cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Downstream Ion Energy Distributions in a Hollow Cathode Ring Cusp Discharge

The presence of energetic ions produced by a hollow cathodes operating at high-emission currents (>10 A) has been documented in the literature. As part of an ongoing effort to uncover the underlying physics of the formation of these ions, ion efflux from a high-current hollow cathode operating in an ion thruster discharge chamber was investigated. With use of a spherical sector electrostatic energy analyzer located downstream of the discharge cathode, the ion energy distribution over a 0-60-eV energy range was measured. The sensitivity of the ion energy distribution function to zenith angle was also assessed at three different positions: 0, 15, and 25 deg. The measurements suggest that the majority of the ion current at the measuring point falls into the analyzer with an energy approximately equal to the discharge voltage. The ion distribution, however, was found to be quite broad. The high-energy tail of the distribution function tended to grow with increasing discharge current. Sensitivity of the profiles to flow rate at fixed discharge current was also investigated. A simple model is presented that provides a potential mechanism for the production of ions with energies above the discharge voltage.
Rat brain aryl acylamidase: Multiple forms and inhibition effects of LSD, serotonin and related compounds

Abstract At least two forms of aryl acylamidase (E.C.3.5.1.13, AAA) were separated from rat brain extracts by ammonium sulfate precipitation (33–60% saturation) and subsequent Bio-Gel column chromatography. Fraction AAA-1 showed pH optimum at 7.5 whereas AAA-2 showed a pH optimum at 5.5 AAA-1 activity was markedly inhibited at pH 7.5 by d-LSD and 2-Br-LSD, moderately inhibited by 5-HT and slightly inhibited by tryptamine but it was not affected by 1-LSD, at 0.1 mM concentration. AAA-2 was only moderately inhibited at pH 5.5 by d-LSD and 2-Br-LSD but not affected by 1-LSD, 5-HT or tryptamine at the same concentrations. Catecholamines and their structurally related drugs had no significant effects on either enzyme activity. Kinetic studies with AAA-1 indicated competitive inhibition by d-LSD with a K i value of 4.90 ± 0.61 μ M.
Novel dynamics in the nonlinear evolution of the Kelvin—Helmholtz instability of supersonic anisotropic tangential velocity discontinuities

Abstract A nonlinear stability analysis using a multiple-scales perturbation procedure is performed for the instability of two layers of immiscible, strongly anisotropic, magnetized, inviscid, arbitrarily compressible fluids in relative motion. Such configurations are of relevance in a variety of astrophysical and space configurations. For modes near the critical point of the linear neutral curve, the nonlinear evolution of the amplitude of the linear fields on the slow first-order scales is shown to be governed by a complicated nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation. The nonlinear coefficient turns out to be complex, which is, to the best of our knowledge, unlike previously considered cases and leads to completely different dynamics from that reported earlier. Both the spatially-dependent and space-independent versions of this equation are considered to obtain the regimes of physical parameter space where the linearly unstable solutions either evolve to final permanent envelope wave patterns resembling the ensembles of interacting vortices observed empirically, or are disrupted via nonlinear modulation instability. In particular, the complex nonlinearity allows the existence of quasi-periodic and chaotic wave envelopes, unlike in earlier physical models governed by nonlinear Klein–Gordon equations.
A Coordinate Upregulation of Antioxidant Gene Activities Is Associated With the Delayed Onset of Senescence in a Long-Lived Strain of Drosophila

The extended longevity phenotype (ELP) characteristic of our selected long-lived strain of Drosophila is brought about by a delayed onset of senescence which occurs in the young (5-7 day) adult. Genetically competent animals will not express the resistance to exogenous paraquat characteristic of the ELP as adults unless they develop in a particular larval environment. This induction leads to a series of coordinated increases in their antioxidant defense system mRNA levels and in their enzyme activities. Not all genes show such changes. These increases in antioxidant gene product levels appear to be functional, as witnessed by the fact that the long-lived animals show an increase in their resistance to exogenous paraquat at that same time. Aminotriazole-induced destruction of catalase activity in the long-lived animals results in the loss of their increased resistance to paraquat. The non-induced control animals do not show such elevations in antioxidant defense system elevations, and shortly thereafter show a significant decline in their paraquat resistance followed by the subsequent loss of certain behavioral traits diagnostic of senescence.
Linear operators preserving the minimal rank

Abstract The minimal rank of a square matrix is studied, and the linear operators preserving it are characterized. Some related results are presented and some unsolved problems are discussed.
Social support and social structure

The burgeoning study of social support in relation to social stress and health would benefit from increased attention to issues of social structure. Three aspects of social relationships, all often referred to as social support, must be more clearly distinguished—(1) their existence or quantity (i.e., social integration), (2) their formal structure (i.e., social networks), and (3) their functional or behavioral content (i.e., the most precise meaning of “social support”)—and the causal relationships between the structure of social relationships (social integration and networks) and their functional content (social support) must be more clearly understood. Research and theory are needed on the determinants of social integration, networks, and support as well as their consequences for stress and health. Among potential determinants, macrosocial structures and processes particularly merit attention.
Bar-code verification of medication administration in a small hospital

