cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Zn3P2 Thin-Film Solar Cells

Thin polycrystalline films of Zn3P2 were deposited on metallized mica substrates by close-spaced vapor transport. Mg-Zn3P2 Schottky barrier solar cells were prepared by depositing a thin semi-transparent film of Mg by d.c. sputtering. Comparison of thin-film cells with those made on single crystal Zn3P2 showed that the presence of grain-boundaries had no significant influence on the light-generated current and the open-circuit voltage. Heating the cells in air at temperatures > 50°C resulted in diffusion of Mg in Zn3P2 and creation of an n/p junction. The problem of rapid diffusion of Mg at low temperatures was overcome by using a Mg/p/p+ Zn3P2 cell structure. A total area conversion efficiency of 4.3% was achieved under simulated AM-1 illumination on a Mg-Zn3P2 thin-film solar cell, 1 cm2in area.
Software as engineering

Those words, in the introduction to the proceedings of the first NATO conference on software engineering, unleashed a veritable storm of often acrimonious debate on the viability of software as engineering. The inconsequence of this debate of more than thirty years is evident from an announcement of Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Science Center’s activities for this year’s National Engineer’s Week. The note said that, “engineers from all disciplines—chemical, electrical, mechanical, civil” would participate.2 It is somewhat strange that in the year 2000, aeronautical, bio, hydraulic, computer, and software engineers have no place even under the seemingly comprehensive umbrella of “all.” The “other” engineers may take solace that the premier engineering institution in the region, Carnegie Mellon University, celebrating one hundred years in 2000, has only those four disciplines plus materials science and engineering in its engineering school. The Electrical Engineering Department, in a concession to the fiscal tail that wags the dog, renamed itself the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, but otherwise the departments are as founded nearly a century ago. Meanwhile, across town at Robert Morris College, the school is trying to carve a niche with logistics engineering and software engineering, as neither program exists for undergraduates at any of the plethora of Pittsburgh colleges and universities. Of course, many critics would comment that neither program should exist at any college or university.
Temperature compensation and temperature entrainment of the chick pineal cell circadian clock

We have used an in vitro model system of the circadian clock, dispersed chick pineal cells, to examine the effects of temperature on the circadian clock of a homeotherm. This preparation enabled us to isolate a circadian clock from in vivo homeostatic temperature regulation and expose cells to both constant temperatures and abrupt temperature changes. By manipulating the temperature of the pineal cells, we have demonstrated that (1) the circadian clock compensates its period for temperature changes over the range of 34-40 degrees C; Q10 = 0.83, a value within the range of Q10 values measured for poikilothermic circadian clocks; (2) temperature pulses (42 degrees C, 6 hr duration) shift the phase (advance and delay) of the circadian rhythm in a phase-dependent manner; and (3) a temperature cycle (18 hr at 37 degrees C, 6 hr at 42 degrees C) will entrain the circadian clock in vitro. This is the first demonstration of temperature entrainment of the circadian clock of a homeotherm in vitro. In addition we have found that temperature directly influences the synthesis and release of melatonin, the primary hormonal product of the pineal gland. The biosynthesis of melatonin is strongly temperature dependent with a Q10 > 11 when melatonin release is measured at ambient temperatures between 31 degrees C and 40 degrees C. In contrast, 6 hr 42 degrees C temperatures pulses acutely inhibit melatonin release in a manner similar to that seen previously with light pulses. These results demonstrate that a circadian clock from a homeothermic vertebrate is temperature compensated, yet temperature cycles can entrain the circadian melatonin rhythm. Thus, the chick pineal circadian oscillator has retained all the fundamental properties of circadian rhythms.
Memristors and Memristive Devices for Neuromorphic Computing

Memristors are an important emerging technology for memory and neuromorphic computing applications. In this chapter, we review the fundamentals of the memistor framework developed by Leon Chuan nearly 40 years ago, and examine resistive switching phenomena as the quintessential example of physical memristive systems. A special focus is given to the hardware emulation of biological synapses using memristors and groundbreaking results in the field are reviewed. Future research directions with spiking neural networks are outlined and the exciting prospect of emergent behavior in memristor networks is discussed.
Correlation of adsorption isotherms of hydrocarbon gases on activated carbon

A single curve of the adsorbate volume W in the adsorbed phase versus the reduced adsorption potential φ correlates adsorption isotherms of saturated hydrocarbons of low molecular weight (viz. ethane, propane, and n-butane) at pressures from 0.034 to 10 mm Hg on Columbia 4LXC 1228 activated carbon at 25 and 30°C. This correlation is based on the Polanyi-Dubinin adsorption potential theory and the use of the Peng. Robinson equation of state to calculate thermodynamic properties. This correlation can be represented analytically by expanding the logarithm of W in terms of a quadratic polynomial in φ.
Infrared studies of hydrocarbons on Jupiter

Measurements of ethane and ethylene emission lines on Jupiter were made using a dual CO2 laser heterodyne spectrometer. Retrieved abundances of these products of methane photolysis in the Jovian stratosphere were used to test existing photochemical models and to investigate a localized "hot spot" in the northern auroral region.
What Design for a Presidential Library? Complexity, Typicality, Order, and Historical Significance

