cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The univector plasmid-fusion system, a method for rapid construction of recombinant DNA without restriction enzymes

Abstract Background: Modern biological research is highly dependent upon recombinant DNA technology. Conventional cloning methods are time-consuming and lack uniformity. Thus, biological research is in great need of new techniques to rapidly, systematically and uniformly manipulate the large sets of genes currently available from genome projects. Results: We describe a series of new cloning methods that facilitate the rapid and systematic construction of recombinant DNA molecules. The central cloning method is named the univector plasmid-fusion system (UPS). The UPS uses Cre– lox site-specific recombination to catalyze plasmid fusion between the univector – a plasmid containing the gene of interest – and host vectors containing regulatory information. Fusion events are genetically selected and place the gene under the control of new regulatory elements. A second UPS-related method allows for the precise transfer of coding sequences only from the univector into a host vector. The UPS eliminates the need for restriction enzymes, DNA ligases and many in vitro manipulations required for subcloning, and allows for the rapid construction of multiple constructs for expression in multiple organisms. We demonstrate that UPS can also be used to transfer whole libraries into new vectors. Additional adaptations are described, including directional PCR cloning and the generation of 3′ end gene fusions using homologous recombination in Escherichia coli . Conclusions: Together, these recombination-based cloning methods constitute a new comprehensive approach for the rapid and efficient generation of recombinant DNA that can be used for parallel processing of large gene sets, a feature that will facilitate future genomic analysis.
Mechanical properties of polycrystalline samarium from 78 to 600K

Abstract The flow-stress temperature dependence, strain-hardening exponent, strainrate sensitivity and ductility of samarium were determined from 78 to 600K at strain rates of 0.005, 0.01, 0.10 and 1.0 min −1 . The results are presented and similarities of some of the results to those obtained for other rare-earth metals are pointed out and discussed.
SpeakRite: Monitoring Speaking Rate in Real Time on a Mobile Phone

There has been an increase in spoken interaction between people from different geographies or different cultural background prominently in the call center scenario. Noticeably, ineffectiveness of conversations is prominent when two people, from different cultures, converse in a language common to them. One of the main reason for conversation ineffectiveness is driven by the way conversation is spoken and not so much by what is being spoken. Speaking rate is a critical factor affecting intelligibility and comprehension of speech. In this paper, we present SpeakRite - a real-time mobile application that assists and guides a person to converse at the right speed by analyzing his spoken speech. As its main function, SpeakRite analyzes the speaking rate during a telephone conversation and provides a real time feedback to assist the speaker modify his speaking rate. Additionally, it also provides an offline analysis of the speaking rate variations in a recorded call. The authors discuss a real time implementation for monitoring speaking rate on a mobile phone device.
Haploid extraction in the cultivar Russet Burbank

Two thousand and fifty-five pollinations were made between the cultivar Russet Burbank and Group Phureja pollinator clone 1.22, resulting in 882 fruit and 253 seeds. One-hundred and fifty progeny grew from these seeds, of which 6 were haploids, 143 were triploids and 1 was tetraploid. None of the haploids flowered. The predominance of triploids was unusual for Gp. Tuberosum cultivars, but it does not indicate a breakdown of the “triploid block” because of the low seed set. These results are similar to those found during haploid extraction from Gp. Andigena, suggesting the possibility that Gp. Andigena may have been involved in the parentage of Russet Burbank.
Potential for enhancing the nutritional properties of milk fat.

Abstract Milk fat has been identified as a hypercholesterolemic fat because it contains cholesterol and is primarily saturated. However, different types of dietary saturated fats do not have equivalent effects on plasma cholesterol levels relevant to ingestion of polyunsaturated fats. Research suggests that the hypercholesterolemic effect of saturated fats in human diets is largely due to 12, 14, and 16 carbon chain length fatty acids. Evidence also suggests that stearic acid (C 18:0 ) is as effective as oleic acid (C 18:ln-9 ) in lowering plasma cholesterol levels when either replaces palmitic acid (C 16:0 ) in the diet of men. Milk fat has a unique fatty acid profile with approximately 10% short- and medium-chain length saturated fatty acids (
ROLE FOR TOLL-LIKE RECEPTOR 3 IN MUSCLE REGENERATION AFTER CARDIOTOXIN INJURY

Introduction: Sterile tissue injury induces an inflammatory response involving cytokines that have crucial roles in the tissue repair that follows. Methods: MyH3 and type 1 interferon (IFN) were assessed by qPCR after cardiotoxin (CTX)-induced muscle injury. Results: CTX-induced injury increased expression of IFN-regulated genes, IFIT1 and MX-2, which was blocked in type 1 IFN receptor (IFNR)-deficient mice. However, IFNR-deficient mice showed no significant differences in muscle regeneration as assessed by MyH3 expression. MyH3 was significantly reduced in TLR3-deficient but not MyD88-deficient mice. TLR3-deficient mice also showed altered expression of proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Conclusions: CTX-induced muscle injury increased markers of innate immune activation, but blocking type 1 IFN signaling had no effect on muscle regeneration. Taken together, these results suggest a role for TLR3, and perhaps other innate immune signals, in the inflammatory response to CTX-induced muscle injury and consequent muscle regeneration. Muscle Nerve, 2011
HR in all its glory

