cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thin Film In-Plane Silicon Thermal Conductivity Dependence on Molecular Dynamics Surface Boundary Conditions

The in-plane thermal conductivity of thin silicon films is predicted using equilibrium molecular dynamics, the Stillinger-Weber potential and the Green-Kubo relationship. Film thicknesses range from 2 to 200 nm. Periodic boundary conditions are used in the directions parallel to the thin film surfaces. Two different strategies are evaluated to treat the atoms on the surfaces perpendicular to the thin film direction: adding four layers of atoms kept frozen at their crystallographic positions, or restraining the atoms near the surfaces with a repulsive potential. We show that when the thin-film thickness is smaller than the phonon mean free path, the predictions of the in-plane thermal conductivity at 1000K differ significantly depending on the potential applied to the atoms near the surfaces. In this limit, the experimentally observed trend of decreasing thermal conductivity with decreasing film thickness is predicted when the surface atoms are subject to a repulsive potential in addition to the Stillinger-Weber potential, but not when they are limited by frozen atoms.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Self-adjusting top trees

The dynamic trees problem is that of maintaining a forest that changes over time through edge insertions and deletions. We can associate data with vertices or edges, and manipulate this data individually or in bulk, with operations that deal with whole paths or trees. Efficient solutions to this problem have numerous applications, particularly in algorithms for network flows and dynamic graphs in general. Several data structures capable of logarithmic-time dynamic tree operations have been proposed. The first was Sleator and Tarjan's ST-tree [16, 17], which represents a partition of the tree into paths. Although reasonably fast in practice, adapting ST-trees to different applications is nontrivial. Topology trees [9], top trees [3], and RC-trees [1] are based on tree contractions: they progressively combine vertices or edges to obtain a hierarchical representation of the tree. This approach is more flexible in theory, but all known implementations assume the trees have bounded degree; arbitrary trees are supported only after ternarization. We show how these two approaches can be combined (with very little overhead) to produce a data structure that is as generic as any other, very easy to adapt, and as practical as ST-trees.
Transcription inhibition: A potential strategy for cancer therapeutics

Interference with transcription triggers a stress response leading to the induction of the tumour suppressor p53. If transcription is not restored within a certain time frame cells may undergo apoptosis in a p53-dependent and independent manner. The mechanisms by which blockage of transcription induces apoptosis may involve diminished levels of anti-apoptotic factors, inappropriate accumulation of proteins in the nucleus, accumulation of p53 at mitochondria or complications during replication. Many chemotherapeutic agents currently used in the clinic interfere with transcription and this interference may contribute to their anti-cancer activities. Future efforts should be directed towards exploring whether interference of transcription could be used as an anti-cancer therapeutic strategy.
An unstable tetrahedral mantle-convection model, continental drift, and polar ice sheets

Abstract Dislocation creep theory is cited to postulate an unstable tetrahedral convection pattern in the earth's mantle. This pattern is then assumed to cooperate with other convection mechanisms to account for the gross features of plate tectonics. Instability of the pattern arises from the combination of high Rayleigh numbers and high Prandtl numbers, which causes an ideal tetrahedral convection pattern to degenerate into four largely randomly wandering upwelling plumes which act as nodes connecting narrow, weaving, ascending curtains. These curtains enclose broad regions of downwelling, and define the convection cell boundaries. Convection flow may also be discontinuous. Hence the four convection cells are continually changing in size, shape, and position with respect to each other, and this may be the dynamic controlling sea-floor spreading and continental drift. Convection so visualized has considerable inherent versatility, and the model is fitted to one reconstruction of Phanerozoic crustal events to demonstrate its utility. Polar ice sheets may be a natural laboratory where this and other models of mantle convection can be tested.
Laser amplification with a twist: traveling-wave propagation and gain functions from throughout the cochlea.

Except at the handful of sites explored by the inverse method, the characteristics—indeed, the very existence—of traveling-wave amplification in the mammalian cochlea remain largely unknown. Uncertainties are especially pronounced in the apex, where mechanical and electrical measurements lack the independent controls necessary for assessing damage to the preparation. At a functional level, the form and amplification of cochlear traveling waves are described by quantities known as propagation and gain functions. A method for deriving propagation and gain functions from basilar-membrane mechanical transfer functions is presented and validated by response reconstruction. Empirical propagation and gain functions from locations throughout the cochlea are obtained in mechanically undamaged preparations by applying the method to published estimates of near-threshold basilar membrane responses derived from Wiener-kernel (chinchilla) and zwuis analysis (cat) of auditory-nerve responses to broadband stimuli. The properties of these functions, and their variation along the length of the cochlea, are described. In both species, and at all locations examined, the gain functions reveal a region of positive power gain basal to the wave peak. The results establish the existence of traveling-wave amplification throughout the cochlea, including the apex. The derived propagation and gain functions resemble those characteristic of an active optical medium but rotated by 90° in the complex plane. Rotation of the propagation and gain functions enables the mammalian cochlea to operate as a wideband, hydromechanical laser analyzer.
Recent developments on InGaAs/GaAs circular-grating distributed Bragg reflector lasers

