cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differential phosphorylation of RhoGDI mediates the distinct cycling of Cdc42 and Rac1 to regulate second-phase insulin secretion

Cdc42 cycling through GTP/GDP states is critical for its function in the second/granule mobilization phase of insulin granule exocytosis in pancreatic islet beta cells, although the identities of the Cdc42 cycling proteins involved remain incomplete. Using a tandem affinity purification-based mass spectrometry screen for Cdc42 cycling factors in beta cells, RhoGDI was identified. RNA interference-mediated depletion of RhoGDI from isolated islets selectively amplified the second phase of insulin release, consistent with the role of RhoGDI as a Cdc42 cycling factor. Replenishment of RhoGDI to RNA interference-depleted cells normalized secretion, confirming the action of RhoGDI to be that of a negative regulator of Cdc42 activation. Given that RhoGDI also regulates Rac1 activation in beta cells, and that Rac1 activation occurs in a Cdc42-dependent manner, the question as to how the beta cell utilized RhoGDI for differential Cdc42 and Rac1 cycling was explored. Co-immunoprecipitation was used to determine that RhoGDI-Cdc42 complexes dissociated upon stimulation of beta cells with glucose for 3 min, correlating with the timing of glucose-induced Cdc42 activation and the onset of RhoGDI tyrosine phosphorylation. Glucose-induced disruption of RhoGDI-Rac1 complexes occurred subsequent to this, coincident with Rac1 activation, which followed the onset of RhoGDI serine phosphorylation. RhoGDI-Cdc42 complex dissociation was blocked by mutation of RhoGDI residue Tyr-156, whereas RhoGDI-Rac1 dissociation was blocked by RhoGDI mutations Y156F and S101A/S174A. Finally, expression of a triple Y156F/S101A/S174A-RhoGDI mutant specifically inhibited only the second/granule mobilization phase of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, overall supporting the integration of RhoGDI into the activation cycling mechanism of glucose-responsive small GTPases.
The Utility of Serial Allograft Biopsies during Delayed Graft Function in Renal Transplantation under Current Immunosuppressive Regimens

Delayed graft function (DGF) of kidney transplants increases risk of rejection. We aimed to assess the utility of weekly biopsies during DGF in the setting of currently used immunosuppression and identify variables associated with rejection during DGF. We reviewed all kidney transplants at our institution between January 2008 and December 2011. All patients received rabbit antithymocyte globulin/Thymoglobulin (ATG) or Basiliximab/Simulect induction with maintenance tacrolimus + mycophenolate + corticosteroid therapy. Patients undergoing at least one weekly biopsy during DGF comprised the study group. Eighty-three/420 (19.8%) recipients during this period experienced DGF lasting ≥1 week and underwent weekly biopsies until DGF resolved. Biopsy revealed significant rejection only in 4/83 patients (4.8%) (one Banff 1-A and two Banff 2-A cellular rejections, and one acute humoral rejection). Six other/83 patients (7.2%) had Banff-borderline rejection of uncertain clinical significance. Four variables (ATG versus Basiliximab induction, patient age, panel reactive anti-HLA antibody level at transplantation, and living versus deceased donor transplants) were statistically significantly different between patients with and without rejection, though the clinical significance of these differences is questionable given the low incidence of rejection. Conclusions. Under current immunosuppression regimens, rejection during DGF is uncommon and the utility of serial biopsies during DGF is limited.
An examination of deoxyadenosine 5′(α‐thio)triphosphate as a ligand to define P2Y receptors and its selectivity as a low potency partial agonist of the P2Y1 receptor

1. The functional activity of deoxyadenosine 5'(alpha-thio)triphosphate (dATP alpha S) was assessed at the cloned human P2Y1 receptor stably expressed in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells and transiently expressed in Cos-7 cells. 2. Cells expressing the receptor responded to adenine nucleotides with an increase in [3H]-inositol phosphate accumulation. Half-maximal responses were obtained at approximately 30 nM for 2-methylthioadenosine-5'-triphosphate (2MeSATP), 300 nM for dATP alpha S, and 1000 nM for adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP). dATP alpha S produced a maximal response that was only 37 +/- 4% of that produced by ATP or 2MeSATP. dATP alpha S also competitively antagonized the phospholipase C response to 2MeSATP with a KB of 644 +/- 14 nM. Thus dATP alpha S acts as a low potency partial agonist at P2Y1 receptors. 3. The selectivity of dATP alpha S for P2Y1 receptors was determined by examining its capacity to activate P2Y2, P2Y4 and P2Y6 receptors also stably expressed in 1321N1 cells. Although dATP alpha S was a partial agonist at P2Y1 receptors it was a full agonist at P2Y2 receptors, albeit with a potency that was two orders of magnitude lower than at P2Y1 receptors. No agonist or antagonist activity was observed at P2Y4 and P2Y6 receptors. 4. Although [35S]-dATP alpha S bound to a relatively high density (ca 10 pmol mg-1 protein) of binding sites in membranes from 1321N1 or Cos-7 cells expressing the P2Y1 receptor, no difference in the total density of sites was observed between membranes from wild-type, empty vector-transfected, or P2Y1 receptor-expressing cells. Moreover, adenine nucleotide analogues inhibited [35S]-dATP alpha S binding with an order of potency that differed markedly from that for the accumulation of inositol phosphates in intact transfected P2Y1 receptor-expressing cells. Saturation binding experiments demonstrated multiple affinity states for [35S]-dATP alpha S binding in wild-type Cos-7 cell membranes. These data from 1321N1 and Cos-7 cells suggest that cellular membranes exhibit a large number of high affinity binding sites for [35S]-dATP alpha S that are not related to P2Y receptor subtypes.
ULTRAVIOLET ABSORPTION STUDIES OF THE ALKALI METAL ATOM-OXYGEN MOLECULE MATRIX REACTION