Research shows that preference for scenes rest more in the character of the scene than in the observers. What features fit the design of a presidential library, such as the one under consideration ...
High-magnetic-field transport in a dilute two-dimensional electron gas

We report the measurement, at 0.51 K and up to 28 T, of the magnetoresistance and Hall resistance of a dilute two-dimensional electron system with 6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{10}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ carriers in a GaAs-GaAlAs heterojunction. The existence of an anomalous quantized Hall effect for a fractional Landau-level filling factor of $\frac{1}{3}$ was confirmed. The magnetoresistance showed a substantial deviation from linearity above 18 T and exhibited no additional features for filling factors below $\frac{1}{5}$ down to $\frac{1}{11}$. The results suggest that a transition from a quantum liquid to a crystalline state may take place.
The Role of Fracture Mechanics in Design Technology

Fracture mechanics has in recent years become an independent discipline that deals with determining the conditions under which machine or structural elements attain uncontrollable failure by crack propagation. A knowledge of these conditions can assist the designer to safeguard structures against catastrophic fracture. In contrast to the conventional approach, which does not account for flaws initiated in the material by manufacturing procedures, overloads, or fatigue loadings, fracture mechanics assumes that all materials contain cracks from which failure starts. This concept has been used successfully for high-strength/low- toughness materials design and for structures that exhibit brittle behavior. Obtained from laboratory specimes loaded symmetrically with respect to the crack plane is a critical stress intensity factor parameter k sub 1,. It is a characteristics of the material commonly referred to as the fracture toughness value. When machine elements are subjected to combined loading, where symmetry does not exist, the direction of crack initiation is no longer known as an a priori. The condition of crack instability can then be predicted from the strain energy density factor S. Numerous numerical examples involving press fit, rotating disk, thermally stressed pipe, pressure vessel, etc., are presented to show how fracture mechanics can be used for estimating the load that a member can sustain without causing unstable fracture. The results are compared with those obtained from the conventional design approach whenever possible.
Evidence of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation in a Porcine Model Following Radiation Exposure.

Abstract Recent evidence has suggested that disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) plays an integral role in death at the LD 50 dose of either gamma or solar particle event (SPE)-like proton radiation in ferrets. In these studies, Yucatan minipigs were evaluated to determine whether they were susceptible to the development of radiation induced DIC. Yucatan minipigs were exposed to a dose of 2.5 Gray (Gy) with X-rays and monitored over the course of 30 days. Evidence of DIC was evaluated by way of thromboelastometry parameters, platelet counts, fibrinogen concentration, and the d-dimer assay. Pigs exposed to X-rays developed signs of DIC within 2 days' post-irradiation. The development of DIC was exacerbated over the course of the studies, and one of the pigs died at day 14 and another had to be euthanized on day 16 post-irradiation. For both of these pigs, DIC was evident at the time of death. The following observations were indicated or were suggestive of DIC: whole blood clotting was impaired (as evidenced by thromboelastometry alterations), there were decreased platelet counts, elevated d-dimer concentrations in the blood, and/or hemorrhaging and the presence of fibrin in tissues observed during post-mortem examination. The extrapolation of data from these studies, in combination with other published data, have led to the hypothesis that there could be a correlation between the propensity to develop DIC, as indicated by hemorrhaging at death at relatively low doses of radiation, and the LD 50 for a particular species. Our data suggest that the development of DIC may contribute to death at the LD 50 dose in large mammals.
Cueing System for Near-Term Implementation of Aircraft Noise Abatement Approach Procedures

One of the main challenges to the implementation of advanced aircraft noise abatement approach procedures in the near future is the difficulty that pilots have managing the deceleration of aircraft in the presence of uncertainties in pilot response and weather conditions, and other system disturbances. In this paper, a new pilot cueing procedure that helps pilots manage the deceleration of aircraft and thereby achieve the target speed without additional aircraft automation is introduced. The cueing system, consisting of altitude/speed checkpoints ("gates") and a recommended flap schedule, was designed and evaluated in an experiment in which 15 active B767 pilots flew a desktop simulator using autoflight and flap controls. Results showed that the use of gates reduces target error to within 5 kt, which is comparable to that of electronic flap deployment cueing systems. The improved performance with gates and the positive response of the pilots to the concept suggests that gates are a viable technique that can be adapted for different types of approach procedures flown by aircraft equipped with old and new flight management systems. Furthermore, because the gates have the potential of enabling aircraft to fly consistent speed profiles, their implementation has the potential to enhance the controller's ability to predict aircraft trajectories and their future separation.
Practical syntheses of penciclovir and famciclovir from N2-acetyl-7-benzylguanine

We have established practical methods for the synthesis of penciclovir (PCV) and famciclovir (FCV) from readily available guanosine via N2-acetyl-7-benzylguanine. The alkylation of N2-acetyl-7-benzylguanine proceeded selectively at the N9 position to give the desired alkylated product in good yield in salt form. After conventional catalytic hydrogenolysis of the benzyl group and hydrolysis of the resulting acetate, pure PCV was obtained without the need for chromatography. As a side chain precursor, the mesylate was selected rather than a halide since the corresponding halides gave several impurities under the same reaction conditions. Two procedures for the synthesis of FCV from PCV and a derivative are also reported.
Decreased efficiency of potassium-titanyl-phosphate laser photoselective vaporization prostatectomy with long-term 5 alpha-reductase inhibition therapy: is it true?

