cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Embryonic vasculogenesis by endothelial precursor cells derived from lung mesenchyme

During development, the lung mesenchyme has a dynamic relationship with the branching airway. Embryonic lung mesenchyme is loosely packed and composed of indistinguishable cells, yet it is the source of vascular progenitors that will become endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts. In the lung, vessel development in the periphery proceeds first through vasculogenesis, the migration and assembly of cells into a primitive network, and subsequently, through angiogenesis, the sprouting of vessels from this network. As a way to assess the cellular and molecular mechanisms of lung vascularization, we have isolated and cloned cell lines from mouse fetal lung mesenchyme (MFLM). Two of these MFLM cell lines, MFLM-4 and MFLM-91U, display characteristics of an endothelial lineage. RNA analysis demonstrates transcripts for the vascular endothelial growth factor receptors R1 and R2, the receptor tyrosine kinases, Tie-1 and Tie-2, as well as the Tie-2 ligands, Ang-1 and -2. The MFLM cell lines form extensive networks of capillary-like structures with lumens when cultured on a reconstituted basement membrane. In vivo, following blastocyst injection, the MFLM cells chimerize endothelium of the lung and areas of the heart vasculature. The results from these studies suggest that MFLM-4 and MFLM-91U, derived from embryonic lung mesenchyme, can function in vitro and in vivo as endothelial precursors and as models of cardiopulmonary vascularization. Dev Dyn 2000;217:11-23.
Customer value and autoethnography: subjective personal introspection and the meanings of a photograph collection

Abstract This paper applies the method of subjective personal introspection (SPI or autoethnography) to the analysis of a photograph collection from the viewpoint of implications concerning the nature and types of customer value. Borrowing from the branch of philosophy known as axiology, this focus emphasizes the centrality of customer or consumer value to the basic foundation for marketing and the essence of consumer value as an interactive relativistic preference experience. This conceptualization leads to a typology of customer value that serves as a lens or perspective to guide the interpretive analysis of photographs from a family archive. In sum, overall, the purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that consumer value (axiology) serves as a useful framework that furthers the application of SPI (autoethnography) to an interpretation of the meanings found in a photograph collection (archival artifacts).
Effects of syntactic prominence on eye movements during reading.

Three experiments explored whether patterns of eye movements during reading might help explain syntactic prominence effects that are typically observed using reaction time tasks. Participants read sentences in which target words were in syntactically prominent or syntactically less prominent positions. Across all three experiments, using three types of syntactic prominence manipulations, there were fewer fixations and shorter reading times for words in more prominent positions, indicating that enhanced accessibility of syntactically prominent words is not caused by increased processing time. Rather, syntactic prominence appears to facilitate early encoding/lexical access and sentence integration processes while also, as shown previously, increasing activation of concepts in a comprehender’s sentence or discourse representation. We propose that enhanced encoding and sentence integration processes can be attributed to an increase in attentional resources for more prominent concepts, and that this increase derives from readers’ immediate sensitivity to informational prominence contours that are signaled by syntax.
Non-Realizable CR Structures

The examples given by Nirenberg in [5] and [6] show that not all three dimensional CR manifolds may be realized as real hypersurfaces in 1172. These examples are perturbations of the CR structure on the sphere. In this paper we extend his construction and show that any strictly pseudo-convex realizable CR structure of dimension 3 may be perturbed so as to obtain a non-realizable one. This is done in Sect. 1. In Sect. 2 we show non-realizability for higher dimensional structures provided the Levi form is non-degenerate and has only one positive eigenvalue, In our last section we summarize Cartan's approach to CR geometry. From this viewpoint it was important to decide if Nirenberg's example was really limited to perturbations of the sphere. We have made this paper self-contained and have provided proofs of several known results. For instance Lemma 1.l, and the first part of Lemma 1.5 were proved by Lewy [2]. And Lemma 1.2 is the well known observation that a strictly pseudo-convex hypersurface is convex in some coordinate system,
The composition of dramatic experience: The play element in student electronic projects

Abstract Although the transformative significance of play has been recognized by a multidisciplinary array of scholars, resistance to play in composition studies continues today, even in the computers and composition subfield. Foundational to the process approach to composition instruction, play is an element in modernist and postmodernist rhetorics based on Kenneth Burke’s (1994) dramatism, William Covino’s (1995) and James Seitz’s (1991) validation of experimentation, and Richard Lanham’s (1993) dialectic of seriousness and play in the Western tradition. Joseph Janangelo (1998) developed this trend by suggesting sophisticated college art as a model for effective hypertext. Analysis of two student group H yperCard projects and a MOO (multiuser domain, object-oriented) project reveal that the play element can enrich readerly experience through the creation of a dramatic experience of information. Composition instructors need to recognize the play element in computer-based composition and encourage the development of serio-ludic discourse through mutual consideration of models by instructors, students, and others.
Quiet Induction Motors

