited large P600 effects in the native Germans and learners enrolled in third-year courses. Grand mean waveforms for learners enrolled in first-year courses showed a biphasic N400–P600 response. However, subsequent correlation analyses revealed that most individuals showed either an N400 or a P600, but not both, and that brain response type was associated with behavioral measures of grammatical sensitivity. These results support models of second language acquisition which implicate qualitative changes in the neural substrates of second language grammar processing associated with learning. Importantly, we show that new insights into L2 learning result when the cross-subject variability is treated as a source of evidence rather than a source of noise.
Decision in the West: The Atlanta Campaign of 1864

Following a skirmish on June 28, 1864, a truce is called so the North can remove their dead and wounded. For two hours, Yankees and Rebels mingle, with some of the latter even assisting the former in their grisly work. Newspapers are exchanged. Northern coffee is swapped for Southern tobacco. Yanks crowd around two Rebel generals, soliciting and obtaining autographs. As they part, a Confederate calls to a Yankee, "I hope to miss you, Yank, if I happen to shoot in your direction". "May I never hit you Johnny if we fight again," comes the reply. The reprieve is short. A couple of months, dozens of battles, and more than 30,000 casualties later, the North takes Atlanta. One of the most dramatic and decisive episodes of the Civil War, the Atlanta campaign was a military operation carried out on a grand scale across a spectacular landscape that pitted some of the war's best (and worst) generals against each other. In "Decision in the West" Albert Castel provides the first detailed history of the campaign published since Jacob D. Cox's version appeared in 1882. Unlike Cox, who was a general in Sherman's army, Castel provides an objective perspective and a comprehensive account based on primary and secondary sources that have become available in the past 110 years. Castel offers a full and balanced treatment of the operations of both the Union and Confederate armies from the perspective of the common soldiers as well as the top generals. He offers new accounts and analyses of many of the major events of the campaign and, in the process, corrects many long-standing myths, misconceptions and mistakes. In particular, he challenges the standard view of Sherman's performance. Written in the present tense to give a sense of immediacy and greater realism, "Decision in the West" demonstrates how the capture of Atlanta by Sherman's army occurred and why it assured Northern victory in the Civil War.
Reducing Memory Ordering Overheads in Software Transactional Memory

Most research into high-performance software transactional memory (STM) assumes that transactions will run on a processor with a relatively strict memory model, such as Total Store Ordering (TSO). To execute these algorithms correctly on processors with relaxed memory models, explicit fence instructions may be required on every transactional access, and neither the processor nor the compiler may be able to safely reorder transactional reads. The overheads of fence instructions and read serialization are a significant but unstudied source of latency for STM, with impact on the tradeoffs among different STM systems and on the optimizations that may be possible for any given system. Straightforward ports of STM runtimes from strict to relaxed machines may fail to realize the latter's performance potential. We explore the implementation of STM for machines with relaxed memory consistency using two recent high-performance STM systems. We propose compiler optimizations that can safely eliminate many fence instructions. Using these techniques, we obtain a reduction of up to 89% in the number of fences, and 20% in per-transaction latency, for common transactional benchmarks.
Regional patterns of radiocarbon and fossil fuel-derived CO2 in surface air across North America

Radiocarbon levels in annual plants provide a means to map out regional and continental-scale fossil fuel plumes in surface air. We collected corn (Zea mays) across North America during the summer of 2004. Plants from mountain regions of western North America showed the smallest influence of fossil fuel-derived CO2 with a mean Δ14C of 66.3‰ ±1.7‰. Plants from eastern North America and from the Ohio-Maryland region showed a larger fossil fuel influence with a mean Δ14C of 58.8‰ ± 3.9‰ and 55.2‰ ± 2.3‰, respectively, corresponding to 2.7 ppm ± 1.5 ppm and 4.3 ppm ± 1.0 ppm of added fossil fuel CO2 relative to the mountain west. A model–data comparison suggests that surveys of annual plant Δ14C can provide a useful test of atmospheric mixing in transport models that are used to estimate the spatial distribution of carbon sources and sinks.
An Investigation of the Ultimate Performance of Space-Charge Deflection Tubes

The ultimate performance of space-charge deflection tubes is investigated in several respects and a comparison is made with pentodes and multiplier tubes using essentially the same tube structure. Noise may be considerably lower than for conventional multiplier tubes and almost equal to that of pentodes. The transconductance-to-current ratio may surpass the value for conventional tubes by a factor of 2-10. The high-frequency behavior is inferior to that of pentodes. The stability of transconductance may be higher and distortion lower than for conventional multiplier tubes and even pentodes. The current drain may be lower than that of a pentode.
IFN-γ controls IL-33 protein level through a STAT1- and LMP2-dependent mechanism (CCR5P.268)

