cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
One-Dimensional Rigid Pavement Temperature Prediction Using Laplace Transformation

AbstractThis paper presents an analytical solution for the prediction of the time-dependent one-dimensional temperature profile in an N-layered rigid pavement system using Laplace transformation. Temperature at any depth in a rigid pavement system can be estimated by using the proposed solution with input data such as pavement layer thicknesses, material thermal properties, and the measured air temperature and solar radiation intensities. The associated initial boundary value problem is governed by the classic heat conduction equation with the air temperature and solar radiation considered in the surface boundary condition. Interpolatory trigonometric polynomials, based on the method of discrete least-squares approximation, are used to fit the measured air temperature and solar radiation intensities during a user-defined time period. The relationship between the constants of integration for the ith layer and the first layer are deduced, which simplifies the solution process. Model validation with the meas...
Chemotherapy of metastatic testicular cancer: current status and future prospects

Introduction of the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin in 1974 initiated 15 years of progress in the management of metastatic testicular cancer at a pace virtually unprecedented in the history of medical oncology. With current cisplatin- and etoposide-based regimens, longterm survival of 80% is consistently achieved. Recently completed clinical trials have defined several prognostic variables that disthinguish good- and poor-prognosis subsets of patients. Since the great majority of patients with good-prognosis disease achieve complete remission and long-term survival, the current focus of research in this patient population has shifted to means of reducing treatment-related toxicity. By comparison, in poor-prognosis patients the cure rate remains an unacceptable 40%–50%. Clinical research in this population has focused primarily on methods of intensifying treatment, such as alternating non-cross-resistant drug combinations, increasing the dose intensity of cisplatin, and investigating new active agents such as ifosfamide. Even in the setting of relapsed or resistant disease, high-dose chemotherapy with or without autologous bone marrow transplant offers the potential for long-term remission in some patients. Future prospects for improving the therapeutic index may include colony-stimulating-factor support to circumvent chemotherapy-related myelosuppression, the use of chemosensitizers to reverse drug resistance, or the introduction of biologic response modifiers into the therapeutic armamentarium.
Laboratory tests of the wavefront control experiment

ABSTRACTAn overview of the Wavefront Control Experiment (WCE) adaptive optics system ispresented. We discuss our initial tests of the system and illustrate adaptive correctioncapability of the system using its internal star source simulator. Future laboratory tests are planned prior to adapting the system to a coude feed of a 4 1 " reflecting telescope at Yerkes Observatory where atmospheric compensation with astronomical sources will be investigated.1. BACKGROUNDThe Wavefront Control Experiment is a space-qualified, high temporal bandwidth, compact adaptive optics package that was developed as a stand alone but integral component within the Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) directed energy Starlab experiment. This experiment was to be conducted in near earth orbit using the Space Shuttle; the WCE was designed to operate in the zero gravity but shirtsleeve environment of the Spacelab module. The goal of the Starlab program was to exploreacquisition, tracking, and pointing capabilities in orbit within the context of the SDIOdirected energy mission. The exhaust plume of a Starbird booster rocket was to be acquired
Operation management in object-oriented knowledge bases

An object-oriented knowledge base is a database that is constructed on the object data model. Using mathematical logic as formal representation, an object-oriented knowledge base can be constructed to support classification, aggregation, generalization, and association. It further extends existing databases with procedural semantics. In this article we consider the problems of automatic software reusability, object management, and transaction planning with the aid of knowledge and meta-knowledge. We describe the approaches to automate the processes of classifying objects, instantiating abstract algorithms, and ordering conjunctive operations.
Look West: The Evolution of US Trade Policy Toward Asia

US trade policy toward Asia has undergone an important evolution over the last 60 years, reflecting not only changes in its vision of engaging Asia but also in the general American approach to trade negotiations. Put succinctly, in the late 1980s the USA turned away from its former deep commitment to multilateral trade negotiations and began to pursue a strategy of ‘competitive liberalization’. This shift has been marketed as an innovative approach to trade negotiations, and includes the pursuit of bilateral and minilateral arrangements as well as sectorally based market opening. At the turn of the millennium we have seen the active pursuit of bilateral trade agreements. How can we categorize the patterns of US trade arrangements over time? What are the driving forces behind the evolution of US trade policy towards Asia? What are the implications, both domestically and internationally, of this changing US trade strategy? And finally, what is the likely direction of future US trade policy? La politica come...
Moderators in the relationship between social contact and psychological distress among widowed adults

Objectives: This study examines: (1) the effect of widowed persons’ frequency of contact with friends and relatives on their depressive and grief symptoms six months following spousal loss and (2) the extent to which the effects of social contact are contingent upon the degree of emotional support received from these relationships and the congruence between widowed persons’ preferred and actual levels of social contact. Method: Analyses are based on the Changing Lives of Older Couples (CLOC) study, a prospective study of a two-stage area probability sample of 1532 married men and women aged 65 or older. Depressive and grief symptoms, six months after spousal loss, were regressed on social contact, support, and congruence between preferred and actual social contact. Results: Frequency of contact did not have a significant influence on psychological distress when contextual factors are controlled. Social support and the incongruence between preferred and actual social contact were significantly associated w...
Changes in activities of calmodulin-mediated enzymes in rat brain during aging

