cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of Aβ(25–35) Peptide in Different Environments

The fragment Aβ(25–35) of the Alzheimer's amyloid β -peptide, like its full-length peptide Aβ(1–42), has shown neurotoxic activities in cultured cells. The conformational preference of this important peptide is examined here in solution, gel, and film states (obtained with organic and aqueous solvents) by vibrational circular dichroism spectroscopy for the first time. For comparative studies, vibrational absorption and electronic circular dichroism measurements were also carried out under identical conditions. The peptide was found to adopt β-sheet and β-turn structures, with their relative proportions changing in different environments.
Body Dissatisfaction and Physical Development Among Ethnic Minority Adolescents

The present study examined the association between body dissatisfaction and adjustment, and the role physical development plays in this association, in an ethnically diverse sample of over 1100 urban, ninth grade boys and girls (M age = 14). More similarities than differences were found across ethnic groups: Caucasian, African American, Latino, Asian, and multiethnic boys reported similar areas of body dissatisfaction, levels of body dissatisfaction, and associations between body dissatisfaction and psychosocial maladjustment. For girls, only mean level differences were found with African American girls reporting lower levels of body dissatisfaction than girls from other ethnic backgrounds. Higher levels of body dissatisfaction predicted more psychological and social maladjustment for both boys and girls. For boys, faster development predicted stronger associations between feeling overweight and peer victimization. Feeling too small only predicted victimization if boys were actually low in physical development. For girls, physical development directly predicted less peer victimization, while perceived faster development predicted more victimization. Thus, it appears that physical development can protect both girls (directly) and boys (buffering against the negative effects of body dissatisfaction) from peer victimization, whereas perceived faster timing of development can exacerbate peer victimization.
Invariants of Legendrian and transverse knots in the standard contact space

1.1. The standard contact structure in 3-space, which arises from the identification of R3 with the manifold of l-jets of smooth real functions of one variable, naturally distinguishes two major classes of smooth immersed spatial curves: Legendrian curves, which are integral curves of the contact distribution, that is everywhere tangent to the distribution, and transverse curves, which are nowhere tangent to it. Closed embedded Legendrian and transverse curves are called Legendrian and transverse knots. Theories of Legendrian and transverse knots, which are clearly related to each other, are parallel to the classical knot theory in space. Legendrian and transverse knots have become very popular in contact geometry since the seminal work of Bennequin [3], published in 1983. For Legendrian knots one introduces two integer-valued Legendrian isotopy invariants. The first measures the rotation of an (oriented) knot with respect to the contact distribution; we call it the Maslov number. The second one, which we call the Bennequin number, is defined as the contact self-linking number of the knot. (For exact definitions of these and subsequent notions see Section 2.) Transverse knots have no Maslov numbers, but also have Bennequin numbers. The main achievement of Bennequin’s paper consists in two inequalities for these numbers (see Theorem 2.3 below), which imply, in particular, that the Bennequin number of a topologically unknotted Legendrian knot must be always negative. In turn, this gives rise to a construction of an exotic contact structure in R3 (or rather to a proof, that some previously known contact structures in R3 are not diffeomorphic to the standard one). Bennequin and Maslov numbers may be also used for distinguishing Legendrian or transverse isotopy classes of knots within a topological isotopy class. It is very easy to show that any topological knot is isotopic to (actually is Co approximated by) both Legendrian and transverse knots. It is equally easy to construct topologically isotopic Legendrian or transverse knots with different Bennequin and Maslov (in the Legendrian case) numbers. Since no other specifically Legendrian or transverse invariants of knots have been found so far, one may expect that topologically isotopic Legendrian knots with equal Bennequin and Maslov numbers are Legendrian isotopic, and similarly for transverse knots. The results of this article may be regarded as a confirmation of this conjecture.
On the relevance of linear elastic fracture mechanics to ice

A new criterion is proposed which allows one to estimate the minimum size for a brittle ice fracture specimen comprised of a small number of grains. According to this criterion, linear elastic fracture mechanics is a useful theory for fresh-water ice but may have limited use for saline ice.
Stability without a centromere.

Every chromosome is precious. Each one carries vital genetic information that must not be lost. To ensure chromosome retention and segregation when the cell divides, the spindle apparatus attaches to the chromosomes at the centromere. In higher eukaryotes, the centromere is a big region, often occupying a megabase or more in mammalian chromosomes.
Drosophila NMNAT Maintains Neural Integrity Independent of Its NAD Synthesis Activity

