cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Purified Pasteurella multocida protein toxin reduces acid phosphatase-positive osteoclasts in the ventral nasal concha of gnotobiotic pigs.

To study thein vivo response of conchal (turbinate) osteoclasts toPasteurella multocida toxin, four gnotobiotic pigs (7 days of age) were inoculated subcutaneously with 0.2 μg/kg of purified toxin. One toxin-treated pig along with one control pig were necropsied at 2, 5, 9, and 14 days postinoculation. The entire length of nasal concha from the nasal planum to ethmoid region was removed, blocked by transverse cuts into five areas, decalcified, sectioned, and then stained with tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) to identify osteoclasts. In each section, total area of concha, total osteoclast cytoplasmic area, and number of osteoclasts were determined using an image analysis morphometric unit. Also collected from pigs were blood and serum for complete blood counts, electrolyte levels, liver enzymes, and TRAP levels. Conchal atrophy increased in severity with time after 2 days postinoculation. In general, the ventral conchae from toxin-treated pigs at 9 and 14 days postinoculation had decreased surface area, osteoclast cytoplasmic area, and numbers of osteoclasts. Serum levels of TRAP were mildly elevated when compared with age-matched controls. No other significant alterations in blood cells or chemistries occurred and no lesions were present histologically in tissues (liver, kidney, lung, heart, and spleen) other than concha. This study shows that theP. multocida toxin induces rapid bone resorption and increases serum levels of acid phosphatase but leads to diminished acid phosphatase expression and presumably, numbers of osteoclasts.
Conservation of a 29-base-pair sequence within maxicircle ARS fragments from six species of trypanosomes.

Abstract The maxicircles from Trypanosoma brucei, Herpetomonas samuelpessoai, Leptomonas seymouri, and Phytomonas davidi were examined for the presence of a 29-bp sequence termed CF29 that has been found in the ars 189 sequence from the Crithidia fasciculata maxicircle and in Lt-ars 189 from the maxicircle of Leishmania tarentolae. The CF29 sequence also contains a yeast consensus ARS of(T/A)TTTATPuTTT(T/A). All of the maxicircles examined contained specific fragments that hybridized to the CF29 probe. The non-replicating yeast plasmid vector YIp5 was used to clone these CF29-containing maxicircle fragments. High-frequency transformation was observed when these chimeric plasmids were used to transform Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Autonomous replication of these transforming plasmids was verified by Southern analysis of yeast-cell extracts using pBR322 as a hybridization probe. Therefore it appears that the CF29 sequence is widely conserved in kinetoplastid protozoa and is associated with ARS sequences in the maxicircles. Hybridization of the CF29 probe to a population of P. davidi minicircles was also observed. However, the YIp5 chimeric plasmid containing this CF29-hybridizing minicircle fragment failed to transform yeast.
Compensatory alterations in energy homeostasis characterized in uterine tumors from hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer.

Objective To determine the molecular alterations that maintain energy homeostasis in hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC) uterine tumors with disrupted fumarate hydratase, compared with nonsyndromic uterine tumors. Design Laboratory study. Setting Tertiary academic university hospital. Patient(s) Eleven nonsyndromic leiomyoma–myometrium pairs and three HLRCC leiomyoma–myometrium pairs were obtained from patients who were recruited at national and military research centers in the United States. Intervention(s) Molecular analysis. Main Outcome Measure(s) Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer and nonsyndromic leiomyomas were compared with patient-matched myometrium for relative glycolysis and Krebs cycle gene expression. Result(s) By microarray analysis, we confirmed that fumarate hydratase messenger RNA (mRNA) was underexpressed in HLRCC fibroids, compared with matched myometrium. Consistent with the possibility that alterations in fumarate hydratase represented a change to a more anaerobic state, we found that HLRCC fibroids overexpressed genes such as phosphofructokinase, aldolase, phosphoglycerate kinase, enolase, and pyruvate kinase. Expression of these genes was not altered in nonsyndromic leiomyomas. Furthermore, there were no overt changes in expression of Krebs cycle enzyme gene expression, with the exception of fumarate hydratase. Conclusion(s) Our findings demonstrate that alterations in fumarate hydratase are compensated for by increases in glycolysis enzyme expression in HLRCC.
Time of origin of corresponding cell classes in the cerebral cortex of normal and reeler mutant mice: An autoradiographic analysis

Reeler, a recessive mutation in mice, causes cytoarchitectonic abnormalities of the cerebral and cerebellar cortices. Although the relative positions of classes of cells in the cerebral cortex are markedly abnormal, the time of origin of cells in each class appears to be normal by autoradiographic criteria. In the retrohippocampal cortical structures and in the adjacent neocortex, the earliest generated cell class, the polymorphic, arises at the same embryonic time in normal and reeler littermates. Whereas these cells come to form the deepest stratum of the normal cortex, they lie in an immediately subpial position in the mutant, there being no cell-sparse external plexiform (molecular) layer. A population of larger cells is generated next; these normally come to lie in more superficial layers but instead lie deep to the polymorphic cells in the mutant. Granule cells of the neocortex arise last, simultaneously in normal and reeler; they form the most superficial neocortical cell stratum in the normal, but lie at a more restricted level within the large cell zone in the mutant. These data indicate that the cytoarchitectonic anomaly in reeler is independent of the spatiotemporal program of cell generation. It appears likely that the reeler genetic locus governs embryonic events, as yet undefined, that direct the postmitotic migrating young neuron to class-specific levels within the cortex.
Transmission of oblique waves through submerged apertures

