cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Enzymatic Characteristics and the Control of Glycogen Phosphorylase during Early Amphibian Development

Abstract Glycogen phosphorylase has been studied in Rana pipiens eggs and embryos with regard to the nature of the enzyme, its control possibilites, and its involvement in preneurula development. On the basis of enzyme activity, immunological, and electrophoretic comparisons, R. pipiens egg phosphorylase is not wholly identical with the phosphorylases characteristic of skeletal muscle, liver, or kidney tissues. The possibility exists that the egg activity consists of a mixture of types or is a single type peculiar to the embryo. Amphibian egg phosphorylase possesses the same control possibilities as adult tissue forms. It can be activated by AMP. It appears to exist in active and inactive forms, the interconversion of which is catalyzed by endogenous factors having properties of a phosphorylase kinase and phosphorylase phosphatase. The egg phosphorylase kinase is capable of activating purified frog and rabbit muscle phosphorylase, and the purified rabbit muscle phosphorylase b kinase can activate the egg and frog muscle enzymes. However, the egg and rabbit muscle phosphatases are species specific. If the activity of the activated form of egg phosphorylase in the presence of AMP is assigned a value of 100%, its activity in the absence of AMP is 96%. The activity of the inactivated form in the presence of AMP is 35%. In the absence of AMP, the inactivated form has no activity. Phosphorylase in unfertilized R. pipiens eggs is mostly in the inactive form. Shortly after fertilization and at gastrulation, increases in activity and in the -AMP:+AMP activity ratio occur. A cyclic adenosine 3' ,5'-monophosphate-mediated control mechanism is possible as a cyclic AMP-activated protein kinase has been detected in the fractionated egg supernatant. This enzyme mimics the behavior of rabbit muscle phosphorylase kinase kinase.
Large‐scale, classification‐driven, rule‐based functional annotation of proteins

Experimentally verified information on protein function lags far behind the rapid accumulation of protein sequences. The simple approach to propagating information from characterized proteins to unknown proteins – namely, by sequence similarity search against databases of individual proteins – may fail to produce accurate results, and typically is used to transfer only protein name information. A more accurate, consistent, and comprehensive approach for large-scale automated annotation makes use of protein family classification-driven rules. Unannotated proteins that satisfy a set of conditions for a particular rule can be annotated with the information appropriate for that rule. The approach leads to facile, accurate prediction and functional inference for uncharacterized proteins, allows systematic detection of genome annotation errors, and provides sensible propagation and standardization of protein annotation, including position-specific sequence features, protein names and synonyms, and Gene Ontology terms. Rule-based annotation will be discussed in the context of the PIRSF protein classification system, PIRNR Name Rule system, and the PIRSR Site Rule system. Keywords: database; protein classification; PIRSF; rule-based annotation; sequence analysis
Stabilized β-catenin immortalizes colonic epithelial cells

The majority of colonic neoplasias contain mutations in either the adenomatous polyposis coli or the β-catenin ( β-cat ) gene, both of which result in elevated levels of cytoplasmic β-cat. The oncogenic activity of β-cat has been explored in vivo and in vitro with conflicting results. We tested the hypothesis that β-cat is capable of immortalizing and transforming cultured epithelial cells that represent the precursors to colon cancer. A truncated form of β-cat (ΔN89) was stably expressed in murine colonic epithelial cells that were conditionally immortalized by temperature-sensitive T antigen expression and contained a mutant Apc Min allele [Immorto-Min colonic epithelium (IMCE)]. IMCE cells, grown under nonpermissive conditions, were immortalized by expression of the truncated β-cat protein as determined by sustained growth in culture and escape from senescence as measured by endogenous β-galactosidase activity. IMCE neo cells at nonpermissive conditions underwent extensive apoptosis, an effect that was blocked by the expression of ΔN89β-catenin. IMCE β-cat cells had significantly lower p19 and p53 protein levels compared to IMCE neo cells, suggesting that alterations in these two key genes may mediate the effects of β-cat on both cellular senescence and apoptosis. IMCE β-cat cells were also transformed as determined by growth in the absence of serum, anchorage-independent growth, and sustained tumor growth in nude mice. Stable β-cat-expressing populations could not be generated in conditionally immortalized colonic epithelial cells with a wild-type Apc background. These studies demonstrated the immortalizing activity of stabilized β-cat for the first time and extend the transforming ability of mutated β-cat to a cell line representing a precursor to colorectal cancer.
Evaluation of the impact of rehospitalization in the management of hepatic encephalopathy.

