cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Oxide optical memories: Photochromism and index change

Abstract Due to the many valence states available to transition element ions, transition element oxides doped with these impurities are particularly useful for optical storage. Either the color (as in SrTiO 3 ) or refractive index (as in LiNbO 3 ) of these materials can be changed by exposure to light. Color change (photochromism) involves optically induced oxidation-reduction effects that can also be produced by electrochromic treatments. Large index change occurs in electrooptic crystals, and is due to the optical generation of internal space charge fields. The latter process is highly useful for bulk hologram storage, particularly since the resulting holograms can be fixed by a simple heat treatment. The mechanisms and capabilities of these processes will be discussed with emphasis on photochromism and electrochromism in Ni,Mo doped SrTiO 3 ; and hologram storage in Fe doped LiNbO 3 .
Fluoride Release from a Resin-modified Glass-ionomer Cement in a Continuous-flow System: Effect of pH

Fluoride is added to many dental restorative materials, including glass-ionomer cements, for the specific purpose of leaching fluoride into the surrounding tissues to provide secondary caries inhibition. During the caries process, an acidic environment attacks the dental tissues as well as the glass-ionomer cement. We hypothesized that pH significantly affects the rate of release of fluoride from the glass-ionomer cement. A continuous-flow fluoride-measuring system that monitors the amount of fluoride released over time was used to determine the release of fluoride from a resin-modified glass-ionomer cement (KetacFil®). The results show that the release rate began with a fast burst of fluoride which quickly diminished to low levels in 3 days. Under neutral pH conditions, the rate of fluoride release at 72 hrs was significantly slower than at pH 4.
Determinants of pressure drift in Manoscan(™) esophageal high-resolution manometry system.

Background Manoscan™ is one of the commonly used high-resolution manometry (HRM) systems with declared measurement accuracy of 1–2 mmHg. However, the accuracy of pressure measurements is limited by development of pressure drift (PD) throughout recording. To date, there has been no systematic investigation to identify the factors contributing to PD. The aim of the present study was to characterize the frequency and magnitude of PD in Manoscan™ system and identify the factors contributing to PD. Methods Records of 560 consecutive clinical esophageal HRM studies recorded by six distinct HRM catheters were retrospectively reviewed. PD was defined as the residual pressure measurement by each sensor immediately after removal of the catheter. Non-parametric locally weighted regression analysis was performed to assess the effect of duration of study, number of prior uses of a catheter, peak and average pressure exposure during a study on the PD. Key Results The majority (95%) of clinical manometry studies showed a non-negligible PD of more than 5 mmHg. The overall PD was 13 ± 5 mmHg and the sensor with greatest amount of PD showed 23 ± 12 mmHg of drift. The upper esophageal sphincter showed the highest PD. Average pressure exposure of a sensor throughout the recording was the most important predictor of PD. PD inversely correlated with number of prior uses of a catheter. Conclusions & Inferences The PD preferentially affects esophageal high-pressure zones, and strongly correlates with ‘average pressure exposure’ of a sensor during manometry. Available algorithms of the analysis software do not adequately correct the PD.
Clustering of cell surface laminin enhances its association with the cytoskeleton

In order to provide evidence for an association of cell surface laminin with the cytoskeleton, we have examined the detergent extractability of cell surface laminin on murine fibrosarcoma cells. We utilized indirect immunofluorescence with affinity-purified antilaminin antibodies to determine the distribution, mobility and detergent extractability of laminin bound to the cell surface. We demonstrate that antibody induces clustering of cell surface laminin rendering it resistant to detergent extraction. At low receptor occupancy, approx. 80% of cell surface laminin is detergent-extractable. If cell surface laminin is induced to cluster with anti-laminin antibody, IB4 isolectin from Bandeiraea simplicifolia or by high receptor occupancy, then it is rendered resistant to detergent extraction. This process is temperature-sensitive and inhibited by cytochalasin D (CD). On the basis of these findings, we propose a model in which laminin anchored in the basement membrane in vivo affects the cellular cytoskeleton by facilitating the clustering of cell surface transmembrane laminin receptors which are able to interact with cellular actin.
Rearrangement of Protonated Propene Oxide to Protonated Propanal

Calculations at the MP2/6-31G*//MP2/6-31G* level show there are concerted asynchronous pathways connecting protonated propene oxide and protonated propanal. With cleavage of the C−O bond of protonated propene oxide, the preference for rotation of oxygen away from the more hindered face of the oxirane plane containing the methyl group is quantified as 2 kcal/mol. This pathway involves two distinct steps; first, rupture of the oxirane and, second, hydride migration. The latter does not commence until rupture of the C−O bond is complete. The combination of these two steps defines a concerted asynchronous rearrangement pathway. The reaction is predicted to show a 20:1 preference for migration of the proton trans to the methyl over the cis.
Cancer prevention by tea: animal studies, molecular mechanisms and human relevance