Theoretical solutions are obtained for the diffraction of oblique waves by an infinite vertical barrier with a small slit in deep water. The method of matched asymptotic expansions is used to solve two problems: (1) thin barrier where the thickness of the barrier is small in comparison with wavelength, and (2) wide barrier where the wavelength and the thickness of the barrier are in the same order of magnitude. Approximate formula for the transmission coefficient and the reflection coefficient are presented for both cases.
Evidence of multiexciton complexes bound to neutral acceptors in GaAs

Abstract The first observation of six sharp photoluminescence lines with energies less than the energies of the lines associated with a radiative recombination of a single exciton bound to a neutral acceptor in high purity epilayers of GaAs at liquid helium temperature is reported. It is proposed that these lines arise as a result of a radiative recombination of an exciton in a multiexciton complex bound to a neutral acceptor.
Antigen requirements for priming of Type III pneumococcal polysaccharide-specific IgG memory responses: Suppression of memory with the T-independent form of antigen

Abstract Injection of donor CAF 1 mice with doses of the thymus-independent (TI) antigen Type III pneumococcal polysaccharide (S3) which are optimally (0.6 μg) or supraoptimally (5 μg) immunogenic prior to, with, or following priming with a T-dependent (TD) form of S3 (S3-HRBC) suppressed the induction of memory in S3-specific IgG-producing B cells (B γ ). Subimmunogenic doses (0.06, 0.006, μg) of S3 had no effect on B γ memory induction. The effect was of long duration and occurred in the apparent absence of T cells. S3 also suppressed mature S3-specific memory cell expression when given to primed donor mice prior to cell transfer or when given to recipient mice within 2 days after cell transfer and secondary TD antigen challenge. The possible mechanisms by which TI antigens suppress the induction of memory in S3-specific IgG memory cell precursors and mature memory cells are discussed.
Estimating Parameters of Sampled Diffusion Processes in Affinity Biosensors

Affinity biosensors rely on chemical attraction between targets of interest (mRNA and DNA sequences, proteins) and their molecular complements, probes, which serve as biological sensing elements. The attraction between complementary sequences leads to binding, in which probes capture target molecules. Molecular binding is a stochastic process and hence the number of captured analytes at any time is a random variable. Real-time affinity biosensors acquire multiple temporal samples of the binding process. In this paper, estimation of the amounts of target molecules in real-time affinity-based biosensors is studied. The problem is mapped to the inference of the parameters of a temporally sampled diffusion process. To solve it, we employ a sequential Monte Carlo algorithm which relies on transition density of the sampled diffusion process to approximate posteriori distributions of the unknown variables given the acquired measurements. The transition density is not available in a closed form and is therefore approximated using Hermite polynomial expansion. We show that when the number of target molecules is much smaller than the number of probe molecules, the binding reaction can be described by the so-called Cox-Ingersoll-Ross process. Limits of performance of the parameter estimation are characterized by means of the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB). Simulations and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed scheme outperforms existing techniques for estimation in affinity biosensors.
Model for demagnetization-induced noise in thin-film magnetic recording media

A linear, statistical model is described which predicts the power spectrum of measured noise in bulk-demagnetized (i.e. AC-erased) thin-film magnetic recording media. It is shown that the noise is the result of magnetic flux which is ascribed to erasure-induced transitions along the track length in the medium. The noise power spectrum for a rigid disk medium is shown to correspond to the power spectrum of Poisson-distributed induced transitions along the track length, while noise along the track width is sufficiently described in terms of a uniform, average magnetization with small variance. Experimental data from two thin-film disks are used with the model to estimate the Poisson parameter for each disk. It is demonstrated that AC-erased noise from particulate media can be considered as a limiting case of the Poisson model. >
Thorium Distribution and Excretion Studies: III. Single Inhalation Exposure to the Citrate Complex and Multiple Inhalation Exposures to the Chloride

Abstract Thorium distribution and excretion patterns following a single inhalation exposure to a thorium citrate complex aerosol were similar to those observed following exposure to a thorium chloride aerosol except that the initial absorption of thorium from the lungs in the former case was approximately twice that in the latter. Results from multiple exposures to thorium chloride aerosols indicated that the inhaled thorium in animals exposed 2 to 5 times behaved in a manner similar to those exposed only once. These results are discussed in relation to thorium MPC, calculations.
Robust visual servo control of a mobile robot for object tracking in shape parameter space