Wallerian degeneration refers to a loss of the distal part of an axon after nerve injury. Wallerian degeneration slow (Wlds) mice overexpress a chimeric protein containing the NAD synthase NMNAT (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1) and exhibit a delay in axonal degeneration. Currently, conflicting evidence raises questions as to whether NMNAT is the protecting factor and whether its enzymatic activity is required for such a possible function. Importantly, the link between nmnat and axon degeneration is at present solely based on overexpression studies of enzymatically active protein. Here we use the visual system of Drosophila as a model system to address these issues. We have isolated the first nmnat mutations in a multicellular organism in a forward genetic screen for synapse malfunction in Drosophila. Loss of nmnat causes a rapid and severe neurodegeneration that can be attenuated by blocking neuronal activity. Furthermore, in vivo neuronal expression of mutated nmnat shows that enzymatically inactive NMNAT protein retains strong neuroprotective effects and rescues the degeneration phenotype caused by loss of nmnat. Our data indicate an NAD-independent requirement of NMNAT for maintaining neuronal integrity that can be exploited to protect neurons from neuronal activity-induced degeneration by overexpression of the protein.
To Stand and Fight: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Postwar New York City – By Martha Biondi

In the summer of 1947, a small group of young African‐Americans launched a campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience to protest the segregation of recreation facilities at Palisades Park. The prote...
Mode-locked repetition-rate feedback stabilization of semiconductor diode lasers

Feedback stabilization of the pulse repetition rate is demonstrated for an external cavity mode- locked semiconductor diode laser. The design procedure for repetition rate feedback stabilization is described. We propose feedback stabilization as a method of pulse stabilization for high repetition rate monolithic devices. These monolithic devices are expected to play an important role in applications such as optical clock generation and millimeter-wave clock distribution, but previously no timing stabilization technique had been developed which could be used up to the maximum repetition rates.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The reaction of perfluoro-2,4-dialkyloxolanes with anhydrous aluminum chloride

Abstract Several kinds of perfluoro-2,4-dialkyloxolanes (A), having such alkyl groups as R f R′ f CF 3 (2a); R f C 2 F 5 , R′ f CF 3 (3a); R f CF 3 , R′ f C 2 F 5 (4a); R f R′ f C 2 F 5 (5a); R f CF 3 , R′ f nC 3 F 7 (6a) on the 2 and 4 positions of the oxolane ring, respectively, were treated with AlCl 3 in a heterogeneous reaction to give the corresponding perfluoro-2,5,5-trichloro-2,4-dialkyloxolanes (B). For purposes of comparison, the respective reactions of perfluoro-2-methyl-oxolane (la), perfluoro-2-n-butyloxolane (7a), and perfluoro-2, 5-dimethyloxolane (8a) with AlCl 3 were also conducted. An increasingly higher reaction temperature was needed for the reaction of A with AlCl 3 to give B as the carbon number of A increased. Cis- and trans-perfluoro-4-chloro-2,4-dimethyl-γ-butyrolactones (2c) were obtained from the hydrolytic reactions of cis- and trans-perfluoro-2,5,5-trichloro-2,4-dimethyloxolanes (2b), respectively, with fuming H 2 SO 4 . Physical properties and 19 F nmr data are given for these new compounds.
Polar thermospheric response to solar magneticcloud/coronal mass ejection interactions with themagnetosphere

The Solar Magnetic Cloud (SMC)/Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) event of January1997 triggered auroral displays in all sectors of the auroral oval as well as in the polar cap region.Near infrared emissions from these auroras were recorded simultaneously in the night sector overSondrestromfjord (Sonde), Greenland, in the day sector over Longyearbyen, Svalbard and in thepolar cap region over Eureka, Canada. The spectral distributions of these emissions indicateprecipitation of electrons with average energy (EAV) of (500±100) eV,dissipating most of their energy around (180±20) km height (hmax) in thethermosphere. These findings are consistent with the concurrent auroral ionization profilesrecorded by the Incoherent Scatter Radar soundings at Sonde. In contrast, most of the nighttimeauroras, not related to SMC/CME events, are excited by electrons with EAV > a few keV and peak in the lower thermosphere with hmax around 110 km.Similarly, normal dayside cusp auroras and polar cap drizzle excited emissions emanate from theupper thermosphere above 200 km altitude. SMC/CME related auroras were also observed inOctober 1995 at Sonde, and in May 1996 as well as in May 1997 at the South Pole Station inAntarctica. Spectral characteristics, and hence EAV and hmax, of all these other SMC/CME related auroras, are similar to those of the January 1997event. These observations suggest that during a significant part of the period when SMC/CMEplasmas and fields interact with the magnetosphere, relatively low energy electrons precipitate inthe thermosphere. Such SMC/CME triggered auroras interact with the middle thermosphereconstituents in the 160–200 km height region. The latter region is inaccessible for remote sensingits composition and thermodynamics in normal auroras, which generally peak at lower heights; theSMC/CME events provide the opportunity for such investigations.
Group Education Sessions and Compliance With Nasal CPAP Therapy

Study objectives To determine an effective means of improving compliance with nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Design Retrospective chart review. Setting An outpatient clinic at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Patients Seventy-three patients with OSA. Interventions Hour meters on CPAP machines provided documentation of nightly machine use. A 2-h group CPAP clinic, scheduled every 6 months, provided education, support, symptom treatment, and equipment monitoring for all CPAP patients. Results Twenty-five patients had hour meter readings taken at their first CPAP clinic. In these patients, nightly CPAP use increased from 5.2±0.6 to 6.3±0.6 h per night after attendance at one CPAP clinic (p Conclusions Attendance in a group clinic designed to encourage patient compliance with CPAP therapy provided a simple and effective means of improving treatment of OSA.
Identification and mapping of five new genes in bacteriophage T7