Extracts of tea, especially green tea, and tea polyphenols have been shown to inhibit the formation and development of tumours at different organ sites in animal models. There is considerable evidence that tea polyphenols, in particular (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, inhibit enzyme activities and signal transduction pathways, resulting in the suppression of cell proliferation and enhancement of apoptosis, as well as the inhibition of cell invasion,angiogenesis and metastasis. Here, we review these biological activities and existing data relating tea consumption to human cancer risk in an attempt to understand the potential use of tea for cancer prevention.
Second chance or no chance? A case study of one urban alternative middle school

This qualitative case study focuses on a school created to educate expelled students, specifically examining the relationships between educators’ beliefs and philosophies and daily school life. At this school, Kelly’s (Last chance high. Yale University Press, New Haven, 1993) competing philosophies of traditionalism and developmentalism got enacted at the school and classroom levels in ways that precluded effective practice. These competing philosophies reflect broader national and international discourses that simultaneously promote neoliberal marketization and democratic emancipation. Conflicting sub-cultures at the school under study emerged as the most salient conduit at the school level for the enactment of these competing philosophies, and administrators’ practices at the school and district levels unintentionally reinforced these conflicting sub-cultures. Findings suggest that improving the educational experiences of persistently disciplined students requires the clarification of philosophical underpinnings and cohesion of policy mandates and implementation at federal, state, and local levels. Without such clarification, alternative schools may serve more to push students further out of school and into the school-to-prison pipeline than to reengage them.
COI Stories: Explanation and Evidence in the History of Science

This paper takes as its point of departure two striking incongruities between scientific practice and trends in modern history and philosophy of science. (1) Many modern historians of science are so preoccupied with local scientific practices that they fail to recognize important non-local elements. (2) Many modern philosophers of science make a sharp distinction between explanation and evidence, whereas in scientific practice explanatory power is routinely used as evidence for scientific claims. I draw attention to one specific way in
Intra-stream encoding for multiple depth streams

Using multiple cameras, a dynamic real world scene can be captured, represented, and streamed for realistic interaction in a 3D immersive system. One method to represent the dynamic environment is to use multiple depth streams - streams with color and depth information. However the captured data is too large to be streamed uncompressed. Fortunately, these data exhibit spatial and temporal coherence that can be used for compression.In this paper, we examine the initial step in compressing multiple depth streams. To use spatial coherence between streams to compress multiple depth streams, base reference streams - intrastreams - have to be encoded without the use of other depth streams. We investigate encoding of this base depth stream using only temporal coherence. The proposed algorithm extends video stream encoding techniques to encode color and depth. We show that for encoding a depth stream which requires high quality, such as base reference streams, using separate motion vectors to encode color and depth performs better than using a single motion vector.
Performance profiles of the functional independence measure.

ABSTRACTThe functional independence measure (FIM) is used to determine the degree of disability that patients experience and the progress that they make through programs of medical rehabilitation. Rasch analysis is a statistical technique for constructing interval measures from ordinal data that was
Computational Aspects of Transfer Trajectories to Halo Orbits

Themethodofregularizationisappliedtothesingulardifferentialequationsoftherestrictedcircularthree-body modelin rotating coordinatescenteredatthe L1 Lagrangelibrationpointofthesun ‐Earth system.Theregularized equations are used through an iterative process to generate converged transfer trajectories from a low circular parking orbit around the Earth to the vicinity of the L1 point, where a small velocity change inserts the spacecraft into a desired periodic halo orbit. These computation methods, which use backward numerical integration to provide a transfer solution that meets the end or boundary conditions with 1-m accuracy, are based on the use of double precision integrators with built-in interpolators as well as an unconstrained optimization algorithm that minimizes the summed squares of the differences between certain achieved parameters and their desired target values. The existence of optimal values of certain target parameters that lead to the minimization of the velocity change needed to insert into the halo orbit of interest is also shown, as well as the range of its feasible values at least in the case of the perigee location of the departure hyperbola.
LexA Cleavage Is Required for CTX Prophage Induction

Abstract The physiologic conditions and molecular interactions that control phage production have been studied in few temperate phages. We investigated the mechanisms that regulate production of CTXφ, a temperate filamentous phage that infects Vibrio cholerae and encodes cholera toxin. In CTXφ lysogens, the activity of P rstA , the only CTXφ promoter required for CTX prophage development, is repressed by RstR, the CTXφ repressor. We found that the V. cholerae SOS response regulates CTXφ production. The molecular mechanism by which this cellular response to DNA damage controls CTXφ production differs from that by which the E. coli SOS response controls induction of many prophages. UV-stimulated CTXφ production required RecA-dependent autocleavage of LexA, a repressor that controls expression of numerous host DNA repair genes. LexA and RstR both bind to and repress P rstA . Thus, CTXφ production is controlled by a cellular repressor whose activity is regulated by the cell's response to DNA damage.
Development of a nanocrystalline titanium aluminide-titanium silicide particulate composite