Background Overt hepatic encephalopathy (HE), which is associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms and neuromuscular dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis, is often managed in the hospital setting. Approximately 60% of eligible patients do not receive prophylactic therapy after an overt HE episode. Objective The aim of this review is to evaluate the impact of rehospitalization on costs and clinical outcomes in HE. Methods A PubMed search of English-language articles through July 9, 2014 was conducted, and bibliographies of identified publications were reviewed. Abstracts from relevant professional society meetings from 2010 to 2014 were searched. The selected references and abstracts reported on the prevalence, costs, or clinical consequences of rehospitalization in adults with HE. Data synthesis HE is a key reason for readmission among patients hospitalized for complications of cirrhosis. Almost 40% of patients previously hospitalized for HE may be readmitted within 1 year for HE-related reasons. Furthermore, in-hospital US mortality for patients admitted for HE is about 7% to 15%. Recurrent HE and hospitalization for cirrhosis complications are associated with impaired quality of life. In addition, recurrences (especially those requiring hospitalization) may contribute to persistent cognitive deficits (eg, impairments in reaction time, attention, and working memory) after resolution of an acute episode of overt HE. Conclusion The economic and clinical consequences of rehospitalization for patients with overt HE underscore the importance of secondary prevention and highlight the need to identify reasons for the undertreatment of patients after hospitalization for overt HE.
Computational and Experimental Approach to Understanding Legged Mobility in Micro Ground Vehicles

The army has a vision for using autonomous micro ground vehicles (MGV) for soldier support in the last 100 meters of operations in urban and natural environments. These MGVs are expected to typically fit in a human palm and weigh in the order of 30–50 grams. Robust mobility is a necessary condition to ensure operations. Given the severe challenge of size, weight and power (SWAP) of the MGVs, significant uncertainties currently remain in quantifying micro ground vehicle mobility. In this paper we describe a research methodology and representative results for understanding legged MGV mobility in different types of terrain. Our methodology is based on a synergy of novel experimental setup and high-fidelity computational methods. We report the use of a novel “single-leg” test rig that uses tactile sensors to measure ground interaction loads. We also report the use of high speed imaging and use of particle image velocimetry to understand soil deformation during legged interactions with terrain. Finally, we report on the use of multibody dynamics and High Performance Computing (HPC) based granular media simulations. This conference paper emphases more on the overall approach based on synergistic use of high fidelity modeling and experimental methods supported by representative results rather than presenting a detailed analyses of the results.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The Mariner spacecraft - 1969 model.

Mariner spacecraft design and technology for Mars flyby in 1969 noting data storage, planetary scan, power subsystem, sequencer, telemetry and packaging
Delayed innocent bystander cell death following hypoxia in Caenorhabditis elegans.

After hypoxia, cells may die immediately or have a protracted course, living or dying depending on an incompletely understood set of cell autonomous and nonautonomous factors. In stroke, for example, some neurons are thought to die from direct hypoxic injury by cell autonomous primary mechanisms, whereas other so called innocent bystander neurons die from factors released from the primarily injured cells. A major limitation in identifying these factors is the inability of current in vivo models to selectively target a set of cells for hypoxic injury so that the primarily injured cells and the innocent bystanders are clearly delineated. In order to develop such a model, we generated transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans strains where 2–3% of somatic cells were made selectively sensitive to hypoxia. This was accomplished by cell type-specific wild-type rescue in either pharyngeal myocytes or GABAergic neurons of a hypoxia resistance-producing translation factor mutation. Surprisingly, hypoxic targeting of these relatively small subsets of non-essential cells produced widespread innocent bystander cell injury, behavioral dysfunction and eventual organismal death. The hypoxic injury phenotypes of the myocyte or neuron sensitized strains were virtually identical. Using this model, we show that the C. elegans insulin receptor/FOXO transcription factor pathway improves survival when activated only after hypoxic injury and blocks innocent bystander death.
Officers’ and Directors’ Liability Under German Law — A Potemkin Village

The liability regime for officers and directors of German companies combines strict and lenient elements. Officers and directors are liable for simple negligence, they bear the burden of proof for establishing diligent conduct, and they are liable for unlimited damages. These elements are worrisome for the reason that managers are confronted with the full downside risk of the enterprise even though they do not internalize the benefits of the corporate venture. This overly strict regime is balanced by other features of the regime, namely comprehensive insurance and systematic under-enforcement. Even though the authority to enforce claims against the management is divided between three different actors — the supervisory board, the shareholders assembly, and individual shareholders — enforcement has remained the exception. Furthermore, under the current system of Directors’ and Officers’ (D&O) liability insurance, board members do not feel the bite of liability as they are protected by an insurance cover that is contracted and paid for by the corporation. Thus, the current German system may combine the worst of two worlds, i.e., the threat of personal liability for excessively high amounts of damages in exceptional cases, and the practical irrelevance of the liability regime in run-of-the-mill cases. The present Article analyzes the shortcomings of the present regime and submits proposals for reform.
Excitons in semiconductor carbon nanotubes: A momentum-space perspective

Abstract We give an exposition of an approach toward excitons in semiconductor carbon nanotubes allowing for separation of the short-range and long-range parts of the electron–hole Coulomb interaction. The approach is applied to account for the exciton fine structure and excitonic effects in optical absorption. It is shown that the energy positions of the E ii optical transitions with i > 2 are strongly affected by the short-range part of the electron–hole Coulomb interaction.
Targeted restoration of cleavage in a noncleaving thyrotropin receptor demonstrates that cleavage is insufficient to enhance ligand-independent activity.