Abstract Components of the calmodulin system ( i.e. calmodulin levels and activities of the following calmodulin-dependent enzymes: (Ca 2+ + Mg 2+ )-ATPase, adenylate and guanylate cyclases, cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP phosphodiesterases, and Ca 2+ -dependent protein kinase) were studied in brains from rats of three different ages: 3 weeks old, 3 months old and 1 year old. With the exception of adenylate cyclase activity, all components measured were found to significantly decrease with increasing age. Adenylate cyclase activity was significantly higher in brains from the 3-month-old rats than in those from 3-week-old rats. Brains from year-old rats had adenylate cyclase activity that was intermediate between the two younger ages and was significantly different from both groups. The study provides evidence for important changes in the activity of this fundamental cell regulatory system in the central nervous system during the aging process.
Effect of feeding Aspergillus oryzae extract on milk production and rumen parameters

Abstract The objective of this study was to examine the effects of an Aspergillus oryzae extract on milk production and composition and rumen metabolites in a commercial dairy herd. Early lactation Holstein cows, 282, in their second or greater lactation were used in a 60-day trial from August to October 2001. Cows were assigned to one of two treatments in a switchback design with two 30-day treatment periods. Treatments were control (no additive) or 5 g/day of A. oryzae extract. Both groups were fed the same total mixed ration (TMR). A. oryzae extract was blended with the TMR and fed once daily. Feeding a culture of A. oryzae had no effect on yields of milk and 3.5% fat-corrected milk. Milk components were also unaffected by A. oryzae extract, but cows fed with the control diet had higher concentration and yield of milk true protein. Rumen pH, rumen concentrations of volatile fatty acids, and NH 3 –N, as well as blood urea N, were similar for both treatment groups. Feeding 5 g/day of A. oryzae extract to early lactation multiparous Holstein cows had no effect on lactation performance and rumen parameters.
How to Think about Rules and Rule Following

This article will discuss the difficulties of providing a plausible account of rule following in the social realm. It will show that the cognitive model of rule following is not suited for this tas...
SiGe-channel heterojunction p-MOSFET's

The advances in the growth of pseudomorphic silicon-germanium epitaxial layers combined with the strong need for high-speed complementary circuits have led to increased interest in silicon-based heterojunction field-effect transistors. Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET's) with SiGe channels are guided by different design rules than state-of-the-art silicon MOSFET's. The selection of the transistor gate material, the optimization of the silicon-germanium channel profile, the method of threshold voltage adjustment, and the silicon-cap and gate-oxide thickness sensitivities are the critical design parameters for the p-channel SiGe MOSFET. Two-dimensional numerical modeling demonstrates that n/sup +/ polysilicon-gate SiGe p-MOSFET's have acceptable short-channel behavior at 0.20 /spl mu/m channel lengths and are preferable to p/sup +/ polysilicon-gate p-MOSFET's for 2.5 V operation. Experimental results of n/sup +/-gate modulation-doped SiGe p-MOSFET's illustrate the importance of the optimization of the SiGe-channel profile. When a graded SiGe channel is used, hole mobilities as high as 220 cm/sup 2//V.s at 300 K and 980 cm/sup 2//V.s at 82 K are obtained. >
ChIPing the cistrome of PXR in mouse liver

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a key regulator of xenobiotic metabolism and disposition in liver. However, little is known about the PXR DNA-binding signatures in vivo, or how PXR regulates novel direct targets on a genome-wide scale. Therefore, we generated a roadmap of hepatic PXR bindings in the entire mouse genome [chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-Seq]. The most frequent PXR DNA-binding motif is the AGTTCA-like direct repeat with a 4 bp spacer [direct repeat (DR)-4)]. Surprisingly, there are also high motif occurrences with spacers of a periodicity of 5 bp, forming a novel DR-(5 n+4) pattern for PXR binding. PXR-binding overlaps with the epigenetic mark for gene activation (histone-H3K4-di-methylation), but not with epigenetic marks for gene suppression (DNA methylation or histone-H3K27-tri-methylation) (ChIP-on-chip). After administering a PXR agonist, changes in mRNA of most PXR-direct target genes correlate with increased PXR binding. Specifically, increased PXR binding triggers the trans-activation of critical drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. The mRNA induction of these genes is absent in PXR-null mice. The current work provides the first in vivo evidence of PXR DNA-binding signatures in the mouse genome, paving the path for predicting and further understanding the multifaceted roles of PXR in liver.
Efficient Sonogashira Coupling of Unprotected Halonucleosides in Aqueous Solvents Using Water-Soluble Palladium Catalysts

