cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Welfare states in East Central Europe, 1919-2004

A comparative-historical study of welfare states in the former communist region of East Central Europe. Inglot analyzes almost one hundred years of expansion of social insurance programs across different political regimes. He places these programs in a larger political and socioeconomic context, which includes the most recent developments since the advent of democracy. Based on this research, he argues that despite apparent similarities the welfare states of East Central Europe, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic and Slovakia since 1993), Poland, and Hungary have pursued distinct historical paths of development and change. He examines the highly unusual evolution of these welfare states in detail, tracing alternating periods of growth and retrenchment/reform, which he links to political and economic crises under communist rule. Inglot uses this comparative analysis of welfare systems to examine the continued influence of history over the politics and policies of the social safety nets in Eastern Europe.
Opening doors into the proteasome.

Two new crystal structures suggest that the eukaryotic proteasome is a gated protease and that opening of the gate may be a regulated event.
Life on the border

For many first-generation students, starting college means entering a new country, one where the culture, language, and habits are all unfamiliar. From personal experience and research, the author describes these students' lives and some ways colleges can do a better job of reaching out to them.
Surgery for Ventricular Arrhythmias

Surgery for ventricular arrhythmia has declined dra- matically in the recent years. Two recent surgical pa- pers were eulogies in praise of direct surgery for ven- tricular tachycardias associated with coronary artery disease (1-2), mourning the disappearance of referrals. Two comments can be made: #1 surgery for ventricular tachycardia never developed. The number of patients operated on in the eighties across the country was negligible compared to the patient population. The most active centers rarely performed more than 10 operations a year - #2 the advent of new non-surgical interventions should be welcome. The two accepted reasons for the decline are #1 - better, less invasive, effective interventions to control arrhythmia, i.e., ICD, catheter ablation, and drugs. #2 better prevention as- sociated with aggressive management of acute coro- nary artery thrombosis to avoid myocardial necrosis. The patient population characteristics changed and therefore its management. Surgical indications for ventricular tachycardia are ruled by an imperative No-No condition: i.e., - no
Characteristics of a Zirconia‐Spinel Composite Processed by a Current‐Activated Pressure‐Assisted Densification Method

Summary This chapter contains sections titled: Introduction Experimental Material and Procedures Experimental Results Discussion Conclusions Acknowledgement
WebScripter: grass-roots ontology alignment via end-user report creation

Ontologies define hierarchies of classes and attributes; they are meta-data: data about data. In the "traditional approach" to ontology engineering, experts add new data by carefully analyzing others' ontologies and fitting their new concepts into the existing hierarchy. In the emerging "Semantic Web approach", ordinary users may not look at anyone's ontology before creating theirs - instead, they may simply define a new local schema from scratch that addresses their immediate needs, without worrying if and how their data may some day integrate with others' data. This paper describes WebScripter, a tool for translating between the countless mini-ontologies that the "Semantic Web approach" yields. In our approach, ordinary users graphically align data from multiple sources in a simple spreadsheet-like view without having to know anything about ontologies. The resulting web of equivalency statements is then mined by WebScripter to help users find related ontologies and data, and to automatically align the related data with their own.
Characteristics of the effects of coupling in microwave integrated circuits

Largely used in the design of multichip modules, the models of passive components currently available in circuit simulators have the disadvantage of not incorporating the very significant effects of electromagnetic coupling on radio and microwave frequencies. The concept of the generation of precise and rapid neural models, which integrate the coupling effects, is introduced here. By optimising the performance of a circuit, this approach enables the automatic optimisation not only of the geometric structure corresponding to the different passive components, but also their position in the circuit. Application using the models implemented in the circuit simulators are presented.
Efficient Intuitionistic Theorem Proving with the Polarized Inverse Method

The inverse method is a generic proof search procedure applicable to non-classical logics satisfying cut elimination and the subformula property. In this paper we describe a general architecture and several high-level optimizations that enable its efficient implementation. Some of these rely on logic-specific properties, such as polarization and focusing, which have been shown to hold in a wide range of non-classical logics. Others, such as rule subsumption and recursive backward subsumption apply in general. We empirically evaluate our techniques on first-order intuitionistic logic with our implementation Imogen and demonstrate a substantial improvement over all other existing intuitionistic theorem provers on problems from the ILTP problem library.
Intelligent control of the Intelledex 605T robot manipulator