Purpose – This article presents the diverse responsibilities of the HR department in organizations that strive for leadership within their sector.Design/methodology/approach – Lists and explains these responsibilities, and highlights how they are connected.Findings – Advocates that at the foundation of an HR department's responsibilities should be an immediate and continuous connection with strategic management and with departmental heads, so that the workforce can be geared toward any new requirements.Practical implications – Presents a useful way forward for HR departments that find themselves simply fulfilling the functions of the old personnel division for database and administration, for pushing around the papers regarding employees' performance, and for posting job vacancies.Originality/value – Emphasizes the role of HR as a link between top management and employees.
The Relationship of On-the-Job, Off-the-Job, and Refresher Training to Human Resource Outcomes and Variables.

Only a few research studies have examined training methods and outcomes, and these have been limited in scope. This research examines three common training sources—on-the-job, off-the-job, and refresher—to determine their relationship to job satisfaction, pay, promotion, seniority, and projected organization tenure. Education is also examined to determine its relationship to the same five variables. Subjects were 628 nonmanagerial, semiskilled, and unskilled employees across 150 organizations.
Technology evaluation, assessment, modeling, and simulation: the TEAMS capability

The United States Marine Corps' Technology Evaluation, Assessment, Modeling and Simulation (TEAMS) capability, located at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren Virginia, provides an environment for detailed test, evaluation, and assessment of live and simulated sensor and sensor-to-shooter systems for the joint warfare community. Frequent use of modeling and simulation allows for cost effective testing, bench-marking, and evaluation of various levels of sensors and sensor-to-shooter engagements. Interconnectivity to live, instrumented equipment operating in real battle space environments and to remote modeling and simulation facilities participating in advanced distributed simulations (ADS) exercises is available to support a wide- range of situational assessment requirements. TEAMS provides a valuable resource for a variety of users. Engineers, analysts, and other technology developers can use TEAMS to evaluate, assess and analyze tactical relevant phenomenological data on tactical situations. Expeditionary warfare and USMC concept developers can use the facility to support and execute advanced warfighting experiments (AWE) to better assess operational maneuver from the sea (OMFTS) concepts, doctrines, and technology developments. Developers can use the facility to support sensor system hardware, software and algorithm development as well as combat development, acquisition, and engineering processes. Test and evaluation specialists can use the facility to plan, assess, and augment their processes. This paper presents an overview of the TEAMS capability and focuses specifically on the technical challenges associated with the integration of live sensor hardware into a synthetic environment and how those challenges are being met. Existing sensors, recent experiments and facility specifications are featured.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Next-generation wearable electronics

New fabric-like sensors measure and transmit mechanical strain on the skin with unprecedented sensitivity.
FLUOROMETRIC DETERMINATION OF CARBOHYDRATE WITH 2-AMINOTHIOPHENOL

Abstract The 2-aminothiophenol-based fluorometric assay of Nakano et al. (1973, J. Pharm. Soc. Jpn. 93, 350–353) for monosaccharides has been modified to improve the speed, applicability, and sensitivity of the method. The improved assay is applicable to complex carbohydrates as well as to monosaccharides. Less than 50 ng of carbohydrate in a final volume of 2 ml can be quantitatively measured within 30 min. The assay is reasonably compatible with the presence of a variety of reagents commonly used in aqueous buffer solutions. The assay is especially useful for monitoring column eluents during the purification of small quantities of carbohydrates or their conjugates.
Dynamics of systolic pulmonary, venous flow in mitral regurgitation: Mathematical modeling of the pulmonary venous system and atrium