A variety of applications of C-alkynylated nucleosides has prompted the continuing development of efficient synthetic methods for their preparation. We report an efficient andenvironmentally benign Sonogashira coupling reaction for alkynylation of unprotected halonucleosides in an aqueous solvent. The combination of Pd(OAc)2, CuI, and TXPTS [trisodium tri(2,4-dimethyl-5-sulfonatophenyl)phosphane] provided an effective catalyst for the alkynylation of 8-bromopurines and 5-iodouridine in H2O/CH3CN (1:1) in yields ranging from 42 to 98 %.
Mechanisms of fungicide resistance in phytopathogenic fungi

The disciplines traditionally used to investigate the mode of action of fungicides have been biochemistry and physiology. Over the past decade, classical and molecular genetics have been brought to bear on this problem with increasing success. Recently, genetic studies of fungicide resistance have led to advances in our understanding of the site of action of chemicals active against plant pathogens and, in some cases, to an appreciation of additional mechanisms of resistance to fungicide action.
A novel electrochemical process for the production of ammonium perchlorate

Perchloric acid, HCLO4, and ammonium perchlorate, NH4ClO4, of high purity have been produced by electrolysis of chloric acid and subsequent reaction with high purity ammonium hydroxide to produce ammonium perchlorate. The process involves no alkali metals, chlorides or transition metals such as chromates, and thus produces propellant and explosive grade ammonium perchlorate of high purity and with no associated instability or pollution problems. The products can be recovered by solution crystallization-drying or direct spray-drying, respectively.
Psychology: Good and bad news on the adolescent brain

In response to bad news about risk, young adolescents alter estimates of their own vulnerability to adverse events less accurately than older people. The finding has implications for managing risk-taking behaviour in young people.
Urodynamic evaluation of a bladder flap tube as urinary sphincter

The sphincteric properties of the normal urethra of seven female dogs were compared to those of a bladder flap tube pulled through the rectus muscle and anastomosed to the skin for urethral replacement. The functional length and distribution of closure pressure at rest were similar in the urethra and the bladder flap tube. When sneezing was triggered in the dogs to provoke a stress condition, contraction of the rectus muscle induced pressure changes in the distal neourethra similar to those obtained under the same stress condition from the striated urethral sphincter. However, with a full bladder, stress forced the newly fashioned bladder neck to open; yet, owing to sufficient resistance in the distal neourethra (rectus muscle), stress incontinence occurred only in two animals.
Fourier series and the Lubkin W-transform

We discuss the effect of a particular sequence acceleration method, the Lubkin W-transform, on the partial sums of Fourier series. We consider a very general class of functions with a single jump discontinuity, and prove that this method fails on a large set of points.
Heat Conduction of Inert Gas-Hydrogen Mixtures in Parabolic Trough Receivers

The annulus of a parabolic trough receiver is normally evacuated to prevent heat conduction between the internal absorber pipe and the external glass envelope. In the past, this vacuum has sometimes been compromised by hydrogen permeation from the heat transfer fluid through the absorber pipe. Heat conduction, and consequently receiver thermal loss, can be significantly increased by the presence of hydrogen in the annulus. Supplying receivers with inert gases in the annulus, or injecting receivers with inert gases after the vacuum has been compromised, could mitigate these heat losses. This study measures parabolic trough receiver heat conduction in the transition, temperature jump, and continuum regimes for argon-hydrogen and xenon-hydrogen mixtures at an absorber temperature of 350°C. Test results show that small heat loss increases over evacuated values are associated with the 95% inert gas/5% hydrogen mixtures and that from a performance perspective gas-filled HCEs would likely induce a 1–3% plant revenue decrease relative to evacuated receivers, but would protect against hydrogen-induced heat loss as long as there was sufficient quantity of inert gas in the annulus. Sherman’s interpolation formula predicted the inert gas and 95% inert gas/5% hydrogen mixture test results within experimental and model uncertainty, but did not accurately capture the larger hydrogen molar fraction test results. The source of this discrepancy will be further investigated.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Ground-water research in the U.S.A.

Abstract Ground-water reservoirs and the overlying unsaturated zone-collectively, the “subsurface”—have an enormous capacity to supply water to wells and useful plants, to store water to meet future needs for the same purposes, and, under suitable precautions, to accept wastes. This capacity can be exploited on a maximum scale, however, only on the basis of information one or more orders of magnitude greater than that available at present on the distribution, recoverability, and replenishability of subsurface water. Because usable water must be made available, and waste water must be disposed of, at costs of only a cent or a few cents per cubic meter, there is a critical need for research to devise methods of accomplishing these water-management tasks at reasonable cost. Among the chief target areas for research in subsurface hydrology are permeability distribution, including vertical permeability; prediction of the departure of the storage coefficient from the theoretically “instantaneous” property assumed in flow equations; theory of unsaturated flow based on fundamental soil characteristics that can be measured practicably; geochemical relations including the effects of injecting water of one composition into zones occupied by waters of different composition, generation of acid mine water, occurrence of saline water, and salt-fresh-water relations in coastal and other areas; prediction of the fate of wastes injected underground; geophysical techniques both surface and subsurface to extend, at low cost, information obtained by other means; and practical techniques of artificial recharge, especially through wells.
Optimal Parallelogram Selection for Hierarchical Tiling

