cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recognition of mixed-sequence DNA targets using spermine-modified Invader probes.

Double-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleotides with +1 interstrand zipper arrangements of 2′-O-(pyren-1-yl)methyl-RNA monomers are additionally activated for highly specific recognition of mixed-sequence DNA targets upon incorporation of non-nucleotidic spermine bulges.
Faradaic electro-swing reactive adsorption for CO2 capture

Carbon capture is one of the foremost methods for curtailing greenhouse gas emissions. Incumbent technologies are inherently inefficient due to thermal energy losses, large footprint, or degradation of sorbent material. We report a solid-state faradaic electro-swing reactive adsorption system comprising an electrochemical cell that exploits the reductive addition of CO2 to quinones for carbon capture. The reported device is compact and flexible, obviates the need for ancillary equipment, and eliminates the parasitic energy losses by using electrochemically activated redox carriers. An electrochemical cell with a polyanthraquinone–carbon nanotube composite negative electrode captures CO2 upon charging via the carboxylation of reduced quinones, and releases CO2 upon discharge. The cell architecture maximizes the surface area exposed to gas, allowing for ease of stacking of the cells in a parallel passage contactor bed. We demonstrate the capture of CO2 both in a sealed chamber and in an adsorption bed from inlet streams of CO2 concentrations as low as 0.6% (6000 ppm) and up to 10%, at a constant CO2 capacity with a faradaic efficiency of >90%, and a work of 40–90 kJ per mole of CO2 captured, with great durability of electrochemical cells showing <30% loss of capacity after 7000 cylces.
Personalized Dosimetry for Liver Cancer Y-90 Radioembolization Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Monte Carlo Simulation

Yttrium-90 (Y-90) transarterial radioembolization uses radioactive microspheres injected into the hepatic artery to irradiate liver tumors internally. One of the major challenges is the lack of reliable dosimetry methods for dose prediction and dose verification. We present a patient-specific dosimetry approach for personalized treatment planning based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the microsphere transport combined with Y-90 physics modeling called CFDose. The ultimate goal is the development of a software to optimize the amount of activity and injection point for optimal tumor targeting. We present the proof-of-concept of a CFD dosimetry tool based on a patient’s angiogram performed in standard-of-care planning. The hepatic arterial tree of the patient was segmented from the cone-beam CT (CBCT) to predict the microsphere transport using multiscale CFD modeling. To calculate the dose distribution, the predicted microsphere distribution was convolved with a Y-90 dose point kernel. Vessels as small as 0.45 mm were segmented, the microsphere distribution between the liver segments using flow analysis was predicted, the volumetric microsphere and resulting dose distribution in the liver volume were computed. The patient was imaged with positron emission tomography (PET) 2 h after radioembolization to evaluate the Y-90 distribution. The dose distribution was found to be consistent with the Y-90 PET images. These results demonstrate the feasibility of developing a complete framework for personalized Y-90 microsphere simulation and dosimetry using patient-specific input parameters.
Decolonizing the Mental Lexicon: Critical Whiteness Studies Perspectives in the Language Classroom

What does it mean to teach German as a foreign language in a US classroom? What is foreign and what is not, who is foreign and who is not, who is an insider and who is an outsider? This essay serves to decolonize German Studies by bringing a Critical Whiteness Studies perspective to the field of second language acquisition and into the German classroom. The two parts of this essay address theoretical considerations drawn from critical pedagogy and critical theory, in particular Critical Whiteness Studies and offer concrete activities for an intermediate or advanced German classroom that highlights the importance of reflectivity and positionality. In a multi-class lesson focused on the concepts of Auslander, Heimat, Leitkultur, and Reprasentation as seen through the films Yes I Am! (Sven Halfar, 2007) and Auslander raus! Schlingensiefs Container (Paul Poet, 2002) students will explore competing discourses about foreignness in diverse German-language contexts.
The Horror of the Real: Filmic Form, The Century, and Fritz Lang's M

It is not surprising that film became the dominant art form of the twentieth century. The promise of a medium that could capture life in motion proved exciting, though soon after its conception, debates cropped up pitting the merits of realism against those of expressionism. Should a medium predicated on recording life adopt expressionistic sensibilities? Writing on the burgeoning cinema, Walter Benjamin seemed to imply that film carried with it a distinctly political responsibility to show life as it really is. In attempting to rethink this argument, I argue for the political potential of an expressionistic cinema, as understood by considering the theoretical underpinnings of Alain Badiou’s The Century (2008) when read in relation to Fritz Lang’s M (1931)—a film that embodies Badiou’s musings on the twentieth century’s aesthetic ideals and violent tendencies. Badiou writes that “the torment of contemporary art” is that it is situated at a crossroads between “romantic pathos, on the one hand, and a nihilistic iconoclasm” on the other: a knowing admission that the Real can never be truly represented, and an oppositional desire to convey it anyways. M knowingly exposes these aesthetic contradictions at the heart of the filmic medium by leaning into its own artificiality, and, in doing so, it prophetically exposes the thinking behind a growingly fascist German state in the 1930s. By the end of my paper, I arrive at the conclusion that the violence found in both twentieth century aesthetics and politics came about as the result of a similarly idealistic principle.
Standards and Peculiarities: The Christopher G. Wagstaff Film Collection as a Potential DH Resource