Medication errors have been described as one of the most common, serious, and costly causes of adverse events in hospitalized patients in the United States.[1][1]–[4][2] A significant portion of the mistakes resulting in adverse drug events are known to occur as a result of human error at the
Audio-visual cues distinguishing self- from system-directed speech in younger and older adults

In spite of interest in developing robust open-microphone engagement techniques for mobile use and natural field contexts, there currently are no reliable techniques available. One problem is the lack of empirically-grounded models as guidance for distinguishing how users' audio-visual activity actually differs systematically when addressing a computer versus human partner. In particular, existing techniques have not been designed to handle high levels of user self talk as a source of "noise," and they typically assume that a user is addressing the system only when facing it while speaking. In the present research, data were collected during two related studies in which adults aged 18-89 interacted multimodally using speech and pen with a simulated map system. Results revealed that people engaged in self talk prior to addressing the system over 30% of the time, with no decrease in younger adults' rate of self talk compared with elders. Speakers' amplitude was lower during 96% of their self talk, with a substantial 26 dBr amplitude separation observed between self- and system-directed speech. The magnitude of speaker's amplitude separation ranged from approximately 10-60 dBr and diminished with age, with 79% of the variance predictable simply by knowing a person's age. In contrast to the clear differentiation of intended addressee revealed by amplitude separation, gaze at the system was not a reliable indicator of speech directed to the system, with users looking at the system over 98% of the time during both self- and system-directed speech. Results of this research have implications for the design of more effective open-microphone engagement for mobile and pervasive systems.
Proteoglycan inhibition of calcium phosphate precipitation in liposomal suspensions

The major proteoglycan in cartilage (aggrecan) is a complex macromolecule with numerous chondroitin sulphate, keratan sulphate, and oligosaccharide substituents. It has been proposed that this macromolecule has an important role in regulating mineralization in this tissue, a process which is initiated by the deposition of apatite in matrix vesicles. We have used a liposome-centred endogenous precipitation method as a model for matrix vesicle mineralization to study the effect of the rat chondrosarcoma aggrecan and its chondroitin sulphate and core protein components on apatite formation from solution. Precipitation was initiated by encapsulating buffered (pH 7.4) 50 mmol/l KH2PO4 solutions in the aqueous centres of 7:2:1 phosphatidylcholine:dicetylphosphate:cholesterol liposomes, adding 2.25-2.65 mmol/l Ca2+ and 1.5 mmol/l total inorganic phosphate (PO4) to the suspending medium (pH 7.4, 22 degrees C), then making the intervening lipid membranes permeable to the Ca2+ ions with the calcium ionophore X-537A. Aggrecan (0.5%) in the suspending medium had no effect on intraliposomal precipitation, but severely reduced (approximately 70% reduction at 24 h) its subsequent spread into the medium. The chondroitin sulphate and core protein were similarly inhibitory. The degree to which aggrecan and its constituent parts inhibited precipitation correlated with their capacity to bind Ca2+ ions. These findings suggest that functional groups in aggrecan blocked apatite growth by linking via Ca2+ bridges to growth sites on the crystal surfaces. Similar Ca-mediated interactions may well have a critical regulatory role in cartilage mineralization.
Design and synthesis of magnetic structures

Advances have been made in the design and synthesis of magnetic structures, opening up opportunities for new applications and insight into future developments. Recent examples include: reversible electrodeposition of thin films allowing tailoring of magnetic properties, combination of lithography and electrodeposition leading to magnetic nanochannel and wire for high density magnetic recording, a new electrodeposition technique to achieve high-saturation induction and low coercivity for high-density magnetic recording head applications, amorphous metal fine wire for sensors, cold-drawn composite wire for unique magnetic domain formation, and a new nanocrystalline phase formation for high temperature magnetics. A review is presented covering these developments.
Geminate Rebinding and Conformational Dynamics of Myoglobin Embedded in a Glass at Room Temperature

Below the glycerol/water glass transition (∼180 K), myoglobin exhibits distributed geminate rebinding kinetics as a result of “frozen” conformational substates (Austin et al. Biochemistry 1975, 14,...
Targeting of Liposomes to Solid Tumors: The Case of Sterically Stabilized Anti-Her2 Immunoliposomes

AbstractNovel therapies for cancer call for a carrier capable of intracellular delivery of systemically administered drugs to cancer cells in solid tumors. Such carrier, sterically stabilized immunoliposomes specific to the cells expressing HER2 protooncogene (anti-HER2 SSL), was designed by conjugating Fab' fragments of a recombinant humanized anti-HER2 MAb to the distal termini of poly(ethylene glycol) chains on the surface of unilamellar liposomes (size 90-100 nm) of phosphatidylcholine, cholesterol, and poly(ethylene glycol)-derivatized phosphatidylethanolamine. Anti-HER2 SSL avidly and specifically bound to cultured HER2-overexpressing cancer cells (8,000-23,000 vesicles per cell) and became endocytosed (ke=0.022–0.033 min.-1) via the coated pit pathway. Anti-HER2 SSL showed prolonged circulation lifetime in rats (blood MRT approx. 24 hours) and significantly increased antitumor activity of encapsulated doxorubicin against HER2-overexpressing human breast cancer xenografts in nude mice. Although the ...
Intestinal anion exchange in marine fish osmoregulation