Loop tiling is an effective optimization to improve performance of multiply nested loops, which are the most time-consuming parts in many programs. Most massively parallel systems today are organized hierarchically, and different levels of the hierarchy differ in the organization of parallelism and the memory models they adopt. To make better use of these machines, it is clear that loop nests should be tiled hierarchically to fit the hierarchical organization of the machine; however, it is not so clear what should be the exact form of these hierarchical tiles. In particular, tile shape selection is of critical importance to expose parallelism of the tiled loop nests. Although loop tiling is a well-known optimization, not much is known about tile shape selection.In this article, we study tile shape selection when the shapes are any type of parallelograms and introduce a model to relate the tile shape of the hierarchy to the execution time. Using this model, we implement a system that automatically finds the tile shapes that minimize the execution time in a hierarchical system. Our experimental results show that in several cases, the tiles automatically selected by our system outperform the most intuitive tiling schemes usually adopted by programmers because of their simplicity.
New regulatory authority over significant price discovery contracts: An example of natural gas swaps with econometric applications

Abstract This study details the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's significant price discovery regulatory authority over exempt, over-the-counter contracts, as introduced in 2008. A vector autoregressive model is used to conclude that three cash-settled natural gas contracts traded on the IntercontinentalExchange are significant price discovery contracts (SPDCs). Thus, this study demonstrates the methods’ use in analyzing the new financial policy authority and other similar and evolving policies. The paper also discusses some of the policy implications of the SPDC determinations. Lastly, the authors address the transition of the Commission's SPDC authority as a result of the passage of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which was signed into law in July 2010.
Ganglioglioma in Children

The entity ganglioglioma in children seems to be an increasingly more common tumor. Most of these lesions are pathologically and clinically benign but have a pathological and clinical continuum in their behavior. Gross total resection, especially involving the lesions in the supratentorial compartment, is often curative. The most common symptom, seizures, in this group of lesions, can often be alleviated with removal of the tumor. This may be enhanced with the use of corticography at the initial surgery. The group of lesions located in the brainstem are more difficult to control and may require multiple operations and other therapies including radiation and chemotherapy for optimum outcome. Malignant lesions in the ganglioglioma series are rare and optimum therapy for these tumors is not well defined at this time. Pathologically, this group of tumors needs better definition for designing the best therapy. We are planning a survey both retrospectively and prospectively with flow cytometry and the use of various makers such as the K167 proliferation antigen to better define potential biological behavior. Clearly, a broader discussion with the patient and family is indicated when one of these tumors is discovered and operated.
Evidence that UV-inducible error-prone repair is absent in Haemophilus influenzae Rd, with a discussion of the relation to erro-prone repair of alkylating-agent damage

Abstract Haemophilus influenzae Rd and its derivatives are mutated either not at all or to only a very small extent by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, X-rays, methyl methanesulfonate, and nitrogen mustard, though they are readily mutated by such agents as N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine, ethyl methansulfonate, and nitrosocarbaryl. In these respects H. influenzae Rd resembles the lexA mutants of Escherichia coli that lack the SOS or reclex UV-inducible error-prone repair system. This similarity is further brought out by the observation that chloramphenicol has little or no effect on post-replication repair after UV irradiation. In E. coli , chloramphenicol has been reported to considerably inhibit post-replication repair in the wild type but not in the lexA mutant. Earlier work has suggested that most or all the mutations induced in H. influenzae by NC result from error-prone repair. Combined treatment with NC and either X-rays or UV shows that the NC error-prone repair system does not produce mutations from the lesions induced by these radiations even while it is producing them from its own lesions. It is concluded that the NC error-prone repair system or systems and the reclex error-prone system are different.
Redesigning instructional software to meet ADA compliance standards: the case of the animated database courseware

The purpose of this project was to broaden the accessibility of an online interactive educational software tool, Animated Database Courseware (ADbC), by applying standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Action Section 508. To apply these standards, research was conducted on enhancement methods that would benefit users with low vision capabilities. Specifically, simpler textual models for screen-reader capability and audio samples of instructions were added to the Animated Database Courseware to assist users with low vision. While these ADA compliant features are beneficial to ADbC, the accessibility concepts and methods explored in this project are applicable and practical to other areas of technical development.
Glycine transport by hemolysed and restored pigeon red cells. Effects of a Donnan-induced electrical potential on entry and exit kinetics.

