cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-cost mask for excimer laser projection ablation

Excimer laser projection ablation is a dry patterning process in which an intense beam of ultraviolet light from an excimer laser is used to directly pattern a material. This technique has been used extensively in the microelectronics industry for patterning both organic and inorganic materials. Excimer laser projection ablation requires the use of a mask which is similar to a conventional 1X photomask. The laser ablation mask must withstand significantly higher energy densities than conventional photolithographic masks. A dielectric mask structure which consists of a quartz substrate coated with a stack of dielectric thin films has been developed for this process. Although the dielectric mask has been used successfully in a manufacturing environment, it suffers from the disadvantages of a complex fabrication process and high cost. Alternatives to the dielectric mask have been explored and a new mask has been developed which consists of an aluminum film on a quartz substrate. This mask meets the requirements for the laser ablation process and has the advantage of a low cost fabrication process which is similar to conventional chrome on quartz photomasks. The mask development, specifications, fabrication and results are discussed.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Theory of Absorption in Solid Dielectrics

Most solid dielectrics are imperfect in the sense that when a constant d-c. voltage is suddenly applied, a displacement of electricity first takes place almost instantly to a certain value, and then continues to increase asymptotically towards an ultimate magnitude. Accordingly, an initial electric charge and a greater final charge may be distinguished, with the corresponding values of initial and final permittivities. The purpose of the present investigation is to establish certain general properties of the function which expresses the increase in the initial electric displacement with the time. The initial and the final leakage conductivities of the material are also taken into consideration. An assumption is made that the law of relaxation of electric displacement in the individual particles of the dielectric is a simple exponential function of time, but that the exponent varies from particle to particle. In some ``non-viscous'' particles the final displacement takes place instantly, in some others it occurs infinitely slowly, whilefor a great majority of the particles the relaxation proceeds at various finite rates. A ``distribution function'' for the numbers of different particles is introduced and the general conditions which this function must satisfy are established. The results are then applied to a particular form of distribution function which has a large enough number of parameters for representing experimental data on a given dielectric with sufficient accuracy. Integrations are carried out for the cases of direct and sinusoidal applied voltages.
The normal form of a granular fuzzy function

We consider here a particular kind of fuzzy relations f(x, y) on X × Y such that the α-cut fα is an ordinary function for each 0 ≤ α ≤ 1 from the underlying α-level granular structure on X to that on Y, which are determined by a given pair of similarity relations µX(x,x') and µY(y, y') on X and Y, respectively. This type of fuzzy relations have a close connection with rough sets and functions between them, and are called here granular fuzzy functions. We show that each granular fuzzy function f(x, y) has a unique normal form f'(x, y) ≥ f(x, y) which preserves the values fα([x]α) for each 0 ≤α≤1, where [x]α is the equivalence class of x at the level α for µx. The normal form functions f'(x, y) are in many ways more well-behaved than the non-normal forms in terms of function composition, unique inverse function, etc.
The p38 and MK2 Kinase Cascade Phosphorylates Tuberin, the Tuberous Sclerosis 2 Gene Product, and Enhances Its Interaction with 14-3-3

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2 tumor suppressor genes. TSC1 and TSC2 (also known as hamartin and tuberin, respectively) form a functional complex and negatively regulate cell growth by inhibiting protein synthesis. 14-3-3 binds to TSC2 and may inhibit TSC2 function. We have reported previously that phosphorylation of serine 1210 (Ser(1210)) in TSC2 is essential for 14-3-3 binding. Here we show that serum and anisomycin enhance the interaction between TSC2 and 14-3-3 by stimulating phosphorylation of Ser(1210). Activation of p38 MAP kinase (p38) is essential for the stimulating effect of serum and anisomycin although p38 is not directly responsible for the phosphorylation of Ser(1210) in TSC2. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that the p38-activated kinase MK2 (also known as MAPKAPK2) is directly responsible for the phosphorylation of Ser(1210). Our data show that anisomycin stimulates phosphorylation of Ser(1210) of TSC2 via the p38-MK2 kinase cascade. Phosphorylation of TSC2 by MK2 creates a 14-3-3 binding site and thus regulates the cellular function of the TSC2 tumor suppressor protein.
The effect of the polyproline II (PPII) conformation on the denatured state entropy

Polyproline II (PPII) is reported to be a dominant conformation in the unfolded state of peptides, even when no prolines are present in the sequence. Here we use isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to investigate the PPII bias in the unfolded state by studying the binding of the SH3 domain of SEM-5 to variants of its putative PPII peptide ligand, Sos. The experimental system is unique in that it provides direct access to the conformational entropy change of the substituted amino acids. Results indicate that the denatured ensemble can be characterized by at least two thermodynamically distinct states, the PPII conformation and an unfolded state conforming to the previously held idea of the denatured state as a random collection of conformations determined largely by hard-sphere collision. The probability of the PPII conformation in the denatured states for Ala and Gly were found to be significant, ∼30% and ∼10%, respectively, resulting in a dramatic reduction in the conformational entropy of folding.
Local Militia and State Power in Nationalist China