This article examines the Christopher G. Wagstaff Film Collection, a film and television resource recently opened for consultation at the University of Notre Dame, then considers some of its potent...
Influence of muscle depth and thickness on ultrasound echo intensity of the vastus lateralis.

BackgroundUltrasonography is used to evaluate muscle quality (i.e. echo intensity [EI]), but an attenuation of ultrasound waves occurs in deeper tissues, potentially affecting these measures.Purpos...
Simulated Animal Dissection

We have developed a flexible, multi-user, remote-capable virtual environment system that can be used to simulate rat dissection training. This paper will discuss the technologies required to create a virtual environment for the simulation of a rat dissection procedure incorporating haptic feedback.
Factors Influencing the Nearshore Sound-Scattering Layer in Hawaiian Waters

Abstract : Our long-term goal is to develop the capability to predict the spatial dimensions and temporal occurrence of aggregations of the nearshore sound-scattering layer in the coastal ocean. Our objectives are (1) to quantify aggregations of the nearshore sound-scattering layer around Hawaii, (2) to identify the physical and optical characteristics associated with these aggregations, and use this information (3) to develop the capability to predict the occurrence of the nearshore scattering layer in Hawaiian waters. This project takes an interdisciplinary approach in the investigation of the relationships between the nearshore sound-scattering layer, physical processes, the optical properties of the water column, and bathymetry. We combine moored and expeditionary approaches to determine the critical predictors of micronekton distribution.
The effect of estrogen on uterine blood flow and its distribution in nonpregnant ewes

Abstract Radioactively labeled microspheres were infused into the aorta and left ventricle of anesthetized nonpregnant ewes to compare measurements of renal blood flow (RBF) and total uterine blood flow (UBF T ) and its distribution. Comparable uterine results were obtained from either site but measurements of RBF were more consistent with ventricular infusions of microspheres. The volume of diluent and previous infusion of micropheres did not affect these measurements or distribution of UBF T . Although estrogen administration produced a tenfold increase in UBF, it did not alter the percentage of flow to caruncles, endometrium, myometrium, and cervix.
Cost-effective schemes for the numerical simulation of electromagnetic waves

This paper presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of explicit Finite Difference (FD-TD) methods for the numerical integration of the Maxwell's equations. Formal notions of computational cost, expre...
Trust and Economic Organization

During the past four decades, the role of trust in the economy has gained increasing attention beginning with economist Kenneth Arrow's contention that trust is the lubricant of the economy increasing efficiency and saving on transactions costs. It is also important in the political realm, facilitating collective action. Robert Putnam, among others, contends that trust, as one component of social capital, is a key factor in the vibrancy of civil society. Both economists and social psychologists have used game theory and experimental methods to investigate trust and reciprocity. A key question remains How is trust maintained in the absence of monitoring, especially in the case of principal–agent relations? Economic historians and anthropologists have identified several mechanisms that serve to facilitate trust-based interactions across space and time. In the context of organizations and management, a wide range of trust-related issues have been explored, especially in the wake of Enron (a company no longer in existence) and the more recent failure of investment banks and other large financial institutions. At the macro-level, Francis Fukuyama, among others, has explored the cultural underpinnings of differences in levels of general trust in various societies and its consequences for economic development. More recently, trust has become a central theme in the study of the sharing economy in which an astonishing array of goods and services is now offered by auction or exchange on the Internet. Detailed research on such enterprises (e.g., eBay, CouchSurfing, and AirBnB) is now possible through the development of computational social science. Keywords: trust; economic organization; social capital; confidence; institutions
Dendrology of Groups: An Introduction

The study of group actions on “generalized trees” or “ℝ-trees” has recently been attracting the attention of mathematicians in several different fields. This subject had its beginnings in the work of R. Lyndon [L] and I. Chiswell [Chi], and—from a different point of view—in the work of J. Tits [Ti]. The link between the points of view of these authors was provided by R. Alperin and K. Moss in [AM]. J. Morgan and I, in [MoS1,Mo2], established connections of this theory with hyperbolic geometry and with W. Thurston’s theory of measured laminations. The picture has been developed further by the above-mentioned people and also by H. Bass, M. Bestvina, M. Culler, H. Gillet, M. Gromov, W. Parry, F. Rimlinger and J. Stallings, among others.
Sea Surface Temperature Warming Patterns and Future Vegetation Change