Abstract Mutations that affect the single-stranded DNA-binding protein of bacteriophage T7 (gene 2.5) and four T7 proteins of unknown function (the gene 4.3, 4.5, 4.7 and 5.5 proteins) are described and mapped by three-factor crosses. An extensive search for mutants defective in the DNA-binding protein (Mr = 25,562) produced several strains in which this protein has an altered electrophoretic mobility but no strains that appear to lack it completely. The gene 2.5 mutation that was mapped produces a slightly short DNA-binding protein that appears functional by tests in vitro. It seems likely that a functional DNA-binding protein is needed for T7 growth but that conditional-lethal amber mutations in it are rare; the nucleotide sequence known to code for the gene 2.5 protein contains only 1 to 3 sites that would be expected to be readily mutable to conditional-lethal amber codons by N-methyl-N−nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. The gene 4.3, 4.5 and 4.7 proteins (Mr ∼ 8000 to 15,000) are eliminated by a deletion mutant that removes most of the DNA between genes 4 and 5. The gene 5.5 protein (Mr ∼ 11,700) is made in relatively large amounts and is affected by two different mutations that were mapped between genes 5 and 6. One of these mutations appears to be an amber mutation that eliminates the protein entirely; the other decreases the electrophoretic mobility of the protein (an apparent increase in size). A larger protein (Mr ∼ 18,000), found in small amounts and difficult to observe, is also affected by these two mutations; the relationship of this minor protein to the major gene 5.5 protein is not yet known. The genes 2 and 18 proteins have also been identified in patterns of protein synthesis during infection. The proteins specified by at least 34 different T7 genes have now been identified.
Formation of the ‘Great Unconformity’ as a trigger for the Cambrian explosion

Changes in ocean chemistry promoted during the formation of the Great Unconformity, a stratigraphic surface that separates continental basement rock from younger marine sedimentary deposits, are proposed as the cause of the Cambrian explosion of marine animals. The 'Great Unconformity' is a worldwide stratigraphic feature marking a divide between continental crystalline basement rock and younger shallow marine sedimentary deposits. Occasionally — in the Grand Canyon, for example — it is exposed on Earth's surface to dramatic effect. Geologists have been debating the origins and the global impact of the Great Unconformity ever since the term was coined in 1869. Shanan Peters and Robert Gaines now present a new analysis of stratigraphic and lithologic data from 830 locations in North America, together with petrologic and geochemical data. They find evidence that the formation of the Great Unconformity caused enhanced continental weathering and increased oceanic alkalinity and ionic strength in expanding shallow seas, which in turn triggered biomineralization and the Cambrian explosion of marine animals. The transition between the Proterozoic and Phanerozoic eons, beginning 542 million years (Myr) ago, is distinguished by the diversification of multicellular animals and by their acquisition of mineralized skeletons during the Cambrian period1. Considerable progress has been made in documenting and more precisely correlating biotic patterns in the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian fossil record with geochemical and physical environmental perturbations2,3,4,5, but the mechanisms responsible for those perturbations remain uncertain1,2. Here we use new stratigraphic and geochemical data to show that early Palaeozoic marine sediments deposited approximately 540–480 Myr ago record both an expansion in the area of shallow epicontinental seas and anomalous patterns of chemical sedimentation that are indicative of increased oceanic alkalinity and enhanced chemical weathering of continental crust. These geochemical conditions were caused by a protracted period of widespread continental denudation during the Neoproterozoic followed by extensive physical reworking of soil, regolith and basement rock during the first continental-scale marine transgression of the Phanerozoic. The resultant globally occurring stratigraphic surface, which in most regions separates continental crystalline basement rock from much younger Cambrian shallow marine sedimentary deposits, is known as the Great Unconformity6. Although Darwin and others have interpreted this widespread hiatus in sedimentation on the continents as a failure of the geologic record, this palaeogeomorphic surface represents a unique physical environmental boundary condition that affected seawater chemistry during a time of profound expansion of shallow marine habitats. Thus, the formation of the Great Unconformity may have been an environmental trigger for the evolution of biomineralization and the ‘Cambrian explosion’ of ecologic and taxonomic diversity following the Neoproterozoic emergence of animals.
Missions, Values, and “Flying Monkeys”: Critical Issues for Community Colleges Today and in 2019

A focus group (N = 36) consisting of board of trustee members, community college presidents, senior administrators, administrators, and faculty members from community colleges around the United States developed the top six critical issues faced with respect to instructional planning and services; planning, governance, and finance; and workforce development. Thereafter, the delegation of more than 100 voted on various aspects of these issues. The findings detail a shift away from pragmatic problems or opportunities of today, such as K–20 alignment, retention, and sustainability, to more life-long learning, globalization, and focus upon innovation and partnerships.
The effect of transgressor's and victim's sex on children's punish-help judgments