IL-33 levels and activity are differentially associated with Th1 and Th2 phenotypes. IL-33 mRNA is rapidly regulated but the fate of synthesized IL-33 protein is unknown. To assess the interplay between IL-33, IFN-γ, and IL-4 proteins, replication-deficient adenoviruses (AdV) were constructed for dual expression of IL-33 & IFN-γ or of IL-33 & IL-4. Combined IL-33 & IFN-γ or IL-33 & IL-4 effects were compared with similar AdV expression of each of these cytokines alone. Co-delivery of IL-33 & IFN-γ led to mutual suppression, and co-delivery of IL-33 & IL-4 led to mutual elevation of these proteins in cell culture and in vivo. Purified IFN-γ also attenuated IL-33 protein but not mRNA driven by the recombinant CMV promoter in AdV-IL-33-infected cells, suggesting that IFN-γ controls IL-33 protein degradation. Pharmacological inhibition, siRNA-mediated silencing, or gene deficiency of STAT1 potently upregulated IL-33 protein expression levels and attenuated the downregulating effect of IFN-γ on IL-33. Inhibition of caspase-1, -3, or -8 had minimal effect on IFN-γ-driven IL-33 protein downregulation. siRNA-mediated silencing of LMP2 proteasome subunit, which is known to be essential for IFN-γ-regulated antigen processing, also abrogated the effect of IFN-γ on IL-33. Thus, IL-33, IFN-γ, and IL-4 are engaged in a complex interplay, part of which involves IFN-γ-activated, caspase-independent, STAT1-mediated degradation of IL-33 protein through non-canonical use of LMP2 proteasome.
Development and Validation of a Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy Simulation Model for Surgical Training

Abstract Study Objective To develop a valid laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy simulation model for use as an assessment and learning tool for performing this procedure. Design Simulation study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting Two tertiary academic centers. Intervention A training model was developed to simulate performance of a laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy. Construct validity was measured by comparing observed masked performances on the model between experienced Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeons (experts) and upper level trainees. All videotaped performances were scored by 2 surgeons who were masked to subject identity and using the valid and reliable Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills scale. Measurements and Main Results The expert group included Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeons (n = 5) experienced in laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, and the trainee group (n = 15) included fourth-year gynecology residents (n = 5) and fellows in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery (n = 10). The experts performed significantly better than the trainees in total score and in every domain of the Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills scale (median [range] score: expert group, 33 [30.5–39] vs trainee group, 20.5 [13.5–30.5]; p = .002). Previous surgical experience had a strong association with performance on the model (rho > 0.75). Most subjects “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the model was authentic to the live procedure and a useful training tool. There was strong agreement between masked raters (interclass correlation coefficient 0.84). Conclusion This simulation model is valid and reliable for assessing performance of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy and may be used for practicing key steps of the procedure.
Nonphotochemical Laser-Induced Nucleation in Levitated Supersaturated Aqueous Potassium Chloride Microdroplets

We have observed nonphotochemical laser-induced nucleation (NPLIN) in levitated 8 pL microdroplets of supersaturated aqueous potassium chloride irradiated with nanosecond pulses of 532 nm light. A much higher supersaturation ratio S of 1.20 was required to observe NPLIN in a microdroplet, compared to the value of 1.06 for bulk solutions, attributed to a 40-million-fold lower nucleation rate in a microdroplet at S = 1.06 as a result of its much smaller volume. This finding has application to high spatial and temporal resolution pump–probe studies of nucleation in a containerless environment.
Nutrition concerns and health effects of vegetarian diets

Vegetarians exhibit a wide diversity of dietary practices, often described by what is omitted from their diet. When a vegetarian diet is appropriately planned and includes fortified foods, it can be nutritionally adequate for adults and children and can promote health and lower the risk of major chronic diseases. The nutrients of concern in the diet of vegetarians include vitamin B(12), vitamin D, ω-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc. Although a vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients, the use of supplements and fortified foods provides a useful shield against deficiency. A vegetarian diet usually provides a low intake of saturated fat and cholesterol and a high intake of dietary fiber and many health-promoting phytochemicals. This is achieved by an increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, legumes, nuts, and various soy products. As a result of these factors, vegetarians typically have lower body mass index, serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and blood pressure; reduced rates of death from ischemic heart disease; and decreased incidence of hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers than do nonvegetarians.
HUMAN UTERINE FLUlD POTASSIUM AND THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

Summary Human uterine fluid was obtained from women at laparotomy by a new technique which avoids contamination by cervical and tuba1 fluids. The potassium (K+) concentration of the uterine fluid rose from 17.9 mEq./l. in the follicular phase to 33.7 mEq./l. in the luteal phase (p<0.00l). However, there was a decreased uterine fluid volume in the luteal phase and the total potassium content of the fluid was not increased, suggesting reabsorption of sodium and water rather than the secretion of more potassium. The high uterine fluid K+ concentration, which may reach 39 mEq./l. in the mid-luteal phase, presumably provides a suitable medium for the blastocyst; there are also reasons for believing that the high K+ concentration of the luminal fluid will reduce the membrane potential of the endometrium, that this will facilitate blastocyst-endometrial contact and may be essential for blastocyst-endometrial adhesion.