The noninvasive assessment, of mitral regurgitation has been an elusive clinical goal. Recent studies have high-lighted the value of pulmonary venous (PV) flow reversal in indicating the presence of severe regurgitation. The purpose of this study was to explore the basic determinants of PV inflow in the presence and absence of regurgitation. In particular, the hypothesis that systolic PV flow depends on the interaction of regurgitant volume with atrial and PV properties (compliance, initial volume, total area of the pulmonary veins at the atrial junction, and the inertia of PV inflow) was tested and further, that the combination of these variables, rather than regurgitant volume alone, determines PV inflow. A mathematical model of the atrium and pulmonary veins was developed. Atrial and PV pressure were modeled as the product of chamber elastance and volume, where atrial elastance varied in time to simulate atrial relaxation and descent of the mitral anulus. A simplification of the modified unsteady Bernoulli equation was used to compute the PV velocities that resulted from the developed pressure gradient. The modeling was performed over a range of initial atrial elastances (0.77 to 0.2 mm Hg/cc), initial atrial volumes (20 to 75 cc), total PV areas (3.12 to 5.12 cm 2 ), and PV inflow inertances (8 to 18 gm/cm 2 ), with and without the addition of two regurgitant jets (regurgitant volume of 20 and 60 cc). The model realistically simulated the systolic PV waveform in magnitude and morphology. As the volume of regurgitation increased, PV peak flow velocity decreased, and eventually late systolic flow reversal occurred. However, the peak flow velocity, the time to peak flow, and the presence and magnitude of flow reversal were influenced by atrial compliance, volume, total atrial inlet area, and PV inflow inertia. This study found that PV flow blunting and reversal increased as atrial compliance, volume, and PV inertia decreased and as atrial inlet area increased. Atrial and PV properties (compliance, volume, total PV atrial inlet area, and PV inflow inertia), acting in combination, mediate the physiologic impact of the regurgitant lesion in terms of the resulting rise in atrial pressure as reflected by the pattern of systolic PV influx. For example, PV flow reversal is more likely in acute compared with chronic regurgitation because the atrium is less compliant and has a smaller initial volume. There-fore, the clinical assessment of mitral regurgitation using changes in systolic PV flow must be viewed in the context of atrial and PV properties.
Spatial heterogeneity of PM10 and O3 in São Paulo, Brazil, and implications for human health studies.

ABSTRACT Developing exposure estimates is a challenging aspect of investigating the health effects of air pollution. Pollutant levels recorded at centrally located ambient air quality monitors in a community are commonly used as proxies for population exposures. However, if ample intraurban spatial variation in pollutants exists, city-wide averages of concentrations may introduce exposure misclassification. We assessed spatial heterogeneity of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 10 μm (PM10) and ozone (O3) and evaluated implications for epidemiological studies in Sao Paulo, Brazil, using daily (24-hr) and daytime (12-hr) averages and 1-hr daily maximums of pollutant levels recorded at the regulatory monitoring network. Monitor locations were also analyzed with respect to a socioeconomic status index developed by the municipal government. Hourly PM10 and O3 data for the Sao Paulo Municipality and Metropolitan Region (1999–2006) were used to evaluate heterogeneity by comparing distance between...
A new mechanism for the terminal stages of complement hemolysis based on kinetic and thermodynamic rationales

Okada, Boyle and Borsos (1) made a study, reported in this journal, of the temperature dependence of and effects of preincubation on the terminal reactions in complement hemolysis. They suggested that EAC1–9inserted could go on to lysis by either of two reaction paths and also that there is an enzyme catalyzed step. In this paper we show by kinetic and thermodynamic analysis a) that their results are inconsistent with such a double path mechanism and b) that their data are quantitatively compatible with a fairly conventional Michaelis-Menten mechanism. Although we agree with Okada et. al that their data are consistant with the participation of an enzyme in the terminal stages of complement hemolysis, the type of rate laws referred to in this paper could apply to some non-enzymatic reactions.
Death and Denial in Conrad's the Nigger of the “Narcissus”

This essay is concerned with the themes of death and denial in Joseph Conrad's third novel, The Nigger of the “Narcissus.” Although this subject has received some attention in the past, it has not been explored from a modern psychological viewpoint, particularly as it relates to Weisman's concepts of denial and acceptance of death. The central conflict in the novel centers around man's response to the inevitability of death as represented by the crew of the “Narcissus” in its relationship to James Wait, a black man dying of tuberculosis aboard the ship. When the crew is unable to handle its denial and is confronted with the inevitability of death, disruption and mutiny occur. With final acceptance of Wait's death there is resolution of the conflict and a maturation of the crew.
THERMAL ZIPPER: IDEALIZED STATISTICAL MECHANICS OF CRACK FORMATION

Cracks are known to form easily along certain crystallographic directions, presumably because of weaker bonds or lower coordination numbers along those directions. We uncover the manner in which such weak bonds break as the temperature is raised, by evaluating the partition function of an anisotropic grid in two dimensions of atoms with nearest-neighbor bonds.
Leading and managing in unmanageable times.

Trauma surgery is in crisis. The reasons are known as well to you as they are to me: no operations; no reimbursement; no fellows; no partners; more elderly patients; relations with surgical specialists; babysitting for surgical specialists; night call; malpractice and lifestyle. Reimbursement is low, but liability risk is high. Our work is nocturnal and unpredictable, and much of it is non-operative unless emergency general surgery is part of our practice. We can find neither enough trained surgeons to hire, nor fellows to train, nor residents and students to follow in our footsteps. Many of our organizations, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) included, are working hard to make change, but incremental progress at a time when change is needed urgently frustrates many of us. At times, the outlook can seem rather bleak. Surgeons are action-oriented, and often externally-oriented. We believe we must be, to be effective in our work, but surgical skills do not always equate with leadership skills. I shall share with you some principles of management and leadership to provide a set of tools to navigate this crisis personally, as well as to help you lead your teams. Team, a central theme of this presentation, is a familiar concept to trauma surgeons. We lead a team every day in the trauma bay, in committee meetings and so on, but there are many ways to lead more effectively. Several hundred books are published each year on the subjects of leadership and management. It is impossible to be familiar with all that is written and espoused. Some of the material is Bravo Sierra (BS), quite frankly. There are more than 9,000 theories extant about how to lead and manage; I couldn’t possibly distill it all, but there are some timeless principles. It is some of those principles that I would like to talk to you about today.
Flow‐induced crystallization by surface growth of polyethylene fibers

