cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IMMUNOLOGICAL LOCALISATION OF DOPAMINE-β-HYDROXYLASE ON THE CHROMAFFIN GRANULE MEMBRANE

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a study examining immunological localization of dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) on the chromaffin granule membrane. The effect of antibodies to bovine DBH on the activity of the enzyme in lysed and intact bovine medullary granules was examined. Granules were lysed by homogenization in 0.005 M Tris HCl containing 0.1% Triton X-100, and aliquots of the homogenate were incubated with either normal goat serum (NGS) or anti-DBH serum (a-DBH) at 37°C. The solutions were then assayed for DBH activity. Intact granules in isotonic sucrose medium were incubated with either NGS or a-DBH and then assayed for DBH activity. Comparable preparations of intact vesicles were incubated with either NGS or a-DBH, spun at 100,000g and the supernatant assayed for DBH activity. Incubation of lysed granules with a-DBH resulted in about 80% inhibition of the enzyme. Intact granules had about 50% of the DBH activity of lysed granules. Incubation of the intact granules with a-DBH reduced the activity to 22% of the total DBH activity. This represents a 56% inhibition of the enzyme activity of the intact granules.
Detection of renal artery pseudo-aneurysm six months after robotic assisted partial nephrectomy in a patient whose only complaint was flank pain.

Abstract Renal artery pseudoaneurysm (RAP) is a potentially life-threatening complication after partial nephrectomy (PN). Studies suggests that most cases present within 15 days post operatively with one of three classic symptoms: gross hematuria, flank pain and/or anemia. However, there are a limited number of reports in the literature regarding delayed RAP (≥four months). To the best of our knowledge we report the first case of RAP six months following robotic-assisted PN.
Intravenous lidocaine as a non-opioid adjunct analgesic for traumatic rib fractures.

Introduction Pain management is the pillar of caring for patients with traumatic rib fractures. Intravenous lidocaine (IVL) is a well-established non-opioid analgesic for post-operative pain, yet its efficacy has yet to be investigated in trauma patients. We hypothesized that IVL is associated with decreased inpatient opioid requirements among patients with rib fractures. Methods We retrospectively evaluated adult patients presenting to our Level 1 trauma center with isolated chest wall injuries. After 1:1 propensity score matching patients who received vs did not receive IVL, we compared the two groups' average daily opioid use, opioid use in the last 24 hours of admission, and pain scores during admissions hours 24-48. We performed multivariable linear regression for these outcomes (with sensitivity analysis for the opioid use outcomes), adjusting for age as a moderating factor and controlling for hospital length of stay and injury severity. Results We identified 534 patients, among whom 226 received IVL. Those who received IVL were older and had more serious injury. Compared to propensity-score matched patients who did not receive IVL, patients who received IVL had similar average daily opioid use and pain scores, but 40% lower opioid use during the last 24 hours of admission (p = 0.002). Multivariable regression-with and without sensitivity analysis-did not show an effect of IVL on any outcomes. Conclusion IVL was crudely associated with decreased opioid requirements in the last 24 hours of admission, the time period associated with opioid use at 90 days post-discharge. However, we did not observe beneficial effects of IVL on multivariable adjusted analyses; we are conducting a randomized control trial to further evaluate IVL's opioid-sparing effects for patients with rib fractures.
Learning from LMICs: best practices for leveraging sentinel surveillance systems to track the US COVID-19 pandemic.

### Summary box How is the USA like a low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs)? With limited treatment options, no vaccine and a chronically underfunded public health infrastructure, the USA is confronting the COVID-19 pandemic hampered by adversities typically faced by LMICs. In particular, obtaining reliable and timely surveillance data to inform public health policy has been impeded by persistent shortages of testing supplies and inequitable access to testing. SARS-CoV-2 testing in March and April 2020 likely identified only 2%–17% of US infections.1 These deficiencies in testing mean that the USA lacks accurate surveillance data for tracking SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in its communities. LMICs long ago confronted and adapted to similar difficulties by pioneering ‘sentinel surveillance’ systems. Sentinel surveillance is the study of disease rates in a specific cohort to estimate trends in a larger population. When properly implemented, sentinel surveillance systems offer an effective method for leveraging limited resources to monitor disease spread. In this commentary, …
To What Extent Do Study Habits Relate to Performance

Students' study sessions outside class are important learning opportunities in college courses. However, we often depend on students to study effectively without explicit instruction. In this study, we described students' self-reported study habits and related those habits to their performance on exams. Notably, in these analyses, we controlled for potential confounds, such as academic preparation, self-reported class absences, and self-reported total study time. First, we found that, on average, students used approximately four active strategies to study and that they spent about half of their study time using active strategies. In addition, both the number of active strategies and the proportion of their study time using active strategies positively predicted exam performance. Second, on average, students started studying 6 days before an exam, but how early a student started studying was not related to performance on in-term (immediate) or cumulative (delayed) exams. Third, on average, students reported being distracted about 20% of their study time, and distraction while studying negatively predicted exam performance. These results add nuance to lab findings and help instructors prioritize study habits to target for change.
Learning latent embedding of multi-modal single cell data and cross-modality relationship simultaneously