AbstractRecent modeling studies of future vegetation change suggest the potential for large-scale forest die-off in the tropics. Taken together with observational evidence of increasing tree mortality in numerous ecosystem types, there is clearly a need for projections of vegetation change. To that end, the authors have performed an ensemble of climate–vegetation experiments with the National Science Foundation–DOE Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) coupled to the Community Land Model (CAM–CLM-CN) with its dynamic vegetation model enabled (CAM–CLM-CNDV). To overcome the limitations of using a single model, the authors employ the sea surface temperature (SST) warming patterns simulated by eight different models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Program phase 3 (CMIP3) as boundary conditions. Since the SST warming pattern in part dictates how precipitation may change in the future, in this way a range of future vegetation–climate trajectories can be produced.On an annual average basis, this study’s CAM–C...
The human genome project aims for 2003

Bold is the operative word for the goals in the new five-year plan for the U.S. Human Genome Project as presented at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) advisory council meeting on September 14, 1998. (See Box 1 for an overview of the 5-year plan. The complete plan is published in the October 23, 1998 issue of Science.) The plan itself includes such words as “ambitious” and even “audacious,” reflecting the committee’s own perception that the agenda is one that will require extreme diligence and effort to achieve. The most notable point is the call for the completion of the human genome sequence in the year 2003—a full 2 years earlier than originally planned and corresponding to the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA (Watson and Crick 1953).
Marine sediment mapping systems for rapid coastal assessment

The Gamma Isotope Mapping System (GIMS) and the Continuous Sediment Sampling System (CS3) (Fig. 1) have been developed at the Center for Applied Isotope Studies, The University of Georgia in response to the growing need for a rapid, cost-effective tool that can assess the environmental impact of the urban and industrial growth along coastal regions. Capable of mapping radionuclides, metals, and organic compounds, the combined GIMS/CS3 has been widely utilized in tracking both point and non-point source marine sediment contaminants in estuarine and offshore environments. The system consists of a towed seafloor sled, which allows in-situ radionuclide measurement, and fine-grained sediment sample collection while the survey vessel is underway. Detailed two- and three-dimensional maps are compiled from the data collected by the GIMS/CS3 and utilized to identify trends associated with point and non-point pollution sources.
Ondansetron, given during the acute cocaine withdrawal, attenuates oral cocaine self-administration

We have previously shown that ondansetron, given 3.5 h after intravenous cocaine self-administration, can attenuate self-administration the following day. Here we tested ondansetron given either before or after a 14-h oral cocaine session in rats. Ondansetron (0.2 mg/kg sc) given 30 min before the cocaine session had no effect. However, when given 3.5 h after, ondansetron attenuated cocaine intake the following day while having no effect on water intake. Taken with our previous data in intravenous cocaine self-administration, we suggest that the acute cocaine withdrawal period may be an important treatment window and that ondansetron may be an effective cocaine abuse therapy.
A theory of order relations in perceptual matching.

A theory of order relations in the perceptual matching task relates order manipulations to research on retrieval processes and the representation of order information in memory. In experimental tests of the theory, presentation of a study string of letters to the subject was followed by a test string to which the subject responded same or different. The data of main interest concern the case where the test string is a permutation of the study string. When adjacent letters are switched, reaction time is long and accuracy low, suggesting that, in the comparison process, a test letter is not simply compared to the letter in the same position in the study string; rather, the comparison is distributed across positions. The memory model assumes that the representation of a letter is distributed (spread) over position and that the comparison process assesses the amount of overlap between the test string and the memory representation. The amount of overlap is transformed by a power function into the drift rate in a diffusion (random walk) comparison process. The diffusion retrieval model and overlap memory model are fitted to the data and goodness-of-fit is assessed. Shortcomings of alternative models are considered and applications of the model to related matching tasks are described.
Opaqueness of pp collisions from 30 to 1500 GeV/c

Assuming only the eikonal approximation sand the approximate reality of the S matrix for elastic scattering we evaluate from experimental data the opaqueness of pp scattering from p/sub L/ = 30 top 1500 GeV/c. Parameters X and Y which characterize the shape of the function 1 S(b) are defined and discussed. (auth) Photoemission of two types, the first having ordinary composition of nuclei, the second enriched with light nuclei such that the heavy nuclei components Ag, Br are decreased by a factor of 2.5, were exposed to 60-GeV/c pi / sup -/-mesons and 70-GeV/c proton beams. This enabled the separation of the interactions with Ag, Br from those with light C, N, O. Data concerning particle generation and nuclear disintegration were obtained from these two groups of emulsions. A comparison was made with the models dealing with the interactions of fast hadrons with nuclei, and also the question about hadron complexes (the following terms are adequate the complex:'' fireball, excited states, nova) in inelastic interactions with nuclei was discussed. (auth)
Neonatal hydronephrosis caused by vesical diverticula