In this paper, we report on the design and fabrication of electrically-pumped circular-grating surface-emitting DBR lasers for operation in 0.98 micrometers wavelength range. The layer structure consists of InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs strained multi-quantum-wells grown by one step epitaxial growth. Circular gratings are defined by electron-beam lithography around the circular gain sections. The effect of various parameters are discussed and the most recent results are presented.
Medicare, Swing Beds, and Critical Access Hospitals:

Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) receive cost-based reimbursement from Medicare for inpatient care, including post-acute skilled care provided in swing beds (skilled swing days). Because the reimbursement formula treats swing bed and acute days equally, there is concern that CAH skilled swing days are "overreimbursed" as compared with skilled days provided in other settings. The reimbursement formula is complex; thus, empirical estimates are needed to identify the marginal cost per day to the hospital and the implied Medicare expenditure per day, accounting for fixed cost transfers between services. Using Medicare cost report data, we find that Medicare paid, on average, $581 for the routine portion of a CAH skilled swing day in 2009--more than the estimated marginal cost of $262, but less than the 2009 average per diem of $1,302. Estimates varied widely across the 1,300 CAHs; therefore, payment policy changes would likely have a broad range of effects.
Increasing expression level and copy number of a Yarrowia lipolytica plasmid through regulated centromere function.

Manipulating gene expression using different types of plasmids (centromeric, 2-micron, and autonomously replicating sequence) can expand expression levels and enable a quick characterization of combinations, both of which are highly desired for metabolic engineering applications. However, for the powerful industrial workhorse Yarrowia lipolytica , only a low-copy CEN plasmid is available. In this study, we engineered the CEN plasmid from Y. lipolytica by fusing different promoters upstream of the centromeric region to regulate its function and expand its range. By doing this, we successfully improved the copy number and gene expression at plasmid level by 80% and enabled a dynamic range of nearly 2.7-fold. This improvement was seen to be independent from both the promoter and gene used in the expression cassette. These results present a better starting point for more potent plasmids in Y. lipolytica .
Singularities of an interface crack impinging on a triple grain junction

The crack-tip stress-field singularity of a crack lying along a grain boundary and impinging on a grain triple junction is investigated. The three grains forming the triple junction are considered to be made from the same anisotropic material, albeit with different orientations of the principal material axes. The analysis is limited to elastic plane-strain deformation and is carried out using the Eshelby-Stroh formalism for anisotropic elasticity. The effect of the anisotropy on the level of the singularity is investigated for both transversely cubic and orthotropic grains.
The α-gal epitope (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R) in xenotransplantation

Many patients with failing organs (e.g., heart, liver or kidneys), do not receive the needed organ because of an insufficient number of organ donors. Pig xenografts have been considered as an alternative source of organs for transplantation. The major obstacle currently known to prevent pig to human xenotransplantation is the interaction between the human natural anti-Gal antibody and the α-gal epitope (Galα1-3Galβ1-4GlcNAc-R), abundantly expressed on pig cells. This short review describes the characteristics of anti-Gal and of the alpha-gal epitope, their role in inducing xenograft rejection and some experimental approaches for preventing this rejection.
Federal legislation and wetlands protection in Georgia: Legal foundations, classification schemes, and industry implications

Abstract This paper integrates the legal, biological, and industrial implications of wetlands protection. The development and current status of United States law governing operations in forested wetlands are reviewed, including the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that determine whether permits are needed. The definitions and delineation schemes used in the Southeast for determining wetlands are summarized. Emphasis is placed on evaluation of ecological parameters presently used in determining wetlands. Since certain new criteria used in wetlands delineations have not been widely tested, the questions that need to be explored for further interpretations of jurisdiction over wetlands will be addressed. Implications for forest management practices are discussed.
Dependence of T c on hydrostatic pressure in superconducting MgB 2

The dependence of ${T}_{c}$ on hydrostatic (He-gas) pressure for superconducting ${\mathrm{MgB}}_{2}$ has been determined to 0.7 GPa. We find that ${T}_{c}$ decreases linearly and reversibly under pressure at the rate ${\mathrm{dT}}_{c}/dP\ensuremath{\simeq}\ensuremath{-}1.11\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 \mathrm{K}/\mathrm{G}\mathrm{P}\mathrm{a}.$ These studies were carried out on the same sample used in earlier structural studies under He-gas pressure which yielded the bulk modulus $B=147.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.7 \mathrm{GPa}.$ The value of the logarithmic volume derivative of ${T}_{c}$ is thus accurately determined, $d\mathrm{ln}{T}_{c}/d\mathrm{ln}V=+4.16\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.08,$ allowing quantitative comparison with theory. The present results support the emerging picture that ${\mathrm{MgB}}_{2}$ is a BCS superconductor with electron-phonon pairing interaction.
Medium- and Long-Distance 1H–13C Heteronuclear Correlation NMR in Solids