Abstract Motivation Single cell multi-omics studies allow researchers to understand cell differentiation and development mechanisms in a more comprehensive manner. Single cell ATAC-sequencing (scATAC-seq) measures the chromatin accessibility of cells, and computational methods have been proposed to integrate scATAC-seq with single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of cells from the same cell types. This computational task is particularly challenging when the two modalities are not profiled from the same cells. Some existing methods first transform the scATAC-seq data into scRNA-seq data and integrate two scRNA-seq datasets, but how to perform the transformation is still a difficult problem. In addition, most of existing methods to integrate scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data focus on preserving distinct cell clusters before and after the integration, and it is not clear whether these methods can preserve the continuous trajectories for cells from continuous development or differentiation processes. Results We propose scDART (single cell Deep learning model for ATAC-Seq and RNA-Seq Trajectory integration), a scalable deep learning framework that embeds the two data modalities of single cells, scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data, into a shared low-dimensional latent space while preserving cell trajectory structures. Furthermore, scDART learns a nonlinear function represented by a neural network encoding the cross-modality relationship simultaneously when learning the latent space representations of the integrated dataset. We test scDART on both real and simulated datasets, and compare it with the state-of-the-art methods. We show that scDART is able to integrate scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data well while preserving the continuous cell trajectories. scDART also predicts scRNA-seq data accurately from the scATAC-seq data using the neural network module that represents cross-modality relationship. Availability https://github.com/PeterZZQ/scDART Contact xiuwei.zhang@gatech.edu
Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome: pathophysiology and management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this paper is to review the prevalence, pathophysiology, and management of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). RECENT FINDINGS The pathophysiology of FXTAS involves ribonucleic acid (RNA) toxicity due to elevated levels of the premutation-expanded CGG (eoxycytidylate-deoxyguanylate-deoxyguanylate)-repeat FMR1 mRNA, which can sequester a variety of proteins important for neuronal function. A recent analysis of the inclusions in FXTAS demonstrates elevated levels of several proteins, including small ubiquitin-related modifiers 1/2 (SUMO1/2), that target molecules for the proteasome, suggesting that some aspect(s) of proteasomal function may be altered in FXTAS. Recent neuropathological studies show that Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease can sometimes co-occur with FXTAS. Lewy bodies can be found in 10% of the brains of patients with FXTAS. Microbleeds and iron deposition are also common in the neuropathology, in addition to white matter disease (WMD) and atrophy. SUMMARY The premutation occurs in 1:200 females and 1:400 males. Penetrance for FXTAS increases with age, though lower in females (16%) compared to over 60% of males by age 70. To diagnose FXTAS, an MRI is essential to document the presence of WMD, a primary component of the diagnostic criteria. Pain can be a significant feature of FXTAS and is seen in approximately 50% of patients.
Building reliable and generalizable clerkship competency assessments: Impact of 'hawk-dove' correction.

Systematic differences among raters’ approaches to student assessment may result in leniency or stringency of assessment scores. This study examines the generalizability of medical student workplac...
Bloodwork-Free Early Prediction of Gestational Diabetes via Pattern Discovery in Past Medical Encounters

Gestational diabetes (GDM) is associated with adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, increased risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and other long-term consequences for both the mother and the offspring. GDM is usually diagnosed around 24-28 weeks of gestation via a complicated sequence of glucose challenge tests (GCT) and repeated blood-work, contributing to increased costs and patient/provider burden. In this study we design a stochastic learning algorithm for GDM prediction with "dirty", unprocessed raw data comprising only the records of diagnostic codes generated during past medical encounters from a national US insurance claims database. In computing the Gestational-diabetes Comorbid Risk (GCoR) score, we use no laboratory test results, no medications, demographic, or familial information, and yet achieve a sensitivity greater than 83% at 95% specificity with the corresponding area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 96.87% and a positive predictive value (PPV) >53% at the first prenatal visit for low-risk patients (n=648,784). The AUCs when evaluated one, two and four months before the first prenatal visit is respectively 92.75%, 91.82% and 89.97% for the same cohort. For a general cohort with potentially high risk patients included (n=670,417) we achieve AUCs of 95.42% at the first prenatal visit, degrading to 89.24%, 88.06% and 86.08% at the subsequent time points. And for a high-risk cohort (n=104,946), we achieve AUCs of 94.83%, 89.31%, 87.51%, and 85.80% respectively. We significantly outperform reported tools, achieving a over 200% improvement in sensitivity at 95% specificity for the low risk cohort. Additionally, accurate GDM risk assessment months before pregnancy opens new intervention possibilities, including risk management through lifestyle changes, as well as delaying pregnancy briefly to reduce GDM risk. Additionally, subtle differences in comorbidity patterns suggest the possibility of reducing misdiagnosis of disorders that mimic GDM symptomology such as Cushing's disease, and tumors of the adrenal gland. Funding Statement: This work is funded in part by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) project #FP070943- 01-PR. The claims made in this study do not reflect the position or the policy of the US Government. DARPA had no role in the authors’ decision to pursue this specific research problem, or authoring this specific article. Declaration of Interests: Authors have no known conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The de-identified insurance claims used in this study was deemed exempt by the relevant Institutional Review Board.
Ultrashort-lived excited states of aminophthalimides in fluid solution.