In this paper, we develop a robust visual servo system for object tracking applications of a nonholonomic mobile robot. The system mainly consists of an adaptive shape tracking algorithm and a robust visual servo controller. The adaptive shape tracking algorithm is designed to automatically detect the shape contours of moving objects, extract the shape parameters, and continuously track the object in shape parameter space. Based on direct measurements of the shape parameters, the visual servo controller is designed by using the sliding mode control technique and is robust to uncertainties of the object's motion. Through a Lyapunov-based stability analysis, a sufficient condition on selection of control gains to achieve the tracking goal in finite time is provided.
Does gastric acid protect the preterm infant from bacteria in unheated human milk

Although preterm mother's milk has greater nutritional and anti-infective properties than donor milk, it may be highly contaminated with bacteria. We therefore asked three questions: what is the fate of these bacteria in the preterm infant's stomach, is gastric pH important, and what factors affect gastric pH? pH, colony count and bacterial identification were performed on the milk and on serial gastric aspirates in 20 preterm infants on 25 occasions. Seventeen milk samples grew bacteria, five potentially pathogenic and 12 non-pathogenic. Twelve of 25 prefeeding gastric samples were sterile, but following the feeding all the samples grew non-pathogenic bacteria and 70% grew potential pathogens. With time pH decreased and by 2-h samples with pH less than 3.5 had no bacterial growth; Candida albicans still flourished in a low pH (mean 2.8). We concluded that a low gastric pH may be more important than the bacterial count of the milk. In a second study, 91 serial gastric pH measurements were made on 12 preterm infants. pH tended to decrease with increasing age and was significantly lower in infants fed exclusively human milk (2.7 vs. 3.6; human milk versus formula P less than 0.02) We speculate that human milk may influence gastric acid production and thus protect the preterm infant from bacteria in the milk.
Energy transduction in myosin

Abstract It is now generally believed that the force necessary for muscle contraction results from a structural transition in the myosin crossbridge. Recent spectroscopic studies have indicated that myosin can exist in two distinct structural states. The equilibrium between the two states is poised in such a way that it can be forced in either direction with minor changes in experimental conditions. During ATP hydrolysis, myosin is forced to oscillate between the two states concomitantly with free energy dissipation. The chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis is transduced into a mechanical swithhing of the myosin structure between the two states. The myosin ATPase active site may be viewed as a time-dependent effector site responsible for the switching. Changes in the equilibrium between the two states have been shown to parallel changes in tension in muscle fibers. It is possible that the two myosin states may be directly correlated to the force-producing power stroke in muscle.
A serological comparison of the three morphological phases of Coccidioides immitis; complement fixation tests with anti-histoplasma capsulatum serum.

The results of this study indicated that antigens prepared from the three morphological phases ofCoccidioides immitis differed in their complement fixing activity with anti-Histoplasma capsulatum pooled serum. Spherule antigens were serologically less active in tests with the anti-H. capsulatum pooled serum than antigens prepared from arthrospores and from mycelium.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY AS AN AID IN THE TAXONOMIC DIFFERENTIATION OF ORAL SPIROCHETES.

Abstract Pure cultures of Treponema microdentium and Borrelia vincentii as well as spirochetes present in normal and pathologically involved gingival sulci were examined by electron microscopy of shadowed and negatively stained preparations and in ultra-thin sections. The spirochetes could be divided into three main groups on the basis of size of the protoplasmic cylinder, structure of the outer envelope and number of axial fibrils originating at one end. The group of “small” spirochetes had a protoplasmic cylinder with a diameter of 100–250 mμ, an outer envelope composed of polygonal structural subunits which was easily disrupted, and either one or two axial fibrils originating at each end of the protoplasmic cylinder. The group of “intermediate” spirochetes appeared essentially similar to the “small” spirochetes except for the diameter of the protoplasmic cylinder which measured from 200–500 mμ and the number of axial fibrils originating near each end which ranged from three to twenty. The “large” spirochetes had a protoplasmic cylinder approximately 500 mμ in dia. and occasionally larger, from the ends of which originated from twelve to more than twenty axial fibrils. These spirochetes were characterized by an outer envelope structurally different from that observed in the other two groups. It is suggested that the ultrastructural characteristics of spirochetes may be used as an aid to their taxonomic differentiation.
The STATus of miR-21 in apoptosis

In this issue of Blood , Loffler and colleagues report the regulation of microRNA-21 by IL-6, through a Stat3-dependent mechanism, which results in the repression of apoptosis in multiple myeloma cells. Originally identified in Caehorhabditis elegans as regulators of development, microRNAs (miRNAs
THREE NUCLEON FORCES AND TRITON BINDING ENERGY

Abstract The effect of the three-nucleon forces on the triton binding energy ( E T ) is investigated. Two different types of three-nucleon potentials are considered, one involving 2π-exchange ( V ππ F ) and the other involving 2σ-exchange ( V SSF ) which is an approximation to 3π exchange. Both V ππ F and V SSF are constructed using the πN scattering amplitude extrapolated to off (pion) mass shell subject to PCAC. The contribution of V ππ F and V SSF to e t are calculated in the first-order perturbation using the triton wave function obtained by solving the Faddeev equations with the Reid soft-core potential. The Fujita-Miyazawa force is also investigated as a special case. We find that the effect of V ππ F on E T is sensitive to the assumed pionic form factor and is small due to cancellation between the πN s-d wave and p-wave contributions. The effect of V SSF is also found to be small.
Quark confinement and the evasion of Goldstone's theorem in 1+1 dimensions