Bladder diverticula are uncommon in infants and are an uncommon cause of hydronephrosis in newborns but can cause significant problems. A thorough diagnostic approach must include both excretion urography and cystourethrography. Early appropriate surgical intervention will result in preservation of renal function.
Infection Hospitalization Increases Risk of Dementia in the Elderly

As the population ages, dementia represents an increasing burden to individuals, families, and the healthcare system worldwide. The number of dementia cases is expected to triple within the coming decades because of an expanding elderly population (1–2). Yet, causes of dementia remain poorly understood (3–7). Animal and human studies suggest that infection may be an important risk factor for dementia, likely by increasing circulating inflammation and causing neuroinflammation (3–15). Prior studies examined the relationship between infection and cognitive dysfunction, and suggest that an episode of severe infection, especially if it requires admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), may worsen cognitive decline (16–20). Whether less severe infections increase risk of dementia is not known. These infections are more common and an association with increased risk of dementia would have important public health implications. Furthermore, prior studies that examined the relationship between infection and cognition had methodologic limitations. First, they conducted within-person analyses and examined trajectories of cognitive decline before and after infection. A limitation of this approach is that cognitive decline may be underway in the months preceding the infection and infection may merely be a marker for those that had started experiencing cognitive decline. Second, they examined the association between infection and persistent cognitive dysfunction and not dementia. We addressed these limitations and determined the association between pneumonia hospitalizations and risk of dementia in a cohort of community dwelling older adults, where most cases did not require ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, or develop shock. We chose pneumonia because it is the most common infectious cause of hospitalization in developed countries (21–23).
Nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates for targeted antineoplastic drug delivery

Targeted drug delivery technologies can provide physicians with new approaches to treat and manage patients with cancer. Nucleic acid ligands (aptamers) are a novel class of targeting molecules that can be used in a similar manner to antibodies. Beyond use as drugs themselves, aptamers have the potential to serve as targeting ligands to deliver drugs, imaging agents, or other bioactive agents to the intended site of action. Bioconjugates of nanoparticles and aptamers can selectively bind and be taken up by cancer cells. In this article we review progress to date for antineoplastic drug delivery using nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates. Aptamers are isolated through a process of in vitro selection, also referred to as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). There is an increasing numbers of aptamers for cancer targeting being reported in the literature. These aptamers often interact with antigens that are overexpressed exclusively, or preferentially, on cancer cells or in the cancer microenvironment. As novel drug delivery vehicles, nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates may be developed to target a myriad of diseases including many cancers by delivering a variety of therapeutic agents specifically to the site of interest. The first in vivo study of antineoplastic drug delivery by a bioconjugate employed nanoparticle encapsulating docetaxel and aptamers that bind certain prostate cancer cells. In this study using a xenograft murine model of prostate cancer, these bioconjugates were shown to significantly improve tumor reduction after intratumoral injection compared with all controls. Furthermore, the docetaxel-loaded nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates demonstrated reduced toxicity in terms of acute bodyweight loss compared with the controls. In vitro, the efficacy of the docetaxel-loaded nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugate was shown to be due to intracellular delivery of the drug to the cancer cells, and the bioconjugate without the drug had no cytotoxicity. Nanoparticle-aptamer bioconjugates may prove to be useful not only for management of cancer but also various other indications. New aptamers, multivalent targeting strategies, and multimodal treatments such as simultaneous radio- and chemotherapy may further increase the efficacy of these bioconjugates and facilitate their clinical translation for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.
Optical Properties of Some Transition Metals

Optical properties of Mo, Ta W and Re by reflectance vs incidence angle method, stressing dielectric constants
Effective Product Family Design Using Preference Aggregation

The development of product families, groups of products that share a common platform, is one way to provide product variety while keeping design and production costs low. The design of a product platform can be formulated as a multi-criteria optimization problem, in which the performances of individual products trade off against each other and against the objective of platform standardiztion. The problem is often solved in two stages, one to determine the values of the shared platform variables, and a second to optimize the product family members with respect to specific targets. In this paper, a preference aggregation method is applied to aggregate the many objectives into a single overall objective function. This approach is compared to existing techniques for designing a product family and shown to give superior results. An alternate method that uses the minimum and maximum of the range of performance across the platform, instead of the mean and standard deviation, is proposed and shown to have advantages in some situations. A single-stage optimization approach which solves for both platform and non-platform variables in a single pass, is also presented. This approach is shown to perform better and to be more economical for relatively small platforms. The methods are demonstrated on an electric motor example from the platform design literature, and the results are compared with existing methods.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Supporting and retaining beginning teachers: a validity study of the Perceptions of Success Inventory for Beginning Teachers