In the present work, a combined mechanical alloying-thermohydrogen processing approach was used to produce a nanocrystalline titanium aluminide reinforced with nanometer-size particles of Ti{sub 5}Si{sub 3}. Mechanical alloying and thermohydrogen processing were chosen as very effective methods for grain refinement. The combination of these two processes was expected to produce an even finer microstructure than either process used alone.
Assessing Lead Risks at Non-Residential Hazardous Waste Sites

ABSTRACT In 1996, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) developed the Adult Lead Methodology (ALM) to provide an interim approach to assessing risks from non-residential exposures to lead. Because such exposures often involve occupational activities of adults, the ALM was directed at assessing soil-related lead risks to adults. Consistent with other approaches used in Superfund risk assessment, the ALM was designed to predict quasi-steady state blood lead concentrations (PbB) that might result from soil exposure. These predictions are converted to a risk estimate, expressed as the probability of exceeding a PbB level of concern. To examine the assumptions and variables in the ALM that have become available since 1996, a comparison was made of the attributes of seven alternative research models for which adequate documentation is available to understand and implement each approach. Several of these models have been used in regulatory decision-making; however, the USEPA has officially embraced no...
Towards Secure Information Sharing models for community Cyber Security

In this paper, we motivate the need for new models for Secure Information Sharing (SIS) in the specific domain of community cyber security. We believe that similar models will be applicable in numerous other domains. The term community in this context refers to a county or larger city size unit with a clearly demarcated geographical boundary aligned more or less with a governance boundary. Our choice of the community domain is based on the decade long experience of the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS), now part of the Institute for Cyber Security (ICS-CIAS) at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Over the past decade ICS-CIAS has conducted cyber security preparedness exercises and training at communities throughout the nation specifically dealing with communication, incident response, disaster recovery, business continuity, security awareness and similar issues. We discuss the insights gained from these frequent exercises to illustrate the limitations of prior models for SIS, such as discretionary access control, mandatory access control and role-based access control. Specifically, we argue that these traditional models, while effective in addressing the issues that they were developed for, lack the agility to dynamically configure a system to facilitate SIS scenarios such as monitoring and response during a community cyber security incident life cycle. We discuss how our current research efforts at the Institute for Cyber Security on group-centric SIS models directly address the limitations of existing models in such scenarios.
Cell division during dedifferentiation and redifferentiation in the regenerating isolated gastrodermis of Hydra.

Abstract During the regeneration of the isolated gastrodermis of Hydra , three cell types were observed undergoing mitosis: (1) interstitial cells derived from dedifferentiated peripheral gland cells, (2) epithelio-muscular cells which arise from the direct transformation of peripheral digestive cells, (3) cnidoblasts originating from interstitial cells. Division of the two first cell types normally occurs in the intact animal and therefore such divisions are not unique in the regenerating isolated gastrodermis. The division of cnidoblasts. however, represents an unusual structural phenomenon. Division of the three cell types allows for the growth of the gastrodermal explant.
Right atrial migration and percutaneous retrieval of a Günther Tulip inferior vena cava filter.

This report describes a 67-year-old trauma victim in whom a retrievable Gunther Tulip (Cook, Bloomington, IN) inferior vena cava filter was placed. The filter migrated to the right atrium immediately after placement. Initial attempts to retrieve the filter with Amplatz Goose Neck snares (Microvena, White Bear Lake, MN) were unsuccessful. A second attempt performed a week later with the addition of the new EnSnare (MDTech, Gainesville, FL) was successful. Possible causes of the migration are discussed and the difficulties encountered while removing this retrievable filter are described.
Degradation Mechanisms of Silicon Carbide Fibers

On etudie la degradation par vaporisation a haute temperature sur des fibres de Nicalon derivees de polymeres et des fibres de SiC produites par depot chimique en phase vapeur. On etudie les pressions de vapeur par spectrometrie de masse et on observe les fibres au microscope electronique a balayage
Recognizing short duration hand movements from accelerometer data

Processing of accelerometer data for recognizing short duration hand movements is a challenging problem. This paper focuses on characterization of acceleration data corresponding to hand movements (lift to mouth, scoop, stir, pour, unscrew cap) using aggregate statistical features and histograms computed from raw acceleration and derivative of the acceleration data. Data collected from an accelerometer placed on the wrist of subjects was used to perform the analysis. Supplementing the statistical features with raw acceleration histograms had a very marginal effect on the classification performance. However, the addition of derivative histograms resulted in a considerable improvement in the classification accuracy by nearly 8%. The effect of bin size of the derivative histograms was also conducted. It was observed that having a small number of bins decreased the classification accuracy by 3%. We thus show that adding features that capture the distribution of the changes in the acceleration data improve the classification performance.
All-frequency precomputed radiance transfer for glossy objects