Despite early reports, dating back three quarters of a century, of high total CO(2) concentrations in the intestinal fluids of marine teleost fishes, only the past decade has provided some insight into the functional significance of this phenomenon. It is now being recognized that intestinal anion exchange is responsible for high luminal HCO(3)(-) and CO(3)(2-) concentrations while at the same time contributing substantially to intestinal Cl(-) and thereby water absorption, which is vital for marine fish osmoregulation. In species examined to date, the majority of HCO(3)(-) secreted by the apical anion exchange process is derived from hydration of metabolic CO(2) with the resulting H(+) being extruded via a Na(+):H(+) exchange mechanism in the basolateral membrane. The basolateral H(+) extrusion is critical for the apical anion exchange and relies on the Na(+) gradient established by the Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. This enzyme thereby ultimately fuels the secondary active transport of HCO(3)(-) and Cl(-) by the apical anion exchanger. High cellular HCO(3)(-) concentrations (>10 mmol l(-1)) are required for the anion exchange process and could be the result of both a high metabolic activity of the intestinal epithelium and a close association of the anion exchange protein and the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. The anion exchange activity in vivo is likely most pronounced in the anterior segment and results in net intestinal acid absorption. In contrast to other water absorbing vertebrate epithelia, the marine teleost intestine absorbs what appears to be a hypertonic fluid to displace diffusive fluid loss to the marine environment.
VARIANCE AND SKEW OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLANT QUALITY INFLUENCE HERBIVORE POPULATION DYNAMICS

Individual genotypes, phenotypes, or species of plants can vary in their effects on herbivore population dynamics. In this study I used a simulation model to explore how the distribution of plant quality in a plant population affects the population dynamics of insect herbivores feeding on those plants. The model considers an herbivore population moving among patches (plants) with differing parameters for growth and carrying capacity. Observed population sizes across all patches were compared to the expectation that, if variance in parameters had no effect, population size should equal the sum of the carrying capacities of all plants. Results showed that variance in K alone, or in r and K together, strongly affected herbivore population size; increasing variance led to progressively stronger effects. The direction of the deviation of herbivore population size from the expectation in the absence of variance could be positive, negative, or both for different combinations of variance in r and K. Increasing skew also increased the deviation of observed population sizes from the expectation. Herbivore mobility increased the effect of variance in patch (plant) quality, whereas herbivore selectivity decreased the effects of variance by decreasing herbivore movement. These results are consistent with observations from agricultural studies that polycultures can either increase or decrease herbivore population sizes relative to monocultures.
Planar Polarimetry Receivers for Large Imaging Arrays at Q-band

The characterization of the intensity fluctuations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) will be followed by the mapping of the polarization fluctuations of the CMB. Measurement of the polarization fluctuations requires highly sensitive instruments that are only possible by increasing the number of receivers. We are developing a large receiver array for the Q, U Imaging Experiment (QUIET) by building individual receivers that have noise temperatures close to the physical limit and that are simple, and low cost to build and operate. We developed these planar polarimetry receivers for Q-band by designing InP MMIC amplifiers with noise below 20 K, low loss and highly balanced phase switches and an entirely planar hybrid thin film circuit for the detection of the Stokes parameters Q and U. Our receivers achieve 25 K noise temperature over 8 GHz bandwidth and provide the I, Q and U parameters simultaneously. These planar modules have a simple plug in architecture that enables automated production of a large number of receivers and simple integration of large arrays of receivers.
Psychological contract in the information systems profession

The past decade has ushered in challenging events for the IS profession such as economic instabilities, outsourcing/offshoring IS projects, and cloud computing. These eventualities present a stressful environment for emerging and tenured IS professionals. Firms are typically pressured to reduce costs by reducing IS staff only to revisit rehiring the same IS professionals. We investigated the phenomenon of IS professional career commitment to the IS profession using psychological contract theory (PCT) and affective events theory (AET). We present a model that examines the psychological contract in the IS profession (PCP), psychological contract breach in the profession (PCBP) and psychological contract violation in the profession (PCVP). We interviewed twenty-six IS professionals having experienced negative attributions in the IS profession where they reassessed their commitment to the profession (turnover intention) or left the field (turnover). Our results show that all interviewees remained in the field, suggesting the amount of negative conditions in the IS profession may be less significant to turnover. A deeper analysis of the qualitative data indicates that certain elements contribute to interest and commitment to the IS profession such as positive learning opportunities, challenges, and flexibility, such as profession specificity (programmer, CIO, analyst, and database administration). The vastness of the IS profession enables IS professionals to enter another capacity and still experience challenges and accomplishment. We present our implications of the results from a theoretical and practical position.
Retracing the evolution of amino acid specificity in glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase

Molecular phylogenetic studies of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase suggest that it has relatively recently evolved from the closely related enzyme glutamyl-tRNA synthetase. We have now attempted to retrace one of the key steps in this process by selecting glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase mutants displaying enhanced glutamic acid recognition. Mutagenesis of two residues proximal to the active site, Phe-90 and Tyr-240, was found to improve glutamic acid recognition 3-5-fold in vitro and resulted in the misacylation of tRNA(Gln) with glutamic acid. In vivo expression of the genes encoding these misacylating variants of glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase reduced cellular growth rates by 40%, probably as a result of an increase in translational error rates. These results provide the first biochemical evidence that glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase originated through duplication and consequent diversification of an ancestral glutamyl-tRNA synthetase-encoding gene.
Community Food Systems: Strengthening the Research-to-Practice Continuum

Growing public interest in links between food, health, and the environment has sparked exponential growth in local and regional food system projects. Along with local experimentation has come an accompanying surge in related academic research. Are we learning what we need to know to expand the impact of the work? This paper introduces a new community food systems bibliography as a tool to help build usable knowledge. Drawing on a set of literature reviews prepared by students in a University of California Davis graduate seminar,* we illustrate how the bibliography can facilitate literature scans to begin to identify persistent and strategic challenges facing community food system practitioners. Our analysis of the student reviews finds three interrelated challenges: (1) an economic challenge rooted in the difficulty of finding price points that work for farmers while ensuring that low-income consumers have access to healthy food and food system workers have decent wages and benefits; (2) a social challenge to confront racial and class bias while forging practical solutions; and (3) a political challenge of reconciling "insider" and "outsider" strategies, the former emphasizing incremental reform and the latter systemic change. These challenges resist simple solutions, but progress can be made if researchers and practitioners join forces. We discuss the potential for conceptual frameworks drawn from the applied fields of community development and public policy to inform the needed dialog between theory and practice. * All the bibliography files, including updates, are available at http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/sfs/CFSresources
In the absence of major histocompatibility complex class II molecules, invariant chain is translocated to late endocytic compartments by autophagy

It has been suggested that the cytoplasmic amino-terminal tail of invariant chain (Ii) contains a sorting signal that directs trafficking of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II: Ii oligomeric complex to endocytic compartments. This model is based, in part, on the observation that in the absence of MHC class II molecules, Ii is detectable in lysosomal structures, a phenotype that is dependent on an intact NH2 terminus. However, the route by which Ii gains access to endosomal compartments in the absence of class II molecules remains uncertain. Here we report a mechanism that localizes Ii in lysosomal compartments independently of class II. We show that murine Ii can be detected by immunofluorescence within late endocytic compartments of stably transfected Ltk- mouse fibroblasts. Immunochemical studies indicate that degradation of Ii in these cells is sensitive to the lysosomotropic agent ammonium chloride, yet the majority of Ii that undergoes this apparent lysosomal degradation is sensitive to the enzyme endoglycosidase H. This finding suggests that Ii may reach the lysosomal compartment by a route that bypasses the Golgi complex. Consistent with this possibility, we found that in contrast to Ii which is complexed to class II molecules, transport of free Ii to lysosomes is prevented by 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of the autophagic pathway of protein degradation, a process which involves direct transport from the endoplasmic reticulum to lysosomes. These data suggest the route of transport that leads to endosomal localization of Ii in the absence of class II is distinct from that taken when expressed with class II. This forces a re-evaluation of the concept that the cytosolic tail of Ii contains a dominant Golgi-to-endosomal sorting signal.
Two‐year field analysis of reduced recalcitrance transgenic switchgrass

Summary Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a leading candidate for a dedicated lignocellulosic biofuel feedstock owing to its high biomass production, wide adaptation and low agronomic input requirements. Lignin in cell walls of switchgrass, and other lignocellulosic feedstocks, severely limits the accessibility of cell wall carbohydrates to enzymatic breakdown into fermentable sugars and subsequently biofuels. Low-lignin transgenic switchgrass plants produced by the down-regulation of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT), a lignin biosynthetic enzyme, were analysed in the field for two growing seasons. COMT transcript abundance, lignin content and the syringyl/guaiacyl lignin monomer ratio were consistently lower in the COMT-down-regulated plants throughout the duration of the field trial. In general, analyses with fully established plants harvested during the second growing season produced results that were similar to those observed in previous greenhouse studies with these plants. Sugar release was improved by up to 34% and ethanol yield by up to 28% in the transgenic lines relative to controls. Additionally, these results were obtained using senesced plant material harvested at the end of the growing season, compared with the young, green tissue that was used in the greenhouse experiments. Another important finding was that transgenic plants were not more susceptible to rust (Puccinia emaculata). The results of this study suggest that lignin down-regulation in switchgrass can confer real-world improvements in biofuel yield without negative consequences to biomass yield or disease susceptibility.
Managing the Chinese environment.