Abstract The influence of a Donnan effect on the transport of glycine by hemolysed and restored pigeon red cells was examined. The Donnan effect was produced by replacing Cl − with 2,4-toluenedisulfonate or glutamate. The effects of the associated membrane potential and inside-outside pH difference on glycine entry and exit rates were examined. The effects of pH on entry and exit rates in the absence of a Donnan effect were also examined. In the absence of a Donnan effect, Na + -dependent glycine entry requires the protonated form of a group with a p K app of 7.9 and the depronated form of another group with a p K app of 6.8. Neither of these are required for exit but the deprotonated form of a group(s) with a p K app of 6.2 is required. The p K 7.9 group and p K 6.2 group probably react with H + at the inner face of the membrane and the p K 6.8 group probably reacts at the outer face. The V for glycine entry was determined for cells with their Cl − largely replaced by toluenedisulfonate and without such replacement. Between pH 6.1 and 7, the ratio of the respective V values, V T / V Cl , was 1.5–1.7. V T / V Cl rose above pH 7 to near 4 at pH 8.3. At pH 6.9, with glutamate replacing cell Cl − , the analogous ratio ( V Glu / V Cl ) was 1.7. The increase of V T / V Cl above pH 7 could be quantitatively accounted for by the increase in cell [H + ]/medium [H + ] caused by the Donnan effect together with the assumption that the p K 7.9 group reacts with H + at the inner face of the membrane. When cell Cl − was replaced by toluenedisulfonate or glutamate there was a drop in the term in the glycine K m describing Na + dependence of glycine entry. When cell Cl − was replaced by toluenedisulfonate there was a rise in the Na + -independent term in the glycine entry K m . By replacing varying amounts of cell Cl − with either toluenedisulfonate or glutamate, plots were obtained of entry rates vs. the cell [Cl − ]/medium [Cl − ] ratio consistent with the assumption that the Donnan-induced membrane potential acts on a “moving” charge. Glycine exit was only slightly accelerated by trans -toluenedisulfonate. The ratio, exit rate into toluenedisulfonate medium/exit rate into Cl − medium rose with decreasing pH. This rise could be accounted for by a Donnan-induced inside-outside pH difference which affects a p K app 6.2 group reacting with internal H + . The observed influences of the Donnan effect on V (glycine entry), on both components of K m (glycine entry), on the shape of the plot of glycine entry rate vs. the cell [Cl − ]/medium [Cl − ] ratio and on glycine exit all fit the assumptions that when the empty porter reorients, one unit of negative charge accompanies it “across” the membrane and that no other steps involve charge movement. The properties of the system seem inconsistent with a translational (“ferry boar”) mobile carrier.
RNase mapping of intact nucleic acids by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICRMS) and 18O labeling

Abstract We present a method using 18 O labeling and electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICRMS) for characterizing intact ribonucleic acids (RNAs) and their posttranscriptional modifications. An 18 O label is incorporated at the 3′-phosphate end of oligonucleotides upon hydrolysis of RNAs with RNase T1. The 18 O -labeled digestion products are then identified without prior separation by ESI-FTICRMS. The combination of FTICRMS and 18 O labeling facilitate identification of RNase T1 digestion products and possible sites of posttranscriptional modification to RNAs. The mass measurement accuracy afforded by the use of FTICRMS, combined with the 18 O labeling of 3′-terminal phosphates and endonuclease specificity, extend the molecular weight range of oligoribonucleotides whose base compositions can be determined solely on the basis of mass measurement. High mass measurement accuracy also provides significant advantages for identifying the presence of posttranscriptional modifications, such as methylation. Additionally, RNase T1 digestion products can be isolated for further sequencing by sustained off resonance irradiation (SORI) collision-induced dissociation (CID). The presence of the 18 O label simplifies assignment of sequence specific oligonucleotide fragment ions and reduces the data reduction required for sequence interpretation. This approach can be used for RNA sequence verification and for RNA modification mapping.
Method for Crossing a Fabry-Perot Etalon with a Rowland Circle Spectrograph

An etalon was crossed with a small concave-grating spectrograph by forming the rings on the vertical focus instead of the slit. Photographs taken on the Rowland circle and diameter of the grating sphere show the vertical astigmatism to be negligible. Some limitations of the method are discussed.
Laser probe temperature control by measuring the returning infra-red radiation.

The metal-tipped fibre or ‘laser probe’ developed for angioplasty comprises a metallic probe at the end of an optical fibre. The probe is heated by an argon or Nd: YAG laser and applied against the tissue to be vapourised. The heated probe generates infra-red radiation which is proportional to the temperature of the probe. The paper investigates the feasibility of a feedback control system that measures the temperature of the probe by detecting the infra-red radiation transmitted back through the fibre. The probe was initially heated by physical contact with a hot surface, and then by an argon laser via the optical fibre. The returning IR radiation was sensed by a lead sulphide detector, while probe temperature was simultaneously measured by a thermocouple. Temperatures as low as 200°C were measured through a 5 m long fibre during the laser heating of the probe. The detector signal increased in an exponential fashion as the probe temperature increased. A resolution of 1°C was obtained at a probe temperature of 400°C. It can be concluded that, for the laser probe, it is feasible to use a feedback control system which measures the infra-red radiation transmitted back through the same fibre that carries the heating laser light.
Alloy Formation and CO Adsorption on Bimetallic Ca/Pd(111) Surfaces†

Ca films deposited on the surface of Pd(111) were studied by temperature-programmed desorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy, and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). Multilayer Ca films desorb at 1180 K, which is much higher than that value for any of the alkali metals. Ca adatoms alloy with Pd at temperatures as low as 700 K. Annealing sub-monolayer Ca films at 1100 K reproducibly formed two well-ordered surface structures with (2 × 2) and (√3×√3)R30° Ca/Pd(111) unit cells depending on the amount of Ca deposited on the Pd(111) substrate. Chemical shifts of Ca XPS peaks indicate that these ordered structures are correlated to the formation of Ca−Pd alloys. The presence of Ca at the Pd(111) surface increases the CO adsorption energy and causes a 110-K shift of the CO thermal desorption peak to a higher temperature than from a clean Pd(111) surface. This Ca−Pd−CO interaction is so strong that it drives Ca out of a Ca−Pd alloyed layer to the overlayer upon CO adsorp...
PION ELECTROMAGNETIC FORM FACTOR FROM COULOMB INTERFERENCE.