We introduce a method based on precomputed radiance transfer (PRT) that allows interactive rendering of glossy surfaces and includes shadowing effects from dynamic, "all-frequency" lighting. Specifically, source lighting is represented by a cube map at resolution nL = 6 × 32 × 32. We present a novel PRT formulation which factors glossy BRDFs into purely view-dependent and light-dependent parts, achieving reasonable accuracy with only m=10 dimensional factors. We then tabulate an m × nL transfer matrix at each surface vertex as a preprocess, representing the object's response to this lighting. Because this surface signal is so high-dimensional, reducing m is crucial for making practical both the preprocessing and run-time. To compress the transfer matrices, we divide the cube map into 24 lighting segments and apply the Haar wavelet basis in each segment to provide sensible quantization. We also apply clustered principal component analysis (CPCA) to each PRT segment to approximate it as a linear combination of a few (n=16) representative transfer matrices within a small set of clusters over the surface. This exploits spatial coherence to compress very effectively. Most important, it maintains fast rendering rates with 2-3 orders of magnitude more lighting coefficients than previous methods, which increases accuracy and avoids temporal artifacts in high-frequency lighting environments. We demonstrate interactive performance (1-5Hz) on models having up to 50,000 vertices.
Defining the Link Between Chronic Kidney Disease, High Platelet Reactivity, and Clinical Outcomes in Clopidogrel-Treated Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and an antagonist of the platelet adenosine diphosphate P2Y12 receptor is pivotal for the treatment of ischemic events, particularly stent thrombosis, in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).1 Despite the availability of newer and more potent agents, namely prasugrel and ticagrelor, clopidogrel is still the most widely used P2Y12 receptor antagonist and is the only agent currently approved for patients with stable coronary artery disease undergoing PCI.1 However, clopidogrel is characterized by high interindividual response variability.2 Notably, patients with high platelet reactivity (HPR) while on clopidogrel therapy are at increased risk of ischemic recurrences, in particular stent thrombosis.2,3 Clopidogrel response variability has a multifactorial etiopathogenesis, which includes genetic (ie, cytochrome P450 polymorphisms), cellular (ie, accelerated platelet turnover, reduced cytochrome P450 metabolic activity, or upregulation of P2Y12 pathway), and clinical (ie, poor absorption, drug-drug interactions, acute coronary syndrome, diabetes mellitus [DM], obesity, chronic kidney disease [CKD]) factors.2 However, the relative contribution of each of these factors to HPR status and adverse atherothrombotic events remains poorly defined. See Article by Baber et al CKD is a pandemic public health problem, with >500 million people worldwide estimated to have some form of kidney injury and with a prevalence of 13.1% in the United States.4 Key factors contributing to the increased prevalence of CKD include the aging population and the growing burden of DM.5,6 In particular, patients with DM are found to have CKD in about one third of cases, with diabetic nephropathy as the most common cause of renal impairment.4–6 Moreover, although in patients with coronary artery disease the presence of either DM or CKD is associated with a similar enhanced risk of long-term cardiovascular events, when DM and CKD coexist, …
Surface ablation patterns - A phenomenology study.

This paper presents experimental observations concerning the formation of diamondshaped surface ablation patterns. These patterns have developed on several types of ablation materials (melting, subliming, and char forming) under diverse flow conditions. The pattern angle is shown to correlate with the local Mach angle for all classes of materials. A ratio of the pattern wavelength to the boundary-layer thickness appears to be insensitive to the dimensionless blowing rate or Mach number. The frequent appearance of longitudinal grooves upstream of the diamond patterns suggests a relation between longitudinal vorticity and pattern development. This study emphasizes the surface pattern phenomena on char forming materials.
Ganglions of the wrist and digits: Results of treatment by aspiration and cyst wall puncture

In a prospective study, 87 carpal and digital ganglions were aspirated, multiply punctured, and digitally ruptured. Fifty percent of wrists and digits were immobilized for 3 weeks and 50% were mobilized early. Mean follow-up was 22 months. Thirty-six percent (31/87) of all ganglions treated showed a successful outcome. Twenty-seven percent (16/60) of dorsal carpal, 43% (6/14) of palmar carpal, and 69% (9/13) of palmar digital ganglions did not recur. Immobilization significantly improved the results of treatment of dorsal carpal ganglions. Forty percent (12/30) of those in the immobilization group and 13% (4/30) of those in the early mobilization group had a successful outcome ( p
"We will never forget you [online]": an empirical investigation of post-mortem myspace comments

The proliferation of social network sites has resulted in an increasing number of profiles representing deceased users. In this paper, we present the results of a mixed-methods empirical study of 205,068 comments posted to 1,369 MySpace profiles of users who have died. Our results reveal interesting practices surrounding issues of authorship and audience, temporal patterns in posting, and continued social networking with the dead. These results suggest that post-mortem commenting behavior blends memorializing practices with existing practices and communication patterns for social network sites. We conclude by outlining future directions for research and implications for the understanding and use of social network sites in light of a deeper understanding of post-mortem comments.
Electoral Voting Preferences and Political Orientations of Athenians in Greece: A Three‐Perspective Model*