Objectives 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) reduce angiogenesis in benign prostatic tissue. This has been postulated to affect the efficiency of the potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser during photoselective vaporization prostatectomy (PVP), which has hemoglobin as its primary chromophore. We evaluate KTP laser PVP as treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in patients on long-term 5ARIs. Methods We prospectively evaluated our initial 12 month KTP laser PVP experience with patients without or with 5ARIs. Transurethral PVP was performed with the use of an 80W KTP side-firing laser system. Voiding trials were performed 2 hours after surgery. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum flow rate (Qmax), and postvoid residual (PVR) were measured preoperatively and at 1, 4, 12, 24, and 52 weeks after surgery. Results One hundred sixty consecutive patients were identified, of which 117 were not on a 5ARI and 43 were on either finasteride or dutasteride for at least 6 months. Mean prostate volumes were 72.8 ± 49.5 cm 3 and 70.8 ± 49.1 cm 3 ( P = 0.39), respectively. There were no significant differences in the parameters of laser time (32.0 ± 27.6 minutes and 37.0 ± 36.2 minutes) and energy usage (97.4 ± 91.6 kJ and 103.3 ± 86.0 kJ). All were outpatient procedures with the majority of patients catheter-free at discharge. All patients were able to discontinue their prostate medications after surgery. IPSS, Qmax, and PVR values showed significant improvement within each group, but the degree of improvement between the 2 groups did not show statistical significance. Conclusions Our experience suggests that 5ARIs do not have a detrimental effect on the efficiency and efficacy of KTP laser PVP.
Coupled polymer waveguides and substrate removed GaAs waveguides as tunable filters

Tunable filtering with low fiber to fiber insertion loss was demonstrated using hybrid integration of polymer waveguides and GaAs epilayers. The wavelength tuning can be done electronically and very fast utilizing electrooptic properties of GaAs.
Estrogen augments the vasodilatory effects of vascular endothelial growth factor in the uterine circulation of the rat.

Abstract Objective: Pregnancy augments uterine artery vasodilatation in response to vascular endothelial growth factor, although the underlying mechanism is not known. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that estrogen and progesterone, the primary sex steroids of pregnancy, are responsible for this effect through increased endothelial secretion of nitric oxide. Study Design: Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent oophorectomy at 9 weeks of age with concomitant placement of 21-day timed-release pellets containing either 17β-estradiol (n = 6) or progesterone (n = 6), or a combination of these (n = 6). Control rats also underwent oophorectomy but did not receive hormone replacement (n = 6). Two to 3 weeks after oophorectomy the rats were killed and the main uterine artery was dissected free, cannulated in an arteriograph, and pressurized to 50 mm Hg. After constriction with phenylephrine, concentration-response curves to vascular endothelial growth factor (0.1-20 nmol/L) were performed to compare arterial sensitivity to and maximal effects of vascular endothelial growth factor among the 4 treatment groups. Vessels were then treated with N ω-nitro-L -arginine (0.24 mmol/L), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, and the maximally effective concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor was reapplied to evaluate the relative contribution of nitric oxide to the overall effect. Results: Comparisons of the effective concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor that elicited 50% of the maximal dilatation revealed the vessels of the estrogen group to be approximately 10 times more sensitive than the control group (0.4 ± 0.11 nmol/L vs 4.2 ± 1.13 nmol/L, respectively; P P N ω-nitro-L -arginine inhibited maximal vascular endothelial growth factor–induced dilatation by approximately 40% irrespective of treatment group. Conclusion: The presence of estrogen rather than progesterone leads to an enhancement of vascular endothelial growth factor–induced arterial dilatation during pregnancy. This effect results from a proportional increase in endothelial nitric oxide secretion, along with that of another, as yet unidentified vasodilatory substance. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:449-53.)
Precise Evaluation of a Complex Coronary Arteriovenous Fistula: The Utility of Transesophageal Color Doppler

The transesophageal color flow Doppler appearance of coronary artery fistulas have not been described previously. We present a patient with a fistulous connection between the right coronary artery and the right atrium with an additional connection to the coronary sinus. The fistulous connection to the coronary sinus, confirmed at operation, was only diagnosed with transesophageal color flow Doppler and missed on both transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. In addition, intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was extremely useful in confirming closure of both these fistulas, thus confirming a successful operative result.
What Enlightenment Was, What It Still Might Be, and Why Kant May Have Been Right After All