Throughout the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century, the organization of local community defense forces, or militia, was a common Chinese response to periods of civil war, popular rebellion, or social disorder. As such, it is hardly surprising to find an increasing level of militia mobilization leading up to and peaking in the "Nanjing decade" (1927-1937) of Nationalist Party (Guomindang) rule. Precisely because the organization of militia was a recurring theme in modem Chinese history, the proliferation of militia in the Nationalist period raises certain questions about the significance of this phenomenon to our understanding of state-society relations in this period. In his groundbreaking study of local militarization in the mid-nineteenth century, Philip Kuhn (1970) showed how the organization of militia in the face of widespread rebellions marked a devolution of power from the weakened Qing state to local elites. Given such historical precedents, one might hypothesize that the widespread mobilization of militia during the Nanjing decade indicated a basic weakness in the Nationalist government's relationship to local elites and a clue to its ultimate failure to achieve broader state-building objectives.
‘Making it relevant’: a rural teacher’s integration of an international studies program

This paper presents a case study in which a series of international programs was delivered via interactive videoconferencing technology to a middle school classroom in a small rural town in the USA. Despite positive reactions to the international programs, a deeper look at the use of the programs pointed to some reason for concern regarding the manner in which the international program was used to motivate students. The danger of ethnocentric interpretation was clearly present.
Piecewise quadratic optical neural network

A neural network pattern classifier is presented. Its decision boundaries are formed from segments of conic sections which allows it to achieve improved performance over piecewise linear neural network classifiers, such as our earlier adaptive clustering neural network (ACNN). We discuss an optical realization that uses complex-valued weights, optical intensity detectors, and an additional input neuron to achieve piecewise conic decision surfaces (rather than the piecewise linear surfaces that the ACNN produces).© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Closure duration analysis of incomplete stop consonants due to stop-stop interaction

An incomplete stop consonant is characterized either by an indistinguishable closure or a missing burst. If an incomplete stop happens due to a stop following another stop [stop-stop interaction (SSI)], its acoustics typically resemble that of a complete stop—one closure followed by a single burst. As a consequence, stop detectors would fail to distinguish an SSI from a complete stop. Analysis of the TIMIT corpus shows 35.04% incomplete stops (14.97% SSI). It is shown that by using automatically estimated (and hand-labeled) closure duration, complete stops can be distinguished from incomplete stops due to SSI with 69.66% (79.14%) accuracy.
Regulation of Toll signaling and inflammation by beta-arrestin and the SUMO protease Ulp1

The Toll signaling pathway has a highly conserved function in innate immunity and is regulated by multiple factors that fine tune its activity. One such factor is β-arrestin Kurtz (Krz), which we previously implicated in the inhibition of developmental Toll signaling in the Drosophila melanogaster embryo. Another level of controlling Toll activity and immune system homeostasis is by protein sumoylation. In this study, we have uncovered a link between these two modes of regulation and show that Krz affects sumoylation via a conserved protein interaction with a SUMO protease, Ulp1. Loss of function of krz or Ulp1 in Drosophila larvae results in a similar inflammatory phenotype, which is manifested as increased lamellocyte production; melanotic mass formation; nuclear accumulation of Toll pathway transcriptional effectors, Dorsal and Dif; and expression of immunity genes, such as Drosomycin. Moreover, mutations in krz and Ulp1 show dosage-sensitive synergistic genetic interactions, suggesting that these two proteins are involved in the same pathway. Using Dorsal sumoylation as a readout, we found that altering Krz levels can affect the efficiency of SUMO deconjugation mediated by Ulp1. Our results demonstrate that β-arrestin controls Toll signaling and systemic inflammation at the level of sumoylation.
Lift and Drag Measurements on a Hydrofoil in Dilute Polyox Solutions

THE use of hydrofoils for a wide variety of purposes such as propeller blades on boats, as sailboat keels, ship rudders, submarine and torpedo fins, lifting surfaces of hydrofoil boats, and shroud ring stabilizers for missiles, has prompted efforts to increase the lift-to-drag ratio by various means. The favourable drag reducing effect of polymers, particularly for flows in pipes1, suggests that they might be of value in increasing this ratio.
Second Harvest Timing and Cut Height of Forage Crops in Central Alaska

Proper timing of second harvest is critical for good yields and long-term sustainability of perennial hay crops in high latitude environments. We studied effects of second harvest timing and height on yield and forage quality for smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) in central Alaska. Second harvest treatments occurred every 2 wk starting approximately 3 wk after the initial mid-June harvest and ending in late September at stubble heights of 5,10, and 15 cm. Yields increased with increasing time to second harvest and decreasing height of cut. Forage quality decreased with increasing time to second harvest while the effect of cut height was variable. For subsequent year first harvests, yields of all crops were lowest for previous year second cuts done 30 to 40 d after initial harvest, and then increased with length of time to second harvest, but were still significantly reduced when second harvests were made as much as 8 wk after the initial harvest. There was little effect of second harvest timing on subsequent year forage quality. Second harvest cut height had little effect on subsequent year yield or forage quality. Our results showed that smooth bromegrass and alfalfa can be harvested late in autumn in central Alaska without adverse effects on subsequent year growth, but a second harvest earlier in the season reduces subsequent year first harvest forage yields. Cicer milkvetch died out before the end of the study and is likely not a suitable crop for central Alaska.
Porcine arterivirus activates the NF-κB pathway through IκB degradation