Abstract A simple method for obtaining 1 H– 13 C HETCOR solid-state NMR spectra reflecting only medium- and long-range 1 H– 13 C correlation peaks is presented. By dephasing the magnetization of protons directly bonded to a 13 C nucleus, the short-range correlation peaks, which contain limited structural information, can be cleanly suppressed without reducing the long-range cross peaks significantly. The resulting reduction of resonance overlap simplifies spectral assignment. The dephasing of the intensity of a given peak in the HETCOR spectrum traces out a 1 H– 13 C distance-dependent REDOR curve. This medium- and long-distance (MELODI) HETCOR experiment is demonstrated on a mixture of amino acids with 13 C in natural abundance. It is useful for resonance assignment of proteins and other organic solids with partial or no 13 C labeling.
Human studies on alcohol and susceptibility to HIV infection

Here we review existing evidence that alcohol intake may influence the susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and the effect that alcohol may have on accelerating the onset of AIDS after the initial infection. Possible immunological and psychosocial mechanisms to explain the increased incidence of HIV-1 infection in alcoholism are discussed.
Superficial ulnar artery: A contraindication to radial forearm free tissue transfer

Objectives: Superficial ulnar artery is a vascular anomaly that may be encountered during elevation of forearm flaps for head and neck reconstruction. This anomaly should be considered in patients with a positive Allen's test. Study Design: Case report and retrospective review of forearm flaps performed at our institution. Methods: A 72-year-old man with a history of total laryngectomy presented for closure of a pharyngocutaneous fistula with radial forearm flap. A positive Allen's test and undetectable Doppler over the thenar eminence with radial artery occlusion was noted. An ulnar flap was felt to be the best alternative. A superficial ulnar artery was discovered upon elevation of the ulnar flap. Despite its anomalous course, the artery provided several fasciocutaneous branches, and the flap was successfully used to repair the patient's fistula. A retrospective review of forearm flaps and the incidence of superficial ulnar artery at our institution is presented. Results: A total of 690 forearm flaps (571 radial, 51 ulnar, and 68 osteocutaneous radial) were performed from 1998 to 2010. Superficial ulnar artery was encountered three times, yielding an incidence of 0.43%. In each case, the preoperative Allen's test suggested a dominant radial artery circulation. In all cases, a fasciocutaneous ulnar flap was successfully used. Conclusions: Superficial ulnar artery should be considered with a positive Allen's test. An ulnar fasciocutaneous flap based on the superficial ulnar artery is a safe alternative to the radial fasciocutaneous flap in this setting.
Correlates of physical violence in marital relationships among first-generation Korean Americans:

EnglishAims were to examine if a model exists explaining partner abuse from perceptual and demographic measures among 223 Korean immigrants. A model containing various perceptual and demographic measures was able to explain 58.6 percent of the variability. These models could be used to identify individuals at risk of becoming perpetrators.FrenchPar une methode de mesures perceptuelles et demographiques effectuees sur une cohorte de 223 immigrants Coreens, cette etude cherche E savoir s'il existe un modele explicatif de violence conjugale. Un modele contenant une variete de mesures perceptuelles et demographiques a pu expliquer 58,6% de la variabilite. Ce modele pourrait etre utilise pour identifier des individus E risque de devenir des conjoints violents.SpanishSe investiga si existe un modelo que explique maltrato de pareja, usando medias preceptuales y demograficas entre 223 coreanos inmigrantes. Un modelo pudo explicar 58.6 percent de la varianza. Estos modelos pueden ser utiles para identificar indivi...
Communications: Solutions to the Shortage of Approved Fish Therapeutants

Abstract Thirty-nine compounds are now registered or approved for aquatic or fisheries uses, of which only eight are for the treatment of diseases. Three antibacterials are approved, but only two, Terramycin and Romet 30, are available. Despite a rapidly expanding volume of literature about the effectiveness of compounds against fish pathogens, virtually no researchers have conducted the types of studies needed for approval of these compounds by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is a pressing need for the development of data on pharmacokinetics, residue dynamics, withdrawal periods, metabolites, and environmental fate for compounds with potential fisheries applications. We do not need more candidate drugs. Researchers should focus their studies on compounds that have good efficacy, are available in veterinary or feed formulations and, if possible, are already approved for use in another animal species. If a drug is available only for human use, most sponsors will not support its use in aquacult...
Leukocyte migration inhibition assay of tumor immunity in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