Abstract Alkali metal atoms were codeposited with oxygen at high dilution in argon on a sapphire window cooled to 17 K. Ultraviolet spectra contained a medium intensity absorption near 250 nm which exhibited a long wavelength component between 269 and 275 nm for the heavier alkali metals. The 250 nm band arises from M+O2− and is assigned to a π → π ∗ superoxide transition, and the absorption near 270 nm, which increased on sample warming, is attributed to M+O4−.
Objective neighborhood properties and perceptions of neighborhood problems: Using a geographic information system (GIS) in neighborhood effects and aging research

This study seeks to explore the antecedents of perceptions of neighborhood problems (PNP). The primary goal of this analysis is to explicate the relationship between objective neighborhood properties and PNP. A secondary goal is to examineperson-centered contextual aggregations based on one’s spatial proximity to nearby residential characteristics through the use of a geographic information system. The data used in this analysis consist of a diverse sample of 1,115 adults 65+ in Washington D.C., Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland. The study’s primary contextual indicator, the level of poverty in neighborhoods, acts as the most significant factor shaping PNP. The effects on PNP of neighborhoods with a higher concentration of poverty do not impact residents equally; rather, positive achievement, mainly education and income, appear to buffer PNP. Additionally, these findings suggest that the contextual aggregation of neighborhood properties matters relative to the magnitude, significance, and direction of neighborhood effects.
RADIAL VELOCITY ALONG THE VOYAGER 1 TRAJECTORY: THE EFFECT OF SOLAR CYCLE

As Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are approaching the heliopause (HP)—the boundary between the solar wind (SW) and the local interstellar medium (LISM)—we expect new, unknown features of the heliospheric interface to be revealed. A seeming puzzle reported recently by Krimigis et al. concerns the unusually low, even negative, radial velocity components derived from the energetic ion distribution. Steady-state plasma models of the inner heliosheath (IHS) show that the radial velocity should not be equal to zero even at the surface of the HP. Here we demonstrate that the velocity distributions observed by Voyager 1 are consistent with time-dependent simulations of the SW-LISM interaction. In this Letter, we analyze the results from a numerical model of the large-scale heliosphere that includes solar cycle effects. Our simulations show that prolonged periods of low to negative radial velocity can exist in the IHS at substantial distances from the HP. It is also shown that Voyager 1 was more likely to observe such regions than Voyager 2.
Developing an educational video on lung lobectomy for the general surgery resident.

Abstract Background The educational resources available to general surgery residents preparing for complex thoracic surgeries vary greatly in content and target audience. We hypothesized that the preparatory resources could be improved in both efficiency of use and targeting. Methods A formal needs analysis was performed to determine residents' knowledge gaps and desired format and/or content of an educational tool while preparing for their first lung resections. The results of the needs assessment then guided the creation of a 20-min video tool. The video was evaluated by a focus group of experts for appropriateness to the target audience, ease of use, and relevance. Results The needs assessment illustrated that residents feel there is a paucity of appropriate resources available to them while preparing for the lung resection procedure; 82% of respondents felt that easy-to-use and concise resources on the lobectomy procedure were either “not at all” or “somewhat” accessible. Residents reported that video was their preferred format for a learning tool overall and identified a broad spectrum of most challenging procedural aspects. These results were used to guide the creation of a 20-min video tool. A focus group validated the efficacy and appropriateness of the video. Conclusions Targeted and efficient tools for residents preparing for complex subspecialty procedures are needed and valued. These results clearly encourage further work in the creation of focused educational tools for surgical residents, especially in the format of short video overviews.
Valencene synthase – a biochemical magician and harbinger of transgenic aromas

Abstract Plants have the capacity to produce a wide array of terpene compounds – compounds that provide ecological and physiological benefit to plants. Terpenes also have important practical applications such as flavors, fragrances and medicines. Liat Sharon-Asa and colleagues have recently isolated and characterized a sesquiterpene synthase from Citrus that is providing a new window into the biochemical mechanics of these enzymatic wizards and hints for the future metabolic engineering of terpene biosynthesis.
Evidence for the Regulation of Phytochrome-mediated Processes in Bean Roots by the Neurohumor, Acetylcholine