Using recent 24-MeV ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ elastic scattering data we critically analyze the Hofstadter-Sternheim proposal for measuring the pion electromagnetic form factor. A phenomenological nonlocal potential, whose parameters are fixed directly from the data, is used to describe the nuclear interaction. Using these parameters, a type of distorted-wave Born approximation is then employed to calculate the Coulomb contributions. We conclude that (i) nuclear distortion effects on the Coulomb contribution are large; (ii) the fits are not very sensitive to the pion radius and from the data only a conservative upper limit of \ensuremath{\sim}1.5 F can be reasonably given; (iii) experimental statistics need to be greatly improved before a more definitive result can be obtained; (iv) sensitivity to the model parameters seems to be smallest in the region of backward scattering (${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{lab}}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}100\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$), where sensitivity to the pion radius is greatest; and (v) the fruitfulness of going to much higher energies (g100 MeV) is probably quite limited. Some suggestions for present and future experimental and theoretical work are briefly discussed.
Microbial Transformations of Selenium and the Bioremediation of Seleniferous Environments

Selenium (Se) exists in many natural soil and water environments around the world, but anthropological activities such as irrigated agriculture on Se-laden soils has created many ecological problem...
Effects of lag controllers on transient response

It has long been accepted that the addition of a lag controller to a linear, closed-loop system will reduce the steady-state error without appreciably affecting the transient response. Using a theoretical analysis supported by examples, the paper demonstrates that this is not the case. In fact, the settling time and the percentage overshoot will be affected significantly whenever a lag controller is used, for any system with desired settling time in the normal range.
Whistleblowing in Audit Firms: Do Explicit Protections from Retaliation Activate Implicit Threats of Reprisal?

ABSTRACT: Despite the increasing number of statutory protections now provided to whistleblowers, fear of reprisal remains a primary reason why individuals fail to report misconduct. In order to alleviate such fears and encourage reporting, hotline policies often describe explicit whistleblower protections from specific types of retaliation (e.g., harassment, threats or intimidation, loss of job, etc.). However, we posit that such vivid descriptions may actually achieve the opposite of their intended effect by increasing the salience of retaliatory threats, thereby discouraging whistleblower reporting. We conduct an experiment and find evidence that when explicit protections are added to an audit firm's whistleblower hotline policy, auditors assess the risk of reporting as higher and, as a result, are less likely to indicate that the misconduct will be reported through the hotline. To our knowledge, our study is the first to demonstrate that offering explicit protections to whistleblowers can have these un...
Redox sensitive calcium stores underlie enhanced after hyperpolarization of aged neurons: role for ryanodine receptor mediated calcium signaling.

A decrease in the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons contributes to the age related decrease in hippocampal function and memory decline. Decreased neuronal excitability in aged neurons can be ob...
Fitting distribution-like data to exponential sums with genetic algorithms

Conventional derivative-based algorithms of fitting distribution-like data to exponential-sum functions can be easily trapped in some local minima. This paper is concerned with the development of algorithms of fitting distribution-like data to exponential sums with genetic algorithms. Both binary coding scheme and real-valued coding scheme have been investigated in this research. Experimental results have shown that real-valued coding scheme is more appropriate to the problem of fitting distribution-like data to exponential sums. Testing with real engineering data, it has been demonstrated that the fitting algorithm derived in this paper is quite promising. The fitted exponential-sum models using genetic algorithm can very well describe the measured data. However, for the data with wavy trends, pure exponential-sum functions may not be the best candidate models. More generalized exponential-sum models need to be studied.
Multiple Roles for Acetylation in the Interaction of p300 HAT with ATF-2†