Debates about “the end(s) of Enlightenment” tend to confuse the Enlightenment (the historical period) with enlightenment (an activity whose nature and ends were the subject of much debate during the 18th century). This article explores the history of discussions of “enlightenment” and “the Enlightenment,” paying particular attention to the uncertainties the 18th century had about just what the former implied and the different ways in which the 19th and 20th centuries understood the latter.
Using Simulation-Based Training to Improve Clinical Outcomes: Central Venous Catheter Placement as a Model for Programmed Training

Simulation-based training is becoming integral to the training of surgical residents. The authors describe the use of simulation-based training to address a specific clinical problem. Cognitive and procedural training in central venous catheter (CVC) placement are used to achieve the goal of decreasing CVC-related complications. Training goals and outcome measures—both educational and clinical—are described. This model of using simulation-based training as a tool to address a specific clinically applicable training need should be extended to additional procedures where a specific educational goal can be targeted.
A critical review of autogenic training in America

Abstract This review evaluates 30 English language studies of autogenic training, a psychophysiological therapy developed in Europe. Several controlled investigations and most outcome and case reports support the efficacy of a simplified version of the classical technique, particularly with insomnia, Raynaud's disease, and migraine headache. Mode of action, however, has received little experimental attention. The need for systematic component analyses to pinpoint mechanisms and active treatment elements is emphasized.
Fixed-interval smoothing for Markovian switching systems

A suboptimal approach to the fixed-interval smoothing problem for Markovian switching systems is examined. A smoothing algorithm is developed that uses two multiple-model filters, where one of the filters propagates in the forward-time direction and the other one propagates in the backward-time direction. A backward-time filtering algorithm based on the interacting multiple model concept is also developed. Results from a simulation example are given to illustrate the performance of the smoothing algorithm with respect to that of filtering. The example involves radar tracking of a Mach 1 aircraft.
Evaluation of muscle function of the extensor digitorum longus muscle ex vivo and tibialis anterior muscle in situ in mice.

Body movements are mainly provided by mechanical function of skeletal muscle. Skeletal muscle is composed of numerous bundles of myofibers that are sheathed by intramuscular connective tissues. Each myofiber contains many myofibrils that run longitudinally along the length of the myofiber. Myofibrils are the contractile apparatus of muscle and they are composed of repeated contractile units known as sarcomeres. A sarcomere unit contains actin and myosin filaments that are spaced by the Z discs and titin protein. Mechanical function of skeletal muscle is defined by the contractile and passive properties of muscle. The contractile properties are used to characterize the amount of force generated during muscle contraction, time of force generation and time of muscle relaxation. Any factor that affects muscle contraction (such as interaction between actin and myosin filaments, homeostasis of calcium, ATP/ADP ratio, etc.) influences the contractile properties. The passive properties refer to the elastic and viscous properties (stiffness and viscosity) of the muscle in the absence of contraction. These properties are determined by the extracellular and the intracellular structural components (such as titin) and connective tissues (mainly collagen) 1-2. The contractile and passive properties are two inseparable aspects of muscle function. For example, elbow flexion is accomplished by contraction of muscles in the anterior compartment of the upper arm and passive stretch of muscles in the posterior compartment of the upper arm. To truly understand muscle function, both contractile and passive properties should be studied. The contractile and/or passive mechanical properties of muscle are often compromised in muscle diseases. A good example is Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a severe muscle wasting disease caused by dystrophin deficiency 3. Dystrophin is a cytoskeletal protein that stabilizes the muscle cell membrane (sarcolemma) during muscle contraction 4. In the absence of dystrophin, the sarcolemma is damaged by the shearing force generated during force transmission. This membrane tearing initiates a chain reaction which leads to muscle cell death and loss of contractile machinery. As a consequence, muscle force is reduced and dead myofibers are replaced by fibrotic tissues 5. This later change increases muscle stiffness 6. Accurate measurement of these changes provides important guide to evaluate disease progression and to determine therapeutic efficacy of novel gene/cell/pharmacological interventions. Here, we present two methods to evaluate both contractile and passive mechanical properties of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle and the contractile properties of the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle.
Structure, Torsional Potentials, and Thermodynamic Properties ΔH°f298, S°298, and Cp(T) of Chloro-Dimethyl Ethers: CH2ClOCH3, CHCl2OCH3, and CCl3OCH3. Density Functional and ab Initio Calculations

Thermochemical properties of oxygenated chlorocarbons are important in studies on oxidation and kinetics of chlorocarbons and in Cl initiated kinetic studies on oxidation of hydrocarbons. Enthalpy, ΔH°f298, entropy, S298, and heat capacities, Cp(T), from 300 to 1500 K are determined for three chloro-dimethyl ethers by density functional and ab initio calculation methods. Molecular structures and vibration frequencies are determined at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) density functional calculation level, with single point calculations for energy at the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p), QCISD(T)/6-31G(d,p), and CBS-Q//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) levels of calculation (abbreviated as CBSQ//B3**). Enthalpies of formation are determined at each calculation level using the ΔHrxn(298) and known enthalpies of other reactants in each of seven different working reactions. Contributions to entropy and heat capacity from internal rotation of the chloro-dimethyl ethers are also determined. Evaluation of data from three isodesmic schemes, and the ener...
The Ntp/Hei Collaborative Ozone Project on the Health Effects of Chronic Ozone Inhalation