The Sn → S0 ultraviolet fluorescence spectra (270–380 nm) of 4-aminophthalimide (4AP) and its N-methyl derivative 4-amino-N-methylphthalimide (4ANMP) are reported, following the absorption of two laser pulses. In polar but non-hydrogen-bonding solvents, both molecules exhibit a principal emission maximum near 290 nm, whereas solutions in hydrogen-bonding solvents display two prominent emission bands, near 300 and 350 nm. The relative intensities of these bands depend on solvent type and, in a pump–probe experiment, on the wavelengths and temporal spacing of two ultrashort pulses. Experiments covering the range ∼0.1–100 ps showed evidence for at least two distinct ultrashort relaxation processes, the rates of which depend on solvent. Fluorescence upconversion experiments at <0.2 ps resolution have shown that the longer-duration process correlates with the fluorescence Stokes shift, and provide evidence that the solvent-dependent shift of the S1 → S0 fluorescence spectrum is reflected in the fluorescence quantum efficiency of a nearby electronic state.
Nothing to Fear? An Analysis of College Students' Fear Experiences With Video Games

This study presents the results of a survey of 269 undergraduate students conducted to examine fright experiences caused by video games. Over half of the participants reported game-induced fear. Sex, sensation-seeking, and empathy all emerged as important individual differences in terms of enjoyment of frightening content, consumption of frightening content, and frequency of fright experience. Interactivity and presentations of realism also predicted fear. This work identifies titles, stimuli, and features that caused fright experience.
Plasmid-determined tetracycline resistance involves new transport systems for tetracycline

TETRACYCLINES are broad-spectrum bacteriostatic antibiotics which act by inhibiting protein synthesis1,2. However, their usefulness in combating bacterial infection has been sharply curtailed by the widespread occurrence in bacteria of tetracycline resistance encoded by genes located on extrachromosomal DNA elements called plasmids3,4. In many bacteria, notably Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus, plasmid-mediated tetracycline resistance is inducible; the resistance level can be increased by preincubation of the cells in sub-inhibitory amounts of tetracycline5–8. Coincident with induced resistance is the induced synthesis of a plasmid-encoded inner membrane protein which we have designated TET protein8–10. Synthesis of this protein (and presumably most of the resistance determinant) is negatively regulated; a represser has been partially purified11. However, the mechanisms for plasmid-mediated tetracycline resistance are not yet clear, and there seems to be no degradation of the antibiotic in resistant cells10,12,13. Although resistant cells accumulate less tetracycline than do sensitive cells14,15, the moderately reduced uptake does not explain the much larger difference in sensitivity to the drug10,16,17. We report here that plasmid-containing resistant cells take up tetracycline by a different transport mechanism from that of sensitive cells. This altered transport seems to be responsible for at least part of the difference in tetracycline inhibition of sensitive as compared to resistant cells.
Orthogonal mapping in two dimensions

Abstract A method for the generation of orthogonal boundary-fitted curvilinear coordinates for arbitrary simply- and doubly-connected domains is developed on the basis of the theory of quasi-conformal mappings of quadrilaterals and of previous work by Ryskin and Leal. The method has useful applications in orthogonal grid generation in two-dimensional and axi-symmetric domains and in the extension of rapid elliptic solvers and spectral methods to complex geometries. A new technique for the calculation of the conformal module of quadrilaterals is also presented.
Predicting the quality and prices of bordeaux wine

Bordeaux wines have been made in much the same way for centuries. This article shows that the variability in the quality and prices of Bordeaux vintages is predicted by the weather that created the grapes. The price equation provides a measure of the real rate of return to holding wines (about 2–3% per annum) and implies far greater variability in the early or ‘en primeur’ wine prices than is observed. The analysis provides a useful basis for assessing market inefficiency, the effect of climate change on the wine industry and the role of expert opinion in determining wine prices. (JEL Classification: D43, Q11)
The Endocyclic Restriction Test: Oxygen Transfer from N-Sulfonyl Oxaziridines to Alkenes

The transition state for the transfer of oxygen from N-sulfonyl oxaziridines to alkenes has been investigated experimentally using the endocyclic restriction test. Molecules containing oxaziridines and alkenes were prepared and the ability of each system to intramolecularly transfer oxygen was evaluated. The results are consistent with a transition state in which N−O bond cleavage is more advanced than C−O bond cleavage.
Advances in the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection.