A series of experiments has been carried out investigating several features of the surface growth method for observing longitudinal growth of polyethylene fibers in Couette geometry. Attempts to obtain limiting steady-state takeup rates using a Teflon rotor were hampered by fiber breakage; however, maximum growth rates before breakage were found to be considerably higher than those observed in previous studies. Growth rates were also obtained using a static method, and for the Teflon rotor indicated above a critical concentration a linear growth rate equal to the stirrer velocity with rates essentially independent of temperature. With a silanized glass rotor, the same method gave much lower growth rates at comparable stirrer speeds and temperatures and showed a temperature dependence suggestive of a nucleation-controlled mechanism. The implications of these results for other studies of the mechanisms of growth by the surface method are also discussed.
School and Work Release Evaluations

Increasingly high levels of absenteeism for minor illnesses and injuries have created serious problems for American schools and industries. Short-term absenteeism also creates serious ethical and professional dilemmas for primary care physicians who routinely perform school and work release evaluations. Through an inductive analysis of three typical cases, these problems are identified. The major ethical issues involved are discussed, including truth-telling, confidentiality, and a confusion of the professional boundaries of medicine, education, and industry. Through a deductive analysis, it is shown that the conventional approaches to school and work release evaluations fail to achieve satisfactory results. To circumvent these problems, three solutions are proposed: primary care physicians can refuse to do such evaluations, inform the patient of the purpose and rules of the encounter, or perform evaluations only in the context of treatment. (JAMA1988;260:3629-3634)
Recorded vs. “Live” relaxation training and hypnotic suggestion: Comparative effectiveness for reducing physiological arousal and inhibiting stress response

Relaxation training and hypnotically suggested relaxation by means of prerecorded tapes were evaluated against the same procedures conducted in the usual “live” manner regarding effectiveness for reducing subjective tension (Anxiety Differential) and physiological arousal (heart rate, respiratory rate, tonic muscle tension, skin conductance) and for inhibiting the physiological response to stressful imagery. Three groups (N=10 each) of undergraduate female Ss participated individually for two sessions, 1 week apart, receiving (a) abbreviated progressive relaxation instructions via recorded tape without E's presence, (b) a hypnotic induction emphasizing direct suggestions of relaxation, heaviness, etc., via recorded tape without Es presence, or (c) a self-relaxation control procedure, without E's presence. The physiological response to individually determined stressful images was assessed before trainin and after an analog desensitization procedure following two training sessions. Data from the recorded, E-absent treatments were compared with those previously obtained by the same procedures (N=20 per group) conducted “live,” with E present. In general, neither hypnotic nor control conditions were affected by mode of presentation. Recorded relaxation, however, was significantly inferior to the “live” procedure on all counts except self-report. The lack of effectiveness of recorded relaxation instructions appears to result from the loss of response-contingent progression.
Evaluation of new plate designs for symphysis pubis internal fixation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare biplanar and other newly designed plates used for pubic symphysis internal fixation to other standard plates. Our data demonstrate that neither of the newly designed symphyseal plates, curved (Zimmer four-hole plate with either two or four 4.5-mm cortical screws) nor the biplanar (Zimmer six-hole plate with four 4.5-mm cortical screws in one plane and two 4.5-mm cortical screws in another) significantly reduce motion more than the other plates tested (Synthes two-hole 4.5-mm dynamic compression plate with two 6.5-mm cancellous screws and six-hole 3.5-mm reconstruction plate with four 3.5-mm cortical screws). All of the plate constructs were able to restore motion to nearly that of the intact symphysis pubis and sacroiliac joint. In summary, using the anteroposterior compression disruption pattern and model, the disrupted symphysis does gap under load but has no effect on sacroiliac joint gapping. It does permit increase in relative flexion angles between the wings of the pelvis. All of the plate systems tested restore normal gap motion at the symphysis and normal sacroiliac joint flexion.
Generation of low-frequency magnetic field disturbances in coronal loops by proton and electron beams

We consider the generation of low-frequency magnetic field disturbances in coronal loops when low density proton and electron beams propagate in them. Two mechanisms of low-frequency magnetic field perturbation generation are analyzed. The first mechanism is concerned with the longitudinal current generated by charged particles’ beams moving in the loop. It is shown that this mechanism of the Alfven waves’ generation can lead to development of low-frequency perturbations even if the currents are very weak. It can facilitate the reconnection of magnetic fields and flare development. The second mechanism is not concerned with currents propagating in the coronal loop. It is shown that, in this case, the proton beams can cause an instability with significantly lower values of beam density. We found increments and criteria of the development of instabilities. Not only Alfven-type perturbations can be generated as a result of development of those instabilities but also kinetic Alfven-type perturbations can be generated.
pH-Dependent Conformational Changes of the Voltage-Gated Proton Channel Recorded with Patch Clamp Fluorometry