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is a critical regulator of innate and adaptive immune function as well as cell proliferation and survival. The present study demonstrated for the first time that a virus belonging to the Arteriviridae family activates NF-kappaB in MARC-145 cells and alveolar macrophages. In porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-infected cells, NF-kappaB activation was characterized by translocation of NF-kappaB from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, increased DNA binding activity, and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression. NF-kappaB activation was increased as PRRSV infection progressed and in a viral dose-dependent manner. UV-inactivation of PRRSV significantly reduced the level of NF-kappaB activation. Degradation of IkappaB protein was detected late in PRRSV infection, and overexpression of the dominant negative form of IkappaBalpha (IkappaBalphaDN) significantly suppressed NF-kappaB activation induced by PRRSV. However, IkappaBalphaDN did not affect viral replication and viral cytopathic effect. PRRSV infection induced oxidative stress in cells by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS), and antioxidants inhibited NF-kappaB DNA binding activity in PRRSV-infected cells, suggesting ROS as a mechanism by which NF-kappaB was activated by PRRSV infection. Moreover, NF-kappaB-dependent expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 was observed in PRRSV-infected cells, an observation which implies that NF-kappaB activation is a biologically significant aspect of PRRSV pathogenesis. The results presented here provide a basis for understanding molecular pathways of pathology and immune evasion associated with disease caused by PRRSV.
Asymptotic solution for the diffraction of an electromagnetic plane wave by a cylinder-tipped half-plane

The far-field asymptotic solution for the diffraction of an electromagnetic plane wave by a cylinder-tipped half-plane is derived from the exact solution. It is demonstrated that the Fresnel diffraction plays an important role in the transition regions where the solution of the geometrical theory of diffraction fails. The asymptotic solution not only simplifies the numerical calculations but also gives a physical model of the exact solution.
SU‐FF‐J‐20: A Multimodality Imaging Approach for Predicting Radiation Induced Lung Injury

Purpose:Radiation pneumonitis (RP), is a major dose limiting toxicity in thoracic irradiation for patients with lung or breast cancer. Multimodality imaging and particularly integrated PET/CT imaging is increasing used in radiotherapytreatment staging, planning, and monitoring. In this work, we are investigating the potential of a new hybrid feature‐based approach utilizing post‐radiotherapy PET/CT images to predict the risk of later RP. Method and Materials: As a demonstrative example for analyzing normal tissue toxicities using the proposed multimodality approach, we analyzed post‐treatment PET/CT scans (typically, 3 mos. post‐RT) of 20 lungcancerradiotherapy patients for the endpoint of pneumonitis. The rate of RP in this group was 20%. The lung region minus the Gross Tumor Volume (GTV) was designated as the region of interest (ROI). We extracted features based on descriptive statistics of intensity (in units of SUV in PET and Hounsfield in CT),image intensity volume histogram (IVH) metrics, and texture‐based features. Statistical association was performed using Spearman's rank correlation (Rs). Results: Thirty candidate features were extracted from each image modality. Preliminary results indicate that texture features in both PET and CT seems to predict RP. For instance, the PET ROI standard deviation had Rs=0.14 in PET and Rs=−0.035 in CT while the texture (related to roughness) local heterogeneity had Rs=0.33 (p=0.08) in PET and Rs=0.63 (p=0.002) in CT.Conclusion: We have proposed a new approach for predicting RP risk pneumonitis from hybrid PET/CT image features. Texture related features on the post‐RT CT scan provide the best prediction. Estimating of these features could provide the physician with an early warning enabling a more proactive management of RP symptoms. Further analysis of these multimodality features, their complementary effect, and the optimal time of imaging, is needed to fully understand this finding. Partially supported by K25 CA128809 and R01 CA85181.
M Cells as Portals of Entry for HIV

Accumulating evidence points toward active uptake by mucosal antigen sampling cells as the mechanism for rectal HIV acquisition. Organized lymphoid tissue in the intestine consists of lymphoid follicl
Relationship of Strain Variation and Feed Restriction to Variation in Blood Pressure and Response to Heat Stress

Abstract The response to controlled heat stress and its relationship to blood pressure of chickens differing in body weight and subjected to feed restriction were studied. The genetic variation in body weight associated with strain differences was not related to variation in blood pressure. Blood pressure of the large weight strain was significantly reduced when body weight was reduced by restriction of feed consumption, while a similar body weight reduction in a slower growing strain did not result in a decreased blood pressure. The resistance to heat stress of the strains selected for growth was significantly less than that of a slow growing randombred control strain. Restriction of feed consumption of the growth selected strains so that body weights were drastically reduced resulted in a significant increase in resistance to heat stress.
Economic Intervention and Parenting: A Randomized Experiment of Statewide Child Development Accounts