AbstractAlthough many people are exposed to ozone, the effects of chronic exposure to this ubiquitous pollutant, especially low-level chronic exposure, are not well understood. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) current national ambient air quality standard for ozone is exceeded in many communities, especially during the summer. The standard is attained when the number of days per calendar year with maximum hourly average concentrations above 0.12 ppm is equal to or less than 1. The U.S. EPA estimates that 67 million people in the United States, or slightly more than a quarter of the residents, live in areas that were out of compliance with the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone in 1989. Although there have been some studies of long-term exposure to ozone, many important questions remain about the health effects of chronic ozone exposure. The Health Effects Institute (HEI), in conjunction with the National Toxicology Program (NTP) carcinogenesis studies, has comple...
"Sutureless" repair of orbital floor and rim fractures.

Purpose To report on the surgical outcomes of patients undergoing orbital fracture repair without periosteal or conjunctival closure. Design Retrospective interventional case series. Participants Eighty-two patients (85 eyes) who underwent transconjunctival repair of isolated floor (n = 38) or complex orbital fracture (n = 47) without conjunctival closure. Methods A transconjunctival incision below the tarsus provides preseptal access to the inferior orbital rim, after which the periosteum is incised for exploration and repair of orbital floor fractures. Forced ductions are performed after release of entrapped tissue and placement of an orbital floor implant, and the conjunctiva is reapproximated with forceps and draped into the inferior fornix. Main Outcome Measures Incidence of postoperative complications, including orbital implant exposure, infection, and migration. Results Patients were followed for an average of 318 days postoperatively (range 82–978 days). One patient experienced a pyogenic granuloma at the conjunctival incision that resolved with steroid drops. Other complications included lateral canthal dystopia or pyogenic granuloma at the lateral canthotomy site, when used. There were no cases of postoperative implant exposure, infection, or migration. Conclusions Forgoing closure of the periorbita and conjunctiva after transconjunctival orbital floor and rim fracture repair is associated with a low incidence of postoperative complications. This technique is applicable in the repair of both isolated floor fractures and complex orbital fractures. Financial Disclosure(s) The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any material discussed in this article.
Maternal Effect as a Cause of the Difference between the Reciprocal Crosses in Drosophila Pseudoöbscura.

Reciprocal crosses not infrequently produce different results; this fact is sometimes quoted as an evidence for cytoplasmatic inheritance, although the fallacy of the argument has been repeatedly pointed out. It is to be granted, however, that the cause of the difference between reciprocal crosses has not been adequately analyzed in most cases. An approximation toward such an analysis is now possible in the hybrids between race A and race B of Drosophila pseudoobscura Frolowa.
Modeling of neuronal networks through decomposition

The authors present an approach to modeling the functional properties of a neuronal network as the composite of input/output functions characterizing each physiologically meaningful elemental unit in the network. These relationships capture the dynamics of the elemental units in a common analytical framework, independent of the hierarchic level at which they are measured. This framework allows characterizing functions for unobservable portions of the network to be computed and recombined according to hypothesized topologies of the network under study. An example that applies this approach to the hippocampal formation, a neuronal network important in a variety of cognitive functions, is presented. >
Single Molecule Probing of Helicase Dynamics

Helicase is an important genome caretaker protein which plays a central role in biological processes including replication, transcription, recombination and repair of DNA. Helicase, by definition is an enzyme which unwinds a duplex nucleic acid into its single strand components. However, many helicases found in biological systems are not processive unwindases. We have employed single molecule fluorescence detection techniques to unveil detailed mechanism of noncanonical helicases which perform unique translocation activities.Using single molecule FRET, we discovered an unexpected shuttling motion of an e. coli protein, Rep. The ATP-driven repetitive translocation of Rep on single stranded DNA was visualized as a sawtooth pattern of FRET change. Furthermore, we showed that the repetitive motion may play a functional role of maintaining single strand DNA free of unwanted protein such as recombination protein, RecA (1).We have developed a newly developed single molecule fluorescence method, termed “protein induced fluorescence enhancement” (PIFE) to probe a translocation activity of an antiviral receptor protein, RIG-I. The translocation was inhibited by its own N-terminal CARD domain whereas the inhibition was completely lifted by a viral mimic RNA which contained unique pathogenic signatures. Our result demonstrates how RIG-I exhibits an exquisite mechanism to self-regulate its activity by sensing the pathogenic moiety (2).Reference1. S. Myong, I. Rasnik, C. Joo, T. M. Lohman, T. Ha, Nature 437, 1321 (Oct 27, 2005).2. S. Myong et al., Science 323, 1070 (Feb 20, 2009).
Comparative studies of the antineoplastic activity of 5-hydroxy-2-formylpyridine thiosemicarbazone and its seleno-semicarbazone, guanylhydrazone and semicarbazone analogs.