The voltage gated proton channel Hv1 has a remarkable architecture. It contains only a voltage sensing domain (VSD, homologous to VSDs of classic tetrameric voltage gated cation channels like Shaker), but lacks a traditional pore domain. Recent studies identified key residues that determine selectivity and located crucial parts of the pore in the VSD. Hv1 is gated by voltage and also by the transmembrane pH gradient. While the fourth transmembrane segment (S4) has been shown to undergo a voltage-dependent motion, suggesting a role in voltage sensing, as in classical VSDs, the protein motions associated with pH sensing are not understood. Here, we use the technique of Patch Clamp Fluorometry to investigate conformational changes of ciona Hv1 in response to changes of internal pH. We labeled the channel at an external site of S4 with the environmentally sensitive fluorophore 2-((5(6)-Tetramethyl-rhodamine)carboxylamino)ethyl Methanethiosulfonate (MTS-TAMRA) and compared the fluorescence signal at different internal pHs and voltages in real-time. Changing internal pH can induce a conformational change visible at S4 in the resting state, without opening of the channel. This indicates that pH gradient sensing does not require a current flux through the channel's pore.
Transitional cell carcinoma of renal pelviswith multiple cerebral metastases

Abstract We present a case of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal pelvis with multiplecerebral metastases occurring after systemic chemotherapy with cisplatin, methotrexate, and vinblastine.
Simulations of stochastic biological phenomena.

This Teaching Resource provides lecture notes, slides, and a student assignment for a two-part lecture that introduces stochastic modeling of biological systems. The first lecture uses biological examples to present the concept of cell-to-cell variability and makes the connection between the variability of single-cell measurements and concepts from statistical mechanics and probability theory. This section makes the point that for low copy number of a species, the usual differential equation formalism is no longer applicable and needs to be replaced by a probabilistic approach based on the so-called Master Equation. As an example, a simple model of gene transcription is discussed in detail, the different contributions to the relevant Master Equation are highlighted, and the equation itself is derived. The second lecture describes how, for more complex and biologically interesting applications, direct solution of the Master Equation becomes difficult. Gillespie’s algorithm, which is used in most cases of biological interest, is then introduced as a practical alternative. The lecture delves into the crux of Gillespie’s algorithm, which entails the drawing of two random numbers at each time step. It establishes the corresponding formalism, details the connection between chemical rate constants and Gillespie rates, and culminates in a description and explanation of a core MATLAB program for the transcriptional model considered in the first lecture. This core program, written for a single cell, is expanded by the students in the homework assignment to consider both transcription and translation.
8. Annual herbaceous windbarriers for protecting crops and soils and managing snowfall

Abstract Annual herbaceous windbarriers can have certain advantages over perennial woody shelterbelts in that they are easier, faster and cheaper to establish, and may allow more flexibility in the farming operation. Their primary function is to reduce windspeed, which in turn generally improves growing conditions for the adjacent plants by improving temperature and moisture conditions. Annual windbarriers can be effective in increasing crop yields, controlling wind erosion, preventing sandblast damage to crop plants and trapping snow where it will be of maximum benefit in increasing soil water. Barrier porosity should be 65–75% for snow management and 40–50% for all other applications. Plants used should be as resistant to lodging as possible. Barriers should be comprised of two or more rows of plants, oriented perpendicular to the erosive or snow-laden winds (or in a serpentine manner if there is no predominant wind direction), spaced properly and established early enough to give the necessary protection to the adjacent area.
Optimal ensemble control of stochastic time-varying linear systems

Abstract We consider the optimal guidance of an ensemble of independent, structurally identical, finite-dimensional stochastic linear systems with variation in system parameters between initial and target states of interest by applying a common control function without the use of feedback. Our exploration of such ensemble control systems is motivated by practical control design problems in which variation in system parameters and stochastic effects must be compensated for when state feedback is unavailable, such as in pulse design for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging. In this paper, we extend the notion of ensemble control to stochastic linear systems with additive noise and jumps, which we model using white Gaussian noise and Poisson counters, respectively, and investigate the optimal steering problem. In our main result, we prove that the minimum norm solution to a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind provides the optimal control that simultaneously minimizes the mean square error (MSE) and the error in the mean of the terminal state. The optimal controls are generated numerically for several example ensemble control problems, and Monte Carlo simulations are used to illustrate their performance. This work has immediate applications to the control of dynamical systems with parameter dispersion or uncertainty that are subject to additive noise, which are of interest in quantum control, neuroscience, and sensorless robotic manipulation.
Nonlinear oscillations of inviscid free drops

The present analysis of free liquid drops' inviscid oscillations proceeds through solution of Bernoulli's equation to obtain the free surface shape and of Laplace's equation for the velocity potential field. Results thus obtained encompass drop-shape sequences, pressure distributions, particle paths, and the temporal evolution of kinetic and surface energies; accuracy is verified by the near-constant drop volume and total energy, as well as the diminutiveness of mass and momentum fluxes across drop surfaces. Further insight into the nature of oscillations is provided by Fourier power spectrum analyses of mode interactions and frequency shifts.
MnII [MnII (CN)4 ]-A Magnetic Interpenetrating Three-Dimensional Diamondlike Solid.