In the United States, 50% of beginning teachers leave the classroom in their first 5 years of teaching (Ingersoll & Smith, 2004). This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Success Inventory for Beginning Teachers (PSI-BT), an instrument that can be used to make informed decisions for improving induction programs and ultimately to retain beginning teachers. The PSI-BT assessed factors that contribute to beginning teachers' perceptions of success as well as beginning teacher retention. An extensive literature review, expert opinions, and confirmatory factor analysis established the construct validity of the PSI-BT. Structural equation modeling analyses determined the factors that predicted beginning teacher satisfaction, commitment, retention intentions, and retention. When used to inform targeted professional development and support, we believe this instrument can help school districts improve retention and effectiveness of beginning teachers.
New Approaches to the Politics of Inequality in Developing Countries

The articles in this symposium present politics as an important intervening variable in the relationship between inequality and development. They highlight the complex and contingent ways in which politics mediates this relationship. The articles examine three key issues: (1) the extent and nature of international inequality and domestic inequality in the developing world; (2) the process through which inequality becomes—or does not become—a salient issue on the political agenda; and (3) the relationship between inequality and development under democratic and authoritarian regimes.
Slow crack growth of brittle materials with exponential crack-velocity formulation—static fatigue

The life prediction analysis based on an exponential crack-velocity formulation was made and examined using a variety of experimental data on advanced structural ceramics in constant stress (‘static fatigue’ or ‘stress rupture’) testing at ambient and elevated temperatures. The data fit to the relation between ln (time to failure) versus applied stress was be very reasonable for most of the materials studied, resulting in a similar degree of accuracy as compared with the power-law crack-velocity formulation. The major limitation in the exponential crack-velocity formulation, however, was that the inert strength of a material must be known priori to evaluate the important slow-crack-growth (SCG) parameter n, a drawback as compared with the conventional power-law crack-velocity formulation.
Optic tract lesions destroying pattern vision in cats

Abstract The visual capacities of six cats were studied after bilateral stereotaxic lesions which destroyed more than 99 per cent of their optic tracts. Three animals with total lesions were blind. Three others with no more than 1 per cent intact appeared blind in gross behavioral tests but were able to perform a flux discrimination when tested approximately 35 days after the lesion. Despite extensive training they were, however, unable to relearn a pattern discrimination, indicating that the optic tract remaining was insufficient to support pattern vision.
Bacterial Colonization of Host Cells in the Absence of Cholesterol

Reports implicating important roles for cholesterol and cholesterol-rich lipid rafts in host-pathogen interactions have largely employed sterol sequestering agents and biosynthesis inhibitors. Because the pleiotropic effects of these compounds can complicate experimental interpretation, we developed a new model system to investigate cholesterol requirements in pathogen infection utilizing DHCR24−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). DHCR24−/− MEFs lack the Δ24 sterol reductase required for the final enzymatic step in cholesterol biosynthesis, and consequently accumulate desmosterol into cellular membranes. Defective lipid raft function by DHCR24−/− MEFs adapted to growth in cholesterol-free medium was confirmed by showing deficient uptake of cholera-toxin B and impaired signaling by epidermal growth factor. Infection in the absence of cholesterol was then investigated for three intracellular bacterial pathogens: Coxiella burnetii, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Chlamydia trachomatis. Invasion by S. Typhimurium and C. trachomatis was unaltered in DHCR24−/− MEFs. In contrast, C. burnetii entry was significantly decreased in −cholesterol MEFs, and also in +cholesterol MEFs when lipid raft-associated αVβ3 integrin was blocked, suggesting a role for lipid rafts in C. burnetii uptake. Once internalized, all three pathogens established their respective vacuolar niches and replicated normally. However, the C. burnetii-occupied vacuole within DHCR24−/− MEFs lacked the CD63-postive material and multilamellar membranes typical of vacuoles formed in wild type cells, indicating cholesterol functions in trafficking of multivesicular bodies to the pathogen vacuole. These data demonstrate that cholesterol is not essential for invasion and intracellular replication by S. Typhimurium and C. trachomatis, but plays a role in C. burnetii-host cell interactions.
A free lunch in chess and logic

A cafe in Amsterdam. Claus and Connie are seated at the bar, finishing their drinks. They have been squabbling for much of the evening. Claus has taken a hard-boiled egg from a carousel and is spinning it distractedly on the counter. He places it in his coat pocket.
DNA vaccine for cancer immunotherapy