The transcriptional coactivator paralogues p300 and CBP contain acetyltransferase domains (HAT) and catalyze the lysine acetylation of histones and other proteins as an important aspect of their functions. Prior studies revealed that the basic leucine zipper domain (b-ZIP) of transcription factor ATF-2 (also called CRE-BP1) can interact with the CBP HAT domain. In this study, we have examined the ATF-2 b-ZIP interaction with the p300 HAT domain and shown that p300 HAT autoacetylation can enhance the binding affinity. Pull-down assays revealed that hyperacetylated p300 HAT is more efficiently retained by immobilized ATF-2 b-ZIP than hypoacetylated p300 HAT. Loop deleted p300 HAT lacking autoacetylation was retained about as well as hyperacetylated p300 HAT, suggesting that the loop and ATF-2 compete for p300 HAT binding. While ATF-2 b-ZIP is a weak inhibitor of hypoacetylated p300 HAT acetylation of a histone H4 peptide, hyperacetylated p300 HAT is much more potently inhibited by ATF-2 b-ZIP. Moreover, we showed that ATF-2 b-ZIP could serve as an acetyltransferase substrate for p300 HAT. Using mass spectrometry, two p300 HAT lysine acetylation sites were mapped in ATF-2 b-ZIP. Immunoprecipitation-Western blot analysis with anti-acetyl-lysine antibody revealed that ATF-2 can undergo reversible acetylation in vivo. Mutational analysis of the two ATF-2 b-ZIP acetylation sites revealed their potential contributions to ATF-2-mediated transcriptional activation. Taken together, these studies suggest multiple roles for protein acetylation in the regulation of transcription by p300/CBP and ATF-2.
You’ve changed: Sex reassignment and personal identity, edited by Laurie J. Shrage

You’ve changed: Sex reassignment and personal identity, edited by Laurie J. Shrage, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009, 220 pp., US$99.00 (paperback), ISBN 9780195385700 How much can an individu...
Steady evaporating flow in rectangular microchannels

Analytical and numerical solutions are presented for steady evaporating flow in open microchannels having a rectangular cross section and a uniform depth. The flow, driven by the axial gradient of capillary pressure, generally consists of an entry region where the meniscus is attached to the top corners of the channel followed by a jump-like transition to a corner-flow region in which the meniscus progressively recedes into the bottom corners of the channel. Illustrative numerical solutions are used to guide the derivation of an easily applied analytical approximation for the maximum sustainable heat flux or capillary limit.
Performance of a high‐solids anaerobic digestion process under various ammonia concentrations

Ammonia is produced during anaerobic digestion of protein-containing materials. While ammonia can be utilized by some members of the anaerobic population, excess ammonia can inhibit methanogenesis. High-solids anaerobic digestion may be especially sensitive to the effects of ammonia overproduction. This study explored the performance of a pilot scale high-solids anaerobic digestion process under various total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) concentrations. In general the high-solids digester could operate up to 1000 mg dm -3 without any inhibitory effect. The digester performed best when it was operated at TAN concentrations in the narrow range of 600 to 800 mg dm -3
Failure of appendectomy to resolve appendiceal intussusception

Appendiceal intussusception is a rare entity that primarily affects children. The optimal surgical management is not known. We describe a child with appendiceal intussusception treated by simple appendectomy who suffered recurrent intussusception of the cecum at the base of the appendiceal stump. He was cured by resection of a rim of cecum around the appendiceal staple line. Partial cecectomy with appendectomy may be the most effective operation for appendiceal intussusception.
Thermal reactions between aluminum and palladium layered films

Abstract Phase formation and reaction during annealing in thin film couples of aluminum and palladium were studied by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Auger depth profiling techniques in the temperature range 200– 500°C. The known bulk phases of Al 3 Pd 2 , AlPd, Al 3 Pd 5 and AlPd 2 were confirmed and two additional aluminum-rich phases were tentatively identified as Al 3 Pd and Al 4 Pd. In all the samples studied the reactions were initiated by the formation of the β-AlPd phase, which was then followed by the formation of the Al 3 Pd 2 phase. Subsequent reactions caused precipitation of AlPd 2 particles if unreacted palladium was present, otherwise Al 4 Pd particles were precipitated. The reaction rate was usually reduced if single-crystal, instead of polycrystalline, palladium film was used.
Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Substituent-induced chemical shift effects on cyclopropyl carbons of 4-substituted cyclopropylbenzenes

Carbon-13 chemical shifts of the cyclopropyl carbons of eleven 4-substituted cyclopropylbenzenes have been measured under conditions effectively corresponding to infinite dilution in DCCI_3. The substituent-induced chemical shifts (SCS) of both the α and β carbons of the cyclopropane ring were found to be downfield with electron-attracting groups and upfield for electron-donating groups. The trends for the β carbons correspond to those observed for the β carbons of 4-substituted phenylethenes, while the trends of the α carbons are similar to those found for the α carbons of 4-substituted isopropyl benzenes. The results for the β carbons can be rationalized by postulating a substantial contribution from a hyperconjugative resonance effect involving the σ system of the benzene ring (and its 4-substituent) and the C-α—C-β bonds of the cyclopropane ring. The effects on the α carbons are in accord with a very reasonable smaller inductive polarization of the C-α-C-β bonds than encountered for the carbons of corresponding ethenyl- or ethynylbenzenes.
Tropical Cyclone Intensity Determination Through Upper-Tropospheric Aircraft Reconnaissance