The authors present the results of the experiments which indicate how controlled robotic motion might be achieved through pattern-based paradigms, implemented for real-time operation on the Intelledex 605T robot manipulator with artificial neural nets (ANN). Previous attempts at pattern-based control have often failed, primarily because of the need for storage of an enormous number of training-set patterns and the long times required for pattern processing. It is demonstrated that these problems can be overcome through use of artificial neural networks implemented by parallel distributed processing. The feedforward Rumelhart net is investigated for the constrained robot manipulator. The robot arm, with two degrees of freedom, must move its end effector toward an observed target in the presence of disturbances. Such a control action need not be programmed in detail. Presented with a small number of training situations, the ANN can generalize and perform in many different situations. Preliminary results obtained using an Intelledex 605T and an IBM PC/AT are described. >
Pyro-Align:Sample-Align based Multiple Alignment system for Pyrosequencing Reads of Large Number

Pyro-Align is a multiple alignment program speciﬁcally designed for pyrosequencing reads of hugenumber. Multiple sequence alignment is shown to be NP-hard [1] and heuristics are desgined forapproximate solutions. Multiple sequence alignment of pyrosequenceing reads is complex mainlybecause of 2 factors. One being the huge number of reads, making the use of traditional heuristics,that scale very poorly for large number, unsuitable. The second reason is that the alignment cannotbe performed arbitarily, because the position of the reads with respect to the original genome isimportant and has to be taken into account.Before we indulge in the details of the algorithms itself, a short note on Domain Decompositionand Sample-Align-D algorithm would be useful.
The association of early lactate clearance with inflammatory biomarkers in severe sepsis and septic shock

Patients presenting to the hospital with sepsis with evidence of hypoperfusion have a greater risk of developing organ dysfunction and higher mortality [1]. Early recognition of hypoperfused states and implementation of strategies to resolve global tissue hypoxia as reflected by early lactate clearance correlate with improved outcome and mortality [2]. This study is a secondary analysis comparing early lactate clearance with serum biomarkers among a cohort of patients collected during the Early Goal Directed Therapy Trial (EGDT).
In vivo and in vitro lipid accumulation inBorago officinalis L.

Seeds of 13 accessions of borage (Borago officinalis) varied in total fatty acid content from 28.6 to 35.1% seed weight, with linoleic, γ-linolenic, oleic and palmitic as the predominant fatty acids, averaging 38.1%, 22.8%, 16.3% and 11.3% of total fatty acids, respectively. There was an inverse relation between γ-linolenic acid (25.0 to 17.6%) and oleic acid (14.5 to 21.3%). Fatty acid content of leaf tissues was 9.1% dry weight, with α-linolenic acid 55.2% and γ-linolenic acid 4.4% of total fatty acids. Cotyledons were the major source of fatty acids in seeds. Seed fatty acid content increased from <1 mg at six days postanthesis to about seven mg at maturity (22 to 24 days). Individual fatty acid content of seed was relatively constant after day 8. When immature embryos from 6 to 16 days postanthesis were cultured in a liquid or semisolid basal medium, fatty acid composition was similar to that of in vivo-grown seeds. Growth of cultured embryos decreased as sucrose concentration was increased from 3 to 20% in the basal medium, and most embryos did not survive 30% sucrose; fatty acid as a percentage of dry weight was maximal at 6% sucrose.
Practice with Sleep Makes Perfect: Sleep-Dependent Motor Skill Learning

Improvement in motor skill performance is known to continue for at least 24 hr following training, yet the relative contributions of time spent awake and asleep are unknown. Here we provide evidence that a night of sleep results in a 20% increase in motor speed without loss of accuracy, while an equivalent period of time during wake provides no significant benefit. Furthermore, a significant correlation exists between the improved performance overnight and the amount of stage 2 NREM sleep, particularly late in the night. This finding of sleep-dependent motor skill improvement may have important implications for the efficient learning of all skilled actions in humans.
Substernal Thyroidectomy is Associated with Increased Morbidity and Mortality as Compared with Conventional Cervical Thyroidectomy

Background Although recent single-institution series have reported low morbidity and zero mortality after substernal thyroidectomy, a direct comparison of outcomes between substernal thyroidectomy and conventional cervical thyroidectomy has not been performed. We hypothesized that substernal thyroidectomy would be associated with higher morbidity and mortality as compared with cervical thyroidectomy. Study Design Data were extracted from the New York State Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database for the years 1998 to 2004. The primary predictor variable was substernal as compared with cervical thyroidectomy. Outcomes variables included postoperative complications, length of stay, and mortality. Multiple logistic regression was used to access the independent effects of substernal thyroidectomy on postoperative outcome. Results A total of 33,930 patients underwent thyroidectomy, 1,153 (3.4%) of whom underwent substernal thyroidectomy. Compared with patients who underwent cervical thyroidectomy (n = 32,777), patients who underwent substernal thyroidectomy were older (p Conclusions Substernal thyroidectomy, as compared with cervical thyroidectomy, is associated with a markedly increased likelihood of both postoperative complications and mortality.
Waves and Instabilities in a Magnetized Plasma