Two unusual features of the TSH receptor (TSHR) ectodomain are its intramolecular cleavage at the cell surface into disulfide-linked subunits and its constraint of ligand-independent (constitutive) activity inherent to the serpentine region. Whether ectodomain cleavage alters the level of TSHR constitutive activity is an important unanswered question. To address this issue, we used a TSHR engineered so as not to undergo spontaneous cleavage into subunits (deletion of amino acid residues 317–366 and GQE367–369NET substitution). Into this noncleaving TSHR (termed TSHR-D1-NET), we introduced thrombin recognition motifs (termed Thr 6 and Thr 18) at the site of spontaneous cleavage. Treatment of intact Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing TSHR-D1-NET-Thr 6 and -Thr 18 with thrombin induced cleavage into A and B subunits, as determined by 125I-TSH covalent cross-linking. Nevertheless, constitutive activity of the thrombin-cleaved TSHR was unaltered. The level of TSHR constitutive activity was, therefore, full...
Impact of gender and body surface area on outcome after abdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abstract Background A gender-neutral threshold aneurysm diameter (AD) of more than 5.5 cm for surgical intervention in abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) ignores the fact that women have a smaller baseline AD. We hypothesized that women have a greater AD relative to body surface area (BSA) at the time of surgery and that this worsens outcome. Methods The Vascular Study Group of New England database was queried for elective AAA repairs performed from 2003 to 2011 to compare BSA-indexed AD, ie, aortic size index (ASI), between men and women at the time of surgery and the impact of ASI on outcome. Results Women were older and had higher ASI among both open-repair ( n = 1,566) and endovascular repair ( n = 2,172) patients ( P P P P = .042) than women with ASI less than 2.75. Conclusions When indexed to BSA, women have a larger aneurysm size than men at the time of AAA repair.
Origins of radar

Sessions on the history of thunderstorm and lightning research were held December 11, 1985, at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. At that time, since it was well known that lightning researchers were intimately involved in the development of radar and since the 50th anniversary of radar in the United States was at hand, it was suggested that a session on the history of meteorological radar would be appropriate and interesting. The following contribution was presented in the History of Meteorological Radar session May 22, 1986, at the AGU Spring Meeting in Baltimore, Md.
Structure of an RNA dimer of a regulatory element from human thymidylate synthase mRNA

A sequence around the start codon of the mRNA of human thymidylate synthase (TS) folds into a secondary-structure motif in which the initiation site is sequestered in a metastable hairpin. Binding of the protein to its own mRNA at the hairpin prevents the production of TS through a translation-repression feedback mechanism. Stabilization of the mRNA hairpin by other ligands has been proposed as a strategy to reduce TS levels in anticancer therapy. Rapidly proliferating cells require high TS activity to maintain the production of thymidine as a building block for DNA synthesis. The crystal structure of a model oligonucleotide (TS1) that represents the TS-binding site of the mRNA has been determined. While fluorescence studies showed that the TS1 RNA preferentially adopts a hairpin structure in solution, even at high RNA concentrations, an asymmetric dimer of two hybridized TS1 strands was obtained in the crystal. The TS1 dimer contains an unusual S-­turn motif that also occurs in the ‘off’ state of the human ribosomal decoding site RNA.
Predicting Hot Spots of Herpetofauna Road Mortality Along Highway Networks

Road mortality is often spatially aggregated, and there is a need for models that accurately and efficiently predict hot spots within a road network for mitigation. We surveyed 145 points throughout a 353-km highway network in New York State, USA, for roadkill of reptiles and amphibians. We used land cover, wetland configuration, and traffic volume data to identify features that best predicted hot spots of herpetofauna road mortality. We resampled 40 points an additional 4 times over 4 years to evaluate temporal repeatability. Both amphibian and reptile road mortality were spatially clustered, and road-kill hot spots of the 2 taxa overlapped. One survey provided a valid snapshot of spatial patterns of road mortality, and spatial patterns remained stable across time. Road-kill hot spots were located where wetlands approached within 100 m of the road, and the best predictor was a causeway configuration of wetlands (wetlands on both sides of the road). We validated causeways as predictors of road mortality by surveying 180 causeways and 180 random points across 5 regions (17,823 km2) of northeastern New York. Causeways were 3 times more likely than random locations to have amphibian and 12 times more likely to have reptile mortality present, and causeways had a 4 times higher total number of amphibian roadkill and 9 times higher reptile roadkill than did random points. We conclude it is possible to identify valid predictors of hot spots of amphibian and reptile road mortality for use when planning roads or when conducting surveys on existing roads to locate priority areas for mitigation.
Mg2+-linked oligomerization modulates the catalytic activity of the Lon (La) protease from Mycobacterium smegmatis.