Introduction: Identification of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is critical, as the treatment between infected and non-infected arthroplasties is fundamentally different and missing the diagnosis may lead to a delay in diagnosis and the potential for a decreased rate of treatment success. Yet in the absence of a true gold standard, the diagnosis of PJI can be elusive. Given the rising incidence of this PJI and the growing infection burden anticipated in coming years, much effort is being put toward improving diagnostic tests for PJI. Areas covered: The best current practice for diagnosis of PJI is to follow an algorithmic approach. Emerging technology such as advanced imaging modalities, increasing availability of serum markers, synovial fluid biomarker analysis and new point-of-care modalities offer the potential to greatly enhance our ability to identify PJI in the future. Expert opinion: As there has been more focus on the diagnosis of PJI in recent years, new tests have been developed. These new ...
The Neuropsychopharmacology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

More than three decades of research has attempted to elucidate the neuropsychopharmacology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Stimulants, a principle treatment for the disorder, act on the norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) systems; this has led to a long-standing hypothesis of catecholamine dysfunction in ADHD. Animal studies show a clear role for NE and DA in the modulation of executive functions, which are often disturbed in persons with ADHD. Nonstimulant agents that are effective in the treatment of ADHD tend to affect the NE system, whereas those affecting only DA, or those that affect neither catecholamine, are less potent in reducing ADHD symptoms. Studies of the effects of NE and DA peripheral metabolites by ADHD pharmacotherapies show acute increases in levels of these catecholamines; however, their long-term turnover may be reduced. Imaging studies suggest stimulants increases DA levels in the brain, whereas some animal models of ADHD are more consistent with excessive DA activation in the disorder. Ultimately, ADHD therapy may modify activity in the NE and DA systems to a more optimal level, thus improving responses to environmental stimuli and enhancing working memory and executive function.
Expression of a prenylation-deficient Rab4 interferes with propagation of insulin signaling through insulin receptor substrate-1.

Rab proteins are small GTP-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily that function in the regulation of vesicle transport processes. The Rab4 isoform has been implicated in insulin action. For instance, overexpression of a prenylation-deficient form of Rab4 has been shown to inhibit insulin-dependent GLUT4 translocation. Other steps affected by Rab4 in the cascade of events resulting from insulin receptor activation have not been elucidated. In the present studies, we measured effects on insulin-signaling proteins in 3T3-L1 adipocytes transiently expressing cytoplasmic forms of Rab4 and Rab5. Expression of a mutant Rab4 lacking a prenylation site resulted in reduced insulin-dependent phosphorylation of cytoplasmic and internal membrane-associated insulin receptor substrate-1, leading to decreased insulin receptor substrate-1-associated phosphatidylinositol 3′-OH kinase activation and decreased Akt activation. These effects were not observed upon introduction of a similar mutant form of Rab5. These data indi...
From basic to applied plasma science

Abstract This review talk describes how basic science finds application in space, fusion, environmental remediation and plasma processing. Basic plasma science deals with a hierarchy of interactions from single particle to collective motion in a many-bodied system. The physics of wave–particle interaction stimulates new applications to fusion and space propulsion. Energetic neutralized MeV beams can be produced which will impact both magnetic and inertial fusion. The same concept of simultaneously accelerating positive and negative charges leads to a new propulsion ion engine. These engines can keep a network of space platforms covering the entire planet for environmental remediation and telecommunications. The resonant interaction between EM waves and plasmas led to using the auroral electrojet for global communication.
Interpersonal skill and depression in college students: An analysis of the timing of self-disclosures

The present study compared the timing of self-disclosures in depressed and nondepressed college students during conversations with confederates. It was predicted that depressed subjects would be more likely than nondepressed subjects to emit self-disclosures at times when such remarks were not directly solicited by confederate inquiries. To investigate the specificity of this tendency to depression, subjects expressing tendencies toward social avoidance and distress were also examined. The experimental situation consisted of a 10-min waitingroom interaction where subjects were surreptitiously audiotaped while conversing with a confederate. Confederates were carefully trained according to a standardized script. Depressed and nondepressed subjects did not differe substantially in the frequency of various categories of verbal behavior, with the exception of negative self-statements, which were significantly more frequent for depressed subjects. Sequential analyses comparing depressed and nondepressed subjects in the timing of self-disclosures revealed that depressed subjects were more inclined to self-disclose following confederate remarks that did not directly solicit selfdisclosures. Thus, the major hypothesis was confirmed.
The Comparative Toxicogenomics Database's 10th year anniversary: update 2015.

Ten years ago, the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD; http://ctdbase.org/) was developed out of a need to formalize, harmonize and centralize the information on numerous genes and proteins responding to environmental toxic agents across diverse species. CTD's initial approach was to facilitate comparisons of nucleotide and protein sequences of toxicologically significant genes by curating these sequences and electronically annotating them with chemical terms from their associated references. Since then, however, CTD has vastly expanded its scope to robustly represent a triad of chemical–gene, chemical–disease and gene–disease interactions that are manually curated from the scientific literature by professional biocurators using controlled vocabularies, ontologies and structured notation. Today, CTD includes 24 million toxicogenomic connections relating chemicals/drugs, genes/proteins, diseases, taxa, phenotypes, Gene Ontology annotations, pathways and interaction modules. In this 10th year anniversary update, we outline the evolution of CTD, including our increased data content, new ‘Pathway View’ visualization tool, enhanced curation practices, pilot chemical–phenotype results and impending exposure data set. The prototype database originally described in our first report has transformed into a sophisticated resource used actively today to help scientists develop and test hypotheses about the etiologies of environmentally influenced diseases.
The role of global and detailed kinetics in the first-stage ignition delay in NTC-affected phenomena