The present investigation, expanding upon a study by Miller and McCann, sought to determine whether children's reactions to the perpetrators and victims of antisocial behavior are influenced by the sex of the individuals involved. Third- and fifth-grade children were asked their opinions of a series of stories in which one child (boy or girl) was described as having intentionally harmed another child (boy or girl). The results indicate that the relative importance that children attribute to punishing transgressors and helping victims is mediated by the sex composition of the transgressor-victim dyad.
Preparation and explosive properties of azo- and azoxy-furazans

Abstract The synthesis and properties of three energetic azo- and azoxyfurazans are described. All are derived from oxidation of 3, 4-diaminofurazan (DAF) (1) and include 3,3′-diamino-4,4′-azoxyfurazan (DAAF) (2), 3,3′-diamino-4,4′-azofurazan (DAAzF) (3) and bis[1, 2, 5] oxadiazolo [3,4-c:3′,4′-g] [1, 2, 5, 6] tetrazocine (DFT) (4). The explosive performance properties of DAAF and DAAzF have been investigated.
Geometry of interplanetary magnetic clouds

Two dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations are presented of the distortion of a magnetic flux rope that is being accelerated through ambient solar wind plasma. The flux rope magnetic field has an axial component parallel to the solar wind field and an azimuthal component, which lies in the simulation plane. As the flux rope moves through the solar wind plasma, vortices form on its trailing edge and couple strongly to its interior. If the flux rope azimuthal field is weak, it deforms into an elongated banana-like shape after a few Alfven transit times. A strong azimuthal field component tends to inhibit this distortion. If the flux rope is taken to model a magnetic cloud, it is suggested that the shape of the cloud at 1 AU is determined by its distortion in the inner solar wind. Distortion timescales beyond 1 AU are estimated as many days. It is estimated that effective drag coefficients somewhat greater than unity are appropriate for modelling flux rope propagation.
Endogenous growth hormone secretion and clearance rates in normal boys, as determined by deconvolution analysis: Relationship to age, pubertal status, and body mass

Mean plasma GH concentrations increase in normal boys during mid- to late-puberty. To investigate the nature of the pituitary secretory events and/or altered metabolic clearance responsible for these serum GH concentration changes, we performed multiple-parameter deconvolution analysis of 46 24-h serum GH concentration-time series obtained from normal boys at various stages of puberty and young adulthood. The subjects ranged in chronological age from 7-27 yr. The height and weight of each subject were between the 5th and 95th percentile for age. The calculated daily mass of GH secreted was greatest (P less than 0.001) in late pubertal boys (mean +/- SE, 1810 +/- 250 micrograms/24 h) and was triple the value in prepubertal boys (610 +/- 65 micrograms/24 h). When the values were normalized and expressed as mass of GH secreted per unit (m2) body surface area or per L distribution volume, GH secretion in late pubertal boys was still significantly greater than that in any other group (P less than 0.05). These values for late pubertal boys were nearly double the corresponding values for prepubertal boys (1160 +/- 160 vs. 600 +/- 58 micrograms GH/m2.24 h and 440 +/- 63 vs. 270 +/- 25 micrograms GH/L vol.24 h, respectively). When the effect of clearance mechanics on serum GH concentrations was removed mathematically, the primary change in predicted GH secretory burst parameters during pubertal development was an increase in GH mass released per burst resulting from an increase in the maximal rate of GH secretion attained within the bursts. These changes in the amplitude of GH release events were specific, in that they were largely independent of any accompanying alterations in duration or frequency of the GH secretory bursts or in serum GH half-life. Correlation analysis revealed that the 24-h GH secretion rate varied inversely with the subjects' body mass index SD score (r = -0.65; P less than 0.01), suggesting that differences in body mass, even within the normal range, contribute to the wide variability in daily GH secretion rates among normally growing children. The plasma insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations of all subjects correlated positively with the calculated 24-h GH secretion rate (r = 0.51; P less than 0.001). In summary, the primary neuroendocrine alteration responsible for the augmented serum GH concentrations characterizing mid- to late-puberty in boys is an increased mass of GH released per pituitary secretory episode resulting from an increased maximal rate of GH secretion within each burst.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Role of ACE inhibitors in treating hypertensive diabetic patients.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major determining factor of morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetic patients. Hypertension, which accompanies diabetes in more than 70% of cases, contributes to increased prevalence of CVD events in this group of patients. Results from the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) indicated that reduction of elevated blood pressure might decrease CVD morbidity and mortality more than reduction of hyperglycemia. Activation of circulating and tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) contributes to the development of both hypertension and insulin resistance in patients with the cardiometabolic syndrome. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor therapy in patients with the cardio-metabolic syndrome may improve insulin action as well as lessen CVD. In clinical trials, ACE inhibitors have been shown to be more efficient than other antihypertensive medications (ie, calcium channel blockers) in the reduction of CVD morbidity and mortality in hypertensive diabetics. In this article, we summarize possible mechanisms by which ACE inhibition may improve insulin resistance, coagulation/ clotting, and vascular function abnormalities, and postpone or even prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in hypertensive patients.
Living Ethnological Exhibits: The Case of 1886