Lon (La) proteases are multimeric enzymes that are activated by ATP and Mg(2+) ions and stimulated by unfolded proteins such as alpha-casein. The peptidase activity of the Lon protease from Mycobacterium smegmatis (Ms-Lon) is dependent upon both its concentration and that of Mg(2+). Addition of alpha-casein partially substitutes for Mg(2+) in activating the enzyme. In chemical dissociation experiments, higher concentrations of urea were required to inhibit Ms-Lon's catalytic activities after an addition of alpha-casein. Analytical ultracentrifugation was used to directly probe the effect of activators of peptidase activity on Ms-Lon self-association. Sedimentation velocity experiments reveal that Ms-Lon monomers are in a reversible equilibrium with oligomeric forms of the protein and that the self-association reaction is facilitated by Mg(2+) ions but not by AMP-PNP or ATP gamma S. NaCl at 100 mM facilitates oligomerization and stimulates peptidase activity at suboptimal concentrations of MgCl(2). Sedimentation equilibrium analysis shows that Ms-Lon associates to a hexamer at 50 mM Tris and 10 mM MgCl(2), at pH 8.0 and 20 degrees C, and that the assembly reaction is Mg(2+) dependent; the mole fraction of hexamer decreases with decreasing MgCl(2) to undetectable levels in 10 mM EDTA. The analysis of experiments conducted at a series of initial protein and MgCl(2) concentrations yields two assembly models: dimer tetramer hexamer and timer hexamer, equally consistent with the data. Limited trypsin digestion, CD, and tryptophan fluorescence suggest only minor changes in secondary and tertiary structure upon Mg(2+)-linked oligomerization. These results show that activation of Ms-Lon peptidase activity requires oligomerization and that Ms-Lon self-association reaction is facilitated by its activator, Mg(2+), and stimulator, unfolded protein.
Xanthine oxidase catalyzes anaerobic transformation of organic nitrates to nitric oxide and nitrosothiols: characterization of this mechanism and the link between organic nitrate and guanylyl cyclase activation.

Abstract Organic nitrates have been used clinically in the treatment of ischemic heart disease for more than a century. Recently, xanthine oxidase (XO) has been reported to catalyze organic nitrate reduction under anaerobic conditions, but questions remain regarding the initial precursor of nitric oxide (NO) and the link of organic nitrate to the activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC). To characterize the mechanism of XO-mediated biotransformation of organic nitrate, studies using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, chemiluminescence NO analyzer, NO electrode, and immunoassay were performed. The XO reducing substrates xanthine, NADH, and 2,3-dihydroxybenz-aldehyde triggered the reduction of organic nitrate to nitrite anion (). Studies of the pH dependence of nitrite formation indicated that XO-mediated organic nitrate reduction occurred via an acid-catalyzed mechanism. In the absence of thiols or ascorbate, no NO generation was detected from XO-mediated organic nitrate reduction; however, addition of l-cysteine or ascorbate triggered prominent NO generation. Studies suggested that organic nitrite (R-O-NO) is produced from XO-mediated organic nitrate reduction. Further reaction of organic nitrite with thiols or ascorbate leads to the generation of NO or nitrosothiols and thus stimulates the activation of sGC. Only flavin site XO inhibitors such as diphenyleneiodonium inhibited XO-mediated organic nitrate reduction and sGC activation, indicating that organic nitrate reduction occurs at the flavin site. Thus, organic nitrite is the initial product in the process of XO-mediated organic nitrate biotransformation and is the precursor of NO and nitrosothiols, serving as the link between organic nitrate and sGC activation.
Direct absorption spectroscopy using a rapidly tunable CW dye laser

Abstract Using a recently developed electronically tunable cw dye laser, the spectrum of an absorption sample could be obtained and repeatedly scanned every 10 μsec. The system is potentially capable of monitoring spectral changes in times as short as 10−7 sec.
End effects in capacity expansion models with finite horizons

Capacity expansion models are typically formulated in the context of some finite horizon. Because the firm lasts longer than the horizon, a bias can enter into the optimal solution from the model horizon chosen. Recently, Grinold [8] has proposed a “dual-equilibrium method” for ameliorating possible distortions. Although the dual-equilibrium method has superior analytical properties to other methods, it is conceptually more complex. In this paper it is shown that there are situations where the “primal-equilibrium” approach of Manne [15] provides equivalent results and that the use of annualized capital costs in the objective function, although somewhat less efficient, results in a similar model.
Parameterizing the Raindrop Size Distribution

This paper addresses the problem of finding a parametric form for the raindrop size distribution (DSD) that(1) is an appropriate model for tropical rainfall, and (2) involves statistically independent parameters. Such a parameterization is derived in this paper. One of the resulting three "canonical" parameters turns out to vary relatively little, thus making the parameterization particularly useful for remote sensing applications. In fact, a new set of r drop-size-distribution-based Z-R and k-R relations is obtained. Only slightly more complex than power laws, they are very good approximations to the exact radar relations one would obtain using Mie scattering. The coefficients of the new relations are directly related to the shape parameters of the particular DSD that one starts with. Perhaps most important, since the coefficients are independent of the rain rate itself, the relations are ideally suited for rain retrieval algorithms.
Expression of a Constitutively Active Akt Ser/Thr Kinase in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes Stimulates Glucose Uptake and Glucose Transporter 4 Translocation