Using pharmacological and chromatographic techniques, it was shown that acetylcholine was present in all organs of both light- and dark-grown mung bean seedings (Phaseolus aureus). The highest concentrations were found in tissues containing active growing points: buds and secondary roots. Within 4 minutes, red light caused an increase in the efflux of acetylcholine from secondary root tips as well as a significant increase in the endogenous titer. Four minutes of subsequent far red light reduced the latter to a level comparable to that in the dark.Acetylcholine, given for 4 minutes in the dark, was able to substitute for red light in reducing the formation of secondary roots, inducing increased H(+) efflux, and causing the root tips to adhere to a negatively charged glass surface. Acetylcholine-esterase and atropine inhibited the latter phenomenon, whereas eserine inhibited the far red-induced release from glass. THESE AND OTHER DATA SUPPORT THE CONCLUSION THAT ACETYLCHOLINE FUNCTIONS IN MUNG BEAN ROOTS AS IT DOES IN ANIMAL SYSTEMS: by mediating changes in ion flux across cell membranes. It also seems probable that acetylcholine acts as a local hormone which regulates these phytochrome-mediated phenomena.
The impact of scavenging on trace metal budgets in Puget Sound

Abstract The distributions of dissolved and particulate Mn, Pb, Cu and Zn in Puget Sound, its tributaries, and its sediments were determined to illustrate the impact of scavenging reactions on trace metal budgets of a large fjordlike estuary. About 75% of the dissolved Pb discharged into the main basin of Puget Sound was scavenged from the dissolved phase. The high particulate Pb concentrations in regions of high particulate Mn concentrations and the significant correlations between Pb and Mn concentrations on suspended particles demonstrate the importance of hydrous manganese oxide phases in scavenging dissolved Pb. Since particles are effectively retained within the main basin, scavenging results in the sedimentation of about 70% of the total Pb added to the main basin. Only isolated instances of scavenging of dissolved Cu and Zn were observed and the discharge rates of dissolved Cu and Zn from known sources were equal to their rates of advective removal within the errors of the budget. The remineralization of organically-bound particulate Cu is partly responsible for its quasi-conservative behavior within the main basin of Puget Sound. The fates of Cu and Zn are controlled mainly by physical processes such as advection and settling of particles. Advection removes about 60% of the total Cu and Zn added to the main basin while 40% is deposited in the sediments of Puget Sound.
Mediation and the Nash bargaining solution

This paper analyzes a model of bargaining in which two parties use a mediator who sequentially makes random proposals until agreement by both parties is reached. I show that as the cost of delay shrinks to zero, the subgame perfect payoff converges to the asymmetric Nash bargaining solution with weights determined by the relative discount rates of the players. I also establish conditions for the uniqueness of the subgame perfect equilibrium for arbitrary discount rates.
Earth's early crust

Recent research on Earth's oldest rocks has significantly changed our view of the first 800 million years of Earth's history. In the past it was believed that crust older than 3.8 billion years (Ga) was destroyed by meteorite impact. Bowring et al. [1989, 1990] reported the occurence of 3.96 Ga crustal rocks that ranged in composition from granite to tonalite. Geochemical data suggest that these rocks were in part derived by partial melting of pre-existing crust, requiring even older crust. Collerson [1991] and others reported data on ca. 3.8 Ga ultramafic rocks (rocks composed primarily of olivine and/or pyroxene) from Labrador that were interpreted as fragments of the mantle, making them the oldest known mantle rocks. These rocks have geochemical signatures that suggest they are fragments of depleted mantle, very much like the source of mid-ocean ridge basalts today. This suggests that the mantle was in existence by 3.8 Ga.
Modified minimal subtraction scheme parton densities with NNLO heavy flavor matching conditions

A study is made of charm and bottom flavor matching conditions on parton densities. Starting from an $\overline{\mathrm{MS}}$ three-flavor density set, where the scale $\ensuremath{\mu}l{m}_{c},$ and using the recently derived two-loop matching conditions, we provide a new set of four-flavor parton densities where ${m}_{c}l~\ensuremath{\mu}l{m}_{b}$ and five-flavor densities where $\ensuremath{\mu}g~{m}_{b}.$ The effect of the next-to-next-to-leading order matching conditions on the evolution equations is important for scales just above the transition regions. This includes the small x and small ${Q}^{2}$ domain studied by the H1 and ZEUS experiments at DESY HERA. At small x the effects of the matching conditions never die away even for large ${\ensuremath{\mu}}^{2}.$
Characterization of a hydroperoxide lyase gene and effect of C6-volatiles on expression of genes of the oxylipin metabolism in Citrus