The leukocyte migration inhibition test was used to study specific tumor immunity in carcinoma of the cervix. The test was done by the capillary tube method using Sykes Moore chambers. Test antigen was extracted from the ME-180 cervical squamous cell carcinoma cell line (either uninfected or infected with herpes simplex virus type II) by the hypotonic lysis, low frequency sonication method. Control antigen preparations from nonsquamous cell carcinoma tissues were also used. Thirty patients with invasive cervical carcinoma, sixteen patients with cervical dysplasia or in situ carcinoma, nineteen normal controls, and forty patients with other malignancies were studied. There was a significantly greater degree of leukocyte migration inhibition by the cervical cancer antigen among the leukocytes of the patients with invasive cervical carcinoma than in the other four groups. Mean migration indices were .55, .89, .93 and .91 in the four groups, respectively. Significant migration inhibition (defined as a migration index under 0.70) was not frequently seen among the leukocytes of the patients with in situ carcinoma or cervical dysplasia. Significant migration inhibition was not seen in any group with the control antigens. The antigen from herpes infected cells inhibited migration to a slightly greater degree than the antigen from noninfected cells. More vigorous reactions were seen in patients under the age of 50 than in patients over the age of 50. In patients with invasive carcinoma there was no relationship of the degree of migration inhibition to the stage of disease (Stage I-IV). These data indicate that 1) there is specific tumor immunity in cervical carcinoma, 2) that there may be a common antigen expressed on the ME-180 cell line and 3) that the tumor burden may have to reach either a critical size or level of invasiveness before it can elicit a host reaction detectable by these methods.
Prevalence and risk factors of chorioamnionitis among adolescents

Abstract Objective: To identify the prevalence of chorioaminionitis and unique risk factors for this disorder among adolescents under 18 years of age. Methods: At their first prenatal visit we interviewed 352 adolescents who received prenatal care and delivered an infant at our institution between April 20, 1992, and November 10, 1994, to elicit information on demographic characteristics and behavioral risk factors. Retrospective chart review confirmed the presence of chorioamnionitis using accepted clinical criteria. We determined reproductive history, evidence of sexually transmitted disease, duration of labor, use of oxytocin, an internal uterine pressure monitor or conduction anesthesia, timing and duration of ruptured membranes, type of delivery, and infant birth weight from review of subjects’ charts. Logistic regression analysis was used to develop adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for risk factors of chorioaminionitis. Results: Ten percent (34 of 352) of adolescents met the clinical definition for chorioamnionitis. Alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy (OR 7.6; 95% CI 2.3, 25.8) and being married or living with a partner (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.1, 6.5) were significantly associated with chorioamnionitis, as was conduction anesthesia (OR 4.1; 95% CI 1.1, 15.4), a second stage labor longer than 2 hours (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.4, 8.5), and rupture of the membranes longer than 18 hours (OR 6.9; 95% CI 2.5, 18.9). Parity or preterm delivery did not differ significantly between those with or without chorioamnionitis. Conclusion: These data suggest that in addition to risk factors observed in adults, adolescents who concurrently use tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy, are married or living with a male partner, and have conduction anesthesia are at increased risk for chorioamnionitis.
Postpartum depression, urge urinary incontinence, and overactive bladder syndrome: is there an association?

The purpose of this prospective, cross-sectional study was to determine if there was an association between postpartum depression and symptoms of overactive bladder in postpartum women. At their 6 week postpartum visit, participants completed questionnaires regarding lifestyle, personal health, urinary incontinence, and depression symptoms, including the Urge-Urinary Distress Inventory (URGE-UDI), the Urge-Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (URGE-IIQ), and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Past medical history, including obstetric variables, family history, and medications were extracted from the medical record. One hundred patients completed the questionnaires at the University of Michigan Hospital and 46 patients at the University of Virginia Hospital (mean age 29.2 ± 6.1 years; 18–47 years) at their postpartum visit (mean time 45.2 ± 9.4 days postpartum; 11–79 days). Sixteen percent of the women had depression (EPDS score of >12) or were borderline (EPDS score of 9–12) for postpartum depression. There was no difference in age and race in women with and without depression. Type of delivery, vaginal vs cesarean section did not significantly impact their URGE-UDI or URGE-IIQ score. There was a significant correlation between the URGE-IIQ score and depression (0.24, p = 0.003), but not the URGE-UDI score. In this cross-sectional study, we found an association between postpartum depression and symptoms of urge incontinence. Because birth is a predictable event, further studies evaluating the causal relationships and physiologic changes linking depression and incontinence can be studied using this model.
Birth Defects among Infants Born to Women Who Received Anthrax Vaccine in Pregnancy

In response to bioterrorism threats, anthrax vaccine has been used by the US military and considered for civilian use. Concerns exist about the potential for adverse reproductive health effects among vaccine recipients. This retrospective cohort evaluated birth defects, in relation to maternal anthrax vaccination, among all infants born to US military service women between 1998 and 2004. Department of Defense databases defined maternal vaccination and infant diagnoses; multivariable regression models described potential associations between anthrax vaccination and birth defects in liveborn infants. Among 115,169 infants born to military women during this period, 37,140 were born to women ever vaccinated against anthrax, and 3,465 were born to women vaccinated in the first trimester of pregnancy. Birth defects were slightly more common in first trimester-exposed infants (odds ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.997, 1.41) when compared with infants of women vaccinated outside of the first trimester, but this association was statistically significant only when alternative referent groups were used. Although the small observed association may be unlikely to represent a causal relation between vaccination in early pregnancy and birth defects, this information should be considered when making decisions about administering anthrax vaccine to pregnant women.
Diminished spinal cord size associated with congenital scoliosis of the thoracic spine.