Abstract Several analogs of 5-hydroxy-2-formylpyridine thiosemicarbazone (5-HP) that contain isosteric replacement of sulfur by Se, NH or O have been synthesized. Measurement of the antineoplastic activity of these compounds in mice bearing Sarcoma 180 ascites cells indicated that 5-HP was the most active of these agents; the seleno analog was intermediate in potency, and the guanylhydrazone and semicarbazone were inactive against this tumor. 5-HP and its seleno analog both caused marked inhibition of DNA synthesis in vitro , as measured by the incorporation of thymidine-methyl- 3 H, 5- 3 H-cytidine or adenine-8- 14 C into DNA. The syntheses of RNA and protein were relatively unaffected by these agents under the conditions employed. None of the compounds prevented the incorporation of 5- 3 H-cytidine into acid-soluble pyrimidine ribonucleotides, but 5-HP and its selenosemicarbazone markedly depressed the subsequent progression of radioactivity into pyrimidine deoxyribonucleotide pools, suggesting that these two derivatives inhibited the enzyme ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase in situ . Both 5-HP and the seleno analog inhibited the isolated enzyme ribonucleoside diphosphate reductase from the Novikoff rat hepatoma; to achieve 50 per cent inhibition required 3.5 × 10 −6 and 6.8 × 10 −6 M respectively. Metal/ ligand ratios and the association constants for these ligands with cobalt and copper were determined. The cobalt/ligand ratio for 5-HP and its seleno analog was 1:2 and the copper/ ligand ratio for these agents was 1:1. Metal/ligand ratios for the guanylhydrazone and semicarbazone derivatives were 1:3 for cobalt and 1:2 for copper. Association constants for 5-HP and the seleno derivative with cobalt were 56 × 10 9 and 7.6 × 10 9 respectively. The findings demonstrated that 5-HP was the optimum member of this series with respect to antineoplastic potency and that tumor-inhibitory activity correlated with the degree of inhibition of the synthesis of DNA and the capacity for metal binding.
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE STORAGE OF LETTUCE. 2. Effects on Biochemical Composition of the Leaves

Controlled atmosphere storage of lettuce. 2. effects on biochimical composition of the leaves , Controlled atmosphere storage of lettuce. 2. effects on biochimical composition of the leaves , مرکز فناوری اطلاعات و اطلاع رسانی کشاورزی
Possibilities for stochastic cooling at RHIC

Abstract Intra-Beam Scattering (IBS) is the fundamental performance limitation for RHIC. The emittance growth from IBS determines the ultimate luminosity lifetime and the only cure is cooling. Full-energy electron cooling will be installed to not only control emittance growth but also reduce emittances during a store. Before that, stochastic cooling could increase integrated luminosity by momentum cooling.Two significant benefits would follow; the average luminosity in a 10 h store would double, and the problem of coasting beam in the abort gap would be solved. Of course high-frequency bunched beam stochastic cooling is required and previous attempts at this at the TEVATRON and SPS were not successful. It appears that the conditions in the heavy ion collider are more favorable. First, the high charge state of ions gives better signal to noise ratio in the Schottky signal. Second, the anomalous coherent components in the pick up signals that caused saturation in the electronics in previous attempts are greatly reduced. Measurements of Schottky signals from gold beam in RHIC at 100 GeV and longitudinal beam transfer functions are presented to illustrate these points.
Morphologic alterations in the rat medullary collecting duct following potassium depletion

Morphologic alterations in the rat medullary collecting duct following potassium depletion. Freeze-fracture and thin-section electron microscopy and morphometry were used to characterize further the response of the rat medullary collecting duct to potassium depletion. In freeze-fracture replicas, principal cells and intercalated cells were identified based on the assumption that intercalated cells possess a high density of rod-shaped intra-membrane particles in their luminal membranes. Potassium depletion caused an increase in the relative number of cells with a high density of rod-shaped particles from the control level of 22% to 31% after 2 weeks and to 36% after 4 weeks. The frequency of intercalated cells identified by thin-section criteria was, however, about 35% in controls and unchanged by potassium depletion. This suggests that intercalated cells can have two types of membrane morphology. In potassium depletion, all intercalated cells display a high density of rod-shaped particles in their luminal membranes. In addition, the luminal membrane area of intercalated cells increased more than threefold, and the density of their rod-shaped particles increased by 21%. These observations suggest that the intercalated cell and its rod-shaped particle may be involved with the potassium reabsorption that occurs in this nephron segment with potassium depletion. Modifications morphologiques du canal collecteur du rat consecutives a une depletion en potassium. Le cryo-decapage, la microscopie electronique sur coupes fines et la morphometrie ont ete utilises pour mieux etablir la reponse du canal collecteur medullaire du rat a la depletion en potassium. Sur les repliques de cryo-decapage les cellules principales et les cellules intercalaires ont ete identifiees a partir de l'hypothese selon laquelle les cellules intercalaires possedent une grande densite de particules intra-membranaires luminales en forme de batonnets. La depletion en potassium a determine une augmentation du nombre relatif de cellules de ce type de 22% chez les temoins a 33% apres 2 semaines et 36% apres 4 semaines. La frequence des cellules intercalaires identifiees sur coupes minces, cependant, etait de 35% chez les controles et non modifies par la depletion en potassium. Cela suggere que les cellules intercalaires peuvent avoir deux types de morphologies membranaires. Dans la depletion en potassium toutes les cellules intercalaires ont une grande densite de particules en forme de batonnets dans leurs membranes luminales. De plus, la surface membranaire luminale des cellules intercalaires augmente de plus de trois fois et la densite des particules augmente de 21%. Ces observations suggerent que les cellules intercalaires et leurs particules en forme de batonnets peuvent etre impliquees dans la reabsorption de potassium qui prend place dans ce segment du nephron au cours de la depletion en potassium.
ATLAS.ti for conversation and discourse analysis studies