Abstract Using n -heptane as a representative fuel exhibiting NTC (negative temperature coefficient) chemistry, a comprehensive computational and mechanism study was conducted on the role and controlling chemistry of the first-stage ignition delay in the superficially dissimilar systems of the auto-ignition of homogeneous mixtures and the nonpremixed counterflow ignition of fuel versus heated air. It is first shown that the first-stage auto-ignition delay time, τ 1 , possesses a minimum value, τ 1,min , with increasing temperature, and that for temperatures below the range corresponding to τ 1,min , τ 1 is largely insensitive to the equivalence ratio ( ϕ ) and pressure ( p ) of the mixture. Furthermore, in this regime the global reaction order was found to be close to unity, hence supporting the notion that the limiting steps in this temperature regime are the RO 2 isomerization reactions, which in turn explains the insensitivity of τ 1 on ϕ and p in this temperature regime. However, when the temperature approaches that of τ 1,min , competition of QOOH decomposition and the β scission reactions of the alkyl radicals with the low-temperature chemistry chain reactions, as well as the equilibrium shift of the oxygen addition reactions, increases τ 1 and consequently results in τ 1,min . The corresponding global reaction order also increases, to about two, indicating the progressive importance of the oxygen addition reactions. Extracted values of the global activation energy are also close to those of the controlling reactions in these temperature regimes. Results from the counterflow show the same global kinetic responses by identifying the reciprocal of the counterflow strain rate as the relevant ignition delay time and the temperature of the heated air stream as the homogeneous mixture temperature. It is further found that in the temperature range corresponding to τ 1,min , the diminished heat release causes the counterflow to lose its characteristic, non-monotonic S -curve response and consequently distinct, abrupt ignition–extinction transition events.
Adhesion studies of CVD copper metallization

Abstract The adhesion of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) Cu thin films to various barriers was observed to improve with a post-deposition anneal or a physical vapor deposition (PVD) Cu flash layer on the barrier before depositing CVD Cu. The ambient exposure of the barrier before the deposition of CVD Cu has been observed to lead to degradation of adhesion in both CVD Cu seed and CVD/PVD Cu high vacuum integrated metallization schemes. The integrated CVD and PVD Cu deposition scheme exhibits better adhesion due to the inherent annealing provided during the PVD deposition which is carried out at temperatures between 300 and 400°C. We have evaluated both qualitative and quantitative tests — tape test, Stud pull test and 4-point bend test — in understanding adhesion and observed that each of these tests give different details of interface breakdown.
2004 National Atrazine Occurrence Monitoring Program using the Abraxis ELISA method.

The goal of this project was to gain a better understanding of atrazine occurrence in the United States by surveying drinking water utilities' sources and finished water for atrazine on a weekly basis for seven months. Atrazine is a contaminant of interest because the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has found short-term atrazine exposure above the drinking water maximum contaminant level (MCL) to potentially cause heart, lung, and kidney congestion, low blood pressure, muscle spasms, weight loss, and damage to the adrenal glands. Long-term exposure to atrazine concentrations above the drinking water MCL has been linked to weight loss, cardiovascular damage, retinal and muscle degeneration, and cancer. This survey effort improved upon previously conducted atrazine surveys through intensive, high frequency sampling (participating plants sampled their raw and finished water on a weekly basis for approximately seven months). Such an intensive effort allowed the authors to gain a better u...
Großtechnische Herstellung von Reinstsilicium

Large scale production of hyperpure silicon. Silicon still remains one of the most important elements in use in semiconductor technology. Worldwide production of silicon amounts to more than 1000 t/year. Its use in semiconductor components calls for special requirements, such as extreme purity in the ppb-range, absolutely perfect crystals, and narrow dimensional tolerances and special surface properties of fabricated silicon slices. Reaction of 95% pure metallurgical grade silicon and hydrochloric acid results in trichlorosilane, which is then purified by distillation. This is subsequently subjected to a reductive cracking process in order to produce hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. Monocrystalline silicon rods are then manufactured by one of two crystal growing methods, either by crucible pulling (Czochralski) or by float zoning. The single crystals thus obtained are then sliced by diamond cutting machines. Depending on their final use the slices are then processed by lapping, polishing, epitaxy, etc.
Switching processes and dielectric breakdown in NiO and NiO(Li) thin films