Magnetic noise in induction motors is caused by the vibration of magnetic parts produced by the varying forces associated with the changing flux density in the adjacent air parts of the magnetic circuit. Torsional vibration of the motor is caused by unbalanced windings or applied voltages. Vibration of the rotor simulating a mechanically unbalanced rotor is caused by two fields differing by two poles and not of the same frequency or direction of rotation. Vibration of the stator by distortion from a circular shape results from the presence of other simple combinations of fields. Teeth tend to vibrate axially at double applied frequency. The magnetic noise produced by a motor can be predicted from a qualitative analysis of the air-gap field supplemented by an approximate quantitative analysis and consideration of the stiffness of the parts.
Microalgae Production from Power Plant Flue Gas: Environmental Implications on a Life Cycle Basis

Power-plant flue gas can serve as a source of CO{sub 2} for microalgae cultivation, and the algae can be cofired with coal. This life cycle assessment (LCA) compared the environmental impacts of electricity production via coal firing versus coal/algae cofiring. The LCA results demonstrated lower net values for the algae cofiring scenario for the following using the direct injection process (in which the flue gas is directly transported to the algae ponds): SOx, NOx, particulates, carbon dioxide, methane, and fossil energy consumption. Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons emissions were statistically unchanged. Lower values for the algae cofiring scenario, when compared to the burning scenario, were observed for greenhouse potential and air acidification potential. However, impact assessment for depletion of natural resources and eutrophication potential showed much higher values. This LCA gives us an overall picture of impacts across different environmental boundaries, and hence, can help in the decision-making process for implementation of the algae scenario.
Made in the U.S.A.: American Military Aid to Israel

Enforcement of U.S. law concerning weapons exports and the disbursement of military aid are subject to highly politicized interpretations of concepts like ““legitimate self-defense”” and ““safeguarding internal security.”” As illustrated by Israel9s July 2006 war in Lebanon and its 2008––2009 Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, Washington has essentially allowed Israel to define ““self-defense”” however it chooses. This overview of U.S. military aid to Israel, including weapons sales and related support of its domestic military industrial complex, examines in detail the mechanisms through which aid is funneled, the restrictions on aid that do exist, and the uses to which U.S. military aid has been put——particularly in terms of Israel9s military operations and its exports abroad.
Requirement for mitogen, T cell-accessory cell contact, and interleukin 1 in the induction of resting T-cell proliferation.

Abstract The role of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and accessory cells (AC) in mitogen-driven, resting human peripheral blood T lymphocyte proliferation was examined utilizing highly purified T-cell preparations. Such preparations fail to respond to optimal concentrations of the lectin phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or interleukin 2 (IL-2), indicating the functional depletion of monocytes (Mo.) and of activated T cells, respectively. The requirement for Mo. and IL-1 was quantitatively determined by adding known loads of Mo. and of recombinant human Il-1α or β forms (r-hIL-1, α β ) to T-cell preparations and monitoring the resultant proliferative responses to the mitogens PHA, concanavalin A (Con A), the anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb) Leu 4, and Sepharose beads-linked Leu 4. Although some mitogens induced IL-2r gene transcription and surface expression in T cells, all mitogens tested failed to drive T cells to proliferate in the absence of Mo. r-h IL-1, as well as Mo.-conditioned media, failed to support the proliferation of mitogentreated T cells. However, r-h IL-1 significantly amplified the proliferative responses of mitogen-treated T cells when suboptimal loads of Mo. were added. Both r-h IL-1α and β forms behaved identically in all the aforementioned experiments. The necessity of T cell-Mo. contact for T-cell proliferation was established by demonstrating that T cells separated from Mo. by a semipermeable membrane which allowed free diffusion macromolecules failed to proliferate to the mitogens tested. In contrast to lectins and anti-CD3 mAb phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) induced on its own a modest proliferative response which was greatly enhanced by r-h IL-1 independent of the addition of monocytes. The mechanism of r-h IL-1 action in supporting PMA-primed, T-cell proliferation involved the induction of IL-2 synthesis. We conclude that IL-1 does not substitute for the need for Mo. in supporting mitogen-driven T-cell proliferation. Mitogens, direct accessory-T-cell contact, and IL-1 each act, in this order, to bring about resting T-cell proliferation. The distinct behavior of PMA might relate to its ability to substitute for monocyte contact in promoting the progress of T cells through the cell cycle.
Pancreaticoduodenectomy: The Johns Hopkins experience

Some 60 years after Whipple popularized pancreaticoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, we have finally learned how to do the operation safely. When it is done before lymph node spread, the operative procedure can substantially prolong survival. The task for the immediate future is to identify a solid tumor marker that will facilitate earlier diagnosis of this disease at a stage prior to lymph node spread. In addition, adjuvant therapy which has clearly been shown to be effective, needs to be improved. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Endoscopic repair of laryngeal cleft type I and type II: when and why?