A number of C6-volatile products of the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway was examined for their antifungal activity and a potential role as a signal molecule in citrus. trans-2-Hexenal induced the rough lemon lipoxygenase gene (RlemLOX), hydroperoxide lyase gene (RlemHPL) and AOS gene, but hexanal, and hexanol suppressed them. cis-3-Hexenol and trans-2-hexenol increased expression of the AOS gene but not RlemLOX and RlemHPL. Transcripts of the RlemHPL and AOS gene were detected constitutively in leaves by northern blot, but wounding or inoculation with nonpathogenic Alternaria alternata rapidly increased the transcript accumulation. Transcripts of the RlemHPL and AOS genes were also induced with pathogenic A. alternata, which produces the host-selective ACR-toxin, but the signal declined rapidly after inoculation. An increase in enzymatic activity of HPL after wounding or inoculation with nonpathogen was suppressed in leaves infected with the pathogen. Interestingly, vapor treatment with trans-2-hexenol delayed necrotic spot formation in the leaves inoculated with the pathogenic A. alternata. Since trans-2-hexenol has no antifungal activity to A. alternata and also did not inhibit necrosis formation by ACR-toxin alone, the delay of symptoms may be caused by activation of AOS in the LOX pathway to produce oxylipin derivatives such as methyl jasmonate for activation of defense related genes with antifungal activity.
Interstitial densities following radiotherapy.

After admission on June 30, R.D. remained intubated, and he continued on i.v. steroids, heparin, and warfarin. Nutritional needs were met with a nasointestinal feeding tube and nutritional preparations. He was alert and oriented and communicated appropriately with family and staff via written notes. The patient and his wife wanted to try a ventilator for a period of time before considering a "No CPR" order. His chest wound continued to be open but was healing slowly. Over the next few days, R.D. became more hypoxic with increased respiratory effort and required sedation and assist-control ventilator settings. On July 1, he required more sedation to keep him comfortable, but remained alert and oriented and continued to communicate with his family. On July 3, he sat in a chair for 1.5 hours. On July 4, he developed a large right pneumothorax and a chest tube was placed. He continued to indicate that he was short of breath. The patient remained very anxious and was started on a propofol drip. Later that day, his wife had a discussion with the healthcare team; the decision was made not to resuscitate the patient. On July 5, R.D.'s agitation increased and he was started on additional propofol for sedation, vecuronium bromide to facilitate breathing, and lorazepam i.v. push for relaxation. R.D.'s oxygenation-ventilation status declined through the night. After a discussion between the family and the physician on July 6, life support was withdrawn, and R.D. died later that day. Some of the factors that may have led to R.D.'s radiation-induced pneumonitis include his prior history of smoking as well as his former occupation as a coal miner. He received 15 radiation treatments to his chest area. He also received chemotherapy, including the drug paclitaxel; this combination may have contributed to his radiation-induced pneumonitis. The pneumonitis led to his immunosuppressed condition. R.D.'s superior vena cava syndrome led to the formation of clots for which he received heparin and coumadin. He received steroids to reduce the inflammation from the mediastinoscopy site and in his lung tissues. All of these factors contributed to R.D.'s outcome.
Frame-differencing methods for measuring bodily synchrony in conversation.

The study of interpersonal synchrony examines how interacting individuals grow to have similar behavior, cognition, and emotion in time. Many of the established methods of analyzing interpersonal synchrony are costly and time-consuming; the study of bodily synchrony has been especially laborious, traditionally requiring researchers to hand-code movement frame by frame. Because of this, researchers have been searching for more efficient alternatives for decades. Recently, some researchers (e.g., Nagaoka & Komori (IEICE Transactions on Information and Systems, 91(6), 1634–1640, 2008); Ramseyer & Tschacher, 2008) have applied computer science and computer vision techniques to create frame-differencing methods (FDMs) to simplify analyses. In this article, we provide a detailed presentation of one such FDM, created by modifying and adding to existing FDMs. The FDM that we present requires little programming experience or specialized equipment: Only a few lines of MATLAB code are required to execute an automated analysis of interpersonal synchrony. We provide sample code and demonstrate its use with an analysis of brief, friendly conversations; using linear mixed-effects models, the measure of interpersonal synchrony was found to be significantly predicted by time lag (p < .001) and by the interaction between time lag and measures of interpersonal liking (p < .001). This pattern of results fits with existing literature on synchrony. We discuss the current limitations and future directions for FDMs, including their use as part of a larger methodology for capturing and analyzing multimodal interaction.
Baseline signature data for multisensor (EM/GPR) algorithmic development

A government-funded effort was initiated to further develop algorithms based on the technology used in the U.S. Army’s latest handheld standoff mine detection system (HSTAMIDS). To this end, a complete multisensor (EM/GPR) baseline signature data set was acquired in the spring of 2003 over targets of interest for landmine detection. These were provided at a government-run test site in the eastern U.S. where hundreds of buried inert mines and discrete clutter objects are available for such signature measurements. Bringing the HSTAMIDS detector technology to this site, in conjunction with a tethered data acquisition hardware and platforms, resulted in a complete baseline multisensor signature data collection. Due to the multisensor nature of the HSTAMIDS technology, the properties of this data collection include total and real-time collocation of electromagnetic and radar sensors. Processed examples of signatures of objects of interest from this baseline signature data set are presented here, along with a summary of the use to which this data set has been put so far. The means for future requests for access to the baseline data set by individual researchers for further algorithm work are also detailed.
The Determination of Mechanical Parameters and Residual Stresses for Thin Films Using Micro-Cantilever Beams