Objective: We examine the effects of Child Development Accounts (CDAs) on parenting stress and practices. Methods: We use data from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment. SEED OK selected caregivers of infants from Oklahoma birth certificates using a probability sampling method, randomly assigned caregivers to the treatment (n = 1,132) or control group (n = 1,098), and provided college savings incentives only to the treatment group. We run regression analyses on a parenting stress scale and six continuous measures of parenting practices. Results: There were no significant differences in parenting outcomes between treatment and control groups, with the exception of frequency of screaming at the child. CDAs have more salient effects on American Indians than on other groups. Conclusions: We present weak evidence for CDAs’ positive impacts on parenting outcomes. Further research is needed to determine whether these initial results change over time.
On Managing the Use of Surrogates in General Nonlinear Optimization and MDO

This paper is concerned with a trust-region approximation management framework (AMF) for solving the nonlinear programming problem, in general, and multidisciplinary optimization problems, in particular. The intent of the AMF methodology is to facilitate the solution of optimization problems with high-fidelity models. While such models are designed to approximate the physical phenomena they describe to a high degree of accuracy, they use in a repetitive procedure, for example, iterations of an optimization or a search algorithm, make such use prohabitively expensive. An improvement in design with lower-fidelity, cheaper models, however, does not guarantee a corresponding improvement for the higher-fidelity problem. The AMF methdology proposed here is based on a class of multilevel methods for constrained optimization and is designed to manage the use of variable-fidelity approximations or models in a systematic way that assures convergence to critical points of the original, high-fidelity problem.
The Importance of Publicly Available Social Networking Sites (SNSs) to Entrepreneurs

This study examines the use of social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook and LinkedIn by entrepreneurs. The results contribute to the growing body of research on the uses of SNSs in the workplace. The findings show that entrepreneurs use SNSs in some of the same ways workers at large companies do (e.g. to cultivate business relationships and find job candidates) as well as some unique ways (e.g. to find credible subcontractors and to develop fundamental business relationships). Understanding the potential of SNSs to support work suggests implications for SNS design and theory development.
Unraveling plant metabolism by EST analysis

Large-scale single-pass sequencing of cDNAs prepared from specific plant species or tissues has evolved as an inexpensive and efficient gene-discovery tool that can be used to identify novel cDNAs encoding enzymes of specific plant metabolic pathways. Collections of expressed sequence tags from metabolically active tissues can provide quantitative estimates of gene expression levels and thus are being exploited to unravel plant metabolic and regulatory networks.
Epididymal Lipocalin-Type Prostaglandin D2 Synthase: Identification Using Mass Spectrometry, Messenger RNA Localization, and Immunodetection in Mouse, Rat, Hamster, and Monkey

This study identified prostaglandin D2 synthase (PGDS) in murine epididymal fluid using a proteomic approach combining two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry (MS). The caudal epididymal fluid was collected by retroperfusion, and proteins were separated by 2D gel electrophoresis followed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization MS analyses after trypsin digestion. The identification was based on the protein-specific peptide map as well as on sequence information generated by nano-electrospray ionization MS/MS. By in situ hybridization, the mRNA was detected in caput, corpus, and cauda, but it was not detected in the initial segment. The PGDS protein was mostly detected in the corpus and cauda by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry using a specific polyclonal antibody. In caudal fluid, PGDS was distributed among several isoforms (pI range, 6.5‐8.8), suggesting that this protein undergoes posttranslational modification of its primary sequence. After N-glycanase digestion, the molecular mass decreased from 20‐25 to 18.5 kDa, its theoretical mass. The PGDS was also detected in the epididymis of rat, hamster, and cynomolgus monkey from the caput to the cauda. In conclusion, MS is a powerful and accurate technique that allows unambiguous identification of the murine epididymal PGDS. The protein is 1) present throughout the epididymis, except in the initial segment, with an increasing luminal concentration from distal caput to cauda; 2) a major protein in caudal fluid; 3) an N-glycosylated, highly polymorphic protein; and 4) conserved during evolution. epididymis, gene regulation, male reproductive tract, sperm maturation
Solanaceae — a model for linking genomics with biodiversity