Introduction The Environmental Legacy of Imperial China The Organization of Environmental Protection in China Environmental Regulation in the People's Republic of China: The Face of Domestic Law China: Environmental Protection, Domestic Policy Trends, Patterns of Participation in Regimes and Compliance with International Norms China's Land Resources, Environment, and Agricultural Production Is China Living on the Water Margin? Environmental Issues and the SouthNorth Water Transfer Scheme Recent Trends in Forestry and Conservation of Biodiversity in China China's Energy and Resource Uses: Continuity and Change Industrial Pollution in China and Remedial Policies Population, Public Health, and the Environment in China Business Opportunities for Foreign Firms related to China's Environment
Directed cleavage of carbon—tin bonds by palladium

Abstract The ligands 8-(trimethylstannyl)methylquinoline, n-Bu 3 Sn(CH 2 ) 3 NMe 2 and Ph 3 Sn(CH 2 ) 3 ,NMe 2 react with (C 6 H 5 CN) 2 PdCl 2 to give five-membered palladium chelates. in which the nitrogen atom was able to direct palladium insertion into a specific carbon—tin bond. The X-ray crystal structure of the simple chelate [(Me 2 N(CH 2 ) 3 )PdCl] 2 is presented.
Intrusion detection using autonomous agents

AAFID is a distributed intrusion detection architecture and system, developed in CERIAS at Purdue University. AAFID was the first architecture that proposed the use of autonomous agents for doing intrusion detection. With its prototype implementation, it constitutes a useful framework for the research and testing of intrusion detection algorithms and mechanisms. We describe the AAFID architecture and the existing prototype, as well as some design and implementation experiences and future research issues. ” 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Roles of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Receptor and Reactive Oxygen Species in Hyperlipidemia‐Induced PTH Resistance in Preosteoblasts

Bioactive lipids initiate inflammatory reactions leading to pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Evidence shows that they also contribute to bone loss by inhibiting parathyroid hormone receptor (PTH1R) expression and differentiation of osteoblasts. We previously demonstrated that bone anabolic effects of PTH(1-34) are blunted in hyperlipidemic mice and that these PTH effects are restored by antioxidants. However, it is not clear which osteoblastic cell developmental stage is targeted by bioactive lipids. To investigate the effects of hyperlipidemia at the cellular level, hyperlipidemic Ldlr(-/-) mice were bred with Col3.6GFPtpz mice, in which preosteoblasts/osteoblasts carry a topaz fluorescent label, and with Col2.3GFPcyan mice, in which more mature osteoblasts/osteocytes carry a cyan fluorescent label. Histological analyses of trabecular bone surfaces in femoral as well as calvarial bones showed that intermittent PTH(1-34) increased fluorescence intensity in WT-Tpz mice, but not in Tpz-Ldlr(-/-) mice. In contrast, PTH(1-34) did not alter fluorescence intensity in femoral cortical envelopes of either WT-Cyan or Ldlr(-/-)-Cyan mice. To test the mechanism of PTH1R downregulation, preosteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with bioactive lipids and the antioxidant Trolox. Results showed that inhibitory effects of PTH1R levels by bioactive lipids were rescued by pretreatment with Trolox. The inhibitory effects on expression of PTH1R as well as on PTH-induced osteoblastic genes were mimicked by xanthine/xanthine oxidase, a known generator of reactive oxygen species. These findings suggest an important role of the preosteoblastic development stage as the target and downregulation of PTH receptor expression mediated by intracellular oxidant stress as a mechanism in hyperlipidemia-induced PTH resistance.
“Please Tap the Shape, Anywhere You Like” Shape Skeletons in Human Vision Revealed by an Exceedingly Simple Measure

A major challenge for visual recognition is to describe shapes flexibly enough to allow generalization over different views. Computer vision models have championed a potential solution in medial-axis shape skeletons—hierarchically arranged geometric structures that are robust to deformations like bending and stretching. In the experiments reported here, we exploited an old, unheralded, and exceptionally simple paradigm to reveal the presence and nature of shape skeletons in human vision. When participants independently viewed a shape on a touch-sensitive tablet computer and simply tapped the shape anywhere they wished, the aggregated touches formed the shape’s medial-axis skeleton. This pattern held across several shape variations, demonstrating profound and predictable influences of even subtle border perturbations and amodally filled-in regions. This phenomenon reveals novel properties of shape representation and demonstrates (in an unusually direct way) how deep and otherwise-hidden visual processes can directly control simple behaviors, even while observers are completely unaware of their existence.
Neutron Diffraction Studies of Cd 1−x Mn x Se Epilayers and ZnSe/MnSe Multilayers

Neutron diffraction patterns of MBE-grown single crystal zinc-blende epilayers of Cd1−xMnxSe with x=0.70 and 0.75 reveal the onset of long-range Type-III AF ordering at low T, in sharp contrast with earlier studies of bulk II-VI diluted magnetic semiconductors, where only short-range Type III correlations are observed. Results of first neutron diffraction studies of magnetic ordering in MBE-grown ZnSe/MnSe superlattices are also reported.
Enhancement of stress-induced apoptosis in B-lineage cells by caspase-9 inhibitor