Akt is a serine/threonine kinase that requires a functional phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase to be stimulated by insulin and other growth factors. When directed to membranes by the addition of a src myristoylation sequence, Akt becomes constitutively active. In the present studies, the constitutively active Akt and a nonmyristoylated control mutant were expressed in 3T3-L1 cells that can be induced to differentiate into adipocytes. The constitutively active Akt induced glucose uptake into adipocytes in the absence of insulin by stimulating translocation of the insulin-responsive glucose transporter 4 to the plasma membrane. The constitutively active Akt also increased the synthesis of the ubiquitously expressed glucose transporter 1. The increased glucose influx in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes directed lipid but not glycogen synthesis. These results indicate that Akt can regulate glucose uptake and metabolism.
Return to man: Jacques Copeau and the actor

In the first two decades of this century the schism in France between Romanticism and Realism divided theatre artists into two mutually exclusive camps. Jacques Copeau sought to mediate this struggle not only by combining the best of both “isms”; into a cohesive theatrical style, but by basing that style in a rediscovery of man as the single essential in theatre, both as subject (content) and as medium (form).
Fouling community of the Loxahatchee River estuary, Florida, 1980-81

Monthly growth of the fouling community at eight test panel sites in the Loxahatchee River Estuary was related to salinity and temperature. Growth was lowest in January 1981 (averaging 23 g per m2, dry weight), and increased during spring and early summer with increasing water temperature. Maximum growth occurred during early or midsummer at upstream locations, before river or canal discharge substantially reduced salinity, and in late summer at downstream locations. Growth was greatest at salinities slightly less than that of seawater and decreased at salinities less than about 10‰. Growth was suppressed throughout the estuary in August 1981, probably because of the sudden decrease in temperature and salinity, and perhaps the increase in physical scouring, caused by runoff from Tropical Storm Dennis. Large loads of nutrients transported to the estuary from storm runoff, however, may have subsequently stimulated growth, which increased in September 1981 to the maximum for the year (averaging 683 g per m2, dry weight).
Enkephalinase inhibitors potentiate substance P-induced secretion of 35SO4-macromolecules from ferret trachea.

To study the roles of substance P (SP) and endogenous peptidases in regulating mucus secretion from ferret trachea, we measured the SP-induced release of 35SO4-labeled macromolecules after incubating segments of trachea in Ussing chambers in the presence and absence of selected inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes. Our strategy was based on the idea that if endogenous peptidases degrade SP, then inhibitors of these enzymes should potentiate SP-induced secretion. We found that tracheas of ferrets contained SP-like immunoreactivity, and that SP stimulated the release of bound 35SO4 with rapid onset and offset. Eighty-five percent of the total macromolecular radioactivity released was contained in fractions of molecular weights > 106. The response to SP was concentration-dependent and reproducible. Thiorphan potentiated the secretory response to SP in a concentration-dependent fashion and phosphoramidon potentiated SP-induced secretion, whereas other inhibitors of proteinases and peptidases were without effects...
Seasonal History of the Balsam Woolly Adelgid (Homoptera: Adelgidae) in Natural Stands and Plantations of Fraser Fir

Comparisons of the seasonal history of balsam woolly adelgid, Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg), populations were made at five elevations in the southern Appalachians. Populations in three natural stands of Fraser fir, Abies fraseri (Pursh) Poir, above 1,760 m produced two generations in 1983. The adelgids infesting a small plantation of mature fir at 1,219 m emerged from winter diapause a month sooner than those in natural stands, but most of the population completed two generations. A third generation was found in the adelgid population infesting a cultivate Fraser fir Christmas tree plantation at 853 m.
Finding a place for women's creativity in medieval Iberia and modern scholarship

By examining pivotal texts from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as those inherited from the classical world, this article seeks to examine the connection between gender and creativity in medieval Iberia – two historically fluid concepts – and, in doing so, to provide a historical and historiographical context for the essays on women's creativity that follow.
Formation of Liquid Inclusions in Adipic Acid Crystals during Recrystallization from Aqueous Solutions

Liquid inclusions consist of pockets of saturated solution entrapped in host crystals during crystallization from solution. Inclusions are contaminants that exert deleterious effects on the properties of the host crystals. When adipic acid was crystallized from aqueous solutions by cooling, the amount of included water was found to be less at a higher initial temperature or after slower cooling. Changes in the degree of agitation in the practical range (150−350 rpm) did not influence the amount of included water. Addition of increasing concentration of seeds or sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate to the crystallizing solution progressively decreased the amount of included water. Addition of trimethyldodecylammonium chloride to the crystallization solution exerted a complex effect, generally increasing the amount of included water. The inclusion of water in adipic acid crystals can be explained by the relatively high growth rates of the hydrophobic faces (010 and 110), and the relatively low growth rate of the ...
Thermal Conversion of 2-Propyl Iodide on O/Ni(100): Changes in Product Distribution with Varying Oxygen Coverages☆