The use of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) has not been without controversy, with a pervasive sense of skepticism and resistance towards its adoption by many scholars. Language-based researchers in particular, such as conversation and discourse analysts, have been slow to embrace such tools for their work. In this paper we illustrate how we have used ATLAS.ti to support our own conversation and discourse analysis work, in order to demonstrate how such a tool can be leveraged to complete nine analytic tasks. Tasks and features we describe include, among others, transcribing and synchronizing transcripts with media files, engaging in unmotivated looking through creating quotations, and conducting a close, line by line analysis through writing memos. We illustrate how ATLAS.ti has allowed us to document our analytic decisions in a transparent, reflexive, rigorous and systematic way. We note, too, limitations of the software such as a lack of real-time collaboration support and c...
Differential permeability of uterine and liver vascular beds to estrogens and estrogen conjugates.

Abstract The role of capillary membrane permeability and the effect of plasma protein binding on the influx of unconjugated and conjugated estrogens into a target organ, the uterus, and a metabolic organ, the liver, were studied in anesthetized rats. In the absence of plasma proteins, estrone (E1) and estradiol (E2) were freely diffusible through the uterine capillaries, but influx was significantly reduced for estriol (E3) and estetrol. In the uterus, the influx of the conjugated estrogens was markedly restricted and approximated the influx of dextran, a vascular space marker. The polarity of the compound (based on the number of hydrogen bond-forming functional groups and the presence of charged groups) appeared to predict uterine endothelial membrane permeability better than the octanol/Ringer's partition coefficient. In contrast to the selective permeability properties of the uterine endothelial barrier, the limiting membrane lining the hepatic microcirculation, the hepatocyte cell membrane, was highly...
Neighborhood impacts on land use change: a multinomial logit model of spatial relationships

Models of land use change are central to forecasting urban futures. This work models the related processes of parcel subdivision and land development using a pair of recent GIS-encoded Austin, Texas land use maps. Based on binomial and multinomial logit models of subdivision and use change, a variety of lagged explanatory variables offer insight into land dynamics. Results indicated that local neighborhood conditions offer substantial predictive power, though such effects seem inconsequential beyond 2 miles. Various spatial tendencies in land development are identified here, and comparisons of predicted and actual land use changes (in 2005) reveal strengths and limitations of the models.
Shallow intrusive directions of sheeted dikes in the Troodos ophiolite: Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility and structural data

Sheeted dikes play a central role in the formation of oceanic crust. It is commonly assumed that sheeted dikes intrude vertically upward, from elongated mid-ocean ridge (MOR) magma chambers, but there are no direct observational data bearing on this hypothesis. This assumption contrasts with the intrusive behavior of subaerial volcanoes where magmas rise into shallow central magma chambers that laterally feed vertically oriented dikes. The authors have studied intrusive directions of sheeted dikes in a structural analogue to oceanic crust, the Troodos ophiolite. Structural and magnetic fabric data of 65 dikes provide consistent results and suggest a broad distribution of shallow (< 20[degree]) to nearly vertical, upward magma-transport directions. These data suggest that horizontal emplacement has to be considered for sheeted dikes at MORs, implying more centralized MOR plumbing systems than previously thought. Such plumbing systems provide ample opportunity for complex mixing, fractionation, and contamination of MOR lavas in magma chambers and tabular magma-storage volumes. Whether the MOR magma supply is linear or centralized also has a fundamental effect on crustal accretion processes and the geometry of hydrothermal convection systems.
A projection of severe near‐surface permafrost degradation during the 21st century

[1] The current distribution and future projections of permafrost are examined in a fully coupled global climate model, the Community Climate System Model, version 3 (CCSM3) with explicit treatment of frozen soil processes. The spatial extent of simulated present-day permafrost in CCSM3 agrees well with observational estimates – an area, excluding ice sheets, of 10.5 million km2. By 2100, as little as 1.0 million km2 of near-surface permafrost remains. Freshwater discharge to the Arctic Ocean rises by 28% over the same period, largely due to increases in precipitation that outpace increases in evaporation, with about 15% of the rise directly attributable to melting ground ice. Such large changes in permafrost may provoke feedbacks such as activation of the soil carbon pool and a northward expansion of shrubs and forests.
Ion Beam Analysis of Surface Modifications in Tokamaks