Repetitive switching from the high to the low resistance states in thin polycrystalline films of NiO and NiO(Li) is investigated. The threshold field for switching Es is 6 × 105 V/cm in NiO films and decreases with increasing Li concentration to 3 × 103 V/cm for NiO (0.4% Li) films. The switching time is 0.1 μs and recovery time is less than 3 ns. The process of dielectric breakdown occurs through the sequence of the four conduction states. The transitions between the first three states are reversible; the fourth state represents an irreversible step in the dielectric breakdown. Each conduction state is described by a specific set of I–U or G–U curves, activation energy, dielectric behavior, and transition modes to the other states. Experimental results indicate a polaronic conduction mechanism in the first conduction state. A model for the switching mechanism in terms of the delocalization of polarons is advanced. Dielectric breakdown is explained by a decomposition process resulting in formation of a metallic filament in the fourth conduction state. Es wird die periodische Umschaltung vom hohen zum niedrigen Widerstandszustand in dunnen, polykristallinen NiO- und NiO(Li)-Schichten untersucht. In nichtdotierten Schichten betragt das Schaltungsgrenzfeld Es 6 × 105 V/cm und verringert sich mit steigender Li-Konzentration bis zu 3 × 103 V/cm fur NiO (0,4% Li)-Schichten. Die Schaltdauer ist 0,1 μs, und die Erholungsdauer weniger als 3 ns. Der Prozes des dielektrischen Zusammenbruchs findet in einer Reihenfolge von vier Zustanden der Leitfahigkeit statt. Der Ubergang zwischen den ersten drei Zustanden ist umkehrbar, der vierte Zustand stellt einen nicht umkehrbaren Schritt im dielektrischen Zusammenbruch dar. Jeder Leitfahigkeitszustand wird durch einen spezifischen Satz von I–U- oder G–U-Kurven, Aktivierungsenergien, dielektrischen Verhaltensweisen und Ubergangsmoden zu anderen Zustanden beschrieben. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse deuten auf einen Polaronen-Leitungsmechanismus im ersten Leitungszustand hin. Es wird ein Modell fur den Schaltungsmechanismus als Funktion der Delokalisation der Polaronen vorgeschlagen. Der dielektrische Zusammenbruch wird durch einen Zerfallsprozes erklart, der mit der Bildung einer metallischen Faser im vierten Leitungszustand in Zusammenhang gebracht wird.
DNase I cleavage of adenoviral nucleoprotein

Cleavage products resulting from DNase I treatment of adenoviral nucleoprotein were examined by gel electrophoresis, Southern blotting and hybridization to cloned restriction fragments derived from various regions of the viral genome. DNase I produced specific double-stranded cleavages in DNA of purified adenoviral cores and in DNA of intranuclear viral chromatin at early and late times of infection. At least some of these sites were also cleaved by DNase I in purified viral DNA, showing that sequence specificity of DNase I cleavage may contribute to the observation of specific double-stranded DNase I cleavage sites in adenoviral nucleoprotein. In addition, sites were observed which were specific either for cores or for intranuclear chromatin. In contrast to many cellular genes which have been characterized, there was no obvious relationship between DNase I cleavage sites and other features of the viral genome such as promoters or polyadenylation sites.
Room-temperature photoluminescence and resonance-enhanced Raman scattering in highly degenerate InN films

We report the results of room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) and resonance-enhanced Raman scattering studies on highly degenerate (carrier concentration >3×1020cm−3) InN films grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by plasma source molecular-beam epitaxy. Carrier concentration-dependent PL emission peak is observed in the 1.4–1.8 eV range. These films show strong resonance-enhanced first- and second-order Raman scattering under 785 nm (1.58 eV) excitation energy and not with 514.5 nm (2.41 eV) excitation, suggesting the existence of electronic states ∼1.5eV in these samples. The PL emission peak energies and their dependence on the carrier concentration are consistent with the observed optical absorption edges. These results are compared to the data on single crystalline, low degenerate InN film grown by molecular-beam epitaxy, which shows a band-gap energy of ∼0.6eV. The results imply a large shift in the optical absorption edges due to band filling effects in the highly degenerate InN samples.
A comparative description of the mating behaviour of female rodents

Abstract This paper provides a comparative analysis of movements and postures of female rodents during copulation. Cinematographic techniques were used to assess details of movements and postures of the copulatory behaviour of laboratory (Norway) rats, Mongolian gerbils, and 14 other species of muroid rodents. Considerable variability, with potential evolutionary, ecological, and physiological implications, was found.
Identification and characterization of a substrate specific for the T cell protein tyrosine kinase ZAP-70

ZAP-70 is a protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) that plays a critical role in T cell activation. To study the role of ZAP-70 catalytic activity in this process, a substrate capable of distinguishing between the activities of ZAP-70 and other PTKs would be useful, especially since it has recently been shown that ZAP-70 interacts with another T cell PTK, Lck. We have thus identified a site of phosphorylation on the cytoplasmic fragment of the erythrocyte band 3 protein that is recognized by ZAP-70, but not Lck. A synthetic peptide based on this site has been demonstrated to be a good in vitro substrate for ZAP-70 and a poor substrate for the T cell PTKs Lck and Itk. This peptide molecule should thus prove useful to many investigators working in the field of T cell activation.
Automated wide-angle SAR stereo height extraction in rugged terrain using shift-scaling correlation