By now it is widely understood that the emergence of international exhibitions during the second half of the 19th century created a powerful stock of images of the non-Western world for European consumption, which in turn helped refashion metropolitan social space (Altick 1978; Benedict 1983; Benjamin 1983; Bennett 1988; Breckenridge 1989; Buck-Morss 1991; Coombes 1994; Greenhalgh 1988; Harris 1990; Harvey 1996; Karp and Lavine 1991; Mitchell 1988; Rydell 1993). The unsettling phenomenon of "living ethnological displays," a popular feature of exhibitions in the final decades of the 19th century, is perhaps the most objectionable genre in the history of anthropology's signifying practices, as well as the most consistently underexamined. For it is one thing, as Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett has recently observed, to construct an ethnographic object in a text or to display an anthropological artifact behind glass: "It is quite another when people are themselves the medium of ethnographic representation, when they perform themselves-when they become living signs of themselves" (1998:18). Researchers have tended to conceive of the phenomenon of living exhibits as an extension of the specimen orientation of a museum-based Victorian anthropology (Hinsley 1981; Stocking 1985) or as an inherently performative genre, one that crossed the boundaries between science and entertainment while supporting the hierarchical social evolutionary ideology of the era (Bogdan 1988; Bradford and Blume 1992; Corbey 1993; Greenhalgh 1988; Lindfors 1999; Rydell 1993; Stewart 1993). Increasingly, critics across the disciplines have argued for a reexamination of the "exotic native subject" that was produced in early world fairs and popular exhibitions as part of an enduring script about anthropology, exotic cultures, and racial difference that continues to have a fundamentally political role within contemporary Euro-American public discourse (Celik and Kinney 1990; Coombes 1994; diLeonardo 1998; Haraway 1989; Kirshenblatt-Gimblett 1998). Others have recognized that the complexities of exhibition strategies and intercultural practices in the postcolonial era must be understood in relation to the specific histories of colonized groups and the role of imperialism in collecting and display (Ames 1992;
Microfluidic plastic capillaries on silicon substrates: a new inexpensive technology for bioanalysis chips

This paper reports the fabrication and testing of large-volume plastic capillaries and other fluidic components using a batch lithographic process. These components are fabricated on planar substrates using a simple three mask, low-temperature, IC compatible process that allows the integration of microfluidic and circuit elements. The microfluidic elements are conformal to the substrate thus overcoming the planarization required by bonded structures. In addition they have relatively large volumes in contrast to polysilicon based devices and are completely sealed in a batch manner overcoming the limitations of micromoulding. The capillaries are also optically transparent and can range from 0.5 /spl mu/m to 100 /spl mu/m in height. The fluidic components have been fabricated on top of regular silicon, glass, and polycarbonate wafers. Mechanical and biocompatibility tests indicate that the plastic components are suitable for DNA analysis instrumentation.
Effects of Human Cytomegalovirus Major Immediate-Early Proteins in Controlling the Cell Cycle and Inhibiting Apoptosis: Studies with ts13 Cells

The major immediate-early (MIE) gene of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) encodes several MIE proteins (MIEPs) produced as a result of alternative splicing and polyadenylation of the primary transcript. Previously we demonstrated that the HCMV MIEPs expressed from the entire MIE gene could rescue the temperature-sensitive (ts) transcriptional defect in the ts13 cell line. This defect is caused by a ts mutation in TAFII250, the 250-kDa TATA binding protein-associated factor (TAF). These and other data suggested that the MIEPs perform a TAF-like function in complex with the basal transcription factor TFIID. In addition to the transcriptional defect, the ts mutation in ts13 cells results in a defect in cell cycle progression which ultimately leads to apoptosis. Since all of these defects can be rescued by wild-type TAFII250, we asked whether the MIEPs could rescue the cell cycle defect and/or affect the progression to apoptosis. We have found that the MIEPs, expressed from the entire MIE gene, do not rescue the cell cycle block in ts13 cells grown at the nonpermissive temperature. However, despite the maintenance of the cell cycle block, the ts13 cells which express the MIEPs are resistant to apoptosis. MIEP mutants, which have previously been shown to be defective in rescuing the ts transcriptional defect, maintained the ability to inhibit apoptosis. Hence, the MIEP functions which affect transcription appear to be separable from the functions which inhibit apoptosis. We discuss these data in the light of the HCMV life cycle and the possibility that the MIEPs promote cellular transformation by a "hit-and-run" mechanism.
Facile synthesis of silver and bimetallic silver–gold nanoparticles and their applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering

This study reports facile synthesis of monometallic and bimetallic core–shell nanoparticles using ascorbic acid as reducing agent. Monometallic silver nanoparticles (AgNP–CTAB–NA) with a bilayer of cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) supported by n-nonylamine (NA) were first synthesized. Bimetallic core–shell nanoparticles, AgNP@Au–CTAB–NA, were synthesized using AgNP–CTAB–NA as precursor. We characterize AgNP–CTAB–NA and AgNP@Au–CTAB–NA colloids by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) line analysis. We demonstrate that both AgNP–CTAB–NA and AgNP@Au–CTAB–NA colloids are excellent surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates for Raman active analyte molecules at sub-micromolar concentrations.
Pheromone-Assisted Techniques to Improve the Efficacy of Insecticide Sprays Against Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Outdoor residual sprays are among the most common methods for targeting pestiferous ants in urban pest management programs. If impervious surfaces such as concrete are treated with these insecticides, the active ingredients can be washed from the surface by rain or irrigation. As a result, residual sprays with fipronil and pyrethroids are found in urban waterways and aquatic sediments. Given the amount of insecticides applied to urban settings for ant control and their possible impact on urban waterways, the development of alternative strategies is critical to decrease the overall amounts of insecticides applied, while still achieving effective control of target ant species. Herein we report a "pheromone-assisted technique" as an economically viable approach to maximize the efficacy of conventional sprays targeting the Argentine ant. By applying insecticide sprays supplemented with an attractive pheromone compound, (Z)-9-hexadecenal, Argentine ants were diverted from nearby trails and nest entrances and subsequently exposed to insecticide residues. Laboratory experiments with fipronil and bifenthrin sprays indicated that the overall kill of the insecticides on Argentine ant colonies was significantly improved (57-142% increase) by incorporating (Z)-9-hexadecenal in the insecticide sprays. This technique, once it is successfully implemented in practical pest management programs, has the potential of providing maximum control efficacy with reduced amount of insecticides applied in the environment.
Investigation of full-field CZT detector for emission mammotomography

The purpose of this work is to investigate and characterize a 16/spl times/20 cm/sup 2/ detector using quantized cadmium-zinc-telluride (CZT), which has been recently incorporated into the application specific emission tomograph (ASET) system for dedicated emission mammotomography. The LumaGEM 3200-S consists of 5120 total segmented pixels on 2.5 mm center-to-center pitch. The mean intrinsic energy resolution has been measured at 9.9% FWHM at 140 keV. The camera is mounted on the hemispherical gantry system for dedicated, uncompressed breast imaging, utilizing a high resolution parallel beam collimator. The modified ASET system is evaluated with planar and SPECT measurements of line sources and cold rod phantoms using simple circular tomography. Image quality is investigated through measurements of lesions in a breast background including lesion signal-to-noise ratio and contrast, using both simple vertical axis of rotation orbits and more complicated three-dimensional orbits.
Diode modeling for rectenna design

A method of modeling a diode for use in rectenna design is presented. The method uses measured S-parameters to define values of an equivalent circuit model which is comprised of both voltage-dependent and voltage-independent components which are systematically isolated from one another to allow their values to be determined independently. The model is designed to be used in the Agilent ADS simulation software.
The fine structure of differentiating fibroblasts in the incisor pulp of the guinea pig.

The differentiation of the fibroblast was followed in the dental pulp of continuously growing incisors of the guinea pig. Based on the ultrastructure, the processes of differentiation of the fibroblasts might be conveniently broken into three stages; Stage I – period of early differentiation, Stage II – period of maturation and functioning, and Stage III – period of regression. During Stage I the cell had structural characteristics shared by other less differentiated cells. The endoplasmic reticulum was poorly developed, showing vesicular to tubular profiles. The ribosomes were abundant but were mostly distributed in free form. Mitochondria were small and had irregular interiors. Stage II was characterized by a striking development of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum, which appeared in various shapes and sizes. The Golgi complex was enlarged, and contained some fibriller materials in dilated portions of its membraneous elements. Other features described in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts from other sources were confirmed. Stage III was characterized by the decrease in size and number of various cytoplasmic constituents and was considered to represent cells in the state of regression.
Decadal trends in net ecosystem production and net ecosystem carbon balance for a regional socioecological system

Carbon sequestration is increasingly recognized as an ecosystem service, and forest management has a large potential to alter regional carbon fluxes notably by way of harvest removals and related impacts on net ecosystem production (NEP). In the Pacific Northwest region of the US, the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) in 1993 established a regional socioecological system focused on forest management. The NWFP resulted in a large (82%) decrease in the rate of harvest removals on public forest land, thus significantly impacting the regional carbon balance. Here we use a combination of remote sensing and ecosystem modeling to examine the trends in NEP and net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) in this region over the 1985-2007 period, with particular attention to land ownership since management now differs widely between public and private forestland. In the late 1980s, forestland in both ownership classes was subject to high rates of harvesting, and consequently the land was a carbon source (i.e. had a negative NECB). After the policy driven reduction in the harvest level, public forestland became a large carbon sink driven in part by increasing NEP whereas private forestland was close to carbon neutral. In the 2003-2007 period, the trend towards carbon accumulation on public lands continued despite a moderate increase in the extent of wildfire. The NWFP was originally implemented in the context of bio- diversity conservation, but its consequences in terms of carbon sequestration are also of societal interest. Ultimately, management within the NWFP socioecological system will have to consider trade-offs among these and other ecosystem services.
Short-term interest rate dynamics: a spatial approach