Background: Intraspinal anomalies are common in patients with congenital scoliosis and are a known risk factor for neurological complications. Smaller but normal-appearing spinal cords have not been described in association with congenital scoliosis, nor have they been considered to be an anomaly with a similar neurological risk. We previously reported on small spinal cords associated with Klippel-Feil syndrome. We hypothesized that patients with congenital thoracic scoliosis would similarly have smaller spinal cords as compared with normal controls, with a potentially increased risk for myelopathy. Methods: We reviewed thirty patients with congenital scoliosis (including fifteen patients with failure of vertebral formation and fifteen with failure of vertebral segmentation). All patients had adequate axial T2-weighted, digitally formatted magnetic resonance imaging scans that were suitable for cross-sectional measurement. Cross-sectional areas of the spinal cord and spinal canal at each of the twelve thoracic levels were calculated three times by a blinded observer, and the average values were compared with measurements from age-matched normal controls. Results: We observed a significantly smaller mean cross-sectional area at all levels of the spinal cord in the study group as compared with the control group (p < 0.01). When the pathological segments were evaluated, both with and without the inclusion of the adjacent normal segments, the spinal cord was smaller for the study group (p < 0.01). Within the study group, small spinal cords were observed in patients with failed vertebral formation as well as in patients with failed vertebral segmentation, but without an identifiable difference between these two subgroups. The spinal canal was also smaller for the patients in the study group, but not in all cases. No patient showed a reduction of, or encroachment on, the space available for the spinal cord. Spinal cord size increased with age in both the study group and the control group but remained consistently smaller in the study group. Within the study group, the presence of intraspinal anomalies did not appear to influence the spinal cord size. Conclusions: The spinal cord is significantly smaller in patients with congenital thoracic scoliosis than in normal controls. Because small spinal cords have been reported to be associated with neurological sequelae, we advise that the diminished spinal cord size be considered an important component of intraspinal anomalies associated with congenital scoliosis.
Mapping inhibitory neuronal circuits by laser scanning photostimulation.

Inhibitory neurons are crucial to cortical function. They comprise about 20% of the entire cortical neuronal population and can be further subdivided into diverse subtypes based on their immunochemical, morphological, and physiological properties1-4. Although previous research has revealed much about intrinsic properties of individual types of inhibitory neurons, knowledge about their local circuit connections is still relatively limited3,5,6. Given that each individual neuron's function is shaped by its excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input within cortical circuits, we have been using laser scanning photostimulation (LSPS) to map local circuit connections to specific inhibitory cell types. Compared to conventional electrical stimulation or glutamate puff stimulation, LSPS has unique advantages allowing for extensive mapping and quantitative analysis of local functional inputs to individually recorded neurons3,7-9. Laser photostimulation via glutamate uncaging selectively activates neurons perisomatically, without activating axons of passage or distal dendrites, which ensures a sub-laminar mapping resolution. The sensitivity and efficiency of LSPS for mapping inputs from many stimulation sites over a large region are well suited for cortical circuit analysis. Here we introduce the technique of LSPS combined with whole-cell patch clamping for local inhibitory circuit mapping. Targeted recordings of specific inhibitory cell types are facilitated by use of transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent proteins (GFP) in limited inhibitory neuron populations in the cortex3,10, which enables consistent sampling of the targeted cell types and unambiguous identification of the cell types recorded. As for LSPS mapping, we outline the system instrumentation, describe the experimental procedure and data acquisition, and present examples of circuit mapping in mouse primary somatosensory cortex. As illustrated in our experiments, caged glutamate is activated in a spatially restricted region of the brain slice by UV laser photolysis; simultaneous voltage-clamp recordings allow detection of photostimulation-evoked synaptic responses. Maps of either excitatory or inhibitory synaptic input to the targeted neuron are generated by scanning the laser beam to stimulate hundreds of potential presynaptic sites. Thus, LSPS enables the construction of detailed maps of synaptic inputs impinging onto specific types of inhibitory neurons through repeated experiments. Taken together, the photostimulation-based technique offers neuroscientists a powerful tool for determining the functional organization of local cortical circuits.
The equatorial „maximum deformation“ belt

Two important structural types are distinguished for the globe as a whole: 1. rotating blocks, such as the Pacific block today, with its associated rim of earthquake and volcanic activity and 2. mirror-symmetric east-west strike-slip systems, such as in the area of the Caribbean Sea today. A third type, the large scale drag fold system, is thought to develop, from time to time, along the margins of one of the others, especially when a reorientation occurs. Appalachian-Ouachita-Marathon history is reviewed sketchily in terms of these concepts. Rearrangements of crustal blocks, in the various mechanisms listed above, may explain the opening and closing of major evaporite basins of the past.
Erasmus and Tyndale on Bible-reading