Using a three-perspective model of stratification, group and issue-oriented variables, an effort was made to examine the relevance of three perspectives in predicting voting behaviour among Athenians in Greece. The model was based on an analysis of 478 cases from data collected in Athens in the spring and summer of 1977. Pro-Western attitudes and politics of friends were found to be the most important variables in predicting vote among the Athenians. Unlike other European countries, education and occupation were not important while income and age were. The primary group variable of father's politics had important indirect effects while the secondary group variable of workers’ membership in political or occupational organisations had a significant direct effect. The interdependence of the variables in the three-perspective model were also delineated in the analysis.
The Ford Approach and Real Fairness for Crack Convicts

Federal Crack sentences have been sharply reduced, but this change has not been made retroactive. This article urges that the President look to President Ford's systemic clemency process for draft evaders as a workable means to bring fairness to those unaffected by the reform of crack sentening.
The Role of Androgens and Estrogens on Healthy Aging and Longevity

Aging is associated with a loss of sex hormone in both men (andropause) and women (menopause). In men, reductions in testosterone can trigger declines in muscle mass, bone mass, and in physical function. In women, the impact of the loss of sex hormones, such as estradiol, on bone is well elucidated, but evidence is limited on whether the loss of estradiol negatively affects muscle mass and physical function. However, deficiencies in multiple anabolic hormones have been shown to predict health status and longevity in older persons. Thus, consideration should be given as to whether targeted hormone replacement therapies may prove effective at treating clinical conditions, such as age-related sarcopenia, cancer cachexia, and/or acute or chronic illnesses. If initiated carefully in the appropriate clinical population, hormone replacement therapies in men and women may prevent and reverse muscle and bone loss and functional declines and perhaps promote healthy aging and longevity.
Weekly paclitaxel in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Princeton, NJ) is one of the most commonly used agents in treating patients with locally advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is usually given once every 3 weeks. We have evaluated paclitaxel given once per week for 3 weeks every 4 weeks for patients with recurrent or metastatic NSCLC. Two consecutive studies using weekly paclitaxel were performed. The first study was a dose-escalation study with paclitaxel beginning at 50 mg/m(2) days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. Subsequent dose escalation was performed with 10 mg/m(2) increments per week. The second phase II study used paclitaxel at 80 mg/m(2) days 1, 8, and 15 every 4 weeks. The phase I study showed that the maximum tolerated dose was 90 mg/m(2)/wk for 3 weeks with 1 week off. The efficacy and side effects of both phase I and II were quite similar; therefore, the results were combined. Seventeen patients were in the phase I and 30 patients in the phase II study. The mean age was 72 years. Twenty-three patients had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 and 16 patients had received prior chemotherapy. One complete and 13 partial responses were observed with response duration ranging from 1 to 18+ months. Overall response rate was 30% (95% confidence interval, 18.5% to 42%). Overall median survival was 184 days. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was 8.5%, grade 3/4 infections was 6.4%, and grade 2 peripheral neuropathy was also 6.4%. Hyperglycemia with random blood sugar levels greater than 250 mg/dL was 6.4% and grade 3 fatigue was 4.3%. In general, treatment was well tolerated. In the best prognostic group of 16 patients without prior chemotherapy and with performance status 0 to 1, the response rate was 37.5% with a 1-year survival rate of 44% and median survival of 305 days. Prior chemotherapy, poor performance status, age higher than 70 years, and male gender carried a worse prognosis. In both phase I and II studies we observed limited myelosuppression, peripheral neuropathy, and constitutional symptoms. Weekly paclitaxel, delivered at our schedule, is an active and well-tolerated regimen. The role of weekly paclitaxel in NSCLC should be better defined in future randomized studies.
Superovulatory response of one ovary is related to the micro- and macroscopic population of follicles in the contralateral ovary of the Cow.

We hypothesized that the ovulatory response of one ovary to FSH would be related positively to the size of the primordial and growing pools of follicles in the other ovary. Nonlactating cows (n 5 26) were unilaterally ovariectomized and 2 days later were superovulated. The superovulatory response was classified as Low (, 5 corpora lutea [CL]), Medium (5‐14 CL), or High (. 14 CL). Surface follicles on the ovary removed before superovulation were classified as small (1‐3 mm), medium (3‐7 mm), or large ( . 7 mm), and the ovary was then fixed and serially sectioned. Follicles # 1 mm in diameter in 388 6 38 fields (2 3 2 mm) per cow were classified as primordial, primary, secondary, or tertiary. By classification, Suboptimal ovaries contained , 100 follicles # 1 mm and Optimal ovaries contained . 250 follicles # 1 mm. Number of CL was correlated positively with total number of primordial, tertiary, and medium surface follicles. Number of Empty fields (2 3 2-mm fields containing no follicles) was correlated negatively with superovulatory response and number of primordial follicles. Number of CL was related to number of tertiary follicles in a positive linear manner and the number of medium follicles in a positive quadratic manner (r 2 5 0.66). Numbers of primordial, tertiary, small surface follicles, medium surface follicles, and total surface follicles were lower ( p # 0.06) in the Low superovulatory response group than in the Medium or High group. Suboptimal ovaries had fewer small surface follicles and fewer CL than Optimal ovaries (p , 0.05). We conclude that superovulatory response in cattle is related positively to the pools of primordial and growing follicles in the bovine ovary.
Does RNA interference influence meiotic crossing over in Drosophila melanogaster