Abstract We use new fully functional methods to describe and study the dynamics of the short-term interest rate process in continuous-time. The suggested procedure exploits the spatial properties, embodied in the local time process, of the diffusion of interest, and is robust against deviations from stationarity. Our results indicate that the misspecification of a standard constant elasticity of variance model with linear mean-reverting drift cannot be attributed to the nonlinear behavior of the infinitesimal first moment of the short-term interest rate process at high rates. Rather, it should be attributed to the martingale nature of the process over most of its empirical range (i.e., between 3% and about 15%).
Chest trauma: The role of transesophageal echocardiography

Aortic and cardiac injury is commonly seen with severe chest trauma and contributes to the morbidity and mortality of automobile accidents. Transesophageal echocardiography is emerging as an important diagnostic tool for the evaluation of cardiovascular injury in the setting of acute chest trauma, and anesthesiologists should be familiar with the echocardiographic features of these traumatic lesions.
REDUCING THE OVERFITTING OF ADABOOST BY CONTROLLING ITS DATA DISTRIBUTION SKEWNESS

AdaBoost rarely suffers from overfitting problems in low noise data cases. However, recent studies with highly noisy patterns have clearly shown that overfitting can occur. A natural strategy to alleviate the problem is to penalize the data distribution skewness in the learning process to prevent several hardest examples from spoiling decision boundaries. In this paper, we pursue such a penalty scheme in the mathematical programming setting, which allows us to define a suitable classifier soft margin. By using two smooth convex penalty functions, based on Kullback–Leibler divergence (KL) and l2 norm, we derive two new regularized AdaBoost algorithms, referred to as AdaBoostKL and AdaBoostNorm2, respectively. We prove that our algorithms perform stage-wise gradient descent on a cost function, defined in the domain of their associated soft margins. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms through experiments over a wide variety of data sets. Compared with other regularized AdaBoost algorithms, our methods achieve at least the same or better performance.
Control and Reduction of Aircraft Turbine Engine Exhaust Emissions

The aircraft turbine engine exhaust emissions in the category of air pollutants, that are generated to some degree, consist of carbon monoxide (CO), unburned or partially oxidized hydrocarbons (H/C’s), carbon particulates as soot or smoke, oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx). The primary concern associated with these emissions is their possible impact on the environments of major airport localities, where the exhaust emissions resulting from high volumes of localized aircraft operations may tend to be concentrated.
Flare build‐up study provides new data on solar flares

A flare build-up study that was 2 years in planning has resulted in an accumulation of scientific data that solar scientists believe will provide them with the clearest knowledge of solar flares ever produced. The study was an intensive worldwide effort which involved experiments aboard NASA's orbiting Solar Maximum Mission spacecraft and a network of the world's most highly sophisticated and powerful ground observatories. It was coordinated by Paul Simon of the Observatoire de Paris, France, as part of the International Solar Maximum Year.
Evidence-based advertising

Complex phenomena such as advertising are difficult to understand. As a result, extensive and repeated testing of diverse alternative reasonable hypotheses is necessary in order to increase knowledge about advertising. This calls for experimental studies: laboratory, field, and quasi-experimental studies. Fortunately, much useful empirical research of this kind has already been conducted on how to create persuasive advertisements. A literature review, conducted over 16 years, summarised knowledge from 687 sources that drew upon more than 3,000 studies (Armstrong 2010). The review led to the development of 195 principles (condition-action statements) for advertising. We were unable to find any of these principles in a convenience sample of nine advertising textbooks and three practitioner handbooks. The advice in these books ignored conditions for the most part. The books also tended to ignore empirical evidence, which is how we learn about conditions; of the more than 7,200 sources referenced in these boo...
Naturally Occurring Chemodectoma in Rats

Two naturally occurring cases of chemodectoma, one in a 10-week-old albino male rat and another in a 2-year-old albino female rat, are reported. They appear to be the first reported cases of chemodectorna in rats although one case of aortic body tumor was reported previously in an albino rat.
Hasta La Vista, Baby Anglo Spanish in the American Southwest

Les Americians anglophones du Sud-Ouest des Etats-Unis utilisent parfois la langue espagnole : 1) pour la nourriture bon marche, les plantes exotiques, les animaux et quelques lois ; 2) face aux touristes et aux refugies et enfin 3) les expressions espagnoles appartenant au registre de l'ironie. L'usage limite de l'Espagnol a des fins specifiques est a mettre en correlation avec le projet de domination sociale et economique des anglophones sur les hispanophones de la region.
Eastern Equatorial Pacific Forcing of ENSO Sea Surface Temperature Anomalies