The relation between Erasmus and the Reformation has been widely discussed, yet Erasmus' undoubted influence on William Tyndale has been little analyzed. In common with other reformers, William Tyndale learned to read the Bible from Erasmus. His reading of Erasmus, nevertheless, was not straightforward or simple, and certainly his theological conclusions were not the same. Erasmus set out his conception of Bible-reading in his Ratio verae theologiae of 1518, and those same principles are to be found throughout his writings of that time and later. Yet Tyndale's understanding of Bible-reading does not derive from this source, I will argue here, as much as from the Enchiridion militis christiani of 1503, which Tyndale had translated" Even at that, Tyndale's reading of Erasmus was selective and idiosyncratic. Nevertheless, the result is not arbitrary, but derives from an Erasmianism reduced to its philological elements, ignoring the rhetorical theology that dominates Erasmus' mature hermeneutic. Erasmus' rhetorical theology is now very well known. It is Christocentric, in that the figure of Christ as a personality, as a perfect God-man, is central to it. The Erasmus of 1516-18 wishes the character of Christ to be known to all, to become alive in believers from their reading of the Scriptures. In the Introduction to the New Testament, he had mentioned the veneration of images and gone on:
AMSH Interacts with ESCRT-0 to Regulate the Stability and Trafficking of CXCR4

Reversible ubiquitination is essential for the endocytic sorting and down-regulation of G protein-coupled receptors, such as the chemokine receptor CXCR4. The deubiquitinating enzyme AMSH has been implicated in the endocytic sorting of both G protein-coupled receptors and receptor-tyrosine kinases. Herein, we examine the role of AMSH in the regulation of CXCR4 stability and trafficking and characterize protein-protein interactions critical for this function. Loss of AMSH catalytic activity or depletion by RNAi results in increased steady-state levels of CXCR4 under basal conditions. Analysis of truncation and point mutation of AMSH reveal the importance of an RXXK motif for CXCR4 degradation. The RXXK motif of AMSH interacts with the SH3 domains of the STAM and Grb2 families of adaptor proteins with high affinity. Cells expressing a catalytically inactive mutant of AMSH show basal hyperubiquitination, but not increased degradation, of the ESCRT-0 components STAM1 and Hrs. This is dependent on the RXXK motif of AMSH. Ubiquitination of endocytic machinery modulates their activity, suggesting that AMSH may directly regulate endocytic adaptor protein function. This is reflected in CXCR4 trafficking and provides a mechanism by which AMSH specifies the fate of endocytosed receptors. Taken together, these studies implicate AMSH as a key modulator of receptor fate determination through its action on components of the endocytic machinery.
2D plasmon propagation inside a two-dimensional electron gas layer with a low loss metallic gate

We have used perturbation theory to analytically characterize 2D plasmons' propagation inside gated two dimensional electron gas layers of hetero-structures. Using this analysis, the attenuations due to ohmic losses of the metallic gate are calculated.
Biomimetic mineralization of collagen via an enzyme-aided PILP process

Abstract The development of bone-like collagen-hydroxyapatite composites is highly desirable because bone has outstanding mechanical properties and resorptive potential, and a combination of these characteristics could ultimately lead to a load-bearing and bioresorbable bone substitute. Our prior work has shown that intrafibrillar mineralization of collagen can be achieved using a polymer-induced liquid-precursor (PILP) mineralization process. In our in vitro model system, polyaspartate is used to mimic the acidic non-collagenous proteins involved in bone formation. We have previously shown that the anionic polypeptide sequesters ions to induce an amorphous calcium phosphate precursor, and we have put forth the hypothesis that the early-stage precursor is highly hydrated, enabling fluidic droplets to be drawn into the gaps and grooves of collagen fibrils by capillary action. Here, we further our biomimetic approach by using alkaline phosphatase to provide a slow release of inorganic phosphate ions from a phosphate ester, mimicking the biochemical processes of ion regulation found in natural bone formation. The collagen-hydroxyapatite composites were characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED), which show that nanocrystals of hydroxyapatite are intrafibrillar and [0 0 1] oriented along the collagen fibril axis. With repeated mineralization steps, the fibrils become cemented together with a non-descript extrafibrillar mineral coating. Although the degree of intrafibrillar mineralization was not as high as our usual method, we believe that with further optimization this enzyme-aided PILP process could provide a closer mimic to the biochemical processes involved in bone formation, and serve as a useful in vitro model system for studying the mechanisms involved in bone formation.
Experiments on a High-Vacuum, High-Electric Field Stress Pulsed Power Interface