Objectives/Hypothesis: To evaluate the clinical features of children with type I and type II laryngeal cleft and the role of conservative monitoring versus endoscopic repair in their management. Methods: Clinical presentation and evaluation; findings at the time of laryngoscopy, bronchoscopy, and esophagoscopy; and efficacy and outcome of conservative monitoring and endoscopic CO2 laser repair. Results: Eighty-one patients were evaluated for aspiration. Seventy-four patients were diagnosed as having a clinically significant laryngeal cleft. Thirty-two patients (14 males, 18 females) were monitored conservatively. Forty-nine patients (26 males, 23 females) required surgical intervention due to failed medical and feeding therapy of aspiration related to their laryngeal clefts (28 type I, 21 type II). Endoscopic CO2 laser repair was used in all these patients. Conclusions: Medical and feeding therapy should be the first modality of treatment in patients with laryngeal cleft type I and type II. Factors supporting surgical repair include: 1) clinically apparent aspiration with feeding, 2) severity of pulmonary status, 3) findings on modified barium swallow and chest x-ray, 4) absence of significant comorbid conditions predisposing to aspiration, 5) findings on upper aerodigestive endoscopy, and 6) poor response to medical management and feeding therapy. Laryngoscope, 2009
A Comparison of the Influence of Fuel/Air Unmixedness on NOx Emissions in Lean Premixed, Non-Catalytic and Catalytically Stabilized Combustion

Experimental results on the influence of temporal unmixedness on NOx emissions are presented for both non-catalytic and catalytically stabilized, lean premixed combustion. The test rig used for the experiments consists of a fuel/air mixing section which allows variation of the degree of temporal unmixedness while maintaining a uniform “average over time” concentration profile over the cross section at the inlet to the combustion chamber. The unmixedness is measured as “rms fluctuations in fuel concentration” by an optical probe using laser absorption at 3.39μm over a 9mm gap. “Average over time” measurements are taken with “conventional” suction probe analyzers. The combustion chamber is an insulated, tubular reactor (i.d. 26.4mm). At the inlet to the combustion chamber a honeycomb monolith section is inserted. This monolith is either catalytically active or inactive for catalytically stabilized or non-catalytic combustion respectively. For both modes, the exact same inlet conditions are applied. In catalytically stabilized combustion a fraction of the fuel is consumed within the catalyst and the remaining fuel is burnt in the subsequent homogeneous combustion zone.It is shown that catalytically stabilized combustion yields lower NOx emissions and, more important, that the effect of temporal fuel/air unmixedness on NOx emissions is much smaller than with non-catalytic combustion under identical inlet conditions. Experimental evidence leads to the conclusion, that the catalyst is capable of reducing temporal fluctuations in fuel concentration and/or temperature in the combustion process, thereby preventing excess NOx formation. As a result, the requirements on mixing quality are less stringent when using catalytically stabilized combustion instead of conventional, non-catalytic combustion.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
K-shell Z-pinch X-ray Sources - Atomic Physics meets Plasma Physics

Summary form only given. The 20-MA Z accelerator at Sandia National Laboratories has enabled high velocity (>50 cm/mus) implosions with masses greater than 500 mug/cm. Such implosions produce high temperature (>2 keV), high-density plasmas that are copious emitters of L- and K-shell X-rays these exceed the threshold of 100 kJ/cm3 to qualify as high energy density plasmas by an order of magnitude. These conditions have allowed the study of intense K-shell emissions in the 5 to 8 keV range - going beyond the historical 1-3 keV X-rays available from the sub-10 MA generators. In this presentation, we will discuss the basic physics of K-shell emitting plasmas, including the roles of atomic physics, opacity, radiation transport, and temperature gradients in generating K-shell X-ray emissions. We will also review how the spectroscopic measurements are enabling a greater understanding of plasma processes, such as, the role of turbulence, in low current through high current generators. The results of collaborations with Naval Research Laboratory, Imperial College, University of Nevada Reno, L3 Pulsed Sciences, the Weizmann Institute and others will be included
The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Mothers’ Parenting Practices for Urban, Low-Income Adolescents

This study examined whether depression and social support mediated the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and parenting practices. Participants were 1,057 female primary caregiver-young adolescent pairs. (Sample included greater than 90 % biological mothers; hereafter, female primary caregivers are referred to as mother.) Findings indicated that IPV was associated positively with mothers’ use of physical punishment and negatively with mothers’ involvement in their children’s education. Although depression and social support were not found to mediate the relationship between IPV and parenting practices, study findings suggest that IPV directly and negatively impacted mothers’ parenting practices. In sum, findings point to the important role that IPV may play in explaining parenting practices for mothers living in high-risk urban environments.
The soil electric potential signature of summer drought