Recent progress in understanding the phylogeny of the economically important plant family Solanaceae makes this an ideal time to develop models for linking the new data on plant genomics with the huge diversity of naturally occurring species in the family. Phylogenetics provides the framework with which to investigate these linkages but, critically, good species-level descriptive resources for the Solanaceae community are currently missing. Phylogeny in the family as a whole is briefly reviewed, and the new NSF Planetary Biodiversity Inventories project ‘PBI: Solanum —a worldwide treatment’ is described. The aims of this project are to provide species-level information across the global scope of the genus Solanum and to make this available over the Internet. The project is in its infancy, but will make available nomenclatural information, descriptions, keys and illustrative material for all of the approximately 1500 species of Solanum. With this project, the opportunity of linking valid, up-to-date taxonomic information about wild species of Solanum with the genomic information being generated about the economically important species of the genus (potato, tomato and eggplant) can be realized. The phylogenetic framework in which the PBI project is set is also of enormous potential benefit to other workers on Solanum. The community of biologists working with Solanaceae has a unique opportunity to effectively link genomics and taxonomy for better understanding of this important family, taking plant biology to a new level for the next century. Copyright  2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid Reactivates HIV From Latently Infected Cells

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists in a latent form in infected individuals treated effectively with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). In part, these latent proviruses account for the rebound in viral replication observed after treatment interruption. A major therapeutic challenge is to purge this reservoir. In this study, we demonstrate that suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) reactivates HIV from latency in chronically infected cell lines and primary cells. Indeed, P-TEFb, a critical transcription cofactor for HIV, is released and then recruited to the viral promoter upon stimulation with SAHA. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway is involved in the initiation of these events. Using flow cytometry-based single cell analysis of protein phosphorylation, we demonstrate that SAHA activates this pathway in several subpopulations of T cells, including memory T cells that are the major viral reservoir in peripheral blood. Importantly, SAHA activates HIV replication in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from individuals treated effectively with HAART. Thus SAHA, which is a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug, might be considered to accelerate the decay of the latent reservoir in HAART-treated infected humans.
Analysis of the Amino Acid Sequence Specificity Determinants of the Enterococcal cCF10 Sex Pheromone in Interactions with the Pheromone-Sensing Machinery

The level of expression of conjugation genes in Enterococcus faecalis strains carrying the pheromone-responsive transferable plasmid pCF10 is determined by the ratio in the culture medium of two types of signaling peptides, a pheromone (cCF10) and an inhibitor (iCF10). Recent data have demonstrated that both peptides target the cytoplasmic receptor protein PrgX. However, the relative importance of the interaction of these peptides with the pCF10 protein PrgZ (which enhances import of cCF10) versus PrgX is not fully understood, and there is relatively little information about specific amino acid sequence determinants affecting the functional interactions of cCF10 with these proteins in vivo. To address these issues, we used a pheromone-inducible reporter gene system where various combinations of PrgX and PrgZ could be expressed in an isogenic host background to examine the biological activities of cCF10, iCF10, and variants of cCF10 isolated in a genetic screen. The results suggest that most of the amino acid sequence determinants of cCF10 pheromone activity affect interactions between the peptide and PrgX, although some sequence variants that affected peptide/PrgZ interactions were also identified. The results provide functional data to complement ongoing structural studies of PrgX and increase our understanding of the functional interactions of cCF10 and iCF10 with the pheromone-sensing machinery of pCF10.
Better Bootstrap Confidence Intervals

Abstract We consider the problem of setting approximate confidence intervals for a single parameter θ in a multiparameter family. The standard approximate intervals based on maximum likelihood theory, , can be quite misleading. In practice, tricks based on transformations, bias corrections, and so forth, are often used to improve their accuracy. The bootstrap confidence intervals discussed in this article automatically incorporate such tricks without requiring the statistician to think them through for each new application, at the price of a considerable increase in computational effort. The new intervals incorporate an improvement over previously suggested methods, which results in second-order correctness in a wide variety of problems. In addition to parametric families, bootstrap intervals are also developed for nonparametric situations.
Pregnancy and the Prolactin Family of Hormones: Coordination of Anterior Pituitary, Uterine, and Placental Expression

I. Introduction SPECIALIZED strategies have evolved for controlling embryonic development. In oviparous species, development of the embryo is dependent upon regulatory factors contained within the egg, whereas embryonic development in mammalian species and some nonmammalian species, viviparity, is more complex, requiring regulatory factors arising from maternal, extraembryonic, and embryonic tissues. Successful maturation of the mammalian embryo is largely dependent upon the functioning of a specialized extraembryonic tissue of pregnancy, the placenta. The placenta is a tissue that develops in concert with the embryo and enables the embryo to have access to and to control the availability of maternal resources. Several essential functions are performed by the placenta: 1) regulation of nutrient and waste transport between maternal and fetal compartments, 2) immunological modulation, preventing rejection of the genetically disparate embryo, and 3) transduction of fetal and maternal signals.
Polyanionische Cluster und Netzwerke der frühen p-Metalle im Festkörper: jenseits der Zintl-Grenze