Mutations in the RNA interference (RNAi) genes aubergine (aub), homeless and piwi were tested for effects on the frequency, distribution and coincidence of meiotic crossovers in the long arm of the X chromosome. Some increases in crossover frequency were seen in these tests, but they may have been due to a maternal effect of the balancer chromosomes that were used to maintain the RNAi mutations in stocks rather than to the RNAi mutations themselves. These same balancers produced strong zygotic interchromosomal effects when tested separately. Mutations in aub and piwi did not affect the frequency of crossing over in the centric heterochromatin of chromosome II; nor did a balancer chromosome III.
The Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factor σS Protects against both Intracellular and Extracytoplasmic Stresses in Staphylococcus aureus

Previously we identified a novel component of the Staphylococcus aureus regulatory network, an extracytoplasmic function -factor, S , involved in stress response and disease causation. Here we present additional characterization of S , demonstrating a role for it in protection against DNA damage, cell wall disruption, and interaction with components of the innate immune system. Promoter mapping reveals the existence of three unique sigSstart sites, one of which appears to be subject to autoregulation. Transcriptional profiling revealed that sigS expression remains low in a number of S. aureus wild types but is upregulated in the highly mutated strain RN4220. Further analysis demonstrates that sigSexpression is inducible upon exposure to a variety of chemical stressors that elicit DNA damage, including methyl methanesulfonate and ciprofloxacin, as well as those that disrupt cell wall stability, such as ampicillin and oxacillin. Significantly, expression of sigSis highly induced during growth in serum and upon phagocytosis by RAW 264.7 murine macrophage-like cells. Phenotypically, S mutants display sensitivity to a broad range of DNA-damaging agents and cell wall-targeting antibiotics. Furthermore, the survivability of S mutants is strongly impacted during challenge by components of the innate immune system. Collectively, our data suggest that S likely serves dual functions within the S. aureus cell, protecting against both cytoplasmic and extracytoplasmic stresses. This further argues for its important, and perhaps novel, role in the S. aureus stress and virulence responses.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) expression in sympathetic preganglionic projection neurons to the superior cervical ganglion

Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptides (PACAP27 and PACAP38) are members of the VIP/secretin/glucagon family of peptides and have diverse neuroregulatory effects in sympathoadrenal cell development and function. PACAP peptides regulate rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neuron catecholamine and neuropeptide Y content and secretion, and promote sympathoneuroblast survival through activation of specific PACAP1 receptor isoforms. In examining the potential sources of PACAP regulating the SCG, PACAP expression was identified in rat preganglionic neurons in the intermediolateral cell column (IML) of the thoracic spinal cord which provide primary afferent projections to this sympathetic ganglion. Thoracic spinal cord segments (T1-4) contained approximately 17 pmol PACAP38 immunoreactivity/g tissue wet weight. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction of cDNA from microdissected thoracic spinal cord using primers specific for rat neuronal proPACAP identified proPACAP mRNA expression in the IML; the results correlated with neurons labeled for proPACAP mRNA by in situ hybridization histochemistry and implicated PACAP biosynthesis in IML neurons. To demonstrate directly proPACAP transcript expression in preganglionic projection neurons to the SCG, the ganglion was decentralized and the sympathetic trunk immersed in fluorogold to identify sympathetic preganglionic neurons by retrograde labeling. Cryosections of spinal cord segments containing preganglionic neuron fluorogold labeled neurons were processed subsequently for in situ hybridization histochemical localization of proPACAP mRNA using a digoxigenin-labeled riboprobe; IML neurons were examined for fluorogold and digoxigenin/alkaline phosphatase product dual labeling. More than half of the preganglionic projection neurons to the SCG expressed PACAP mRNA, consistent with the postulate that PACAP peptides released from a subpopulation of thoracic IML preganglionic neurons may be physiological anterograde modulators of sympathetic SCG function.
MOSIS - A gateway to silicon

The MOSIS Service, a low-cost prototyping service for standard-cell and full-custom VLSI circuit development, is discussed. MOSIS (an acronym for MOS Implementation System) has developed a methodology that allows the merging of many different projects from various organizations onto one wafer. This cost-sharing gives designers opportunities that might be prohibitive at regular commercial prices. Since designs are combined on a single mask set. MOSIS users pay for only the fraction of the silicon that they use. Runs are scheduled on a regular basis for 3.0-, 2.0-, 1.6-, and 1.2- mu m double-metal CMOS/bulk technologies. MOSIS quality control and access to MOSIS are described. >
From the Avant-Garde: Re-Conceptualizing Cultural Origins in the Digital Media Art of Japan