Summary During the period from late April to early August, a timeseries of soil electric potential measurements in the upper 15 cm of mineral soil were collected daily at the University of Michigan Botanical Gardens using an automatic data collection system. These data, after conversion to a surrogate measure of electrolyte concentration, provide a unique record of the 1988 summer drought in a continental location. The effects of rainfall-dewfall electrolyte dilution, evaporation-induced electrolyte concentration and upward-downward soil water advection are well-illustrated in the data. These observations demonstrate that soil electric potential is an easily measured variable of high information content, especially when collected with other system-linked environmental data.
Site factors affecting black ash ring growth in northern Minnesota

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) is a species used for basketmaking by several Native American Tribes in Eastern North America. In recent years, there has been a decline in availability of quality 'basket trees', and the purpose of this study was to determine what site characteristics allow for the growth of appropriate ring widths required for black ash splints used to make baskets. Three ecosystems - lowland wet forest (2 study sites), upland mesic forest (2 study sites) and a series of woodland ponds (4 study sites) - were studied on the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota. At each study site 4-16 plots, each 5-m in radius, were centered on a subject black ash tree. On each plot basal area of all trees and environmental variables such as herbaceous vegetation, composition and structure were measured. On the lowland study sites, volume of soil in hummocks on which single trees grew was also measured. Regression was used to relate ring width to environmental variables. Tree DBH had a significant positive influence on ring width for upland and woodland pond sites (R 2 = 51.0%, p < 0.001; R 2 = 42.0%, p = 0.031, respectively). Percent cover of herbaceous vegetation showed a significant negative impact on 5-year ring growth on the lowland sites (R 2 = 59.9%, p < 0.001) but no significant trends for uplands or woodland ponds. Thus, it
Access to hospice for African Americans: are they informed about the option of hospice?

Objective: To examine whether African Americans are informed about hospice services, and to examine demographic or disease factors that may influence receipt of information about hospice. Design: R...
Iron depletion is not effective in inducing a virologic response in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed to respond to interferon therapy

Iron depletion is not effective in inducing a virologic response in patients with chronic hepatitis C who failed to respond to interferon therapy
Differential right hemisphere engagement in visuospatial tasks

Abstract Ten male and ten female normal people performed six spatial tasks and one verbal task while EEG alpha was recorded from parietal and central areas bilaterally. The tasks were controlled to equate gross motor activity and stimulus characteristics across tasks. The spatial tasks engaged the right hemisphere more than the verbal task, withtthe exception of complex mental rotation, which showed an EEG pattern similar to the verbal task. Most of the differences in EEG patterns between tasks were accounted for by differences in right hemisphere engagement. Two unexpected findings were a higher right hemisphere engagement in whole-whole matching compared to part-whole matching, and a high left hemisphere engagement in mental rotation. These unexpected findings may be due to analytic strategies having been used by people performing part-whole matching and mental rotation.
A Statewide Medicaid Enhanced Prenatal Care Program: Impact on Birth Outcomes

Importance Policy makers and practitioners need rigorous evaluations of state-based Medicaid enhanced prenatal care programs that provide home visiting to guide improvements and inform future investments. Effects on adverse birth outcomes are of particular interest. Objective To test if participation in the Michigan statewide enhanced prenatal care program, the Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP), accounting for program timing and dosage, reduced risk for low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth, particularly among black women who are at greater risk for adverse outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants Quasi-experimental cohort study. Data, including birth records, Medicaid claims, and monthly program participation, were extracted from the Michigan Department of Community Health warehouse. Participants included all 60 653 pregnant women who had a Medicaid-insured singleton birth between January 1 and December 31, 2010, in Michigan. The MIHP participants were propensity score-matched with nonparticipants based on demographics, previous pregnancies, socioeconomic status, and chronic disease. Exposure An enhanced prenatal care program. Main Outcomes and Measures Low birth weight, very low birth weight (VLBW), preterm birth, and very preterm birth. Results In the propensity score–matched models, black women who enrolled and were screened in the MIHP by the end of the second trimester had lower odds of VLBW (odds ratio [OR], 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59-0.97) and very preterm births (OR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54-0.85) than matched nonparticipants. Black MIHP participants who enrolled and were screened in the program by the second trimester and had at least 3 additional prenatal MIHP contacts had lower odds of LBW (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65-0.89), VLBW (0.42; 0.30-0.61), preterm birth (0.71; 0.61-0.83), and very preterm birth (0.41; 0.30-0.57) compared with matched nonparticipants. The MIHP participants of other races and ethnicities who enrolled and were screened in the program by the second trimester and had at least 3 additional prenatal MIHP contacts had lower odds of LBW (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.66-0.93), VLBW (0.38; 0.22-0.66), preterm birth (0.77; 0.66-0.89), and very preterm birth (0.63; 0.43-0.91) compared with matched nonparticipants. Conclusions and Relevance Participation in MIHP reduced the risk for adverse birth outcomes in a diverse, disadvantaged population. The study adds to the evidence base for enhanced prenatal care home visiting programs and informs state and federal investments.
Composite electrolytes from self-assembled colloidal networks