We have established human B-lineage (BLIN) acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines that retain a dependency on fibroblast monolayers for survival and proliferation. Eight hours following removal from adherent cell contact BLIN cells undergo a decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential and an increase in annexin V binding. Unexpectedly, the caspase-9 inhibitor (C9i) benzyloxycarbonyl-Leu-Glu-His-Asp-fluoromethylketone enhanced the appearance of apoptotic cells within 8 hours following removal of BLIN cells from fibroblast monolayers. C9i enhancement of apoptosis was dose dependent and did not occur with irreversible inhibitors of caspases-2, -3, -6, and -8. C9i also enhanced apoptosis in cord blood-derived CD19(+) B-lineage cells (but not myeloid cells) removed from murine stromal cells. Longer exposure (> 18 hours) to C9i culminated in apoptosis in a panel of B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell lines in the presence or absence of fibroblast monolayers, as well as in 2 proliferating leukemic cell lines (RAMOS and CEM). BLIN-4L cells made deficient in caspase-9 by RNA interference exhibited no resistance to apoptotic signals and actually showed increased apoptotic sensitivity to staurosporine. These collective results suggest that a 4-amino acid caspase inhibitor of caspase-9 can promote apoptosis and that at least some types of apoptotic pathways in B-lineage ALL do not require caspase-9.
A custom cell generation system for double-metal CMOS technology

An automatic module generation system is presented which is based on the metal-metal matrix layout style for double-metal CMOS technology. The circuit is described in SPICE format or by incidence matrices. The transistor circuit is partitioned into medium-sized cell containing up to 200 transistors and converted into physical mask layers using a cell generator. This generator has been designed to control the height of the cells and hence also the width, so that the cells can be used in a standard cell layout environment. The height of the cell is controlled by removing vertical constraints imposed on horizontal nets by adding additional columns to the cell. >
Social network analysis as an augmentation of qualitative research

As a primarily qualitative researcher, relying heavily on ethnographic and interview techniques for data collection and Grounded Theory as a mode of analysis, colleagues are often surprised that social network analysis (SNA) is a staple of my research process. The end products of qualitative work rarely show network statistics or visualizations generated along the way, and yet the research would be incomplete without these methods. A perspective on the way in which social network analysis can contribute to research and business considers SNA as a critical intermediate step in a hybrid or mixed methods process, and an important augmentation to the traditional modes of qualitative inquiry.
Enhanced tumor cell expression of tumor necrosis factor receptors in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND : To determine if tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors are upregulated in tumor cells, we measured the distribution and levels of TNF-α and TNF-β, and TNF receptors RI and RII, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tumor specimens and normal control specimens. METHODS : HNSCC and control tissue specimens were analyzed qualitatively using immunohisto-chemistry and quantitatively using immunoassays. RESULTS : Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that TNF-α, TNF-β, TNF RI, and TNF RII antigens were associated predominately with tumor cells in the tissue. Quantitative analysis of TNF factors and receptors in tissue homogenates (mean levels ± standard error of the mean, in pg/mg of total protein) indicated that : (1) TNF-α levels in cancer patients were not statistically different from levels in normal tissues (7.27 ± 0.91 versus 4.62 ± 1.33, respectively, P<0.11) ; (2) TNF-β levels in cancer patients were one third of those in normal tissue (5.07 ± 1.83 versus 16.06 ± 3.26, respectively, P <0.01) ; and (3) both TNF RI and TNF RII levels were consistently elevated two- to four-fold in the cancer tissue when compared to normal tissue levels (1,228.72 ± 125.67 versus 650.33 ± 187.70, P <0.01 ; and 823.39 ± 95.90 versus 230.03 ± 153.01, P <0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS : In HNSCC, enhanced expression of TNF receptors on the cancer cells occurs and is likely to contribute to the regulation of TNF and its activation of tumor cells within the tumor microenvironment ; targeting these receptors in cancer cells may provide a new approach to controlling tumor growth and metastasis.
Methane emissions from created riverine wetlands.

We measured methane emissions over a two-year period (2006–08) from two 12 to 14-year-old created freshwater marshes in central Ohio, one initially planted and the other allowed to self-colonize. Overall, methane emissions in the two created wetlands were different (p < 0.05), with the plant self-colonized wetland having higher annual methane (median and mean) emissions of 19 and 68 g CH4-C m−2 y−1 than the planted wetland (6 and 17 g CH4-C m−2 y−1). Since hydrology and soil/water temperature were identical for the two wetlands, we hypothesize that differences in carbon accumulation due to higher net primary productivity in the self-colonized wetland may be causing higher methane emissions in that wetland. Net primary productivity in the self-colonized wetland was higher 7 out of 11 years prior to the study. Methane emissions from the created wetlands were lower than the average methane emission of 82 g CH4-C m−2 y−1 in a natural wetland in Ohio with similar hydrologic patterns. Methane emissions increased at a slower rate in the planted wetland (4 g CH4-C m−2 y−1) than in the self-colonized wetland (16 g CH4-C m−2 y−1) over a four-year period. Early methane emissions from created wetlands may depend as much or more on the methods used to create the wetlands, e.g. planting v. self colonization, as on their hydrogeomorphic conditions.
Electron energy filtering significantly improves amplitude contrast of frozen-hydrated protein at 300 kV