Three-dimensional extended diamondlike networks containing four-coordinate metal centers can be constructed from [MnII (CN)4 ]2- building blocks. Besides the title compound, which was prepared and its magnetic properties studied in detail, other novel magnetic solids might be able to be synthesized.
Surface-enhanced Raman scattering from gold-coated germanium oxide nanowires

We utilized bulk-synthesized nanowires (NWs) of germanium dioxide as nanoscale structures that can be coated with noble metals to allow the excitation of surface plasmons over a broad frequency range. The NWs were synthesized on substrates of silicon using gold-catalyst-assisted vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) growth mechanism in a simple quartz tube furnace setup. The resulting NWs have diameters of ∼100–200 nm, with lengths averaging ∼10–40 µm and randomly distributed on the substrate. The NWs are subsequently coated with thin films of gold, which provide a surface-plasmon-active surface. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) studies with near-infrared (NIR) excitation at 785 nm show significant enhancement (average enhancement > 106) with good uniformity to detect submonolayer concentrations of 4-methylbenzenethiol (4-MBT), trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (BPE), and 1,2-benzendithiol (1,2-BDT) probe molecules. We also observed an intense, broad continuum in the Raman spectrum of NWs after metal coating, which tended to diminish with the analyte monolayer formation. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Control of interfaces in Al-C fibre composites

The interface of Al-C fiber composite was modified by coating a silver layer on the surface of carbon fibres prior to making composites, in an attempt to improve the wettability between molten aluminum and carbon fibers during infiltration. An electroless plating technique was adopted and perfected to provide a homogeneous silver coating on the carbon fiber surface. Al-C fiber composites were prepared using a liquid infiltration technique in a vacuum. It was found that silver coating promoted the wetting between aluminum and carbon fibers, particularly with polyacrylonitrile-base carbon fibers. However, due to rapid dissolution of silver in molten aluminum, it was believed that the improved infiltration was not due to the wetting behavior between molten aluminum and silver. The cleaning of the fiber surface and the preservation of the cleaned carbon surface with silver coating was considered to be the prime reason for the improved wettability. Interfacial reactions between aluminum and carbon fibers were observed. Amorphous carbon was found to react more with aluminum than graphitic carbon. This is believed to be because of the inertness of the graphitic basal planes.
A Smooth Passage toward an Online PhD

There is a need for research into understanding students' learning barriers and cognitive style of learning before they embark on an online PhD program. Online university students in the School of Education express success and difficulties electronically as they navigate through a spectrum of courses, Learning Agreements, Knowledge Area Modules (KAMs) and a dissertation. To better understand how the online student learns, Cleeton's ‘Research Barrier Questionnaire’ and Riding's ‘Cognitive Styles Analysis’ were administered to online students in their first online course at an online university. Results obtained might by useful in the construction of a curriculum model to integrate faculty–student perception and reality of best practices in teaching an ‘Introductory Course’ at an online university from the perspective of the online student. This model would be descriptive, diagnostic and prescriptive. Advice in terms of online support may then be given to students and faculty, to smooth the passage of onlin...
Altered frontal cortical volume and decision making in adolescent cannabis users.

Anticipating future outcomes is central to decision making and a failure to consider long-term consequences may lead to impulsive choices. Adolescence is a vulnerable period during which underdeveloped prefrontal cortical systems may contribute to poor judgment, impulsive choices, and substance abuse. Conversely, substance abuse during this period may alter neural systems involved in decision making and lead to greater impulsivity. Although a broad neural network which supports decision making undergoes extensive change during adolescent development, one region that may be critical is the medial prefrontal cortex. Altered functional integrity of this region may be specifically related to reward perception, substance abuse, and dependence. In the present investigation, we acquired structural magnetic resonance images (MRI), using a 3T Siemens Trio scanner, from 18 cannabis abusing adolescents (CA; 2 female and 16 male subjects; mean age, 17.7 years; range 16-19 years) and 18 healthy controls (HC; 6 female and 12 male subjects; mean age, 17.2 years; range 16-19 years). In order to measure medial orbital prefrontal cortex (moPFC) morphology related to substance abuse and impulsivity, semi-automated cortical reconstruction and volumetric segmentation of MRIs was performed with FreeSurfer. Impulsivity was evaluated with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS). Our results indicate that cannabis abusing adolescents have decreased right moPFC volume compared to controls, p =.01, d = .92, CI.95 = .21, 1.59. Cannabis abusing adolescents also show decreased future orientation, as indexed by the BIS nonplanning subscale, when compared to controls, p = .01, d = .89, CI.95 = .23, 1.55. Moreover, total moPFC volume was positively correlated with age of first use (18) = .49, p < .03, suggesting that alterations in this region may be related to initiation of cannabis use or that early initiation may lead to reduced moPFC volume.
Comparison of Practical Diets with and without Animal Protein at Various Concentrations of Dietary Protein on Performance of Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus Raised in Earthen Ponds