Gauge theories of quarks which possess approximate chiral SU(3) x SU(3) symmetry also have approximate U(3) x U(3) symmetry. If the axial symmetries are realized in the Goldstone mode, then one would naively expect a fourth SU(3) singlet pseudoscalar meson with mass comparable to that of the pion. This is contrary to experiment. It has been argued, however, that quark confinement can remove the unwanted Goldstone boson from the physical spectrum of the theory. It is the purpose of this article to shed light on this phenomenon by studying it in a simple setting. We consider the sigma model with minimal electrodynamic coupling in 1+1 dimensions. We confirm that the singlet Goldstone boson is indeed absent although the axial symmetry is spontaneously broken. The would-be massless meson gains a mass from the long-range interactions responsible for confinement. If the Abelian gauge coupling is set to zero, the axial symmetry is no longer spontaneously broken. Using equivalent-boson methods a simple proof of the equivalence of the nonlinear sigma model and the Thirring model (with an additional decoupled massless field) is presented. (AIP)
The approximate sampling distribution of Kuder-Richardson reliability coefficient twenty

An approximation to the sampling distribution of Kuder-Richardson reliability formula 20 is derived, using its algebraic equivalent obtained through an items-by-subjects analysis of variance. The theoretical distribution is compared to empirical estimates of the sampling distribution to assess how crucial certain assumptions are. The use of the theoretical distribution for testing hypotheses and deriving confidence intervals is illustrated. A table of equations for approximating 80, 90, and 95 per cent confidence intervals is presented withN ranging from 40 to 500.
Holding On and Pushing Away: Comparative Perspectives on an Eastern Kentucky Child-Rearing Practice

The literature on Appalachian families has commonly discussed the degree and depth of family solidarity, which is said to characterize families in the region (Brown 1952; Hicks 1976; Bryant 1981; Batteau 1982; Beaver 1986). Earlier writers tended to emphasize the role of values like "familism" in creating and maintaining these more solidary Appalachian families where children, or at least some of the children, settle next door to their parents in kin-based rural neighborhoods throughout the region (Ford 1962; Weller 1965; Hicks 1976). Others have talked about values but have also emphasized the availability of parental land for building sites, as well as economic necessity for family support because of the nature of the local economy (Brown 1952; Bryant 1981; Batteau 1982; Beaver 1986). No one, however, documents the specific socialization mech-
Large gas-solid structural differences in complexes of haloacetonitriles with boron trifluoride.

The structural properties of the singly halogenated derivatives of CH3CN−BF3 (X−CH2CN−BF3: X = F, Cl, Br, I) have been investigated via single-crystal X-ray crystallography, solid-state infrared spectroscopy, and correlated electronic−structure theory. Taken together, these data illustrate large differences between the gas-phase and solid-state structures of these systems. Calculated gas-phase structures (B3PW91/aug-cc-pVTZ) of FCH2CN−BF3, ClCH2CN−BF3, and BrCH2CN−BF3 indicate that the B−N dative bonds in these systems are quite weak, with distances of 2.422, 2.374, and 2.341 A, respectively. However, these distances, as well as other calculated structural parameters and normal-mode vibrational frequencies, indicate that the dative interactions do become slightly stronger in proceeding from F− to Br−CH2CN−BF3. In contrast, solid-state structures for FCH2CN−BF3, ClCH2CN−BF3, and ICH2CN−BF3 from X-ray crystallography all have B−N distances that are quite short, about 1.65 A. Thus, the B−N distances of the F...
Toward Increasing Awareness of Suspicious Content through Game Play

Phishing, elicitation, and impersonation techniques are performed using multiple forms, targeting content specific to the delivery modality, such as email, social media, and general browser communications. Education to increase awareness is one mechanism to combat phishing. Average email and internet users are less attentive to media warnings and training materials provided by employers than they are in interactive environments. In this paper, we overview a game concept that immerses users in a role play challenge where they must send email, use social media, and browse the web and determine whether content received within these modalities is trustworthy or not. The game, built as a Javascript framework, simulates phishing scams, measures trust and suspicion levels, and individualizes training for users. The game architecture employs components that facilitate dynamic content generation in each of the modalities, customize experiment design for specific assessment and training, and perform sophisticated tracking for automated analysis of user trust content assessments. We discuss the game content, the specific requirements the game must comply with, and the experiments to be conducted using the game.
Rotational excitation of diatomic molecular systems. II - H2 /plus/

Hydrogen molecules rotational excitation cross sections by electron impact in adiabatic excitation, discussing polarization and distortion effects
The effect of distance to VA facilities on the choice and level of utilization of VA outpatient services.