Improving the materials used in a vacuum interface between a pulsed power system and the vacuum region has been a goal for many years. The interface problem is difficult because of the electrical, mechanical and vacuum issues that must be satisfied simultaneously. Traditionally the pulsed power community has made use of acrylics for the interface, and has found applying a light coating of oil is needed for reliable operation. However, the oil coating typically limits use for tens to hundreds of pulses and must be re-applied periodically. The acrylic material limits the base vacuum obtainable; the vapor pressure of acrylic is in the low 10"7 Torr vacuum. The opposite end of interface spectrum is conventional vacuum tube industry that uses ceramics to obtain ultra-high vacuums. The goal has been to obtain the base vacuums obtainable by ceramic interfaces without the associated high cost relative to acrylic interfaces. Several years earlier, a pulsed power system (500 kV, 100 Omega, 1 musec, 1 pulse/sec) was assembled using a high-density polyethylene vacuum interface. The base vacuum was observed to reach the low 10-9 Torr level. We present results on experiments comparing the performance of an acrylic and high-density polyethylene interface. We also discuss a ceramic interface that was designed and built.
Current Research on Myofascial Trigger Points–Pathophysiological Studies

SUMMARYObjectives: To summarize recent studies on myofascial trigger point [MTrP] to further clarify the mechanism of MTrP.Methods: To review recent clinical and basic science studies related to the pathophysiology of MTrPs.Results: There are multiple loci in an MTrP region. A clinical MTrP characteristically exhibits a sensory component [sensitive locus] and a motor component [active locus]. A sensitive locus is the site from which spot tenderness, referred pain [ReP], and local twitch response [LTR] can be elicited by mechanical stimulation. Sensitive loci [probably sensitized nociceptors] can be widely distributed in the whole muscle, but are concentrated in the endplate zone. An active locus is the site from which spontaneous electrical activity [SEA] can be recorded. Active loci are dysfunctional endplates, since SEA is essentially the same as electrical activity recorded from an abnormal endplate as reported by neurophysiologists. An MTrP is always found in a taut band which is histologically relate...
Enhanced accumbal dopamine release following 5-HT2A receptor stimulation in rats pretreated with intermittent cocaine

This study was conducted to determine whether dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NACC) following 5-HT2A receptor stimulation is potentiated by intermittent cocaine. Rats received daily injections of either saline or cocaine (30 mg/kg, s.c.) for 14 days. At the 7th day after withdrawal, microdialysis was performed in the NACC. Infusion of (±)-1-(4-iodo-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI, 50 μM), a 5-HT2 receptor agonist, into the NACC produced greater and longer-lasting increases in extracellular DA in the rats pretreated with cocaine than in the rats pretreated with saline. The DOI-induced increases in NACC DA were attenuated by co-perfusion with ketanserin (50 μM), a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist. The results are consistent with the concept that intermittent cocaine may cause enhanced sensitivity of 5-HT2A receptors within the NACC.
Geometric constraints: a refined model for the structure of silica glass

Abstract A refined model is presented for the structure of silica glass. This modulated network model is a direct heir not only to the continuous random network model of Zachariasen, but also to the various micro-crystalline models. It consists of domains of six-ring networks linked by interfacial material containing rings of other sizes. The model is consistent with available diffraction data and is supported by some new geometrical theorems which lead to important restrictions on the network topology.
A simple model of distributed programs based on implementation-hiding and process autonomy

This paper presents a model for a network of communicating processes. We extend well known ideas in sequential programming such as procedures, parameter passing and binding, and recursion to distributed programs. We stress the notion of implementation-hiding, i.e. the invoker of a process or procedure has no knowledge of the implementation of the invoked computation.
The two tier syndrome behind waiting lists

The Labour government is making a serious effort to shorten the waiting times for specialist assessment and treatment. But if real progress is to be made it must tackle the two tier syndrome. Past governments have formally sponsored private practice as a second tier by assuring long waits for NHS services and by writing contracts that provide consultants with incentives and ample time to induce patients to pay high fees for the treatments they should receive free. Waiting lists have been attacked piecemeal and it is a pointless effort. Charges that lists are artificially reduced by pressurising general practitioners not to refer, or removing people from the lists, or by making more serious cases wait longer, are shuffling exercises that leave underlying causes untouched. > This is a blatant conflict of interest, an invitation to mischief The two tier syndrome has six elements that have reinforced each other so well that the public and doctors think that long waits are as much a fact of life as waiting nine months for a …
The effects of azapirones on serotonin1A neurons of the dorsal raphe