— A 2 × 5 factorial experiment was conducted using practical-type extruded feeds containing 20, 24, 28, 32, or 36% crude protein with or without animal protein. The animal protein supplement consisted of 4% menhaden fish meal and 4% meat, bone and blood meal. Channel catfish fingerlings (average size: 26.3 g/fish) were stocked into 50 0.04-ha ponds at a rate of 24,700 fishha. Five ponds were used for each dietary treatment. Fish were fed once daily to satiation for 202 d. There were no differences in feed conversion ratio (FCR), percentage fillet moisture, and survival among treatments. In fish fed diets containing no animal protein, feed consumption, weight gain, and percentage dressout were lower for fish fed the 20% protein diet than those fed diets containing 28% and 32% protein. Fish fed 28, 32, or 36% protein diets without animal protein did not differ in respect to percentage dressout and percentage visceral fat; fish fed the 36% protein diet had higher percentage fillet protein and a lower percentage fillet fat than fish fed other diets with the exception of fish fed the 28% protein diet. In fish fed diets containing animal protein, feed consumption, weight gain, percentage fillet protein and ash, and percentage dressout were lower and visceral fat was higher for fish fed the 20% protein diet than those fed other diets. Fish fed diets containing 24% protein and above with animal protein were not different in respect to weight gain and feed consumption, but fish fed the 24% protein diet had a higher percentage fillet fat than fish fed a 32% or 36% protein diet. Fish fed the 32% protein diet had a lower visceral fat. Considering animal protein vs non-animal protein with the data pooled across all diets without regard to dietary protein level, weight gain and FCR of fish fed diets containing animal protein were higher than those fed diets containing no animal protein. However, weight gain of fish fed diets containing 20, 28, or 32% protein with or without animal protein did not differ. Dressout percentage and fillet protein were higher and fillet fat was lower for fish fed diets containing no animal protein than those fed diets containing animal protein. Data from this study indicated that animal protein may not be a necessary dietary ingredient for fish fed 28% or 32% protein diets typically used for grow out of pond-raised channel catfish under satiation feeding conditions. Whether animal protein should be included in catfish diets containing less than 28% protein is unclear, since fish fed the 24% protein diet benefited from animal protein but those fed the 20% protein diet did not benefit from animal protein. Additional studies to provide more information on low-protein, all-plant diets are currently being conducted.
Nucleotide sequence and transcriptional analysis of the nosiheptide-resistance gene from Streptomyces actuosus

The nucleotide (nt) sequence of a 2326-bp BamHI-PstI DNA fragment previously isolated from Streptomyces actuosus ATCC25421 that confers resistance to the thiopeptide antibiotics, nosiheptide (Nh) and thiostrepton (Ts) upon Streptomyces lividans 1326 was determined. Two open reading frames (ORFs) were found in this 2326-bp sequence; one containing 699 nt and another of 822 nt, both reading in the same direction. The Nh-resistance gene determinant (nsh) is encoded by orf822, as determined by the 74% identity of the deduced amino acid sequence of its gene product to that of the 23S rRNA methylase encoded by the Ts-resistance gene (tsr) of Streptomyces azureus. (The respective sequences had a 72% homology.) ORF699, encoded by a gene situated upstream from orf822, contained an apparent alpha-helix-beta-turn-alpha-helix configuration which is common to DNA-binding proteins and suggests that ORF699 may be a regulatory protein. Two transcription start points (tsp) were found upstream from orf699 as demonstrated by high-resolution S1 nuclease mapping. There was also a weak tsp for the nsh gene at the first nt of ORF. Moreover, transcription was observed to read through a stem-loop structure separating the orf699 and nsh genes, as demonstrated by S1 nuclease mapping of the 3' terminus of the orf699 gene, suggesting an antitermination mechanism for regulation of nsh transcription.
Relation Between Exposure to and Consequences of Aggression: U.S. National Sample of Adolescents

Adolescents, 12 to 18 years (N = 962), were asked how often they worried about, heard about, witnessed, were victimized by, and committed aggression at or near their schools. Social, moderate physical, and violent aggression were assessed. Females heard, worried, and witnessed more social aggression than males, but both were victims and/or perpetrators of social aggression. With increasing age, hearing about moderate physical aggression increased (p = .001), but being victimized decreased (p = .01). Committing moderate physical aggression was predicted by witnessing (p < .001) and being victimized (p < .001) by moderate physical aggression. Committing violent aggression was also predicted by witnessing (p < .001) and being victimized by violent aggression (p < .001). Practical implications for school systems are that assessments could be used to measure the occurrence of different types of aggression in the schools and focus interventions on the aggression types that are most problematic.
A Bayesian Analysis of the Institutional and Individual Factors Influencing Faculty Technology Use