Abstract The 1987 survey of Veterans is used to explain the effects of distance to VA facilities on the choice and level of utilization of VA outpatient services by U.S. veterans. A two part discrete/continuous model is used to separate two elements of the decision to seek outpatient services from federally operated VA facilities. First, a discrete choice is made to seek care from the VA. Second, a continuous choice is made to seek a particular level of utilization, Distance is found to affect the initial discrete choice significantly for measured distances up to 60 miles at a decreasing rate. Once some VA outpatient contact is made, distance is a major factor only for the elderly in determining the amount of utilization. Disturbingly, elderly veteran users living more than 30–40 miles from the nearest VA are expected to make fewer visits in a year than younger veterans.
Hand gesture recognition by analysis of codons

The problem of recognizing gestures from images using computers can be approached by closely understanding how the human brain tackles it. A full fledged gesture recognition system will substitute mouse and keyboards completely. Humans can recognize most gestures by looking at the characteristic external shape or the silhouette of the fingers. Many previous techniques to recognize gestures dealt with motion and geometric features of hands. In this thesis gestures are recognized by the Codon-list pattern extracted from the object contour. All edges of an image are described in terms of sequence of Codons. The Codons are defined in terms of the relationship between maxima, minima and zeros of curvature encountered as one traverses the boundary of the object. We have concentrated on a catalog of 24 gesture images from the American Sign Language alphabet (Letter J and Z are ignored as they are represented using motion) [2]. The query image given as an input to the system is analyzed and tested against the Codon-lists, which are shape descriptors for external parts of a hand gesture. We have used the Weighted Frequency Indexing Transform (WFIT) approach which is used in DNA sequence matching for matching the Codon-lists. The matching algorithm consists of two steps: 1) the query sequences are converted to short sequences and are assigned weights and, 2) all the sequences of query gestures are pruned into match and mismatch subsequences by the frequency indexing tree based on the weights of the subsequences. The Codon sequences with the most weight are used to determine the most precise match. Once a match is found, the identified gesture and corresponding interpretation are shown as output.
The transfer of workers within multinationals and ownership of foreign affiliates

We study the variation in ownership shares across affiliates of the same multinational firm. Using the micro-level data on foreign affiliates of South Korean multinationals, we construct a proxy for the headquarter intangible asset using transferred Korean workers from the parent to the affiliate. Our results show a strong relationship with the parent ownership share even after controlling for the parent fixed effect. Our empirical evidence thus extends support for the theory on multinational firm boundaries at the micro-level.
Profile consistency: Global and nonlinear transport

Abstract An equation for the electron thermal energy transport in magnetically confined plasmas based on the “principle of profile consistency” is presented in order to describe both the observed steady state transport properties as well as the rapid recovery of the temperature profile that ensues following sudden events such as the injection of a massive pellet or the onset of an instability in the center of the plasma column.
Robust Pipelined Memory System with Worst Case Performance Guarantee for Network Processing

Many network processing applications require wirespeed access to large data structures or a large amount of packet and flow-level data. Therefore, it is essential for the memory system of a router to be able to support both read and write accesses to such data at link speeds. As link speeds continue to increase, router designers are constantly grappling with the unfortunate trade-offs between the speed and cost of SRAM and DRAM. The capacity of SRAMs is woefully inadequate in many cases and it proves too costly to store large data structures entirely in SRAM, while DRAM is viewed as too slow for providing wirespeed updates at such high speed. In this paper, we analyze a robust pipelined memory architecture that can emulate an ideal SRAM by guaranteeing with very high probability that the output sequence produced by the pipelined memory architecture is the same as the one produced by an ideal SRAM under the same sequence of memory read and write operations, except time shifted by a fixed pipeline delay of \Delta. Given a fixed pipeline delay abstraction, no interrupt mechanism is required to indicate when read data are ready or a write operation has completed, which greatly simplifies the use of the proposed solution. The design is based on the interleaving of DRAM banks together with the use of a reservation table that serves in part as a data cache. In contrast to prior interleaved memory solutions, our design is robust under all memory access patterns, including adversarial ones, which we demonstrate through a rigorous worst case theoretical analysis using a combination of convex ordering and large deviation theory.
Strategies for the Promotion and Diffusion of Consumer Goods and Services: An Overview

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES MANY FACTORS WHICH AFFECT AGENCY STRATEGIES FOR THE PROMOTION AND DIFFUSION OF CON- SUMER GOODS AND SERVICES. IT EXAMINES STRATEGIES FOR MAR- KET SELECTION, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, PRICE DETERMI- NATION AND PROMOTIONAL COMMUNICATION. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GOODS AND SERVICES, AGENCY ATTRI- BUTES, THE LIFE CYCLE OF GOODS AND SERVICES WITH THE ASSO- CIATED INFORMATIONAL FEEDBACK MECHANISMS, AND THE IMPACT OF THE SPATIAL EXTENT OF INNOVATION DIFFUSION ON STRATEGY
Photolithographic metallization of fluorinated polymers