The amplitude contrast of frozen-hydrated biological samples was measured using the bacterial flagellar filament embedded in vitreous ice at an accelerating voltage of 300 kV. From the mean radial amplitude spectra of overfocused images, amplitude contrast was estimated to be 6.9 ± 1.9% and 2.7 ± 1.0% of the whole contrast at the low spatial frequency range with and without energy filtering, respectively, and that of the carbon film to be 9.5 ± 2.0% and 5.8 ± 1.8%. Energy filtering effectively doubled the signal-to-noise ratio in the images of frozen-hydrated filaments, and substantially improved intensity data statistics of layer lines up to at least ∼25 A resolution in their Fourier transforms. It also markedly improved inter-particle fitting phase residuals of averaged data at resolutions up to ∼15 A. Using the energy filtered data recorded on a new high-performance, lens-coupled CCD camera the three-dimensional map of the flagellar filament was calculated at 8 A by applying the amplitude contrast of 6.9%. The map and its mean radial density distribution validated the obtained value of the amplitude contrast.
Short term pain reduction with acupuncture treatment for chronic orofacial pain patients.

Background: Acupuncture has been used for treatment of many pain conditions. National Institutes of Health (NIH), in its consensus statement on acupuncture of November of 1997, states that promising results have been shown for postoperative dental pain. NIH states that in other situations such as myofascial pain, acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment or an acceptable alternative treatment. The vast majority of chronic orofacial pain conditions are temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Myofascial pain is one of the most common TMD's. TMD's are a set of musculoskeletal disorders affecting the temporomandibular joint, masticatory muscles or both. TMD's are comprised of diverse diagnoses with similar signs and symptoms affecting the masticatory system that can be acute, recurrent or chronic conditions. TMD's are rarely life threatening, but can impact heavily on a person quality of life. Few studies have been done on outcomes of acupuncture treatment for chronic orofacial pain. Material/Methods: A chart review of 29 patients (twenty two females and seven males), age 22 to 60, who had acupuncture treatment for chronic orofacial pain was completed. Patients had rated their pain before and after acupuncture treatment on a numerical analog scale. Results: The mean value of pain scores before treatment was 5.28 and after treatment was 2.26. There was a significant difference of pain scores between before treatment and after treatment (Wilcoxon signed rank test, P<0.0001). Conclusions: Acupuncture provided a significant short-term pain reduction in patients with chronic Orofacial pain.
Spontaneous recovery of severe nilotinib-induced bone marrow aplasia and successful retreatment with dasatinib in a patient with Chronic Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm of the pluripotent bone marrow (BM) stem cells and is consistently associated with the breakpoint cluster region–Abelson (BCR–ABL1) f...
Mesoscale Simulations of Microstructure Evolution in a Temperature Gradient

The evolution of pore and grain structure in a nuclear fuel environment is strongly influenced by the local temperature, and the temperature gradient. The evolution of pore and grain structure in an externally imposed temperature gradient is simulated for a hypothetical material using a Potts model approach that allows for porosity migration by mechanisms similar to surface, grain boundary and volume diffusion, as well as the interaction of migrating pores with stationary grain boundaries. First, the migration of a single pore in a single crystal in the presence of the temperature gradient is simulated. Next, the interaction of a pore moving in a temperature gradient with a grain boundary that is perpendicular to the pore migration direction is simulated in order to capture the force exerted by the pore on the grain boundary. The simulations reproduce the expected variation of pore velocity with pore size as well as the variation of the grain boundary force with pore size.
Interpreting measurements of physical systems

An unsolved problem in qualitative physics is generating a qualitative understanding of how a physical system is behaving from raw data, especially numerical data taken across time, to reveal changing internal state. Yet providing this ability to "read gauges" is a critical step towards building the next generation of intelligent computer-aided engineering systems and allowing robots to work in unconstrained environments. This paper presents a theory to solve this problem. Importantly, the theory is domain independent and will work with any system of qualitative physics. It requires only a qualitative description of the domain capable of supporting envisioning and domain-specific techniques for providing an initial qualitative description of numerical measurements. The theory has been fully implemented, and an extended example using Qualitative Process theory is presented.
The Irishness of Irish Music

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: John O'Flynn Year: 2009 Pages: 256 Publisher: Ashgate Publishing ISBN: 978-0-7546-5714-9 (hard cover).
Toward an Ethnography of Protest Policing Dissent: Social Control and Anti-Globalization, by Luis Fernandez

In recent years, activists and scholars have felt compelled to describe the meanings, feelings, histories, philosophies, and even emotions behind a wide range of movements. Although some of these d...
Scalable Data Center Power Management via a Global Stress Signal

In this paper, we develop a general-use autonomous control strategy for managing the trade-off between process- ing throughput and power consumption in data centers. This approach relies on the concept that the delay in completing computational tasks can be reduced at the cost of more power. The scheme's generality allows it to be applied at multiple hierarchical levels within a data center, or another system with similar architecture. In particular, we show that our scheme converges asynchronously to a unique solution. This property allows the control strategy to be implemented in a low-complexity, yet robust and scalable manner. These properties are particularly important when considering data center power control system architectures, which can involve a wide variety of distributed computing resources performing diverse tasks. The presented scheme is mostly decentralized, except for a single global power stress signal provided by a redundant central authority. Based on this power stress, computing resources independently and autonomously manage power consumption to optimally balance power versus delay.
Probabilistic issues with sentinel lymph nodes in malignant melanoma.