Abstract The oxidation of 2-propyl iodide on oxygen-covered Ni(100) surfaces has been studied with temperature-programmed desorption (TPD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and ion-scattering spectroscopy (ISS). It was found that the product distribution is strongly dependent on oxygen preexposure, with partial oxidation being favored at low oxygen coverages and total oxidation dominating on thin oxide films. XP I 3 d core-level spectra indicate that the adsorption of 2-propyl iodide below 100 K is molecular, and ISS data strongly suggest preferential bonding to Ni sites, Annealing the 2-propyl iodide adsorbed on O/Ni(100) surfaces between 120 to 200 K generates 2-propyl groups on the nickel sites via dissociation of the C–I bond, the same as on the clean surface. For submonolayer oxygen coverages the 2-propyl groups then follow one of two reaction pathways: they either undergo hydrogenation–dehydrogenation on the nickel sites to form propane, propene, and hydrogen, or, in the case of those formed near the oxygen sites, migrate and react to form 2-propoxide groups. The 2-propoxide moieties are stable on the surface up to ∼325 K, at which point some undergo β-hydride elimination to yield acetone. The fact that the rate of desorption of acetone from the reaction of 2-propyl iodide with oxygen is reaction limited is supported by the observation that the desorption of molecular acetone from Ni(100) occurs below 300 K. Also, other TPD experiments indicate that propene does not react to yield acetone on O/Ni(100) surfaces, and that the peak shapes and temperatures for acetone desorption from the reaction of 2-propyl iodide and 2-propanol on O/Ni(100) are nearly identical, suggesting that they form from a common intermediate, 2-propoxide.
Development of a Lean Premixed Low-Swirl Burner for Low NOx Practical Applications

Laboratory experiments have been performed to evaluate the performance of a premixed low-swirl burner (LSB) in configurations that simulate commercial heating appliances. Laser diagnostics were used to investigate changes in flame stabilization mechanism, flowfield, and flame stability when the LSB flame was confined within quartz cylinders of various diameters and end constrictions. The LSB adapted well to enclosures without generating flame oscillations and the stabilization mechanism remained unchanged. The feasibility of using the LSB as a low NO{sub x} commercial burner has also been verified in a laboratory test station that simulates the operation of a water heater. It was determined that the LSB can generate NO{sub x} emissions < 10 ppm (at 3% O{sub 2}) without significant effect on the thermal efficiency of the conventional system. The study has demonstrated that the lean premixed LSB has commercial potential for use as a simple economical and versatile burner for many low emission gas appliances.
Asymptotic performance characteristics for the adaptive coherent multireceiver and noncoherent multireceiver operating through the Rician fading multichannel

Asymptotic performance characteristics of adaptive coherent and noncoherent multireceivers for random multichannel transmission
Design and modeling of a five-phase aircraft synchronous generator with high power density

This paper presents a methodology for the design and modeling of a five-phase aircraft synchronous generator with high-power density. A new method was recently proposed for a more accurate model of the air-gap of a salient pole rotor through expanding the inverse of an effective air-gap function for three-phase synchronous generators. This approach is adapted to the five-phase case here, with some modifications to the derivations. Five-phase decoupling direct-quadrature theory is reviewed and presented as the basis for linear modeling of the five-phase synchronous machine. Following the procedure for a three-phase design with five-phase considerations, a 200 kVA high power density synchronous generator with 12 krpm rotational velocity is obtained. Finally, the design is verified using finite element method software.
Exaggerated serotonin-mediated platelet reactivity as a possible link in depression and acute coronary syndromes.

In conclusion, this study demonstrates that platelet reactivity to serotonin is significantly increased in depressed patients compared with non-depressed matched controls. Further, depressed patients did not have excess platelet reactivity to adenosine diphosphate. These data suggest that serotonin-mediated platelet reactivity may play a role in the depression-ACS link.
An emerging adaptive architecture and compilation techniques

An emerging adaptive front-end microprocessor architecture with associated compilation techniques for adaptive processor systems is introduced. The adaptive front-end architecture is capable of dealing with heterogeneous instruction sets for the integrated back-end microprocessor(s). The adaptive compilation techniques compile software codes of the back-end processor(s) and produce compatible and ciphered codes for the adaptive processor to enhance energy consumption, software security, performance, and underlying hardware resource utilization. The proposed adaptive processor scheme achieves 11% of branch elimination, 64% of instruction cache power conservation, and 29% of instruction packing without instruction memory overhead with the Michigan Benchmark (MiBench) for ARM 32-bit ISA.
Density functional theory studies of submonolayer oxidized silicon structures on Pd(1 1 1) and Pt(1 1 1)

Abstract The stable structures formed by Si and O at submonolayer coverages on Pd(1 1 1) and Pt(1 1 1) were explored using density functional theory (DFT). Adsorbate structures with varying Si:O atom ratios and with total coverages between 2/9 ML and 1 ML were investigated. Although several oxidized silicon species are thermodynamically stable compared to atomic Si and O reactants, the most stable structure identified in this work is a continuous network of alternating Si–O bonds formed by an equal ratio of Si and O atoms. In this structure, Si atoms are bound to the metal surface with O atoms bridging between Si atoms. The geometries of the oxidized silicon structures are similar between the two surfaces, though many of the structures are stabilized on the Pt(1 1 1) surface versus the Pd(1 1 1) surface. Vibrational spectra calculated for various oxidized silicon adsorbates are compared to previous ultra high vacuum (UHV) studies on metal surfaces.
The First Crusade in Late Medieval Exempla