This paper briefly reviews the use of ion beam techniques to study surface modification of samples exposed to tokamak plasma discharges. Primary emphasis is given to a continuing study of samples exposed at the first wall of the Princeton Large Torus (PLT) tokamak throughout its operating life. Both impurity flow and hydrogen recycle effects are investigated. Laboratory hydrogen implantations at 200-400 eV suggest a method to determine the mean ion temperature at the wall from the hydrogen saturation trapping dependences in Si samples.
Bivalent Ligand Containing Curcumin and Cholesterol as a Fluorescence Probe for Aβ Plaques in Alzheimer’s Disease

A recently developed bivalent ligand BMAOI 14 (7) has been evaluated for its ability to label and detect aggregated β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide as a fluorescent probe. This probe contains curcumin as the Aβ recognition moiety and cholesterol as an anchor to the neuronal cell membrane–lipid rafts. The results demonstrate that 7 binds to the monomers, oligomers, and fibrils of Aβ42 with low micromolar to submicromolar binding affinities. This chemical probe also has many of the required optical properties for use in imaging and can rapidly cross the blood–brain barrier in vivo. Furthermore, 7 specifically binds to Aβ plaques in both Alzheimer's disease human patients and Aβ precursor protein transgenic mouse brain tissues. Collectively, these results suggest that 7 is a strong candidate as an Aβ imaging agent and encourage further optimization of 7 as a new lead for the development of the next generation of Aβ imaging probes.
Ultrastructural changes in the proleg retractor muscles of Galleria mellonella after denervation

Abstract The ultrastructural changes in denervated proleg retractor muscles of Galleria mellonella have been studied. Before larval metamorphosis begins denervated muscles lose myofilaments gradually, but after metamorphosis has begun denervated proleg muscles degenerate 1 to 8 days prematurely. Muscles undergo similar changes during normal and premature metamorphic degeneration. Denervated muscles which slowly atrophy in isolated larval abdomens degenerate rapidly after injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone. Thus, proleg muscles must be innervated to maintain their structure even in the larval hormonal environment, but the hormonal environment during metamorphosis hastens their degeneration.
The effect of generational change on classical music concert attendance and orchestras' responses in the UK and US

Abstract While there are conflicting and often inconclusive data on attendance at classical music concerts, the data that do exist both in the UK and US suggest that, at best, attendance is holding even with population growth. This chapter contends that changes in attendance are not based on changes in practical considerations or the decline in arts education, but rather on changes in taste and socio‐demographics. An introduction on the audience for classical music provides a context for the later discussion of current attendance patterns. To better understand the relationship of current audiences with that inheritance, the chapter examines recent demographic data on income and education levels of the audience that attends classical concerts. It might be supposed that an association between income, education and attendance might be considered a positive factor, so that as the overall level of education increases and a growing economy provides higher levels of income, attendance should also increase. But a...
Doppler Echocardiographic Evaluation of Ventricular Diastolic Filling in Fetuses With Ductal Constriction

To assess ventricular diastolic filling in fetuses with constriction of ducts arterious, 43 fetuses of pregnant women receiving indomethacin (100 to 150 mg/day) were examined with Doppler echocardiography. Ductal constriction occurred in 21 fetuses, defined as maximal systolic velocity > 140 cm/s and diastolic flow velocity > 30 cm/s. The variables measured to assess diastolic function were peak velocity during early diastole (peak E wave), peak velocity during atrial contraction (peak A wave), and the velocity ratio (peak E/A ratio); these were compared to maximal ductal flow velocity during systole and diastole. The mitral peak E wave, peak A wave, and peak E/A ratio in fetuses with ductal constriction showed no significant difference from those in fetuses without ductal constriction. In fetuses with ductal constriction, the tricuspid A wave increased significantly without changes in the peak E wave (57 +/- 9 vs 50 +/- 6 cm/s, p < 0.01) and the peak E/A ratio was significantly lower than in fetuses without ductal constriction (0.57 +/- 0.10 vs 0.65 +/- 0.08, p < 0.05). In 9 fetuses with ductal constriction, we compared the Doppler tricuspid E wave, A wave, and E/A ratio during indomethacin administration with those after withdrawal of the drug for a mean of 24 hours. Both systolic and diastolic ductal flow velocities in the fetuses returned to normal range after discontinuation of indomethacin. The tricuspid peak A wave decreased (59 +/- 9 vs 50 +/- 11 cm/s) and the E/ A ratio increased significantly (0.56 +/- 0.07 vs 0.69 +/- 0.07) (both p < 0.01) without any significant change in peak E wave after discontinuation of indomethacin. This study suggests that ductal constriction influences Doppler patterns of right ventricular diastolic filling. These changes could be related to the increased afterload presented to the right ventricle which might affect diastolic function.