A method for determining mechanical parameters and residual stresses for thin films is described. Multi-layer cantilever beams (LPCVD SiN x /thermal SiO 2 ) are fabricated utilizing standard IC processing technologies and micromachining of silicon. The elastic response of the beams to imposed deflections is then measured using a Nanoindenter, a sub-micron hardness testing machine. The elastic constants of the nitride films are calculated from the force vs. deflection slope and known elastic constants of the thermal SiO 2 and silicon. By measuring the curvature of the multi-layer cantilever beams with a scanning electron microscope after successive etching of the LPCVD nitride films, average and differential stresses in the films were calculated.
Effect of Pre-Cooling Eggs and Cartons upon Quality after Storage

Abstract Adoption of in-line washing, grading, and packing procedures at the farm level raises the possibility that producers may, in the interest of operating efficiency, process and pack eggs which have not been pre-cooled. This poses a question as to whether the quality of eggs handled in such a manner will change in storage from that of eggs which were cooled prior to being packed. Fry and Newell (1957) confirmed the findings of Lorenz and Newlon (1944) and Dawson and Hall (1954) that quality after holding did not differ significantly between (1) eggs cased immediately after gathering, and (2) eggs first cooled for several hours and then cased. The studies cited were conducted in the absence of controlled-temperature storage. The study reported here was conducted to determine if there were differences in quality, after holding in a refrigerated room, between eggs cartoned and cased immediately after gathering and eggs which had…
Students and Poems: Piercing “The Night Above the Dingle Starry”

(1977). Students and Poems: Piercing “The Night Above the Dingle Starry”. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning: Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 49-51.
Discharge outcomes of extremely low birth weight infants with spontaneous intestinal perforations

Discharge outcomes of extremely low birth weight infants with spontaneous intestinal perforations
Cortical unit activity in sleep and waking.

Abstract 1. 1. The spontaneous activity of neurons in postero-lateral cortex of cats was studied during natural sleep and waking. 2. 2. The rate of most units changes in one of two ways with change in behavioral state according to their frequency in waking. Slowly discharging units increase their firing rate when the animal passes from waking into synchronized sleep and increase still further in the desynchronized phase of sleep. Rapidly discharging units slow down in the transition from waking to synchronized sleep but speed up again in desynchronized sleep. The net result for the population of cells is little or no difference in mean rate between waking and synchronized sleep and significantly greater mean rate in desynchronized sleep than in either of the other two states. 3. 3. For all units there is a general trend in pattern of discharge from regularity in waking to marked irregularity in desynchronized sleep. 4. 4. Distinctive changes in rate and pattern of unit discharge indicate the approach of a desynchronized sleep period up to 1 min before the usual electrographic characteristics of that state are present. 5. 5. The temporal relationship between eye movement, EEG waves and unitary firing has been examined in detail. When they occur together, eye movement is always the leading event followed by an initially surface negative biphasic EEG wave (16 msec); unit bursting begins (72 msec) at approximately the same time as maximal surface positivity of the EEG wave (95 msec). The electrical events in the cortex are not always associated with eye movement and, when they are, have no relationship to direction, amplitude or speed of the eye movement. 6. 6. Units that fired in relation to eye movement and EEG waves tended to be those which increased their rate in desynchronized sleep. Firing associated with these phasic events accounted for 62% of the rate in desynchronized sleep and for all of the difference in rate between synchronized and desynchronized sleep. 7. 7. All of the above findings are true of cells regardless of their horizontal location on the cortical surface. The tendency for cells to fire in relation to eye movement increases with the depth of penetration. 8. 8. When taken together with lesion experiments, the results are consistent with the theory that desynchronized sleep is an active process controlled by the brain stem.
BREASTFEEDING AND POSTPARTUM MATERNAL CARE

The early postpartum period is a time of transition for families. Breastfeeding, the optimal form of feeding for newborns, doesn't always come naturally. Medical interventions at birth can affect early breastfeeding, and close follow up of breastfeeding couplets is essential. New mothers often deal with challenges such a postpartum depression, thyroid disease, perineal pain, and other sexual concerns. Physicians can support families in this transition period to help optimize it for the mother and her baby.
Production and evaluation of silicon immersion gratings for infrared astronomy.