Abstract Electroless or chemical vapor deposition of copper onto commercial samples of skived poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) that have been chemically etched with sodium naphthalenide results in Cu films sufficiently adherent that attempts to remove the Cu cause near-cohesive failure in the PTFE. Such strong Cu adhesion forms the basis for several approaches to the production of high-resolution PTFE-based printed-circuit boards. Similarly strong adhesion does not occur to melt-processed fluorocarbon polymers (Teflon-AF, FEP, Teflon-PFA, etc.) nor to samples of PTFE annealed by hot pressing or mechanical polishing, nor to radiation-crosslinked PTFE. Adhesion to etched, skived PTFE is dominated by mechanical interlocking due to penetration of Cu into the highly-crazed, porous surface produced by etching of the stressed surface caused by skiving. Patterned irradiation (electrons, X-rays, etc.) at low dose levels results in crosslinking of virgin PTFE, preventing appreciable chemical etching and subsequent metal adhesion in the irradiated areas, and resulting in a three-step process (irradiation, chemical etching, and metal deposition) with a non-optimized lateral resolution of 35 μm. Optical power absorption by an etched PTFE layer is a factor of 300 greater than for underlying (virgin) PTFE, allowing a second three-step approach to patterned metallization: chemical etching, patterned excimer-laser ablation, and metal deposition. A third approach combines chemical etching and uniform thin-metal-film deposition with standard photolithographic processing techniques, resulting in a patterned metallization process where adhesion is controlled by the initial etching step and resolution is controlled by standard lithographic technology. A non-optimized feature resolution of 17 μm for 4-μm thick Au conductors has been demonstrated with this technique.
Explanation of anomalous binding kinetics with a high yield immobilized enzyme system.

Abstract The activities of glucose oxidase (β- d -glucose:oxygen 1-oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.3.4) and catalase (hydrogen-peroxide:hydrogen-peroxide oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.6) from commercial preparations do not give typical adsorption curves upon immobilization on non-porous polyethylenimine-coated glass microbeads. The cause of this effect with glucose oxidase was investigated. Protein binding exhibited a rectangular hyperbolic adsorption isotherm, approaching saturation at high concentrations, however, enzyme activities did not. The isotherm for activities exhibited a maxima which corresponded to less than 50% saturation with regard to total protein adsorption. The enzyme preparation was found to contain small quantities of several low molecular weight impurities as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These impurities apparently compete with glucose oxidase for binding. When large excesses of protein are added to beads, the binding of impurities becomes significant and the amount of enzyme activity per unit of bead is reduced.
Reaching First Year College Students: Current Practices in Instructional Programs

In light of the new emphasis on information literacy, this research updates previous studies and explores current practices in first year library instruction and programming. Academic librarians are reaching out to freshmen seminar programs, first year orientations, Introduction to College courses, and English composition courses to integrate information-literacy instruction into the curriculum of these programs. This study will examine how libraries are integrating information literacy and library instruction into the curriculum of first year students and focuses specifically on how they are introducing freshmen to information literacy and library instruction.
The impact of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hours, the July phenomenon, and hospital teaching status on stroke outcomes

Background Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is common cause of hospital admission. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) duty hour regulations on AIS outcomes including inhospital mortality. Methods Hospitalized patients with AIS were selected from the National Inpatient Sample database. Patients with AIS with a known mortality and hospital teaching status were included for the years 2000 through 2005. Inhospital mortality and predictors of mortality were stratified by the hospital teaching status. To determine the variability of mortality around the month of July (July phenomenon) the trend of mortality was determined in teaching hospitals stratified by the calendar month of each year. Results In all, 377,266 patients were included in this analysis; 43.0% were admitted to teaching hospitals. Overall inhospital mortality was 10.8%, slightly higher in teaching hospitals (11.4% v 10.3%, P < .0001). The trend in AIS mortality showed a decline during the 6 years included in this study in both hospital types (P < .0001). Adjusted analysis showed decline in mortality in both hospital types after July 1, 2003: odds ratio (OR) 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.87, 0.94) in teaching hospitals and OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.78, 0.84) in nonteaching hospitals. Predictors of AIS-associated hospital mortality were similar in both hospital types except for sepsis, which was another independent predictor of death in nonteaching hospitals (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.30, 1.94). There was no significant change in AIS mortality when stratified by each calendar month within the years included in this study (P value = .25-.93). Conclusion There was no difference in AIS mortality after the implementation of the new ACGME duty hour standards. In addition, data support the lack of July phenomenon in neurology residency programs in regard to AIS mortality.
Microsomal P450-Catalyzed N-Dealkylation of N,N-Dialkylanilines: Evidence for a Cα−H Abstraction Mechanism

The early proposal that P450-catalyzed N-dealkylation of N,N-dialkylamines proceeds through a single-electron-transfer (SET) mechanism was later challenged in favor of the Cα−H abstraction mechanism. In the present study, a series of N-alkyl-N-cyclopropyl-p-chloroaniline probes have been used to examine whether the P450-catalyzed N-dealkylations proceed through a Cα−H abstraction and/or a SET mechanism, using phenobarbital-induced rat liver microsomal P450 enzymes as a model system. While the findings are highly consistent with a Cα−H abstraction mechanism, further experimental evidence may be necessary to completely rule out the SET mechanism.
Binding of [3H]Dihydroergocryptine to an a-Adrenergic Site in the Stalk Median Eminence of the Steer*