Abstract In this study, we present two approaches to developing composite electrolytes exploiting the self-assembling nature of colloidal fillers. The first system comprises of oligomers of poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether, branched fumed silica particulates and lithium salt. The fumed silica forms a three-dimensional, self-supporting network that provides mechanical stability. The large pores of the network has little effect on diffusivity of ions and oligomers, lithium transference number and ionic conductivity, with the latter showing values >10 −3 S/cm at ambient conditions. The second system consists of Li exchanged hectorite clay in a mixture of low molar mass carbonates. Similar to the fumed silica, the clay provides mechanical stability through formation of a three-dimensional network. In addition, the immobile clay platelets also serve as the anion rendering the system to be a single ion conductor. Near-unity transference number is observed in this case. However, the room temperature conductivity of the clay composite is lower than the fumed silica, revealing a value of about 10 −4 S/cm. The lower conductivity can be attributed to the clay not being in a fully exfoliated form as evident from morphological analysis.
Multiplant manufacturing strategies among the fortune 500

Abstract This paper identifies and examines four distinct multiplant strategies prevailing within the nation's largest manufacturing companies. These multiplant strategies govern the charters under which plants operate, thus helping to insure focused factory operations. Using detailed data drawn from over 300 plants, the paper reports on the apparent attractiveness of different strategies to different industry groups and singles out those specific plant characteristics which Fortune 500 plants attribute most often to each strategy. This information can aid in the assignment of plant charters, within company operating divisions.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Tat Protein Increases the Number of Inhibitory Synapses between Hippocampal Neurons in Culture

Synaptodendritic damage correlates with cognitive decline in many neurodegenerative diseases, including human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Because HIV-1 does not infect neurons, viral-mediated toxicity is indirect, resulting from released neurotoxins such as the HIV-1 protein transactivator of transcription (Tat). We compared the effects of Tat on inhibitory and excitatory synaptic connections between rat hippocampal neurons using an imaging-based assay that quantified clusters of the scaffolding proteins gephyrin or PSD95 fused to GFP. Tat (24 h) increased the number of GFP–gephyrin puncta and decreased the number of PSD95–GFP puncta. The effects of Tat on inhibitory and excitatory synapse number were mediated via the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein and subsequent Ca2+ influx through GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARs). The effects of Tat on synapse number required cell-autonomous activation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). Ca2+ buffering experiments suggested that loss of excitatory synapses required activation of CaMKII in close apposition to the NMDAR, whereas the increase in inhibitory synapses required Ca2+ diffusion to a more distal site. The increase in inhibitory synapses was prevented by inhibiting the insertion of GABAA receptors into the membrane. Synaptic changes induced by Tat (16 h) were reversed by blocking either GluN2B-containing NMDARs or neuronal nitric oxide synthase, indicating changing roles for pathways activated by NMDAR subtypes during the neurotoxic process. Compensatory changes in the number of inhibitory and excitatory synapses may serve as a novel mechanism to reduce network excitability in the presence of HIV-1 neurotoxins; these changes may inform the development of treatments for HAND.
The synthesis and biological properties of 8-azido-N (6)-benzyladenine, a potential photoaffinity reagent for cytokinin.

A cytokinin photoaffinity reagent, 8-azido-N6-benzyladenine (8N3BA), was synthesized from 8-bromoadenosine via azide replacement, benzylation at N−1, rearrangement to the N-6-benzyl derivative and acid hydrolysis. The compound thus obtained was found to have full cytokinin activity in the moss and tobacco cell-suspension bioassays. Photolysis of 8N3BA was accomplished with long and short-wavelength ultraviolet light and produced compounds which had very little or no biological activity in the two bioassays. In-vivo photolysis of 8N3BA caused loss of the cytokinin activity of this compound in moss protonemata. This result was similar to earlier ones where the biological response of moss protonemata to benzyladenine was reversed following removal of the hormone by a short rinse with water.
Green's functions for continously supported plates

The Green's functions for an infinite elastic plate, attached respectively to a Pasternak or a Kerr base model, and subjected to a concentrated force, are obtained in terms of Bessel functions. It is shown, that for each base model, depending on the plate and base parameters, the solutions may be of different form. The method of images is then utilized to generate closed form solutions for the semi-infinite and quarter plates with simply supported boundaries. Paper also presents a generalization of Bessel functions of the Kelvin type and a discussion of their properties. They were needed for the solution of some of the equations under consideration.
Radiation of MeV electrons axially channeled in Ni

Abstract Forward radiation spectra of electrons channeled along the 〈111〉 and 〈110〉 axes of a Ni single crystal (5000 A thick) have been measured with a semiconductor detector for beam energies of 2.2 to 3.0 MeV and various crystal tilt angles θ. In the 〈111〉 case, the 2p-1s transition of channeling states can be identified. At E = 2.96 MeV, the line energy is 4.72 keV with a fwhm width of ~ 50%. The broad linewidth and the absence of a dip in the observed line intensity variation with tilt angle are reflections of large scattering effect. Such scattering effects will be larger for the more tightly bound states such as those in the 〈110〉 direction, and this explains the absence of resolved channeling radiation lines in the measured spectra for 〈110〉.
Conformational Changes Associated with Receptor-stimulated Guanine Nucleotide Exchange in a Heterotrimeric G-protein α-Subunit NMR ANALYSIS OF GTPγS-BOUND STATES