Immersion gratings, diffraction gratings where the incident radiation strikes the grooves while immersed in a dielectric medium, offer significant compactness and performance advantages over front-surface gratings. These advantages become particularly large for high-resolution spectroscopy in the near-IR. The production and evaluation of immersion gratings produced by fabricating grooves in silicon substrates using photolithographic patterning and anisotropic etching is described. The gratings produced under this program accommodate beams up to 25 mm in diameter (grating areas to 55 mm×75 mm). Several devices are complete with appropriate reflective and antireflection coatings. All gratings were tested as front-surface devices as well as immersed gratings. The results of the testing show that the echelles behave according to the predictions of the scalar efficiency model and that tests done on front surfaces are in good agreement with tests done in immersion. The relative efficiencies range from 59% to 75% at 632.8 nm. Tests of fully completed devices in immersion show that the gratings have reached the level where they compete with and, in some cases, exceed the performance of commercially available conventional diffraction gratings (relative efficiencies up to 71%). Several diffraction gratings on silicon substrates up to 75 mm in diameter having been produced, the current state of the silicon grating technology is evaluated.
combinFormation: a mixed-initiative system for representing collections as compositions of image and text surrogates

People need to find, work with, and put together information. Diverse activities, such as scholarly research, comparison shopping, and entertainment involve collecting and connecting information resources. We need to represent collections in ways that promote understanding of individual information resources and also their relationships. Representing individual resources with images as well as text makes good use of human cognitive facilities. Composition, an alternative to lists, means putting representations of elements in a collection together using design principles to form a connected whole.We develop combinFormation, a mixed-initiative system for representing collections as compositions of image and text surrogates. The system provides a set of direct manipulation facilities for forming, editing, organizing, and distributing collections as compositions. Additionally, to assist users in sifting through the vast expanse of potentially relevant information resources, the system also includes a generative agent that can proactively engage in processes of collecting information resources and forming image and text surrogates. A generative temporal visual composition agent develops the collection and its visual representation over time, enabling users to see more possibilities. To keep the user in control, we develop interactive techniques that enable the user to direct the agent.For evaluation, we conducted a field study in an undergraduate general education course offered in the architecture department. Alternating groups of students used combinFormation as an aid in preparing one of two major assignments involving information discovery to support processes of invention. The students that used combinFormation were found to perform better.
Dose map and placement co-optimization for timing yield enhancement and leakage power reduction

In sub-100 nm CMOS processes, delay and leakage power reduction continue to be among the most critical design concerns. We propose to exploit the recent availability of fine-grain exposure dose control in the stepper to achieve both design-time (placement) and manufacturing-time (yield-aware dose mapping) optimizations of timing yield and leakage power. Our placement and dose map co-optimization can simultaneously improve both timing yield and leakage power of a given design. We formulate the placement-aware dose map optimization as a quadratic program, and solve it using an efficient quadratic programming solver. In this paper, we mainly focus on the placement-aware dose map optimization problem; in the Appendix, we describe the complementary but less impactful dose map-aware placement optimization, and an efficient cell swapping heuristic. Experimental results are promising: with typical 90 nm stepper (ASML Dose Mapper) parameters, we achieve more than 8% improvement in minimum cycle time of the circuit without any leakage power degradation.
Power, Status, and Learning in Organizations

This paper reviews the scholarly literature on the effects of social hierarchy---differences in power and status among organizational actors---on collective learning in organizations and groups. We begin with the observation that theories of organization and group learning have tended to adopt a rational system model, a model that emphasizes goal-directed and cooperative interactions between and among actors who may differ in knowledge and expertise but are undifferentiated with respect to power and status. Our review of the theoretical and empirical literatures on power, status, and learning suggests that social hierarchy can complicate a rational system model of collective learning by disrupting three critical learning-related processes: anchoring on shared goals, risk taking and experimentation, and knowledge sharing. We also find evidence to suggest that the stifling effects of power and status differences on collective learning can be mitigated when advantaged actors are collectively oriented. Indeed, our review suggests that higher-ranking actors who use their power and status in more “socialized” ways can play critical roles in stimulating collective learning behavior. We conclude by articulating several promising directions for future research that were suggested by our review.
Laser Electrospray Mass Spectrometry Minimizes Ion Suppression Facilitating Quantitative Mass Spectral Response for Multicomponent Mixtures of Proteins

A comparison of the mass spectral response for myoglobin, cytochrome c, and lysozyme is presented for laser electrospray mass spectrometry (LEMS) and electrospray ionization–mass spectrometry (ESI–MS). Analysis of multicomponent protein solutions using nonresonant femtosecond (fs) laser vaporization with electrospray postionization mass spectrometry exhibited significantly reduced ion suppression effects in comparison with conventional ESI analysis, enabling quantitative measurements over 4 orders of magnitude in concentration. No significant charge reduction was observed in the LEMS experiment while the ESI measurement revealed charge reduction for myoglobin and cytochrome c as a function of increasing protein concentration. Conventional ESI–MS of each analyte from a multicomponent solution reveals that the ion signal detected for myoglobin and cytochrome c reaches a plateau and then begins to decrease with increasing protein concentration preventing quantitative analysis. The ESI mass spectral response ...
Towards New Antifolates Targeting Eukaryotic Opportunistic Infections