DNA vaccination has emerged as an attractive immunotherapeutic approach against cancer due to its simplicity, stability, and safety. Results from numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that DNA vaccines are well tolerated by patients and do not trigger major adverse effects. DNA vaccines are also very cost effective and can be administered repeatedly for long-term protection. Despite all the practical advantages, DNA vaccines face challenges in inducing potent antigen specific cellular immune responses as a result of immune tolerance against endogenous self-antigens in tumors. Strategies to enhance immunogenicity of DNA vaccines against self-antigens have been investigated including encoding of xenogeneic versions of antigens, fusion of antigens to molecules that activate T cells or trigger associative recognition, priming with DNA vectors followed by boosting with viral vector, and utilization of immunomodulatory molecules. This review will focus on discussing strategies that circumvent immune tolerance and provide updates on findings from recent clinical trials.
Time‐Resolved Luminescence Screening Assay for Tetracyclines in Chicken Muscle

Abstract A time‐resolved luminescence (TRL) assay was developed for effective screening of tetracyclines in chicken muscle at the European Union (EU) maximum residue level of 100 ng g−1. The method involves extraction of the tetracyclines with McIlvaine–ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) buffer, centrifugation, solid‐phase extraction (SPE) clean‐up, formation of an Eu(III) complex, and then measurement of the TRL signal at 615 nm (excitation at 388 nm). Samples fortified with tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC) or chlortetracycline (CTC) gave a linear response over the range of 0–1000 ng g−1, with relative sensitivities 5.4×, 2.4×, and 1×, respectively. Limits of detection for TC, OTC, and CTC were 3.5, 8, and 19 ng g−1, respectively. Examination of the least sensitive case, CTC, showed no overlap between the TRL of control chicken extracts and those that had been fortified with 100 ng g−1 CTC. The within‐day variation for these samples averaged 3.1% relative standard deviation (RSD), as did the...
Mutually cooperative binding of eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 3 and eIF4A to human eIF4G-1.

Abstract Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G-1 (eIF4G) plays a critical role in the recruitment of mRNA to the 43 S preinitiation complex. The central region of eIF4G binds the ATP-dependent RNA helicase eIF4A, the 40 S binding factor eIF3, and RNA. In the present work, we have further characterized the binding properties of the central region of human eIF4G. Both titration and competition experiments were consistent with a 1:1 stoichiometry for eIF3 binding. Surface plasmon resonance studies showed that three recombinant eIF4G fragments corresponding to amino acids 642–1560, 613–1078, and 975–1078 bound eIF3 with similar kinetics. A dissociation equilibrium constant of ∼42 nm was derived from an association rate constant of 3.9 × 104 m −1 s−1 and dissociation rate constant of 1.5 × 10−3 s−1. Thus, the eIF3-binding region is included within amino acid residues 975–1078. This region does not overlap with the RNA-binding site, which suggests that eIF3 binds eIF4G directly and not through an RNA bridge, or the central eIF4A-binding site. Surprisingly, the binding of eIF3 and eIF4A to the central region was mutually cooperative; eIF3 binding to eIF4G increased 4-fold in the presence of eIF4A, and conversely, eIF4A binding to the central (but not COOH-terminal) region of eIF4G increased 2.4-fold in the presence of eIF3.
Accurate and precise calibration of AFM cantilever spring constants using laser Doppler vibrometry

Accurate cantilever spring constants are important in atomic force microscopy both in control of sensitive imaging and to provide correct nanomechanical property measurements. Conventional atomic force microscope (AFM) spring constant calibration techniques are usually performed in an AFM. They rely on significant handling and often require touching the cantilever probe tip to a surface to calibrate the optical lever sensitivity of the configuration. This can damage the tip. The thermal calibration technique developed for laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV) can be used to calibrate cantilevers without handling or touching the tip to a surface. Both flexural and torsional spring constants can be measured. Using both Euler–Bernoulli modeling and an SI traceable electrostatic force balance technique as a comparison we demonstrate that the LDV thermal technique is capable of providing rapid calibrations with a combination of ease, accuracy and precision beyond anything previously available.
Analysis of Deep Excavation in Boston

This paper describes the application of a finiteelement analysis for modeling the topdown construction of a sevenstory, underground parking garage at Post Office Square in Boston. The analysis inco...
Adrenalectomy selectively regulates GABAA receptor subunit expression in the hippocampus.