Coherent stereo pairs from cross-track synthetic aperture radar (SAR) collects allow fully automated correlation matching using magnitude and phase data. Yet, automated feature matching (correspondence) becomes more difficult when imaging rugged terrain utilizing large stereo crossing angle geometries because high-relief features can undergo significant spatial distortions. These distortions sometimes cause traditional, shift-only correlation matching to fail. This paper presents a possible solution addressing this difficulty. Changing the complex correlation maximization search from shift-only to shift-and-scaling using the downhill simplex method results in higher correlation. This is shown on eight coherent spotlight-mode cross-track stereo pairs with stereo crossing angles averaging 93.7°. collected over terrain with slopes greater than 20°. The resulting digital elevation maps (DEMs) are compared to ground truth. Using the shift-scaling correlation approach to calculate disparity, height errors decrease and the number of reliable DEM posts increase.
Development of opioid tolerance with repeated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation administration.

The analgesia produced by low and high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is mediated by the release of mu- or delta-opioids, respectively in the central nervous system. Repeated administration of either mu- or delta-opioid agonists induce opioid analgesic tolerance. Thus, we tested if repeated administration of TENS (either low or high frequency) in rats leads to a development of tolerance to its antihyperalgesic effects with a corresponding cross-tolerance to mu- and delta-opioid agonists. Unilateral knee joint inflammation (3% carrageenan) was induced in adult Sprague-Dawley rats. Either low (4 Hz) or high frequency (100 Hz) TENS was administered for 6 days (20 min daily) to the inflamed knee joint under halothane anesthesia. The no TENS controls were administered anesthesia only for the same period. Withdrawal threshold to mechanical stimuli was measured before and after administration of TENS on each day and also on the sixth day. A separate group of animals was tested for tolerance to either the mu-opioid agonist, morphine (1.32, 3.95, 13.2 nmol/10 ml, intrathecal (i.t.)) or the delta-opioid agonist, SNC-80 (6, 20, 60, 120 nmol/10 ml, i.t.) 30 min after i.t. administration. The reduced mechanical withdrawal threshold following the induction of inflammation was reversed by the application of TENS. However, repeatedly administering either low or high frequency TENS for 6 days, lead to a diminution in its effectiveness in reversing the ipsilateral secondary mechanical hyperalgesia by the fourth day. The effects of morphine in the low and SNC-80 in the high frequency TENS groups were significantly less than the group that did not receive TENS. On the other hand, morphine and SNC-80 were similar to the no TENS control in the high and low frequency TENS groups, respectively. Thus, repeated administration of low and high frequency TENS leads to a development of opioid tolerance with a corresponding cross-tolerance to i.t. administered mu- and delta-opioid agonists, respectively. Clinically, it can be inferred that a treatment schedule of repeated daily TENS administration should be avoided to possibly obviate the induction of tolerance.
Enhanced multi-Hoffmann heuristic for efficiently solving real-world assembly line balancing problems in automotive industry

Abstract In production systems of automobile manufacturers, multi-variant products are assembled on paced final assembly lines. The assignment of operations to workplaces and workers deter mines the productivity of the manufacturing process. In research, various exact and heuristic solution procedures have been developed for different versions of the so-called assembly line balancing problem. This paper shows that there is almost no solution procedure so far, which includes all line balancing restrictions occurring in real-world settings. We present a new general and flexible as well as fast heuristic procedure which meets all relevant requirements of line balancing in automotive industry. It is based on the successful multi-Hoffmann heuristic of Fleszar and Hindi [European Journal of Operational Research 145/3 (2003), 606–620] which is enhanced and extended to consider the required restrictions. Computational experiments show that the new procedure is competitive to state-of-the-art procedures even for specialized problems and able to compute high-quality feasible solutions in different test settings typical in real-world decision situations.
Sequence of a tryptic peptide from the NADPH binding site of the enoyl reductase domain of fatty acid synthase

Fatty acid synthase from the uropygial gland of goose was inhibited by treatment with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate by selectively modifying a lysine residue at the NADPH binding site of the enoyl reductase domain (A. J. Poulose and P. E. Kolattukudy (1980) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 201, 313-321). Distribution of radioactivity in tryptic peptides generated from the synthase treated with pyridoxal 5'-phosphate/NaB3H4 in the presence and absence of 2'-monophosphoadenosine-5'-diphosphoribose, which protects the enzyme from inactivation by pyridoxal phosphate, showed that modification of one specific peptide was prevented by the protector. This peptide was purified by a combination of Sephadex G-25 column chromatography, anion-exchange chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The primary structure of this peptide is Val-Phe-Thr-Thr-Val-Gly-Ser-Ala-Glu-Lys(Pxy)-Arg.
Rethinking assumptions of demographic privilege: Diversity among White preservice teachers

Abstract In this study, White preservice teachers engaged in a dialogue circle around issues of race and racism in the classroom. Evidence indicated a need to reevaluate and diversify the ways in which each participant embodied and enacted Whiteness. The participants are compared to generalizations of White preservice teachers found in the literature. Findings are presented in the form of racial development biographies co-written with the participants. Implications include being more specific and individual in the preparation of White preservice teachers and rethinking assumptions in the field of Multicultural Teacher Education.
Graphics in Workstations-Emerging Systems and Solutions

A combination of basic technologies that are already in place will enable the workstation environment to improve productivity at every stage of product development.
Relative addiction potential of major centrally-active drugs and drug classes--inhalants and anesthetics.