Trimethoprim, an antifolate commonly prescribed in combination with sulfamethoxazole, potently inhibits several prokaryotic species of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). However, several eukaryotic pathogenic organisms are resistant to trimethoprim, preventing its effective use as a therapeutic for those infections. We have been building a program to reengineer trimethoprim to more potently and selectively inhibit eukaryotic species of DHFR as a viable strategy for new drug discovery targeting several opportunistic pathogens. We have developed a series of compounds that exhibit potent and selective inhibition of DHFR from the parasitic protozoa Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma as well as the fungus Candida glabrata. A comparison of the structures of DHFR from the fungal species Candida glabrata and Pneumocystis suggests that the compounds may also potently inhibit Pneumocystis DHFR.
Toward self-correcting search engines: using underperforming queries to improve search

Search engines receive queries with a broad range of different search intents. However, they do not perform equally well for all queries. Understanding where search engines perform poorly is critical for improving their performance. In this paper, we present a method for automatically identifying poorly-performing query groups where a search engine may not meet searcher needs. This allows us to create coherent query clusters that help system design-ers generate actionable insights about necessary changes and helps learning-to-rank algorithms better learn relevance signals via spe-cialized rankers. The result is a framework capable of estimating dissatisfaction from Web search logs and learning to improve per-formance for dissatisfied queries. Through experimentation, we show that our method yields good quality groups that align with established retrieval performance metrics. We also show that we can significantly improve retrieval effectiveness via specialized rankers, and that coherent grouping of underperforming queries generated by our method is important in improving each group.
Introduction: Disputed Questions in Patristic Trinitarianism

This special issue of Harvard Theological Review is devoted to a critical discussion of fourth-century Christian trinitarian theology, a topic that is now in a significant new phase of scholarly debate amongst both historical and systematic theologians. The papers and conversation published here arose from a day-conference on 5 May 2006 at Harvard Divinity School, when a number of invited scholars and doctoral students from Yale, Chicago, Emory, Fordham, Weston Jesuit School of Theology, and St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, joined the students of the Harvard conference course, “Trinitarianism and Anti-trinitarianism: The Christian God in Dispute” (Spring 2006), for a day of shared papers and public debate. The immediate focus of the event was a roundtable on Lewis Ayres's important new book, Nicaea and Its Legacy (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), and that discussion—in extended format—now makes up the first part of this issue. Other papers from students then followed, supplemented by comments from senior members from the floor. In the second part of this issue, two of those original papers, along with two other specially commissioned pieces—on Gregory of Nazianzus and Augustine, respectively—extend and refine the debate outlined in the first part. This brief introduction will explain the wider significance of this ongoing debate about patristic trinitarianism, both East and West, and outline what this issue of HTR contributes to it.
Relativistic distorted-wave collision strengths and oscillator strengths for f-like ions with 22 ≤ Z ≤ 92☆

Abstract Relativistic distorted-wave collision strengths have been calculated for the three transitions among the three levels with a hole in the n = 2 shell and for the 327 transitions from these levels to the excited levels with two holes in the n = 2 shell and one electron in the n = 3 shell in all the 71 F-like ions with nuclear charge number Z in the range 22 ≤ Z ≤ 92. The results are given here for a sample of 18 values of Z . The calculations were made for the six final, or scattered, electron energies E ′ = 0.008, 0.04, 0.10, 0.21, 0.41, and 0.75, where E ′ is in units of Z eff 2 rydbergs with Z eff = Z − 6.667. In addition, the transition energies and electric dipole oscillator strengths are given. To our knowledge the present work is the first comprehensive publication of the results of fully relativistic calculations of the collision strengths for excitation of F-like ions.
The Effects of Geography and Spatial Behavior on Health Care Utilization among the Residents of a Rural Region

The goal of this analysis is to determine the importance of geographic and spatial behavior factors in the health care utilization of the residents of rural communities. These geographic factors are part of a general conceptual framework of rural health care utilization. The health and health care of rural Americans are complex. Rural Americans are disadvantaged compared with their urban counterparts in several important ways that affect their health: they are disproportionately poorer, proportionately fewer are of working age, and they have less education (Ricketts 1999). The rural U.S. has 20 percent of the national population, but less than 11 percent of its physicians. Rural versus urban residents are more often uninsured (18.7 versus 16.3 percent), more likely to report being in fair or poor health, have restricted activity, and lower levels of access to a regular primary care provider (Ricketts 1999). A major problem that rural dwellers face is access to care (Ricketts and Savitz 1994; Medicare Payment Advisory Commission 2001). Although access can be measured in many ways, geographic access is of primary concern in many rural areas. People who live in isolated places, relatively far from metropolitan areas or urban centers, often find it very difficult to contact health care personnel or facilities. In comparison with urban dwellers, rural residents have to travel farther to care and face other problems such as poor quality roads and lack of public transportation. These problems are well known and yet their solution eludes the efforts of the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, and regional governments (Ricketts 1999).
Bullying in Middle School as a Function of Insecure Attachment and Aggressive Attitudes

This study tested a model for understanding peer bullying as the product of aggressive attitudes and insecure attachment. A sample of 110 sixth grade students completed self-report measures that assessed attitudes toward the use of aggressive behaviour with peers and distinguished secure from insecure parental attachment. Bullying behaviour was assessed using self- and peer-report. Path analyses indicated that aggressive attitudes mediated a relationship between insecure attachment and bullying behaviour. These findings have theoretical and applied implications for bullying prevention.
New Contact Etch Process for Embedded DRAM Applications