(2006). The First Crusade in Late Medieval Exempla. The Historian: Vol. 68, No. 1, pp. 29-48.
The clinical and biological effects of thalidomide in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Thirty patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) were treated with thalidomide at 100 mg/d p.o., increased as tolerated to 400 mg/d for 12 weeks. Levels of apoptosis, macrophage number, microvessel density (MVD), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), interleukin 6 (IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were determined in the serum, bone marrow (BM) plasma and BM biopsies before and after therapy. Pretherapy biological characteristics of MDS patients were compared with similar studies performed in 11 normal volunteers. Ten patients demonstrated haematological improvement in the erythroid series, six becoming transfusion independent. Responders had a higher pretherapy platelet count (P < 0.048) and lower BM blasts (P < 0.013). Median time to response was 10 weeks, and four remain in remission beyond a year. Pretherapy MDS BMs showed higher MVD (P < 0.001) and TGF-beta (P < 0.03) and higher serum TNF-alpha (P < 0.008) compared with normal control subjects. After therapy, only BM TGF-beta decreased significantly (P < 0.002). Pretherapy haemoglobin was directly related to serum VEGF (P < 0.001) in responders and inversely related in non-responders (P < 0.05), suggesting the possibility that angiogenesis may be a primary pathology in the former and a consequence of anaemia-induced hypoxia in the latter. We conclude that thalidomide has important clinical and biological effects in at least a subset of MDS patients, but the precise mechanism of its action remains unknown and requires further study including a larger number of patients.
Modeling and capturing the human body: for rendering, health and visualization

Modeling the human body is of special interest in computer graphics to create "virtual humans", but material and optical properties of biological tissues are complex and not easily captured. This course will cover the major topics and challenges in using image acquisition to model the human body.
Application of simulated annealing for multispectral tomography

A new method based on simulated annealing is developed to obtain tomographic reconstructions based on multispectral absorption spectroscopy. The new method is able to exploit the spectral information content, to incorporate various a priori information, and to ameliorate the ill-posedness of the tomographic inversion problem. Numerical simulations are conducted to demonstrate the performance of this method for simultaneous temperature and species concentration imaging. This method is expected to enhance the practicality of multispectral tomography.
Selective Transport of γA1

SummaryThe direct immunofluorescence technique was employed to localize γA, secretory “piece” (SP) and lactoferrin (LF) in human nasal mucosal tissue obtained from five allergic and two nonallergic individuals. The γA staining was localized in the apical portion of the mucosal epithelium, intercellular spaces, basement membrane, and in plasma cells dispersed throughout the interstitium of the nasal mucosal tissue. The γG was present in approximately the same amounts in the interstitium and basement membrane area but unlike the γA did not gain access to the intercellular space or epithelial cell cytoplasm. The SP staining was localized in both glandular and surface epithelial cells. In addition SP staining was observed in the intercellular spaces between epithelial cells. The LF staining was localized only in the glandular epithelium of both allergic and nonallergic nasal mucosae and not in the surface epithelium.
Deoxygenation of benzofuran in supercritical water over a platinum catalyst

Abstract This study reports the results of the catalytic deoxygenation of 2,3-benzofuran in supercritical water over a 5 wt% platinum on activated carbon catalyst. We examine the effect of batch-holding time, water loading, hydrogen loading, and catalyst loading on the reaction products. The major products were 2-ethylphenol, ethylbenzene, ethylcyclohexanone, ethylcyclohexanol, and ethylcyclohexane. Increasing the water loading or decreasing the hydrogen loading decreases the selectivity to aromatic deoxygenated products (e.g. ethylbenzene) and increases the selectivity to hydrogenated deoxygenated products (e.g. ethylcyclohexane). Combining the results from these benzofuran experiments with results obtained in separate experiments with the above-mentioned reaction products as the starting reagent allowed for the development of the hydrothermal deoxygenation reaction network. The reaction network provided a foundation for a quantitative kinetic model that correlated the experimental results. The model showed that the experimental results were consistent with benzofuran having an inhibitory effect on the deoxygenation of ethylphenol to ethylbenzene.
Anomalous peak at low fields in the magnetization versus temperature curve in bulk ceramic high-temperature superconductors.

When a bulk ceramic high-temperature superconductor is cooled in a small field and the magnetic moment of the sample is measured as the sample is warmed, an anomalous peak in the magnetic moment is observed. This peak can be as high as 50% of the low-temperature moment for fields less than 1 Oe, but it rapidly decreases as the magnetic field increases. We show that this anomaly is due to the interrelationship between flux trapping by intergranular weak links and the irreversible flux trapping properties of the superconducting grains as recently described by Hao and Clem.
Ring-Opening Polymerization of Epoxy End-Terminated Polyethylene Oxide (PEO) as a Route to Cross-Linked Materials with Exceptional Swelling Behavior