Misconceptions concerning digital artists in Japan make them out to be mere followers, savvy with technology but not necessarily the conceptual originators of their work. Examining the aesthetic and philosophical content of their work, however, reveals that their attitudes toward the exploration of process, performance and the inherent nature of materials come from innovative and daring avant-garde groups of the 1960s and 1970s in Japan, including the Gutai and Mono-ha groups, whose ideas predate those of the New York avantgarde schools, even outside of the technological milieu.
Chemiluminescent detection of amino acids using in situ generated Ru(bpy)3+3

Abstract A technique for the detection of underivatized amino acids based on the chemiluminescent (CL) reaction between in situ generated Ru(bpy) 3+ 3 and the amino acid is described. Glassy carbon was found to be an ideal material for the in situ generation of Ru(bpy) 3+ 3 from Ru(bpy) 2+ 3 in alkaline pH in the presence or absence of an organic modifier such as acetonitrile. The CL emission from the glassy carbon thin-layer flow cell used for the in situ studies was found to be dependent upon the concentration of Ru(bpy) 2+ 3 in the carrier buffer, the buffer flow-rate through the cell, and the applied potential at the working electrode. The detection scheme was applied to high performance ion-exchange chromatography (HPIEC) by utilizing a column packed with a polystyrene-divinylbenzene anion-exchange resin. The technique was found to provide a linear response over 3 orders of magnitude for leucine, a representative amino acid. Limits of detection (LOD) ranged from 100 fmol for proline to 22 pmol for serine at a S/N of 6. The CL-flow-injection analysis response of injected leucine was found to decay less than 8% over the course of 40 h of continuous electrolysis of Ru(bpy) 2+ 3 in the detection cell. The method is also shown to be applicable to the sensitive detection of PTH-glycine. Arguments toward the future miniaturization of the detection scheme in order to facilitate application to capillary electrophoresis and subsequent development of new protein sequencing methodologies will be presented.
Photoelectrochemical performance of W-doped BiVO4 thin films deposited by spray pyrolysis

The effects of tungsten doping and hydrogen annealing on the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) photoanodes for solar water splitting were studied. Thin films of BiVO4 were deposited on indium tin oxide-coated glass slides by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis of an aqueous solution containing bismuth nitrate and vanadium oxysulfate. Tungsten doping was achieved by adding either silicotungstic acid (STA) or ammonium metatungstate (AMT) to the precursor. The 1.7- to 2.2-μm-thick films exhibited a highly porous microstructure. Undoped films that were reduced at 375°C in 3% H2 exhibited the largest photocurrent densities under 0.1 W cm−2 AM1.5 illumination, where photocurrent densities of up to 1.3 mA cm−2 at 0.5 V with respect to Ag/AgCl were achieved. Films doped with 1% or 5% (atomic percent) tungsten from either STA or AMT exhibited reduced PEC performance and greater sample-to-sample performance variations. Powder x-ray diffraction data indicated that the films continue to crystallize in the monoclinic polymorph at low doping levels but crystallize in the tetragonal scheelite structure at higher doping. It is surmised that the phase and morphology differences promoted by the addition of W during the deposition process reduced the PEC performance as measured by photovoltammetry.
The Efficacy of Mental Health Outreach Programs to Religious Settings: A Systematic Review

The literature has documented the opportunities to improve mental health care by developing programs to work with clergy for identifying and supporting individuals with mental illness. A successful program would integrate and coordinate mental health service rehabilitative and treatment programs with religious community resources. The authors systematically reviewed the efficaciousness of providing mental health outreach to religious settings. Although many programs were found that had exhibited an impressive degree of integration and coordination between mental health and religious groups, only one had incorporated outcome measures. The lack of use of validated outcome measures severely limits our understanding of the utility of mental health outreach programs to religious settings. This is an important public health area for the development of research.
The Composite Characteristics of Cirrus Clouds: Bulk Properties Revealed by One Year of Continuous Cloud Radar Data

Abstract The properties of midlatitude cirrus clouds are examined using one year of continuous vertically pointing millimeter-wave cloud radar data collected at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Southern Great Plains site in Oklahoma. The goal of this analysis is to present the cloud characteristics in a manner that will aid in the evaluation and improvement of cirrus parameterizations in large-scale models. Using a temperature- and radar reflectivity–based definition of cirrus, the occurrence frequency of cirrus, the vertical location and thickness of cirrus layers, and other fundamental statistics are examined. Also the bulk microphysical properties of optically thin cirrus layers that occur in isolation from other cloud layers are examined. During 1997, it is found that cirrus were present 22% of the time, had a mean layer thickness of 2.0 km, and were most likely to occur in the 8.5–10-km height range. On average, the cirrus clouds tended to be found in layers in which the synoptic-scale v...
Collective Delegation and World Bank Aid Allocation