For embedded DRAM (E-DRAM) devices with feature sizes of 0.25 µm and beyond, contact processes with low contact resistance and low junction leakage current are required. The contact etch process needs to etch through multi-layer structures with SiO2, SiON/SiN layers and stop on Ti-polycide gate and Ti-salicide active regions at the same time. The key issues include high selectivity to TiSix, vertical profile, complete removal of SiON/SiN cap layer and no polymer residues. In this paper, multi-layer contact etching without attacking TiSix is reported. Using new process chemistry, the new contact etch process has been demonstrated for the manufacturing of 0.25 µm E-DRAM and beyond.
Synthesis and androgen receptor affisity of steroidal methylsulfonylforans and a menthylsulfonylthiophene

Abstract Syntheses of the unsubstituted steroidal [3,2-b]furan ( 3a ), thiophene ( 3b ) and [2,3-b]furan ( 24 ) are described. Lithiation of the THP ethers 18a and 18b followed by the reaction with methyl disulfide and deprotection gave the 5′-methylsulfide derivatives 19a and 19b . Oxidation of the sulfides and ethynylation provided the compounds 2a and 2b . Swern oxidation of the [2,3-b]furan 24 with DMSO/TFAA/diisopropylethylamine resulted in oxidation to the 17-ketone and introduction of a 5′-methylthio group to give 25 . Ethynylation at C-17 followed by oxidation of the sulfide group provided the product 27 . 5′-Methylsulfonyl[3,2-b]furanosteroid 2a bound to the rat ventral prostate androgen receptor. However, the corresponding thiophene 2b and the [2,3-b]furan 27 lacked affinity for the receptor.
CULTURAL AND PRACTICAL BARRIERS TO SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR CHINESE AMERICANS

Based on a sample of 1747 from the Chinese American Psychiatric Epidemiological Study, this report examined perceived barriers to mental health treatment. Two factors emerged, namely practical barriers, which included cost of treatment, time, knowledge of access, and language, and cultural barriers consisting of credibility of treatment, recognition of need, and fear of loss of face. Average ratings of all practical barrier items were higher than cultural barrier items, demonstrating the importance of pragmatic considerations for this population. In a novel attempt, this study examined the empirical link between these perceived barriers and actual mental health service use. The practical barrier factor showed significance in predicting service use for both the whole sample and a subsample of individuals with at least one lifetime mental disorder. Cultural barriers, however, did not attain significance. Practice and research implications of the findings are discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comm Psychol 32: 27–43, 2004.
Social facilitation of agonistic responses to strangers in pairs of saddle back tamarins (Saguinus fuscicollis).

The effect of the presence of a familiar social partner on the interactions of saddle back tamarins with unfamiliar conspecifics was studied. Fifteen adult male-female pairs, of which six were composed of a castrated male and an intact female, served as subjects. All subject pairs were given two social encounters during which both mates met a strange male and two encounters during which they met a strange female. In addition, all subjects were given four encounters during which they met the same strangers while their own pair mates were absent. As a group, the subjects showed higher intensities of injurious aggression and of agonistic displays when they met strangers in the presence of their own pair mates. Females and castrated males, as subgroups, showed significant increases in most agonistic responses when they met strangers in the presence of their pair mates. Intact males, however, did not.
Combined partial response decision feedback equalization and coding for the Lorentzian channel

This paper considers a combined coding and equalization technique applied to the magnetic recording channel. The optimization of the coded-equalization scheme for this channel requires balancing the coding rate with its associated distance gain and equalization loss. A major concern in a coded-equalization scheme using decision feedback equalization (DFE) is error propagation. A new indicator to measure the effect of error propagation when using soft decision decoding is proposed. For medium to high normalized recording densities (S>1.5), it is shown that error propagation significantly degrades the theoretical performance of a detection scheme which combines a partial response DFE and simple trellis codes. In fact, this combined system performs worse than the uncoded one. The addition of delayed decision feedback sequence estimation (DDFSE) to limit the effect of error propagation is then investigated. With a moderate decoding complexity, positive coding gains have been achieved at such densities when choosing the partial response polynomial according to the derived indicator.
the devil made me do it: use of neutralizations by shoplifters

Interviews with 137 apprehended shoplifters revealed widespread use of techniques of neutralizations. Two new neutralizations were identified: Justification by Comparison and Postponement. The authors argue that while earlier formulations of neutralization theory contend that deviants must neutralize moral prescriptions prior to committing a crime, research is incapable of determining whether the stated neutralization is a before-the-fact neutralization or an after-the-fact rationalization and that neutralization more typically follows rather than precedes deviance. They agree with Hirschi (1969:208) who states that an after-the-fact rationalization in one instance may be a causal neutralization in another instance and that the assumption that delinquent acts come before justifying beliefs is the more plausible causal ordering.