Die Reduktion von p-Metallen und -Metalloiden (das sind Elemente, die im Periodensystem nach den Ubergangsmetallen kommen) durch Alkalimetalle fuhrt zu zahlreichen Salzen, die mehratomige Cluster- oder Netzwerkanionen dieser Elemente enthalten. Die fruhesten aus Losungen erhaltenen Verbindungen wurden als Zintl-Ionen bezeichnet. In den letzten Jahren konnte gezeigt werden, dass viele der Cluster auch durch solvensfreie Hochtemperaturreaktionen in binaren bis quaternaren Systemen gewonnen werden konnen. Dies gilt insbesondere fur die schwereren Elemente der dritten und vierten Hauptgruppe (Triele bzw. Tetrele). Neue praparative Methoden haben sich dabei als besonders nutzlich erwiesen. Elektronenabzahlregeln wie die Wade-Regeln, die bekanntlich fur andere Typen von Elektronenmangelclustern gelten, konnen auch auf viele dieser Verbindungen angewendet werden. Doch daneben wurden zahlreiche hypoelektronische (elektronenarme) Trielidsalze entdeckt. Diese Entwicklungen gelten auch fur verwandte, unendlich ausgedehnte Netzwerkstrukturen und Zintl(Valenz)-Verbindungen. Die Zintl-Definition zog traditionell eine Grenze zwischen den Tetrelen, die mit elektropositiven Metallen Salze bilden, und den Trielen und fruheren Elementen, von denen angenommen wurde, dass sie ausschlieslich intermetallische Phasen bilden. Diese Unterscheidung scheint heute nicht mehr angemessen zu sein, zumindest bei etlichen Alkalimetallverbindungen der Triele.
THE EFFECT OF AQUATIC PLANT SPECIES RICHNESS ON WETLAND ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES

Rapid environmental changes have fostered debates and motivated research on how to effectively preserve or restore ecosystem processes. One such debate deals with the effects of biodiversity, and the loss thereof, on ecosystem processes. Recent studies demonstrate that resource-use complementarity, now known as the "niche-differentiation effect," and the presence of a competitive species with strong effects on ecosystem pro- cesses, now known as the "sampling effect," can explain why productivity and nutrient retention are sometimes enhanced with increasing species richness. In a well-replicated outdoor mesocosm experiment, we tested these and other alternative mechanisms that could explain the effects of submersed aquatic plant (macrophyte) diversity on wetland ecosystem processes. Algal biomass increased and phosphorus loss decreased as species richness increased. This result can best be explained by an indirect sampling effect caused by one of the weakest competitors, which appeared to facilitate algal growth and thereby filtering of particles, and thus phosphorus, from the water column. The dominant competitor also appeared to decrease phosphorus loss through direct effects on phosphorus availability in the soil and water. Thus, the effects by one of the weakest and the most dominant competitors combine to produce a diversity effect on phosphorus loss. Macrophyte biomass was not enhanced, but converged toward the intermediate biomass of the most competitive species. Such an "inverse sampling effect" may be produced when the most competitive species is not the most productive species owing to species-specific feedbacks and adaptations to the wetland environment. In summary, we reject the niche-differentiation effect as the dominant mechanism in our macrophyte communities and expand on the role of sampling effects in explaining the relationship between plant communities and ecosystem processes. In particular, indirect and inverse sampling effects combine to drive the relationship between species richness and wetland ecosystem processes. Thus, we demonstrate that plant diversity may affect wetland ecosystem processes when inferior competitors drive system produc- tivity and nutrient retention. To ensure coexistence of such species with superior compet- itors, wetland systems may need to be maintained in a nonequilibrium state, such as with hydrologic disturbances, which would maintain both higher diversity and enhance ecosys- tem functioning.
A robust continuous time loop filter PWM class D amplifier with high linearity and good immunity to process variations

This paper describes a robust PWM class D amplifier with high linearity and good immunity to process variations. By using the proposed adaptive triangular wave generator (ATG), 0.0042% THD+N and 99.2dB dynamic range is achieved in this design. The standard deviation of THD+N ratio over 22 samples can be smaller by 4 times compared to the results without the adaptive triangular wave generator. This chip integrates power MOS stages and 2 channel design. The supply voltage is from 3V to 5.5V and the die area is 2.45mm × 2.9mm.
Pathophysiology of fatty acid oxidation disorders and resultant phenotypic variability

Fatty acids are a major fuel for the body and fatty acid oxidation is particularly important during fasting, sustained aerobic exercise and stress. The myocardium and resting skeletal muscle utilise long-chain fatty acids as a major source of energy. Inherited disorders affecting fatty acid oxidation seriously compromise the function of muscle and other highly energy-dependent tissues such as brain, nerve, heart, kidney and liver. Such defects encompass a wide spectrum of clinical disease, presenting in the neonatal period or infancy with recurrent hypoketotic hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, liver dysfunction, hyperammonaemia and often cardiac dysfunction. In older children, adolescence or adults there is often exercise intolerance with episodic myalgia or rhabdomyolysis in association with prolonged aerobic exercise or other exacerbating factors. Some disorders are particularly associated with toxic metabolites that may contribute to encephalopathy, polyneuropathy, axonopathy and pigmentary retinopathy. The phenotypic diversity encountered in defects of fat oxidation is partly explained by genotype/phenotype correlation and certain identifiable environmental factors but there remain many unresolved questions regarding the complex interaction of genetic, epigenetic and environmental influences that dictate phenotypic expression. It is becoming increasingly clear that the view that most inherited disorders are purely monogenic diseases is a naive concept. In the future our approach to understanding the phenotypic diversity and management of patients will be more realistically achieved from a polygenic perspective.
The Wheat Poly (A)‐Binding Protein Functionally Complements Pab1 in Yeast