Previous studies have described the impacts of wind stress variations in the eastern Pacific on sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies associated with the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. However, these studies have usually focused on individual El Nino events and typically have not considered impacts on La Nina—the cold phase of the ENSO cycle. This paper examines effects of wind stress and heat flux forcing on interannual SST variations in the eastern equatorial Pacific from sensitivity tests using an ocean general circulation model over the period 1980–2002. Results indicate that in the Nino-3 region (5°N–5°S, 90°–150°W) a zonal wind stress anomaly of 0.01 N m 2 leads to about 1°C SST anomaly and that air–sea heat fluxes tend to damp interannual SST anomalies generated by other physical processes at a rate of about 40 W m 2 (°C) 1 . These results systematically quantify expectations from previous event specific numerical model studies that local forcing in the eastern Pacific can significantly affect the evolution of both warm and cold phases of the ENSO cycle. The results are also consistent with a strictly empirical analysis that indicates that a wind stress anomaly of 0.01 N m 2 leads to 1°C SST anomaly in the Nino-3 region.
Clustering courses to build student community

The Dwight Look College of Engineering typically enrolls 1400 to 1700 starting freshmen each year. The majority of these freshmen take their first-year math, science, and engineering courses as a cluster. A cluster is a collection of approximately 100 students who have the same schedule for a group of three or four courses. Even though the freshman class as a whole is quite large, common course scheduling and the use of teams within individual courses promote the development of a small community atmosphere. There is much evidence of this community effect. First, clustered students generally progress more quickly through key freshman-level courses. Second, students develop strong friendships within their clusters and are likely to congregate in large groups for study and to continue clustering by coordinating their course schedules for following semesters. Finally, first and second year retention of students in clustered courses is frequently greater than for nonclustered students.
DNA REPAIR IN HUMANS

DNA repair is an important molecular defense system against agents that cause cancer, degenerative diseases, and aging. Several repair systems in humans protect the genome by repairing modified bases, DNA adducts, crosslinks, and double strand breaks. These repair systems, base excision, nucleotide excision, and recombination, are intimately connected to transcription and to cell cycle checkpoints. In addition, genotoxic stress induces a set of cellular reactions mediated by the p53 tumor suppressor and the Ras oncogene. These genotoxic response reactions may help the cell survive or enter apoptosis. Damage-response reactions may be utilized as targets of anticancer chemotherapy.
CHAPTER 3 – GROWTH FACTOR AND SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION TARGETS FOR CANCER THERAPY

The chapter focuses on five major groups of targets that have been the object of particularly vigorous drug-discovery research over the past decade, which include the erbB family of growth factor receptors, the ras/MAPK pathway components, src family kinases, the AKT family, and the nuclear hormone receptor family. The erbB receptor family comprises four distinct membrane glycoproteins consisting of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptors erbB1, erbB2, erbB3, and erbB4. They are widely expressed in epithelial, mesenchymal, and neuronal tissues, and are structurally similar. They are composed of an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a single transmembrane region, an intracellular domain possessing protein tyrosine kinase activity, and a C-terminal tail that contains specific tyrosine containing sequences, which, upon phosphorylation, become binding sites for src homology region 2 (SH2)–containing signaling proteins. The receptors also contain other phosphorylation sites that are believed to have a role in the regulation and function of the protein. Another family of tyrosine kinases that may contain appropriate targets for therapeutic intervention in cancer is the nonreceptor, cytoplasmic c-Src kinase, and other members of that kinase family. The amino acid sequence of this kinase family is composed of three major structural domains numbered from the C terminus. The first domain is the Src Homology1, or SH1, which encompasses the catalytic domain of the kinase. The SH2 domain, which contains tyrosine phosphorylation sites, and the SH3 domain containing proline-rich regions are likely to be involved in regulatory functions via intra and intermolecular interactions. Akt is a critical mediator of cell survival, and activated Akt protects cells from apoptosis induced by ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, GF withdrawal, detachment from ECM, and cell cycle irregularities.
Promoting Impartiality of International Commercial Arbitrators Through Chinese Criminal Law: Arbitration by 'Perversion of Law'

This essay is prompted by a recent Chinese criminal provision governing the impartiality of arbitration. The goal of the essay is to critically examine the new crime and put forward some proposals for reform, which could be employed to resolve the tension that exists between arbitrator impartiality and deference to arbitration. Although the new provision appears to be a rule to eliminate the abuse of arbitral power, it may raise more questions than it resolves. This essay explores the problems and undertakes a comparative analysis of the U.S provision as well as an analysis of some cultural and traditional elements influencing the new crime in China. From the author’s point of view, the concerns could be better met by fine-tuning the rule rather than abandoning it in order to keep a balance between the previous two conflicting values. A mechanism of Judicial Interpretation is proposed borrowing some U.S. experience. It could well suit China’s needs because the benefits of arbitration can be retained without sacrificing the impartiality of arbitration.