1. The effects of buspirone, gepirone, ipsapirone and tandospirone on spontaneously discharging serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe were determined under the same experimental conditions. 2. Buspirone, gepirone, ipsapirone and tandospirone were equally efficacious and acted in a dose-dependent manner to totally inhibit the spontaneous activity of serotonergic neurons. 3. Based on their effects six min after administration (i.p.), their ED50 values were: buspirone, 134 micrograms/kg; ipsapirone, 220 micrograms/kg; gepirone, 225 micrograms/kg; tandospirone, 198 micrograms/kg. 4. The similarity of these ED50 data suggest that they share a similar chemical structure that binds to the 5-HT1A receptor, most likely it is "N-C-C-C-C-N" aliphatic backbone. 5. Buspirone and tandospirone required 4 or more min to totally block the spontaneous activity, while gepirone and ipsapirone blocked it in 3 min. 6. The dose-response curves from buspirone and tandospirone demonstrated enough dissimilarity to the dose-response curves from gepirone and ipsapirone to suggest differences in their rates of absorption, and/or differences in the production of active and inactive metabolites.
A Stilbene Optical Brightener can Enhance Bacterial Pathogenicity to Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) and Colorado Potato Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Stilbene optical brighteners were first investigated to protect biological control agents such as viruses, fungi, and nematodes against ultraviolet light. Some are known to enhance the activity of insect viruses in Lepidoptera. In this work, one stilbene brightener, Tinopal LPW, also increased mortality of gypsy moth and Colorado potato beetle larvae when treated with bacteria/optical brightener combinations. This increase in mortality, however, did not occur for every bacteria/insect combination. In gypsy moth, a significant increase in larval mortality was observed only with Bacillus thuringiensis combined with Tinopal LPW. In Colorado potato beetle, however, the addition of Tinopal LPW increased larval mortality with all bacteria tested (B. thuringiensis, Serratia marcescens, Photorhabdus luminescens, and Chromobacterium sp.). The brightener also decreased the time to kill for these pathogens. This decrease in LT50 was observed not only for bacteria+Tinopal LPW combinations, but also for combinations o...
Synoptic Observations of the Supersoft Binary MR Velorum (RX J0925.7−4758): Determination of the Orbital Period

Synopic observations of MR Velorum (RX J0925.7-4758) taken over 5 months with the YALO telescope at CTIO have allowed us to narrow the window of acceptable orbital periods. When these data are then combined with photometry taken over the past decade, a well-determined period of 4.0287822 ± 0.0000026 days is found. It is now possible to phase together various published photometric and spectroscopic data.
Validity of uniaxial accelerometry during activities of daily living in children

The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of treadmill-based equations of two commonly used uniaxial accelerometers to estimate energy expenditure (EE) during activities of daily living in children. Twelve subjects with mean (SD) age11.4 (0.4) years engaged in a choreographed routine consisting of three activities (sweeping, bowling, and basketball) of 4min duration while wearing a Manufacturing Technology, Inc. (MTI) accelerometer, Caltrac accelerometer, and a portable gas analyzer (Cosmed K4b(2)). The equations of Trost et al. and Sallis et al. were used to convert activity counts to estimations of EE for the MTI and Caltrac, respectively. Correlation coefficients between Caltrac predictions of EE and measured EE from indirect calorimetry ranged from r=0.22 to 0.72 for individual activities. Correlations between MTI EE predictions and indirect calorimetry ranged from r=0.50 to 0.68 for individual activities. When the activities were pooled the correlations between EE from uniaxial accelerometers and EE from indirect calorimetry were moderately strong (MTI, r=0.78 and Caltrac, r=0.82). Inter-accelerometer (counts min(-1)) correlations were 0.08, -0.54, 0.63, and 0.79 for sweeping, bowling, basketball, and pooled data, respectively. The overall mean difference, or bias, and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each uniaxial accelerometer compared to indirect calorimetry were as follows: Caltrac, bias = 2.80 (2.36, 3.24) kcal min(-1); MTI, bias = 0.88 (0.23, 1.53) kcal min(-1). Both accelerometers significantly underestimated measured EE ( P<0.05). Uniaxial accelerometers provide potential for the measurement of physical activity (PA) and EE in children. Future studies refining accelerometry predictions of PA and EE are warranted.
Communicable Respiratory Threats in the ED: Tuberculosis, Influenza, SARS, and Other Aerosolized Infections

Respiratory infections are the most common communicable infectious diseases. EDs are the front line for patients with respiratory infections because of their acute nature and because the ED is the principal site of health care for those at highest risk. These diseases include influenza, tuberculosis, and measles, together accounting for 25% of infectious causes of death worldwide. These are emerging and biothreat agents that follow the same route of transmission, such as pneumonic plague. We discuss epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of each agent. Emphasis is on the ED's role as a public health prevention arena, with attention to education and disease prevention, early identification of disease in patients at risk, and reduction of illnesses.
A new approach to old English meter based upon an analysis of formulaic language

L'A. propose une nouvelle approche de la metrique en vieil anglais. Pour lui, la plupart des demi-lignes dans la poesie du vieil anglais sont divisees en deux elements. Le premier element rempli les fonctions alliteratives et metriques, et le deuxieme est constitue de monosyllabes non accentuees, considerees comme extrametriques
Toward an Activity-Based Conception of Writing and School Writing Contexts

In this study, the author examines the ways a small group of students and their teacher from an intermediate-level university writing class use the texts they create to negotiate private and shared public understandings of the complex interactional contexts of their work together. The author begins by examining some of the competing goals and motives that energize the participants' classroom efforts. To understand the sources of those diverse purposes and how they serve to shape and sustain subsequent classroom interactions, the author develops an activity-based framework of analysis that draws extensively from dialogical and functional-linguistic approaches to language, context, and interaction. Writing and written communication are portrayed as linguistically mediated and interactively structured processes of contextualization. Implications for how we conceptualize and organize classroom interactions, such as intensive peer review and student-teacher conferencing, and the central role that talk and writ...