Most studies of multilateral foreign aid allocation assume that only the United States, or, in the case of regional institutions where the US has no role, some regional great power has de facto control over the institution. Although it may well be the case, it has seldom been tested against the alternative: the institutionalized governance structures matter in a way that allow the preferences of multiple states to matter. As most multilateral aid allocation decisions occur as a matter of collective delegation, we correct this misspecification by exploring how the distribution of votes – both in raw form and in a priori power indexes – affects aid allocation. We use a non-equivalent dependent variables design with pattern-matching and non-equivalent groups to test how variance in the distribution of votes across the multilateral development banks influences several dimensions of foreign aid.
Asian Pacific Real Exchange Rates and Relative Prices

In this paper, the evidence for a relative tradables-nontradables price based explanation for long run movements in East Asian real exchange rates is examined. Using both time series cointegration techniques and panel regression procedures, I find that the real exchange rates are cointegrated with relative prices. Hence, I conclude that there is substantial evidence in favor of such a relativeprice explanation. However, the evidence is by no means conclusive, especially as it relates to some of the countries now growing the most rapidly--China, Indonesia, and Thailand. The fact that the relative price of tradables can exhibit such pronounced nonstationarity (of either a deterministic or stochastic nature) is troubling.
Cache Valley Virus

Cache Valley Virus (CVV) is a causative agent of a mosquitoborne disease syndrome of sheep and, possibly, of all ruminants, characterized by embryonic and fetal death, stillbirths, and multiple congenital malformations. CVV is endemic in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Several related Bunyviruses also may play a role in syndromes of congenital malformations and embryonic losses in North America.
Field Studies of House Fly Resistance to Organophosphorus Insecticides

Applications of Diazinon® ( O,O -diethyl O -(2-isopropyl-4- methyl-6-pyrimidinyl) phosphorothiate) or ronnel (Korlan) for more than 5 years in New Jersey dairy barns resulted in decreased effectiveness in house fly ( Musca domestica L.) control with these materials. Flies were collected from these barns and subsequently exposed in the laboratory on residual deposits of Diazinon,ronnel, DDT, and lindane. Resistance to these compounds was found in fly populations from these barns and from more than 20 other barns located up to 5 miles from the study barns. Resistance was less near the edge of the dairy farming area in the county and at the greatest distance from the study barns. Cross resistance to Diazinon, ronnel, lindane, and DDT was shown throughout the area, with highest resistance to DDT. In the study barns a large population of the flies present before an insecticide application proved to have a lower level of resistance than the smaller number of flies present soon after an insecticide application. Thus, highest resistance was correlated with greatest amounts of insecticide in the barn and highest kills of susceptible flies. In one barn a similar reduction in fly population and an increase in resistance resulted when manure supporting heavy fly breeding was removed from box stalls. Observations in Sussex and Salem Counties also showed increasing Diazinon resistance and usually in proportion to Diazinon use. Some cross resistance to ronnel and high cross resistance to DDT and lindane were found in these areas. All evidence shows that DDT, lindane, and related materials will not give control where organophosphorns resistance exists. Dimethoate (O,O-dimethyl S-(N-methylcarbamoylmethyl) phosphorodithioate), and malathion were unsatisfactory in practical field control where resistance to Diazinon and ronnel was appreciable. At other locations this material gave 4 to 6 weeks of control.
Parasites of Haematobia irritans and Other Flies Breeding in Bovine Feces in Northeast Mississippi

Six hymenopterous parasites were reared from Haematobia irritans (L.) pupae; (Family: Pteromalidae): Spalangia nigroaenea Curtis, Spalangia cameroni Perkins, Spalangia nigra Latr., Spalangia haematobiae Ash., Spalangia endius Walker, and (Family: Cynpidae): Pseudeucoila sp. The predominant parasites of H. irritans were S. nigroaenea and S. cameroni . These parasites, along with immatures which did not emerge, accounted for 81% of the parasitism in 1972 and 85% in 1973. Parasite activity was highest in Aug. and Oct. of 1972, with a peak of 24% occurring in July, Oct., and Nov. of 1973. Parasites were recovered from Ravinia derelicta (Walker) pupae; (Family: Sarcophagidae) and 2 Spilogona spp. pupae (Family: Muscidae).
Response to “Comments on ‘The Role of Piezoelectric Instrumentation in Rhinoplasty Surgery’”

In their Letter to the Editor, Robiony et al reviewed their experience with piezoelectric instruments (PEI) and provided updated studies.1 The authors then raise two questions. First, Dr. Robiony, who is a maxillofacial surgeon, finds the subperiosteal dissection of the osseous nasal vault to be too aggressive and wonders about bony healing and devascualrization. Yet, most maxillofacial operations involve very extensive subperiosteal dissection, especially in orthognatic procedures, without concern for bony necrosis and limited vascularization. Equally, extensive skull and facial exposure is done subperiosteally in craniofacial surgery without long term bone …