Dihydroergocryptine (DHE), a potent dopamine agonist and α-adrenergic antagonist, has been used as a radioligand to characterize both dopamine and α-adrenergic receptors. In the present study, the binding of [3H]DHE to participate fractions of the steer stalk median eminence was characterized using a filtration assay. Specific binding was defined by the presence of 10 μM phentolamine or by an iterative nonlinear hyperbolic curve-fitting program. Scatchard analysis of equilibrium isotherms of specific binding defined a single high affinity (Kd = 1.78 ± 0.22 nM), saturable (maximum binding, 481 ± 39 fmol/mg protein), stereoselective binding site, the Kd, calculated from the ratio of the rate constants k2 and k1, was 2.8 ± 0.14 nM. The rank order of potency of agonists to compete for [3H]DHE binding (l-epinephrine > l-norepinephrine > dopamine > l-isoproterenol) was consisten with interactions at an αadrenergic site. The rank order of potency of α-antagonists (phentolamine > yohimbine > prazosin) suggested t...
A Comparative Performance Evaluation of Indoor Geolocation Technologies

As more location aware services are emerging in the market, the needs for accurate and reliable localization has increased and in response to this need a number of technologies and associated algorithms are introduced in the literature. Severe multipath fading in indoor areas, poses a challenging environment for accurate localization. In this article we provide a comprehensive overview of existing indoor localization techniques. We address the bandwidth requirement, advantages and disadvantages of received-signal-strength (RSS) and time-of-arrival (TOA) based localization algorithms. We describe a repeatable framework for comparative performance evaluation of localization algorithms. Using this framework we compare the performances of two TOA-based and two RSS-based algorithms. The TOA-based algorithms are the least square TOA (LS-TOA) and closest neighbor with TOA grid (CN-TOAG). The RSS-based algorithms are the maximum likelihood estimator and the recently introduced ray tracing assisted closest neighbor (RT-CN).
Observations on the comparative histology of the reptilian pancreatic islet

Abstract The histology of the pancreatic islets of an alligator, two species of turtles, two species of snakes, and several species of lizards are described and compared. The reptilian endocrine pancreatic tissue may be characterized by its localization in the splenic portion of the gland, the relatively large size of the islets, the lack of separation of exocrine and endocrine elements by connective tissue septa, the retention of duct connections by endocrine cells, and the relative abundance of alpha cells. The pancreatic islets of lizards and snakes are larger than those of turtles and crocodiles. The lizard islet is more central in location, and in the snake it is more peripheral. The turtle islets are usually the smallest and most diffusely distributed, while the alligator islets are highly branched. The alpha and beta cells are about equal in proportion in the alligator, turtles, and snakes, but the alpha cells are more abundant in lizards. In reptiles, somewhat consistent morphological variations of the pancreatic islets occur at the ordinal, but not at the familial level. The possible functional significance of the histological variations of the reptilian pancreatic islet is discussed.
Plasma carboxyl ester lipase activity modulates apolipoprotein B–containing lipoprotein metabolism in a transgenic mouse model

Pancreatic carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) is in the plasma of many mammals, including humans and rats, but not mice. In vitro, CEL hydrolyzes cholesterol esters of apolipoprotein B–containing lipoproteins (apo B-Lp). To study the effect of CEL on metabolism of apo B-Lp and atherosclerosis in vivo, apo E-knockout (EKO) mice, which have high plasma levels of apo B-Lp and are prone to atherosclerosis, were made to secrete CEL into plasma by introducing a transgene containing a liver-specific promoter and rat CEL complementary DNA. Plasma CEL activity in EKO-CEL mice was comparable with that found in rats. Evidence of modification of apo B-Lp by plasma CEL in vivo was an increase in the free cholesterol to cholesterol ester ratio of apo B-Lp from mice on chow or a Western-type diet. In addition, plasma total cholesterol levels were elevated in EKO-CEL mice, with the elevation found exclusively in the apo B-Lp fraction. Associated with the increase in steady-state apo B-Lp levels was an increase in the plasma half-life of very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) in EKO-CEL mice, measured by the clearance rate of injected VLDL. Interestingly, despite the increase of apo B-Lp, the atherosclerotic lesion did not differ between EKO and EKO-CEL mice on a Western-type diet. In summary, our results demonstrate that plasma CEL modulates apo B-Lp metabolism in vivo, resulting in reduced VLDL clearance and elevated plasma cholesterol levels.
Balance (perceived and actual) and preferred stance width during pregnancy