Poly(A)-binding protein (PAB) binds to the poly(A) tail of most eukaryotic mRNAs and influences its translational efficiency as well as its stability. Although the primary structure of PAB is well conserved in eukaryotes, its functional conservation across species has not been extensively investigated. In order to determine whether PAB from a monocot plant species could function in yeast, a protein characterized as having PAB activity was purified from wheat and a cDNA encoding for PAB was isolated from a wheat seedling expression library. Wheat PAB (72 kDa as estimated by SDSPAGE and a theoretical mass of 70823 Da as determined from the cDNA) was present in multiple isoforms and exhibited binding characteristics similar to that determined for yeast PAB. Comparison of the wheat PAB protein sequence with PABs from yeast and other species revealed that wheat PAB contained the characteristic features of all PABs, including four RNA binding domains each of which contained the conserved RNPI and RNP2 sequence motifs. The wheat PAB cDNA functionally complemented a pab1 mutant in yeast suggesting that, although the amino acid sequence of wheat PAB is only 47% conserved from that of yeast PAB, this monocot protein can function in yeast.
The binding of vanadium (V) oligoanions to sarcoplasmic reticulum

The binding of monovanadate and decavanadate anions to sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was measured by equilibrium sedimentation. The affinity of vanadate binding and the molar amount of vanadium (V) bound at equilibrium is much greater with decavanadate than with monovanadate. The binding data can be rationalized in terms of one binding site per ATPase molecule for monovanadate and two sites per ATPase for decavanadate. The Ca-ATPase crystals formed with monovanadate and with decavanadate are similar in appearance, but decavanadate is particularly effective in promoting the crystallization of Ca2+-ATPase at low V concentration (10-100 microM) in a Ca2+-free medium.
Past exposure to asbestos among active railroad workers.

Before the transition from steam- to diesel-powered locomotives during the 1950s certain railroad workers had the opportunity for significant occupational exposure to asbestos. Past studies have demonstrated that older workers with jobs associated with the repair of steam locomotives had the most exposure. To determine the prevalence of currently employed railroad workers with past asbestos exposure we surveyed 514 white male employees of an active US railroad by mail questionnaire. Twenty-one percent (50/242) of the workers 50 years old or greater had likely asbestos exposure compared to 3% (9/275) of the workers 49 years old or less (p less than .001). Fifteen (30%) of the 50 older workers with likely asbestos exposure had current job titles no longer suggestive of past exposure. The duration of exposure of these older active workers was short, (median = 3 years; range, 6 months to 15 years). A history of past asbestos exposure may still be obtained among active railroad workers with past railroad shop employment.
The Speaker's Task Force in the Post-Reform House of Representatives

Because of changes in the issues at the center of controversy, changes in rules and norms and high membership turnover, the current House majority party leaders operate in a much less predictable environment than their predecessors did. In response to the changed environment, Speaker O'Neill has developed the strategy of leadership by inclusion, a central element of which is the Speaker's task force, an ad hoc group appointed by the Speaker and charged with passage of a specific bill. The leaders believe task forces help them perform both of their primary functions—building winning coalitions and “keeping peace in the family.” By increasing the number of people working in an organized way to pass the bill at issue, the task force increases the probability of a bill's success on the floor. Work on a task force satisfies junior members' expectations of participation and fosters cooperative patterns of behavior among party members.
Plasma signature of neurological disease in the monogenetic disorder Niemann Pick Type C

Early diagnosis of neurological disorders would greatly improve their management and treatment. A major hurdle is that inflammatory products of cerebral disease are not easily detected in blood. Inflammation in multiple organs and heterogeneity in disease present additional challenges in distinguishing the extent to which a blood-based marker reflects disease in brain or other afflicted organs. Murine models of the monogenetic disorder Niemann-Pick Type C present aggressive forms of cerebral and liver inflammatory disease. Microarray analyses previously revealed age-dependent changes in innate immunity transcripts in the mouse brain. We have now validated four putative secretory inflammatory markers that are also elevated in mouse liver. We include limited, first time analysis of human Niemann-Pick Type C liver and cerebellum. Furthermore, we utilized 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD, an emerging therapeutic) administered intraperitoneally in mice, which abrogates inflammatory pathology in the liver but has limited effect on the brain. By analyzing the corresponding effects on inflammatory plasma proteins, we identified cathepsin S as a lead indicator of liver disease. In contrast, lysozyme was a marker of both brain and liver disease. 2-Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin had no effect on transcripts of neuron-specific 24-hydroxylase, and its product 24(S)-hydroxycholesterol was not a useful indicator in mouse plasma. Our data suggest that dual analysis of levels of the inflammatory markers lysozyme and cathepsin S may enable detection of multiple distinct states of neurodegeneration in plasma.
Widening the Circle: General Weikersthal and the War of Annihilation, 1941–42