Hippocampal function is modulated by adrenal corticosteroids released in a diurnal rhythm or in response to stress. Hippocampal excitability is also modulated by the activity of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian brain. One mechanism of corticosteroid action in the hippocampus is likely to be via regulation of the GABA system, including corticosteroid regulation of GABAA receptor expression. The GABAA receptor is a heterooligomeric complex composed of subunits derived from a number of distinct genes. We examined the effects of short-term adrenalectomy and low-level corticosterone replacement on mRNA levels for 5 GABAA receptor subunits. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated that mRNA levels for GABAA receptor α1, α2, β2, and γ2 subunits were altered in the hippocampus of female rats by adrenalectomy. Levels of α1 and γ2 mRNA increased in CA3, α2 mRNA increased in the dentate gyrus, while β2 mRNA decreased in the dentate gyrus and CA2 relative to sham-operated animals following adrenalectomy. These effects were reversed by the addition of 100 μg/ml corticosterone to the drinking water. Adrenalectomy had no effect on the levels of β1 mRNA and no effect on any subunit examined in CA1 or the cingulate cortex. These data support the conclusion that corticosteroids can modulate hippocampal excitability through the site-specific regulation of the expression of specific GABAA receptor subunits. Corticosterone-induced changes in subunit expression might alter GABAergic synaptic inhibition by altering the density of GABAA receptors or altering the subunit composition and thereby the pharmacological properties of the receptors.
Gases for drift chambers in SSC/LHC environments

Abstract The large area drift chambers for muon detection in SSC/LHC experiments poses new requirements for gas selection. Precision measurements of the gas properties are necessary to determine which are the proper gas mixtures to use. We present our studies on the drift properties of several candidate gases. The improvement of the sparkproofness by small amount of hydrocarbon or alcohol additives is also presented.
Modeling of galvanostatic pulse and pulsed reverse electroplating of gold

Abstract A mathematical model of galvanostatic pulse and pulsed reverse electroplating of gold on a rotating disk electrode is presented. Using experimental polarization curves, dc current efficiencies, and literature-reported diffusion coefficients, model parameters are estimated. An accurate prediction of current efficiency by the on–off pulse-plating model was confirmed by experimental measurement. The current efficiency of pulse-reverse plating at relatively low waveform frequency is also successfully predicted, with less agreement at higher frequencies, presumably due to the simplified approach that the model employs to treat the complex set of reactions that occur during the anodic portion of the wave. When the reduction of adsorbed gold species produced during the oxidation portion of the pulse is included, improved agreement between experiment and theory is obtained.
Predicting Music Appreciation with Past Emotional Responses to Music

This study is an exploration of the musical backgrounds and beliefs of nonmusicians and the relationship of these variables to music appreciation factors. Subjects were 533 college students enrolle...
Prospects for a central theory of partial differential equations

three episodes in the history of equation-solving are finding zeros of polynomials, solution of ordinary differential equations, and solutions of partial differential equations. The first two episodes went through a number of phases before reaching a rather satisfactory state. That the third episode might develop similarly is the topic of this note.
Spalled Quartz Overgrowths as a Potential Source of Silt

ABSTRACT Medium quartz sand derived from the Medina and Oriskany Sandstones was tumbled in the laboratory. These sands, as well as the fine sand and coarse silt produced by tumbling, were characterized using petrographic, SEM, Fourier, and oxygen isotopic composition analyses. The original Medina and Oriskany medium sand had 18O values of 13.6 and 14.0 per mil, respectively. This sand was irregular in shape, and overgrowths with crystal faces were common. Tumbling medium Medina and Oriskany sand produced fine sand that was rounded and had lower 18O values (12.3 and 12.8 per mil, respectively) and silt that was angular, commonly displayed crystal faces, and had hig er 18O values (14.3 and 14.9 per mil, respectively). These results indicate that the silt was produced by spalling quartz overgrowths. This process was more efficient for the Medina sand, in which "dust" coatings were well developed.
LEFT AND RIGHT VENTRICLE TRANSCRIPTOMES IN UNUSED HUMAN DONOR HEARTS

Left (LV) and right (RV) ventricular transcriptome differences have not been reported in human donor (DON) hearts. We performed RNAseq (30M target reads/cDNA library, paired-end 50 bp Illumina HiSeq 25009 sequencing) on 5 unused DON LVs and RVs. We used DESeq to determine log2fold differences of
Addressing among-group variation in covariate effects using multilevel models

Multilevel models are used to model processes associated with hierarchical data structures. Despite infrequent use in the biological and environmental sciences, the use of these models with hierarchically-structured data conveys multiple advantages. These include the assessment of whether covariate effects differ among groups or clusters, and separate estimation of covariate effects by hierarchical level (thereby addressing atomistic and aggregation fallacy concerns). We illustrate these advantages using larval mayfly count data derived from annual surveys on the Mississippi River and a continuous covariate (water depth).
Impact of Scanning Technololgy and Package Design on the Ergonomics of Scanning at the Checkout