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women often remark that their balance degrades during pregnancy; however, it appears that no studies have documented the gravida's perception of her balance nor measured direction-specific changes in balance throughout pregnancy or after delivery. METHODS: Thirty women, fifteen pregnant and fifteen non-pregnant controls, were tested monthly and through 6-month postpartum. For each session, perceived degradation in sense of balance, laboratory-based balance measures, stance width, and the number of falls since the previous session were recorded. Laboratory-based balance measures, quantified by direction-specific measures of postural sway, were computed from ten 30s quiet-standing trials on a stationary force platform. Repeated-measures analysis of variance, paired t-tests, and Pearson correlations were use to examine group and time effects. FINDINGS: For the pregnant group, perceived balance degradation and stance width were highly correlated (r = 0.94). Both increased during pregnancy (P r > 0.72) and also decreased significantly between the third trimester and postpartum (P Language: en
Paediatric gastroenterology evaluation of overweight and obese children referred from primary care for suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Author(s): Schwimmer, JB; Newton, KP; Awai, HI; Choi, LJ; Garcia, MA; Ellis, LL; Vanderwall, K; Fontanesi, J | Abstract: BackgroundScreening overweight and obese children for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is recommended by paediatric and endocrinology societies. However, gastroenterology societies have called for more data before making a formal recommendation.AimTo determine whether the detection of suspected NAFLD in overweight and obese children through screening in primary care and referral to paediatric gastroenterology resulted in a correct diagnosis of NAFLD.MethodsInformation generated in the clinical evaluation of 347 children identified with suspected NAFLD through screening in primary care and referral to paediatric gastroenterology was captured prospectively. Diagnostic outcomes were reported. The diagnostic performance of two times the upper limit of normal (ULN) for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was assessed.ResultsNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed in 55% of children identified by screening and referral. Liver disease other than NAFLD was present in 18% of those referred. Autoimmune hepatitis was the most common alternative diagnosis. Children with NAFLD had significantly (P l 0.05) higher screening ALT (98 ± 95) than children with liver disease other than NAFLD (86 ± 74). Advanced fibrosis was present in 11% of children. For the diagnosis of NAFLD, screening ALT two times the clinical ULN had a sensitivity of 57% and a specificity of 71%.ConclusionsScreening of overweight and obese children in primary care for NAFLD with referral to paediatric gastroenterology has the potential to identify clinically relevant liver pathology. Consensus is needed on how to value the risk and rewards of screening and referral, to identify children with liver disease in the most appropriate manner.
Entanglement-secured single-qubit quantum secret sharing

In single-qubit quantum secret sharing, a secret is shared between $N$ parties via manipulation and measurement of one qubit at a time. Each qubit is sent to all $N$ parties in sequence; the secret is encoded in the first participant's preparation of the qubit state and the subsequent participants' choices of state rotation or measurement basis. We present a protocol for single-qubit quantum secret sharing using polarization entanglement of photon pairs produced in type-I spontaneous parametric downconversion. We investigate the protocol's security against eavesdropping attack under common experimental conditions: a lossy channel for photon transmission, and imperfect preparation of the initial qubit state. A protocol which exploits entanglement between photons, rather than simply polarization correlation, is more robustly secure. We implement the entanglement-based secret-sharing protocol with 87$%$ secret-sharing fidelity, limited by the purity of the entangled state produced by our present apparatus. We demonstrate a photon-number splitting eavesdropping attack, which achieves no success against the entanglement-based protocol while showing the predicted rate of success against a correlation-based protocol.
A Comparative Multifield FEA and Experimental Study on the Enhanced Manufacturability of 6061-T6511 Aluminum Using dc Current

An electric current, applied during deformation, has been shown to reduce the deformation force/energy, while also increasing the maximum achievable strain and decreasing springback. Considering this, the present work initiates the development of a finite element model to investigate electricity’s thermal/structural effects on a tensile specimen. The model allows the effect of joule-heating to be separated from other nonthermal property changes caused by the electricity. Comparison with experimental tensile testing with respect to the predicted stress-strain behavior and transient temperature profiles demonstrates the model predicts these behaviors adequately. A multifield large deformation finite element model is then developed. The model evaluates the stress-strain characteristics of the material while the specimen is carrying a large dc current and is being deformed, incorporating the effect of thermal softening. The simulation results are compared with surface infrared temperature measurements in order to verify the finite element model and then to actual deformation results in order to attain more qualitative and quantitative insight into the effects of the electric field.
Measuring knee extensor muscle strength.

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo compare manual muscle test with hand-held dynamometer measurements of knee extension strength. A secondary analysis of measurements (n = 256 knees) from 128 acute rehabilitation patients was performed.DesignKnee extensor muscle testing was conducted according to the technique of
Electron-spin polarization in tunnel junctions in zero applied field with ferromagnetic EuS barriers.

An electron-spin polarization $P$ of as much as 80% has been observed in the tunnel current in Au/EuS/Al tunnel junctions. $P$ can be explained by the different heights of the tunnel barriers for the two spin directions. The Zeeman splitting of the Al quasiparticle density of states is greatly enhanced by the exchange interaction at the EuS/Al interface. Spin polarization was even seen in zero applied field. The value of $P$ calculated from the tunneling theory using known barrier heights in EuS is consistent with the measured values.