Abstract It is proposed that attention be given to the possibility of tropical cyclone intensity determination through upper-tropospheric jet aircraft reconnaissance. The cyclone's upper-level temperature anomaly and its gradient can be related to surface pressure and wind. This is particularly relevant to foreign countries affected by these cyclones that do not have a dedicated low altitude aircraft reconnaissance capability, but have available jet aircraft. Only the ordinary aircraft instrumentation for measuring temperature and pressure-altitude would be required. Jet flights are faster, longer ranged, and less turbulent (if echoes are avoided) than propeller flights. Many more aircraft are available for such missions.
Food system sustainability: Questions of environmental governance in the new world (dis)order

Abstract In a time of climate emergency, the question of environmental governance is not only critical, but also epistemic. How ‘environment’ is represented is as critical as how environmental crisis is managed. This essay addresses a debate of this kind by considering the complementary and contradictory relations between the concepts of ‘multi-functionality’ and ‘food sovereignty,’ as they define the global landscape. The juxtaposition of these concepts and their practical implications for political economy and ecology has its formative origins in a European-led debate over the role of agriculture, as a critical dimension of environmental governance. In this chapter I examine this debate as posing questions with broader, global significance.
Alternative 3' pre-mRNA processing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is modulated by Nab4/Hrp1 in vivo.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNA-binding protein Nab4/Hrp1 is a component of the cleavage factor complex required for 3′ pre-mRNA processing. Although the precise role of Nab4/Hrp1 remains unclear, it has been implicated in correct positioning of the cleavage site in vitro. Here, we show that mutation or overexpression of NAB4/HRP1 alters polyA cleavage site selection in vivo. Using bioinformatic analysis, we identified four related motifs that are statistically enriched in Nab4-associated transcripts; each motif is similar to the known binding site for Nab4/Hrp1. Site-directed mutations in predicted Nab4/Hrp1 binding elements result in decreased use of adjacent cleavage sites. Additionally, we show that the nab4-7 mutant displays a striking resistance to toxicity from excess copper. We identify a novel target of alternative 3′ pre-mRNA processing, CTR2, and demonstrate that CTR2 is required for the copper resistance phenotype in the nab4-7 strain. We propose that alternative 3′ pre-mRNA processing is mediated by a Nab4-based mechanism and that these alternative processing events could help control gene expression as part of a physiological response in S. cerevisiae.
Lyn kinase and ZAP70 are substrates of PTPROt in B‐cells: Lyn inactivation by PTPROt sensitizes leukemia cells to VEGF‐R inhibitor pazopanib

We have recently shown that the gene encoding the truncated form of protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor-type O (PTPROt) expressed predominantly in hematopoietic cells is epigenetically silenced in human primary chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). To determine whether increased phosphorylation of the PTPROt substrates following PTPROt suppression alters signal transduction pathway(s) that impart a growth advantage to the leukemic lymphocytes, it is critical to discern the key substrates of PTPROt. Here, we used substrate-trapping assay to identify two novel substrates of PTPROt, the tyrosine kinases Lyn and ZAP70. Both Lyn and ZAP70 were dephosphorylated by wild-type PTPROt, but not by its catalytic site (CS) mutant. A critical phosphorylation site in Lyn, Y397, essential for its activity was dephosphorylated by PTPROt. Consequently, the activity of Lyn kinase was compromised when co-expressed with PTPROt-WT compared to vector control or upon co-expression with PTPROt-CS. Ectopic expression of PTPROt in Raji cells reduced phosphorylation of Lyn in the absence of any change in its protein levels. These results have revealed the physiological importance of PTPROt in regulating B-cell receptor signaling at Lyn kinase. Further, ectopic expression of PTPROt also sensitized the cells to the VEGF-R inhibitor Pazopanib.
Jet-cooled vibronic spectroscopy of potential intermediates along the pathway to PAH: phenylcyclopenta-1,3-diene.

The vibronic excitation spectrum of phenylcyclopenta-1,3-diene (PCP3D) has been recorded in a supersonic expansion using resonant-two-photon ionization (R2PI) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques. The spectrum is dominated by the S0–S1 origin transition (31 739 cm−1), with several low-frequency vibronic bands in the first 400 cm−1, followed by a sharp cut-off in intensity due to turn-on of a non-radiative process. Single vibronic level fluorescence (SVLF) spectra were recorded for the S1 origin and several vibronic bands of PCP3D. The excitation and emission spectra show that the molecule is planar with Cs symmetry in both the ground and excited states. Torsional potentials were simulated from the observed torsional structure in the excitation and emission spectra. The S0 potential (V2 = 1237 cm−1, V4 = −256 cm−1) is associated with a flat-bottomed potential supporting large inter-ring angular changes with little cost in energy (±36° at 200 cm−1), with a barrier of 1237 cm−1 at the perpendicular geometry. The S1 potential is much stiffer about the planar geometry, with a calculated barrier five times larger than in S0 (V2 = 6732 cm−1, V4 = −477 cm−1). Based on the torsional assignments, weak bands in the same frequency region assigned earlier to the structural isomer phenylcyclopenta-1,4-diene [J. J. Newby, J. A. Stearns, C. P. Liu and T. S. Zwier, J. Phys. Chem. A, 2007, 111, 10914–10927] have been re-assigned as hot bands arising from v″ = 1 in the inter-ring torsion, ν57.