The design of bar code scanners has steadily improved scanning performances over the past twenty years. Changes in scan patterns, improvements in decode algorithms, and design features of the hardware user interface have resulted in scanners that are ergonomically superior both in biomechanics and overall performance. This study reviewed scanner performance and technological developments, and compare these to changes in packaging designs. The results showed that future innovations in scanner design will have minimal impact on improving throughput and the accuracy of data captured because of package design and bar code placement.
Directed funding to address under-provision of treatment for substance use disorders: a quantitative study.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a substantial problem in the United States (U.S.), affecting far more people than receive treatment. This is true broadly and within the U.S. military veteran population, which is our focus. To increase funding for treatment, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has implemented several initiatives over the past decade to direct funds toward SUD treatment, supplementing the unrestricted funds VA medical centers receive. We study the ‘flypaper effect’ or the extent to which these directed funds have actually increased SUD treatment spending. The study sample included all VA facilities and used observational data spanning years 2002 to 2010. Data were analyzed with a fixed effects, ordinary least squares specification with monetized workload as the dependent variable and funding dedicated to SUD specialty clinics the key dependent variable, controlling for unrestricted funding. We observed different effects of dedicated SUD specialty clinic funding over the period 2002 to 2008 versus 2009 to 2010. In the earlier period, there is no evidence of a significant portion of the dedicated funding sticking to its target. In the later period, a substantial proportion—38% in 2009 and 61% in 2010—of funding dedicated to SUD specialty clinics did translate into increased medical center spending for SUD treatment. In comparison, only five cents of every dollar of unrestricted funding is spent on SUD treatment. Relative to unrestricted funding, dedicated funding for SUD treatment was much more effective in increasing workload, but only in years 2009 and 2010. The differences in those years relative to prior ones may be due to the observed management focus on SUD and SUD-related treatment in the later years. If true, this suggests that in a centrally directed healthcare organization such as the VA, funding dedicated to a service is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for increasing resources expended for that service.
Pharmacologic Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that results from defects in both insulin secretion and insulin action. An elevated rate of basal hepatic glucose production in the presence of hyperinsulinemia is the primary cause of fasting hyperglycemia; after a meal, impaired suppression of hepatic glucose production by insulin and decreased insulin-mediated glucose uptake by muscle contribute almost equally to postprandial hyperglycemia. In the United States, five classes of oral agents, each of which works through a different mechanism of action, are currently available to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. The recently completed United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) has shown that type 2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive disorder that can be treated initially with oral agent monotherapy but will eventually require the addition of other oral agents, and that in many patients, insulin therapy will be needed to achieve targeted glycemic levels. In the UKPDS, improved glycemic control, irrespective of the agent used (sulfonylureas, metformin, or insulin), decreased the incidence of microvascular complications (retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy). This review examines the goals of antihyperglycemic therapy and reviews the mechanism of action, efficacy, nonglycemic benefits, cost, and safety profile of each of the five approved classes of oral agents. A rationale for the use of these oral agents as monotherapy, in combination with each other, and in combination with insulin is provided.
Effects of Packaging and Lighting on Pink Discoloration and Lipid Oxidation of Annatto-Colored Cheeses

Color stability and lipid oxidation were investigated for annatto-colored cheeses packaged in films differing in oxygen transmission rates and in light-limiting factors. Cheddar cheese exposed to fluorescent light for 14 d had significant decreases in b values (yellow) and hue angles (Θ) as the oxygen transmission rate of the packaging films increased. Hunter a values (red) decreased more slowly and were not affected by the oxygen transmission rate. Yellow properties decreased, and red properties increased, for vacuum-packaged cheeses during light exposure. Aluminum foil laminate provided the greatest stability of cheese color during lighted storage. Protective sleeves with a UV-blocking agent had no significant effect on color stability of cheeses under cool white fluorescent lighting. As the oxygen transmission rate of films increased, thiobarbituric acid values increased from lipid oxidation.
Japanese Deaf Adolescents' Textisms

This study investigated how texting was used by deaf adolescents in Japan. A small corpus of dyadic messages exchanged via cell phone between 2 deaf high-school students at a residential school was collected to examine the features of unconventional spellings typically used in text messages, or â€œtextisms.â€ The characteristics of this text-message corpus were analyzed along with the factors associated with texting behaviors of other deaf adolescents in their school in order to explore the features of textisms adopted by these deaf adolescents. The study found that in the pair's 356 messages, the deaf adolescents adopted characteristics of textisms very similar to those used by the hearing adolescents studied by other researchers on Japanese mobile communication.
The role of regenerative cell proliferation in chloroform- induced cancer

Chloroform produces cancer by a nongenotoxic-cytotoxic mode of action, with no increased cancer risk expected at noncytotoxic doses. The default risk assessment for inhaled chloroform relies on liver tumor incidence from a gavage study with female B6C3F1 mice and estimates a virtually safe dose (VSD) at an airborne concentration of 0.000008 ppm of chloroform. In contrast, a 1000-fold safety factor applied to the NOAEL for liver cytotoxicity from inhalation studies yields a VSD of 0.01 ppm. This estimate relies on inhalation data and is more consistent with the mode of action of chloroform.