Work on computer simulation of waves and instabilities in magnetized plasmas is reviewed. Included are verification of linear theory. Particular emphasis is given to investigation of nonlinear processes involved in the saturation of instabilities and of wave damping; these include a nonlinear cyclotron resonance and particle trapping in intense waves.
Dangling OD Confined in a Langmuir Monolayer

Novel structural features of water confined in lipid Langmuir monolayers are revealed. Using vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy at the air/D2O/monolayer interface, dangling OD bonds were investigated. Upon increasing the monolayer surface coverage, the dangling OD stretching mode showed a marked frequency red-shift as well as spectral structure. Furthermore, the dangling OD was found to exist even when a D2O surface was fully covered by the lipid molecules. This phenomenon was observed in monolayers formed with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and with palmitic acid. The frequency red-shift of the dangling OD is interpreted to be due to the perturbation imposed by the lipid hydrophobic tail groups. The observed persistence of the dangling OD at full surface coverage is related to hydrophobicity-induced drying.
Gas transport in partially fluorinated low-density polyethylene

Low-density polyethylene film was subjected to direct fluorination on one surface by exposure to a dilute fluorine gas stream for various periods of time. Various analyses indicate partial fluorination of a thin surface layer. The permeability coefficients for He, CO2, and CH4 were measured at 35°C. The permeability of He was not changed by fluorination; whereas, values for CO2 and CH4 were decreased by as much as two orders of magnitude. The selectivity of transport for gas pairs of different molecular size was greatly improved, suggesting applications of this technique for membrane separation processes.
Severely Impaired Polymerization of Recombinant Fibrinogen γ-364 Asp → His, the Substitution Discovered in a Heterozygous Individual

During blood coagulation, soluble fibrinogen is converted to fibrin monomers that polymerize to form an insoluble clot. Polymerization has been described as a two-step process: the formation of double-stranded protofibrils and the subsequent lateral aggregation of protofibrils into fibers. Previous studies have shown that γ chain residues Tyr-363 and Asp-364 have a significant role in polymerization, most likely in protofibril formation. To better define the role of these residues, we synthesized three fibrinogens with single substitutions at these two positions: Tyr-363 → Ala, Asp-364 → Ala, and Asp-364 → His. We found that the release of fibrinopeptides A and B was the same for these variants and normal recombinant fibrinogen, showing that all variants had normal fibrin formation. In contrast, we found that polymerization was significantly delayed for both Ala variants and was almost nonexistent for the His variant. Clottability for the Ala variants was only slightly reduced, and fibrin gels were formed. Surprisingly, clottability of the His variant was substantially reduced, and fibrin gels were not formed. Our data suggest that both protofibril formation and lateral aggregation were altered by these substitutions, indicating that the C-terminal domain of the γ chain has a role in both polymerization steps.
Prenatal caffeine assessment: fetal and maternal biomarkers or self-reported intake?

Purpose We sought to examine associations among measures of caffeine exposure, including maternal urine, umbilical cord blood, and maternal self report. Methods Pregnant women were recruited from 56 obstetric practices and 15 clinics associated with six hospitals in Connecticut and Massachusetts between September 1996 and January 2000; 3633 women were enrolled. Maternal urine throughout pregnancy and umbilical cord blood samples were analyzed for caffeine, paraxanthine, theophylline, and theobromine. Maternal caffeine intake was assessed throughout pregnancy. Results Urinary and cord blood biomarkers were correlated with reported intake throughout pregnancy (range r = 0.35–0.66; p Conclusion Maternal self reported intake may still be the optimal and most valid measure of antenatal caffeine exposure, since biomarkers do not reflect exposure over pregnancy.
A novel separation technique using aerobic coupling reactions

Utilisation de reactions de couplage aerobies pour extraire des substances solubles de solutions: de l'air ou de l'oxygene sert de catalyseur pour convertir les especes solubles en produits de couplage insolubles qui peuvent alors etre facilement elimines par sedimentation ou filtration. Resultats experimentaux
Recent Advances in Tropical Climate Prediction

Abstract A review is given of the current status of long-range forecasting in the low latitudes. Promising leads have developed over the past five years in the seasonal forecasting for certain target regions of the Tropics. Various approaches are of interest: (a) empirical methods based on the combination of general circulation diagnostics and statistical techniques; (b) numerical modeling, itself requiring also a diagnostic understanding from empirical analyses; and (c) purely statistical techniques. Regional targets include Indian monsoon, Nile and Ethiopia, eastern Africa, southern Africa, Sahel, Nordeste, North Atlantic storms, northwest Pacific storms, Australia, and El Nino and Southern Oscillation. Forecasts in real time are now being issued for most of these targets, and mostly from methods combining general circulation diagnostics with statistics. El Nino and Southern Oscillation are the target of real-time forecasting from purely statistical techniques, as well as the subject of numerical modeli...
Regulation of initiation of protein synthesis by insulin in skeletal muscle.