We report here studies directed toward the synthesis and characterization of cross-linked poly(ethylene oxide) gels for use as drug delivery platforms. These gels were prepared by anionic ring-opening polymerization of diepoxy PEO400, PEO3400, and PEO8000 using t-BuOK as the initiator. The diepoxy PEO3400 and PEO8000 derived gels were found to swell to 20× and 30× their initial masses in water, falling in the category of superadsorbants. Evaluation of their behavior as disintegrants using lactose and calcium phosphate, in comparison with commercial disintegrant croscarmellose sodium, showed the diepoxy PEO3400 gel to be twice as fast in disintegrating a tablet. The diepoxy PEO3400 and PEO8000 derived gels were characterized by XRD, DSC, and TGA. and compared with the linear versions of the same materials. XRD powder patterns for all materials are very similar, albeit those for the gels are less intense likely because of packing disorders near cross-links. DSC data indicate that both Tm and Tc are consiste...
The effect of non-algal turbidity on the relationship of Secchi depth to chlorophyll a

Data from four reservoirs representative of different trophic states and with different apparent optical properties were analyzed to determine the relationship of Secchi depth to algal biomass as measured by chlorophyll a. In the eutrophic reservoir Secchi depth was determined partially by the chlorophyll a content (r2 = 0.31) but only when chlorophyll a data from ‘bloom’ conditions are included. In the two mesotrophic reservoirs, Secchi depth was entirely determined by non-algal turbidity. In the oligotrophic reservoir, Secchi depth was determined neither by chlorophyll a nor non-algal turbidity and was probably determined by dissolved color. When data from the four reservoirs were pooled (N = 205), 53% of the variation in Secchi depth was explained by: SD = 2.55–0.52 ln (Turbidity) + 0.005 (Chlorophyll a). It is apparent that attempts to estimate algal biomass for trophic state classification or other management practices from Secchi depth data are inappropriate even where moderate amounts of non-algal turbidity are present.
Two minimum spanning forest algorithms on fixed-size hypercube computers

Abstract Two parallel algorithms for finding minimum spanning forest (MSF) of a weighted undirected graph on hypercube computers, consisting of a fixed number of processors, are presented. One algorithm is suited for sparse graphs, the other for dense graphs. Our design strategy is based on successive elimination of non-MSF edges. The input graph is partitioned equally among different processors, which then repeatedly eliminate non-MSF edges and merge results to gradually construct the desired MSF of the entire graph. Low communication overhead is achieved by restricting the message-flow to between the neighboring processors in the hypercube topology. The correctness of our approach is due to a theorem which states that with total-ordered edges, if an edge of an arbitrary subgraph does not belong to its MSF, then it does not belong to the MSF of the entire graph. For a graph of n vertices and m edges, our first algorithm finds an MSF in O(m log m)/p) time using p processors for p ≤ (mlog m)/n(1+log(m/n)). The second algorithm, efficient for dense graphs, requires O(n2/p) time for p≤n/log n.
Preliminary studies on the marine chemistry of ruthenium

Abstract An upper limit for the concentration of ruthenium in surface sea waters off the California coast is estimated to be 5 pg·dm−3 on the bases of laboratory analyses and of theoretical considerations. Ruthenium contents follow those of platinum in ferromanganese nodules. Like the latter element, the former appears to be oxidized from a dissolved state in sea water upon incorporation in the solid phases. Finally, the Pt/Ru ratios in pelagic sediments from the Pacific Ocean cluster around 3 to 4. The platinum metals are associated with the detrital phases and their concentrations are a measure of crustal values.
Low-Frequency Shielding Properties of Conducting Cylindrical Shells of Arbitrary Cross Section

The shielding properties of general, two dimensional, finitely conducting shells with vanishingly thin walls are analyzed by the integral-equation method. For the circular cylinder case, a field plot throughout the shield interior reveals that, at the 'no shielding' frequencies found by Schieber, fields are attenuated greatly, except near the center. The influence of slots in the shell walls is also assessed for both circular and rectangular cylinders. Due to focusing effects, the field at the shield center is even stronger than the incident field at certain resonant frequencies for the slotted cylindrical shells.
Computational complexity of Van der Heyden's variable dimension algorithm and Dantzig-Cottle's principal pivoting method for solving LCP's

We show that Van der Heyden's variable dimension algorithm and Dantzig and Cottle's principal pivoting method require 2n---1 pivot steps to solve a class of linear complementarity problems of ordern. Murty and Fathi have previously shown that the computational effort required to solve a linear complementarity problem of ordern by Lemke's complementary pivot algorithm or by Murty's Bard-type algorithm is not bounded above by a polynomial inn. Our study shows that the variable dimension algorithm and the principal pivoting method have similar worst case computational requirements.
Tapered labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials for broadband impedance matching

We present five kinds of labyrinthine or space-coiling acoustic metamaterials with tapered channels and apertures. These designs exhibit negative index behavior with modest dispersion, and also have substantially improved impedance matching compared to previously investigated labyrinthine cells. Experimentally measured effective material parameters are in good agreement with numerically computed results for the first two designs. Numerical results are presented for the other three unit cells. By virtue of their design tunability and small size, these tapered labyrinthine acoustic metamaterials show potential as building blocks for a wide range of acoustic wave manipulation and imaging applications.