Abstract Solution NMR studies of a 15N-labeled G-protein α-subunit (Gα) chimera (15N-ChiT)-reconstituted heterotrimer have shown previously that G-protein βγ-subunit (Gβγ) association induces a “pre-activated” conformation that likely facilitates interaction with the agonist-activated form of a G-protein-coupled receptor (R*) and guanine nucleotide exchange (Abdulaev, N. G., Ngo, T., Zhang, C., Dinh, A., Brabazon, D. M., Ridge, K. D., and Marino, J. P. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. 280, 38071-38080). Here we demonstrated that the 15N-ChiT-reconstituted heterotrimer can form functional complexes under NMR experimental conditions with light-activated, detergent-solubilized rhodopsin (R*), as well as a soluble mimic of R*. NMR methods were used to track R*-triggered guanine nucleotide exchange and release of guanosine 5′-O-3-thiotriphosphate (GTPγS)/Mg2+-bound ChiT. A heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC) spectrum of R*-generated GTPγS/Mg2+-bound ChiT revealed 1HN, 15N chemical shift changes relative to GDP/Mg2+-bound ChiT that were similar, but not identical, to those observed for the -bound state. Line widths observed for R*-generated GTPγS/Mg2+-bound 15N-ChiT, however, indicated that it is more conformationally dynamic relative to the GDP/Mg2+- and -bound states. The increased dynamics appeared to be correlated with Gβγ and R* interactions because they are not observed for GTPγS/Mg2+-bound ChiT generated independently of R*. In contrast to R*, a soluble mimic that does not catalytically interact with G-protein (Abdulaev, N. G., Ngo, T., Chen, R., Lu, Z., and Ridge, K. D. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 39354-39363) is found to form a stable complex with the GTPγS/Mg2+-exchanged heterotrimer. The HSQC spectrum of 15N-ChiT in this complex displays a unique chemical shift pattern that nonetheless shares similarities with the heterotrimer and GTPγS/Mg2+-bound ChiT. Overall, these results demonstrated that R*-induced changes in Gα can be followed by NMR and that guanine nucleotide exchange can be uncoupled from heterotrimer dissociation.
GaN-Based Neutron Scintillators with a 6LiF Conversion Layer

Thin film gallium nitride (GaN) scintillators have been produced by MOCVD and made neutron-sensitive by applying an enriched lithium-6 fluoride (6LiF) conversion layer. The 6Li(n,α) reaction produces both alpha and triton particles, which have very penetration depths in GaN. The range and energy deposition characteristics of these particles in GaN have been simulated. Alpha-induced scintillation was measured in silicon-doped GaN using an americium-241 (241Am) source. The thermal neutron responses of the 6LiF-coated GaN scintillator were tested using two thermal neutron sources, an 241Am-Be source inside a graphite pile and a reactor source. The scintillator was found to have a linear response to thermal neutron flux level over a range of more than three orders of magnitude.
Who is the Chinese consumer? Segmentation in the People's Republic of China

Abstract This article is a shortened and revised version of the inauguration speech that Bernd Schmitt delivered in October 1996 in Shanghai as the Bat Chair of Marketing at CEIBS. 1 The BAT Chair is the first chair ever donated to a business school in China. The article provides a review of three different segmentation approaches to the Chinese consumer market: geographic, demographic and psychographic/lifestyles segmentation. Given the increased segmentation of the Chinese market, especially in the cities, psychographic/lifestyles segmentation seems to be necessary for the marketing of consumer goods.
Serial Cardiac Output and Blood Volume Studies Following Cardiac Valve Replacement

The cardiac output and blood volume were measured preoperatively and sequentially during the early postoperative period in 45 patients undergoing cardiac valve replacement. Most patients showed a prompt, highly significant increase in cardiac output. Those with uncorrected valvular disease, even though apparently trivial, had lower cardiac outputs. The blood volume was sharply reduced from the preoperative level in almost every patient. When this was associated with low cardiac output, replacement of the blood volume deficit was usually accompanied by a prompt increase in cardiac output. Failure to respond in this way occurred only in patients with residual valvular lesions or myocardial disease.
Quantum-confined structures and lasers in II-VI semiconductors in the blue-green

Recent progress in wide-gap II-VI heterostructures is reviewed, including results on blue/green diode lasers and light emitting diodes in ZnSe-based quantum wells configurations. An important element in these structures are quasi-2 dimensional exciton effects which are likely to be of relevance as practical optoelectronic devices emerge at short visible wavelengths.
The polychromatic polarization modulator