Recent scholarship concerning the Wehrmacht leadership in Nazi Germany's war against the Soviet Union (1941–1945) has provided a much more nuanced picture of the motivation and responsibility of the uppermost strata of general for the brutalization of the conflict. The generals just outside this inner military circle, however, continue to be largely ignored. Questions on the mentality of lower-ranking, frontline commanders toward the war of annihilation and what latitude they reserved for themselves in carrying out orders remain, like the war on the front itself, one of the least researched topics of World War II.
Normalization procedures and factorial representations for classification of correlation-aligned images: A comparative study

Abstract We have addressed the problem of optimizing procedures of multivariate statistical analysis (MSA) for identifying homogeneous sets of electron micrographs of biological macromolecules, with a view to averaging over consistent sets of images. Using pre-aligned images of negatively stained protein molecules — known a priori to fall into two subtly different classes — we compared how the capacity to discriminate between them was affected by the normalization procedure used, and by the choice of factorial representation. Specifically, these images were analyzed both after being scaled according to constant minimum and maximum (CMM) values, and after imposing constant values of image mean and variance (CMV). The factorial representations compared were correspondence analysis (CA) and the principal components (PC) formalism. When used with PC, CMM normalization was found to give rise to spurious inter-image fluctuations that were more pronounced than the genuine difference between the two kinds of images; even with CA, CMV proved to be a more satisfactory method of normalization. When CMV was used with CA or PC, both factorial representations yielded qualitatively similar results, although according to a quantitative measure of inter-set discrimination, the performance of PC was slightly superior. Even in the best case, however, the two classes of images — as mapped in factorial space — were not fully resolved. The implications of this observation are discussed with regard to potential ambiguities of image classification in practice.
Finding Spinel in All the Wrong Places

Spinel compounds are of continuing interest because they exhibit a wide range of novel and manipulable applications of value in electronic, magnetic, catalytic, photonic, and structural properties. Thus, the crystal structures, phase equilibria and composition ranges of materials that form both normal and inverse spinels have been studied extensively, frequently to optimize specific properties. Properties optimization drives continuing efforts to produce new materials, extend phase fields and improve homogeneity. This in turn provides the impetus to develop new synthesis and processing approaches. We recently demonstrated that liquid-feed flame spray pyrolysis, LF-FSP provides access to a new hexagonal phase in nano-Y3Al5O12 and a general route to nano-a-Al2O3 (30– 90 nm). We now find that LF-FSP offers a general route to common phase pure spinel nanopowders, (MO)1 x(Al2O3)x M1⁄4Mg, Ni, Co, Zn, and (MgO)0.6(Fe2O3)0.4, with compositions previously unknown thereby greatly extending their phase fields. Given their significant academic and commercial import, access to entirely new compositions in spinel phase materials could expand the horizons of spinel materials’ properties greatly. In LF-FSP, alcohol solutions of metalloorganics [e.g. Al(OCH2CH2)3N (alumatrane) and Mg(2,4-pentanedionato)2] are aerosolized with O2 into a quartz chamber (1.5 m) and combusted at 1500 8–2000 8C. Quenching to 300 8C in 30 ms over 1 m gives dispersible nanopowders often with novel phases as noted above and for example a one step synthesis of the difficult to produce Naþ doped b00-alumina. In an effort to dope nano-a-Al2O3 with MgO to prevent grain growth during sintering, LF-FSP was used to combinatorially produce MgO doped nano-d-Al2O3 as a prelude to a second pass through the LF-FSP system to produce Mg doped a-Al2O3. [24] Figure 1 shows XRDs for LF-FSP generated (MgO)x(Al2O3)1 x nanopowders where x1⁄4 0–0.20. Exact compositions were confirmed by XRF analyses.
Improving Accessibility for Students with Visual Disabilities in the Technology-Rich Classroom

As higher education has increasingly embraced digital technologies, we have been too slow to acknowledge accessibility issues for students with visual disabilities. One of the earliest promises of information and communication technology was increased accessibility to content. In theory, digitized content should be as equally accessible as the printed word on a screen, a braille keyboard, or an audible voice on a speaker. In the majority of educational technology, this promise has gone unfulfilled, and faculty members are largely unaware of the myriad obstacles that students with visual disabilities confront while navigating the technology-rich classroom. The principles of Universal Design in Instruction (UDI) provide guidance for developing curriculum that maximizes accessibility and usability of course content for all learners, including those with disabilities. This article examines the development of political science courses through the lens of UDI.
Special focus issue: ocular and ophthalmic drug delivery systems.

In this special focus issue, we turn our attention to the eye. One key aspect of drug delivery systems to the eye has been related to permeation characteristics of the cornea for novel drug deliver...