Objectives To address issues of probability for sentinel lymph node results in melanoma and provide details about the probabilistic nature of the numbers of sentinel nodes as well as to address how these issues relate to tumor thickness and patient outcomes. Methods Analysis of the probability of observing sentinel node metastases uses the discrete exponential probability distribution to address the number of observed positive sentinel nodes. In addition, mathematical functions derived from survival analysis are used. Data are then chosen from the literature to illustrate the approach and to derive results. Results Observations about the numbers of positive and negative sentinel nodes closely follow discrete exponential probability distributions, and the relationship between the probability of a positive sentinel node and tumor thickness follows closely a function derived from survival analysis. Sentinel node results relate to tumor thickness as well as to the total number of nodes harvested but fall short of identifying all those who eventually develop metastatic melanoma. Conclusions Probability analyses provide useful insight into the success and failure of the sentinel node biopsy procedure in patients with melanoma.
Kinetics of the assembly of gas vacuoles in the blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa Kuetz. emend. Elekin.

In exponentially growing cultures of the blue-green alga Microcystis aeruginosa the number of gas vacuoles per cell decreases and reaches a value of 4.5×103 at 1.2×107 cells per ml. The assembly of gas vacuoles with respect to number and length was followed after the organelles were caused to collapse by a pulse of ultrasound. The change in the number N of gas vacuoles per cell is N=224.8×t0.757, 0<t<24 h. After 24 h 50% of the value of non-sonicated cultures is reached. The changes in the length L of the organelles is expressed by L=87.06 ×t0.4084, 0<t<24 h. After 24 h 85% of the control value is reached.
Unsteady Motions of a Ram Wing Flying above Waves and Low-Height Obstacles

Wing-in-ground effect vehicles are usually designed to fly over relatively flat water surfaces. In practice, these craft often encounter conditions when underlying surfaces are disturbed. A mathematical model based on the extreme-ground-effect theory is applied here to simulate heave-pitch motions of a tailless ram wing with side plates. An S-shaped profile for the wing lower surface is chosen to ensure stable configuration. Motions are simulated for flights over a wavy surface in a wide range of wavelengths and two wave amplitudes. Additionally, transient regimes are modeled for flights over low-height obstacles.
Comparison Between Different Cellular Cores and Finite Element Modeling Techniques

omparison among the equivalent-continuum (homogeneous) constitutive law for Hexagonal, square and triangular cores to be used in sandwich panels is presented. The cellular core homogeneous properties are calculated using detailed finite element models of representative unit cell for each core shape. A strain energy based homogenization scheme that was first presented by Hohe and is based on the concept that for every cellular material, there exists a homogeneous material that is of the same shape and behaves identically to the cellular structure when it is subject to the same loading and boundary conditions is also be used to calculate the constitutive law for the same core shapes and the same core densities. A detailed comparison between the homogenized constitutive law obtained using the detailed finite element models and that obtained using Hohe’s approach is presented herein. The strain energy based homogenization scheme was previously verified by Soliman et. al. [1] for a non-corrugated square shape core. In this paper, the hexagonal and square core shapes are made of corrugated Aluminum 5056 sheets. The variation of the mechanical behavior of the homogeneous structure equivalent to the cellular core with respect to the relative density and cell size of the cellular core is analyzed and equations for direct calculation of the constitutive behavior of the three types of cellular core is presented. Additionally, different finite element modeling techniques of the cellular cores within a 10”× 10” panel with simply supported boundary condition is also presented. The finite element modeling techniques presented are: a) detailed modeling of the cellular core within a sandwich panel, b) 2D modeling of the equivalent continuum within a sandwich panel using the MAT8 NASTRAN ® card to represent the core homogenized material , and c) 3D modeling of the equivalent continuum within a sandwich panel using the MAT9 NASTRAN ® card to represent the core homogenized material. The modeling techniques will be compared in terms of the displacement field of sandwich panels consisting of the different types of cellular core and subject to uniform pressure.
Skeletal muscle for cardiac assist.

Although current efforts at cardiomyoplasty have not produced the anticipated clear-cut benefits in cardiac function, replicable improvements in subjective function have resulted. Efforts at optimizing conditioning protocols, skeletal muscle strength, and timing of skeletal muscle assist devices should provide further improvements in cardiomyoplasty. Further work with alternative ways of configuring skeletal muscle for cardiac assist is extremely promising.