The inhalation of a wide variety of substances for recreational purposes is a health problem of worldwide proportions. The inhalation of non-narcotic agents, such as volatile inhalants (e.g., solvents and glues), anesthetics and nitrites, adds significantly to the growing number of substance abusers. This is of particular concern because it affects the younger members of the population, and the substances abused are, for the most part, legally obtainable. The toxicity of these inhaled substances are reviewed and compared, as are their potentials for addiction and dependence.
Cardiac morphologic alterations in acute minoxidil cardiotoxicity in miniature swine

Minoxidil, a vasodilating antihypertensive drug, was given orally at 10 mg/kg daily for 2 days to twelve 25- to 35-kg miniature pigs. Twelve control pigs were also studied. Minoxidil-treated pigs had tachycardia and hypotension and were killed 24 hr after the second dose. Gross examination showed diffuse hemorrhage in left atrial epicardium in all pigs, and also in ventricular epicardium (2 of 12 pigs) and endocardium (3 of 12 pigs). Pale areas of necrosis were observed on incision of the left ventricular papillary muscles in 3 pigs. Light and electron microscopic studies showed acute vascular damage with hemorrhage in the left atrial epicardium. Affected arterioles had endothelial cell swelling and transmural and perivascular accumulations of leukocytes, edema fluid, fibrin clumps, and erythrocytes. The swollen endothelial cells had large, irregularly shaped nuclei with abundant euchromatin; mitotic figures were frequent. The cytoplasm contained numerous polysomes and cisterns of rough endoplasmic reticulum. Fibroblasts adjacent to damaged vessels had edematous cytoplasm and increased amounts of rough endoplasmic reticulum. In the affected left ventricular papillary muscles, necrotic myocytes showed contraction bands, mitochondrial matrical densities, lipid accumulation, initial lysis of I bands, and pyknotic nuclei. The lesions were judged to result from two mechanisms: (1) hemorrhagic lesions from drug-induced vascular injury centered on epicardial and subepicardial arterioles and (2) papillary muscle necrosis from ischemic injury from hypoperfusion during minoxidil-induced tachycardia and hypotension.
A dose-ranging study of bromfenac sodium in oral surgery pain.

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of five graded doses of bromfenac sodium in patients experiencing moderate to severe pain after the surgical removal of impacted third molar teeth. Study Design. The study employed a randomized, double-blind, single-dose, 8-hour, inpatient evaluation period. The treatment groups included placebo ( n = 21) and bromfenac ( n = 102) at dosage strengths of 5 mg ( n = 21), 25 mg ( n = 20), 50 mg ( n = 20), 100 mg ( n = 20), and 200 mg ( n = 21). Patients ingested a dose of study medication when their postsurgical pain reached a moderate or severe intensity. Pain intensity and pain relief were rated at 15, 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes and then hourly for the remaining 6 hours. Efficacy and safety variables were analyzed by means of analysis of variance and chi-squared tests where appropriate. Results. At all doses, bromfenac exhibited statistical superiority ( p Conclusions. Bromfenac is a safe and efficacious analgesic, with a threshold dose of 5 mg and a positive dose-response up to 25 mg for peak effects and 100 mg for total analgesic activity.
A New Priority For Low-Income Countries: Fighting Cancer

For decades, infectious diseases were seen as the biggest health threat in the developing world. That’s beginning to change.
Evolution of the Pore Size Distribution in Final‐Stage Sintering of Alumina Measured by Small‐Angle X‐ray Scattering

Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to follow the evolution of the pore size distribution during final-stage sintering of alumina and of alumina doped with 0.25 wt% magnesia. The volume-weighted (Guinier) results indicate that the effective size of the largest pores increases as the body goes from 97% to more than 99% dense. The surface-area-weighted (Porod) results show that the median size of the smallest pores decreases slightly over the same density range. Taken together, these data indicate that the pore size distribution becomes broader as final-stage densification proceeds. This was confirmed by a maximum entropy analysis, which was used to derive pore size distributions directly from the data. Finally, the evolution of the pore size distributions in alumina, with and without sintering aid, were compared.
Finite quantum electrodynamics with a gravitationally smeared propagator

On the basis of qualitative considerations of quantum fluctuations in the space-time geometry, a modification of the Feynman propagator is proposed involving a smearing of the propagator over a space-time region of an extent of about a Planck length, or $\ensuremath{\simeq}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}33}\mathrm{cm},$ surrounding the light cone. The smeared propagator is a weighted average of modified Bessel functions both in coordinate space and in momentum space. In coordinate space, the smeared propagator has a milder singularity on the light cone than the Feynman propagator, and in momentum space it provides an effective cutoff at the Planck mass. Radiative corrections in QED can be easily calculated with this propagator, and the results are finite. The renormalizations of the electron charge and mass are of the order of a few percent.