This study answered questions about which faculty come to use technology in their teaching and used a novel statistical analysis to develop a model that captures the primary factors influencing faculty technology use. It used a sample of 16,914 faculty within the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty to explore explanations for faculty technology use. A total of 41 variables were included to capture individual-level influences (both demographic and professional) and institution-level influences (e.g., level of resources, Carnegie classification, public or private control) on technology use. All of the variables were incorporated into a Bayesian network analysis that produced a model of seven variables that classified 69% of the sample accurately. Four of the seven variables point to the important influence of the faculty's instructional workload on whether and how much faculty use technology. Carnegie classification was the only institution-level variable to make it into the final model. The faculty's highest degree and teaching/research field also had direct and moderating influences on technology use. This model offers insights into who is using technology, why they do so, and how more faculty may be encouraged to acquire greater skills in using technology.
Steiner Surface Patches

Gain valuable insight into better geometric approaches to high- degree surface patches by studying the simple free-form Steiner patch.
Subcellular alterations in cortisone treated rat lungs

Lungs from cortisone treated rats were examined under the electron microscope. Major alterations appeared in the mitochondria; changes in the endoplasmatic reticulum and basement membranes were also observed. Isolated features noticed were extracellular and intracellular lattice structures, crystalloid formation, swelling of the Golgi apparatus and nuclear damage.
Nicotinic agonist-induced improvement of vigilance in mice in the 5-choice continuous performance test.

Abstract Impaired attentional processing is prevalent in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and may negatively impact other cognitive and functional domains. Nicotine – a nonspecific nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonist – improves vigilance in healthy subjects and schizophrenia patients as measured by continuous performance tests (CPTs), but the nAChR mediating this effect remains unclear. Here we examine the effects of: (a) nicotine; (b) the selective α7 nAChR agonist PNU 282987; and (c) the selective α4β2 nAChR agonist ABT-418 alone and in combination with scopolamine-induced disruption of mouse 5-choice (5C-)CPT performance. This task requires the inhibition of responses to non-target stimuli as well as active responses to target stimuli, consistent with human CPTs. C57BL/6N mice were trained to perform the 5C-CPT. Drug effects were examined in extended session and variable stimulus-duration challenges of performance. Acute drug effects on scopolamine-induced disruption in performance were also investigated. Nicotine and ABT-418 subtly but significantly improved performance of normal mice and attenuated scopolamine-induced disruptions in the 5C-CPT. PNU 282–987 had no effects on performance. The similarity of nicotine and ABT-418 effects provides support for an α4β2 nAChR mechanism of action for nicotine-induced improvement in attention/vigilance. Moreover, the data provide pharmacological predictive validation for the 5C-CPT because nicotine improved and scopolamine disrupted normal performance of the task, consistent with healthy humans in the CPT. Future studies using more selective agonists may result in more robust improvements in performance.
NY-ESO-1 Cancer Testis Antigen Demonstrates High Immunogenicity in Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Purpose NY-ESO-1 cancer testis (CT) antigen is an attractive candidate for immunotherapy as a result of its high immunogenicity. The aim of this study was to explore the potential for NY-ESO-1 antigen directed immunotherapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) by determining the frequency of expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the degree of inherent immunogenicity to NY-ESO-1. Experimental Design 168 TNBC and 47 ER+/HER2- primary breast cancer specimens were used to determine NY-ESO-1 frequency by IHC. As previous studies have shown that patients with a robust innate humoral immune response to CT antigens are more likely to develop CD8 T-cell responses to NY-ESO-1 peptides, we evaluated the degree to which patients with NY-ESO-1 expression had inherent immunogenicity by measuring antibodies. The relationship between NY-ESO-1 expression and CD8+ T lymphocytes was also examined. Results The frequency of NY-ESO-1 expression in the TNBC cohort was 16% versus 2% in ER+/HER2- patients. A higher NY-ESO-1 score was associated with a younger age at diagnosis in the TNBC patients with NY-ESO-1 expression (p = 0.026). No differences in OS (p = 0.278) or PFS (p = 0.238) by NY-ESO-1 expression status were detected. Antibody responses to NY-ESO-1 were found in 73% of TNBC patients whose tumors were NY-ESO-1 positive. NY-ESO-1 positive patients had higher CD8 counts than negative patients (p = 0.018). Conclusion NY-ESO-1 is expressed in a substantial subset of TNBC patients and leads to a high humoral immune response in a large proportion of these individuals. Given these observations, patients with TNBC may benefit from targeted therapies directed against NY-ESO-1.