An increasing number of astronomical applications depend on the measurement of polarized light. For example, our knowledge of solar magnetism relies heavily on our ability to measure and interpret polarization signatures introduced by magnetic field. Many new instruments have consequently focused considerable attention on polarimetry. For solar applications, spectro-polarimeters in particular are often designed to observe the solar atmosphere in multiple spectral lines simultaneously, thus requiring that the polarization modulator employed is efficient at all wavelengths of interest. We present designs of polarization modulators that exhibit near-optimal modulation characteristics over broad spectral ranges. Our design process employs a computer code to optimize the efficiency of the modulator at specified wavelengths. We will present several examples of modulator designs based on rotating stacks of Quartz waveplates and Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals (FLCs). An FLC-based modulator of this design was recently deployed for the ProMag instrument at the Evans Solar Facility of NSO/SP. We show that this modulator behaves according to its design.
Effect of Ultraviolet Radiation on Growth of Autotrophic and Obligate Heterotrophic Cultures of Euglena

SYNOPSIS. The growth response to ultraviolet radiation of normal green, streptomycin-, heat-, and ultraviolet-bleached clones of Euglena, grown in light or darkness was examined. In spite of wide variations in constituents of the photosynthetic apparatus present, relative growth suppressions caused by UV were the same among clones grown under identical conditions. Light-grown clones were more sensitive to UV and less sensitive to photorestorative radiation (PR) than comparable dark-grown cultures. From growth rates, sensitivity to UV and PR, and action spectra for PR, we conclude that components of the photosynthetic apparatus are not involved in those radiation-induced responses affecting growth of Euglena. Independent of their role in photosynthesis, visible radiations play important and still unknown roles in those processes controlling growth of Euglena.
Ionotropic glutamate receptors in the retina: Moving from molecules to circuits

Abstract The cloning of the glutamate-gated ion channels of the brain revealed an unexpected level of complexity: there are many different genes that encode distinct subunits of the receptor/channel complex and an even larger number of possible receptor subunit combinations. Many—nearly all—of these gene products are expressed in the retina, and the questions that we face today are: how are they used and why are there so many? Answers to these questions will be found at several levels. At the level of transcription, we have learned that different sets of subunits are expressed by different retinal neurons. Little is known about the transcriptional control of these genes, so it remains to be determined whether these patterns of expression reflect the need for different gene products in different retinal neurons or whether these patterns of expression reflect the functional constraints of gene expression. Another level of complexity is caused by alternative splicing, and here we report that at least four and possibly all eight of the different NMDAR1 transcripts are present in the mouse retina. The consequences of this alternative splicing are poorly understood, but antibodies directed against the two different possible C-termini of NMDAR1 label many of the same cell types. It is possible that these different splice variants are combined to generate the channels. While immunohistochemistry provides us with a glimpse of the subunit proteins, much remains to be learned about their half-life within a retinal cell, their intracellular trafficking, their regulation at the synapse, and the proteins associated with their cytoplasmic domains. An approach we have taken towards studying the dynamic properties of receptor subunits has been to fuse them to the cDNA encoding the jellyfish Green Fluorescent Protein. This makes it possible to follow functional subunits in transfected cells over time and to begin to measure the mobility of the protein.
Developing a Graduate Program in Concurrent Engineering

ABSTRACTStevens Institute of Technology was funded by the AT&T Education Foundation to develop a graduate program in concurrent engineering. Stevens and its Design and Manufacturing Institute sponsored a one-day workshop on concurrent engineering, which examined the industrial practice of concurrent engineering and developed a consensus on the definitions of concurrent engineering, including the essential skills, areas of competency, and areas of graduate study.The consensus of the workshop is that the definition of concurrent engineering includes the concepts of multifunctional teams, total quality management, product life cycle consideration, and parallel design of product and process. Areas of competency ranked highest were product development and design, total quality management, engineering/technology management, and production/manufacturing methods and design. Areas of study given priority were design for manufacturability, product design, manufacturing engineering, systems engineering, and engineer...
Isoprenylation of polyphenols in aqueous acid solutions

Abstract Polyphenols condense with 2-methylbut-3-ene-2-ol or γ,γ-dimethylallyl alcohol in 5% aqueous citric acid solution to yield phenolic 2,2-dimethylchromans. These facile condensations provide chemical support for the biogenetic theory of C-isopentenylation of phenols by γ,γ-dimethylallyl pyrophosphate. Iso-psoralidin ( 20 ) has been synthesized from 7-hydroxy-2,2-dimethylchroman ( 12 ) by a novel and convenient route.
Yeast iso-l-cytochrome c: Genetic analysis of structural requirements

We describe the use of classical and molecular genetic techniques to investigate the folding, stability, and enzymatic requirements of iso-l-cytochrome c from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Interpretation of the defects associated with an extensive series of altered forms of iso-l-cytochrome c was facilitated by the recently resolved three dimensional structure of iso-l-cytochrome c [(1987) J. Mol. Biol. 199, 295–314], and by comparison with the phylogenetic series of eukaryotic cytochromes c. Residue replacements that abolish iso-l-cytochrome c function appear to do so by affecting either heme attachment or protein stability; no replacements that abolish electron transfer function without affecting protein structure were uncovered. Most nonfunctional forms retained at least partial covalent attachment to the heme moiety; heme attachment was abolished only by replacements of Cys19 and Cys22, which are required for thioether linkage, and His23, a heme ligand. Replacements were uncovered that retain function at varying levels, including replacements at evolutionarily conserved positions, some of which were structurally and functionally indistinguishable from wild type iso-l-cytochrome c.
Trends in biological joint resurfacing.

The treatment of osteochondral lesions and osteoarthritis remains an ongoing clinical challenge in orthopaedics. This review examines the current research in the fields of cartilage regeneration, osteochondral defect treatment, and biological joint resurfacing, and reports on the results of clinical and pre-clinical studies. We also report on novel treatment strategies and discuss their potential promise or pitfalls. Current focus involves the use of a scaffold providing mechanical support with the addition of chondrocytes or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), or the use of cell homing to differentiate the organism’s own endogenous cell sources into cartilage. This method is usually performed with scaffolds that have been coated with a chemotactic agent or with structures that support the sustained release of growth factors or other chondroinductive agents. We also discuss unique methods and designs for cell homing and scaffold production, and improvements in biological joint resurfacing. There have been a number of exciting new studies and techniques developed that aim to repair or restore osteochondral lesions and to treat larger defects or the entire articular surface. The concept of a biological total joint replacement appears to have much potential. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:193–9.
Distributed ITS control and the Oklahoma virtual TMC

Practically all major metropolitan and large scale modern intelligent transportation systems have a centralized traffic management center (TMC) at their logical and functional core. The TMC provides control, coordinates system wide communications, and typically serves as a common hub from which multiple agencies plan and execute coordinated incident responses. Early in the development of the Oklahoma statewide ITS, it became clear that the costs associated with building and operating a large, centralized TMC would be prohibitive. An alternative design strategy emerged built around a distributed peer-to-peer network of low-cost ITS consoles based on desktop PC's equipped with innovative software and special hardware to support efficiently handling multiple video streams simultaneously. This has led to a geographically distributed, fault-tolerant communications and control system where the desirable functionality of a large centralized TMC is realized by a virtual TMC that enables the stakeholder agencies to remain physical located in their current facilities around the State. In this paper, we provide an overview of the system architecture as it has evolved through the first quarter of 2009 and highlight some of the recently developed system enhancements.
Hybrid method in light scattering by an arbitrary particle

A hybrid method for light scattering by an arbitrary particle using the scattering-order formulation of the coupled dipole method is described. An arbitrary particle is divided into two or more segments, and the field scattered by the particle is obtained from the fields scattered by each segment together with the field due to interactions among segments. An exact or approximate theory is used to calculate the scattered field from each segment, and interactions are included using the scattering-order formulation of the coupled dipole method. Calculations show that for certain particles, this hybrid approach can require fewer computations and give more accurate results than the scattering-order method.
Effects of Mutagenic and Chain-Terminating Nucleotide Analogs on Enzymes Isolated from Hepatitis C Virus Strains of Various Genotypes

The development of effective therapies for hepatitis C virus (HCV) must take into account genetic variation among HCV strains. Response rates to interferon-based treatments, including the current preferred treatment of pegylated alpha interferon administered with ribavirin, are genotype specific. Of the numerous HCV inhibitors currently in development as antiviral drugs, nucleoside analogs that target the conserved NS5B active site seem to be quite effective against diverse HCV strains. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effects of a panel of nucleotide analogs, including ribavirin triphosphate (RTP) and several chain-terminating nucleoside triphosphates, on the activities of purified HCV NS5B polymerases derived from genotype 1a, 1b, and 2a strains. Unlike the genotype-specific effects on NS5B activity reported previously for nonnucleoside inhibitors (F. Pauwels, W. Mostmans, L. M. Quirynen, L. van der Helm, C. W. Boutton, A. S. Rueff, E. Cleiren, P. Raboisson, D. Surleraux, O. Nyanguile, and K. A. Simmen, J. Virol. 81:6909-6919, 2007), only minor differences in inhibition were observed among the various genotypes; thus, nucleoside analogs that are current drug candidates may be more promising for treatment of a broader variety of HCV strains. We also examined the effects of RTP on the HCV NS3 helicase/ATPase. As with the polymerase, only minor differences were observed among 1a-, 1b-, and 2a-derived enzymes. RTP did not inhibit the rate of NS3 helicase-catalyzed DNA unwinding but served instead as a substrate to fuel unwinding. NS3 added to RNA synthesis reactions relieved inhibition of the polymerase by RTP, presumably due to RTP hydrolysis. These results suggest that NS3 can limit the incorporation of ribavirin into viral RNA, thus reducing its inhibitory or mutagenic effects.