Protein synthesis is impaired in skeletal muscle and heart from diabetic rats. In muscles composed primarily of slow-twitch fibres (e.g. heart or soleus), the inhibition of protein synthesis can be accounted for entirely by a decrease in the amount of RNA. In contrast, in muscles of mixed fibre composition (e.g. gastrocnemius or psoas), the inhibition of protein synthesis is associated with an impairment in peptide-chain initiation. We have found that the inhibition of peptide-chain initiation that occurs in muscles composed of mixed fast-twitch fibres involves eukaryotic initiation factor 2B (eIF-2B). Thus, eIF-2B activity is inhibited in gastrocnemius and psoas but not heart or soleus from diabetic rats. In other systems eIF-2B activity is regulated by phosphorylation of the alpha-subunit of a second initiation factor, eIF-2. However, we have found no change in the phosphorylation state of eIF-2 alpha in either fast- or slow-twitch muscles from diabetic compared to control animals. Instead, the available evidence suggests that eIF-2B activity may be modulated by an alternate mechanism such as a change in the extent of phosphorylation of the 82,000 Mr subunit of the factor or a change in the NADPH/NADP+ ratio.
Effect of essential fatty acid deficiency on lipid metabolism in isolated fat cells of epididymal fat pads of rats

Lipogenesis, lipolysis, and stimulation of glucose conversion into lipid by insulin or prostaglandin E1 were studied in isolated fat cells of the epididymal fat pads of rats fed a fat-free diet or this diet supplemented with 10% hydrogenated coconut oil or 10% safflower seed oil. Changes in fatty acid composition, characteristic of an essential fatty acid deficiency, were well advanced in the neutral lipid but had only started in the polar lipid of the fat cells of the epididymal fat pads of animals 3 months after weaning. Cellularity of the epididymal fat pads, as indicated by protein to lipid ratio of the fat cells, was influenced greatly by hydrogenated coconut oil in the diet irrespective of an essential fatty acid deficiency. Lipogenesis was increased in the fat cells of the animals fed the hydrogenated coconut oil diet 5 weeks after weaning but was not significantly different from that of the safflower fed animals 3 months after weaning. Incorporation of glucose into lipid, oxidation to CO2, and basal lipolysis were not significantly different in the fat cells of the essential fatty acid deficient animals from those fed safflower oil 3 months after weaning, except in animals of the fat-free group based upon cell lipid. However, conversion of glucose to free fatty acid was significantly greater in the isolated fat cells of animals fed either the hydrogenated coconut oil or the fat-free diet than in those of animals fed the safflower oil supplement. The incorporation of glucose into lipid by isolated fat cells was stimulated significantly by insulin in young animals fed a fat-free diet, but the effect on lipogenesis appeared to be reversed in the fat cells of animals receiving safflower seed oil 3 months after weaning. Prostaglandin E1 also appeared to stimulate the incorporation of glucose into lipid in the fat cells of the older animals receiving safflower seed oil. Differences in osmolarity produced large differences in utilization of glucose and release of lipid from isolated fat cells, but no significant differences were observed between the cells from animals fed the fat-free diet and those from the controls fed safflower oil. The results demonstrated the effects of diets containing fat or no fat on enzyme activities and membrane properties of fat cells of the epididymal fat pads of essential fatty acid deficient rats.
Jet spectroscopy, structure, anomalous fluorescence, and molecular quantum beats of silylidene (H2C=Si), the simplest unsaturated silylene

The jet-cooled B 1B2–X 1A1 spectrum of silylidene, the simplest unsaturated silylene, has been observed for the first time. H2C=Si and D2C=Si have been produced by an electric discharge through tetramethylsilane and tetramethylsilane-d12 vapor diluted in argon at the exit of a supersonic expansion. Rotational analysis of the 000 bands yielded the following substitution structures: rs″(CSi)=1.706(5) A, rs″(CH)=1.099(3) A, θs″(HCH)=114.4(2)°, rs′(CSi)=1.815(5) A, rs′(CH)=1.073(4) A, and θs′(HCH)=133.7(1)°. The electronic transition consists primarily of strong electronically allowed perpendicular bands, but a weaker system of vibronically induced parallel bands has also been assigned. Transitions involving Δv=2 changes in the ν6 (b2) mode show up prominently in the spectrum, due to a very large change in the vibrational frequency on excitation. Silylidene has very interesting excited state decay dynamics. Anomalous S2−S0 fluorescence is observed due to the very large S2−S1 energy gap. Rotational level spe...
Syntheses of methyl N-benzoylacosaminide and methyl N-(benzyloxyoxalyl)-daunosaminide from (S)-ethyl 3-hudroxybutyrate

Abstract A formal total synthesis of acosamine ( 1 ) and the preparation of N-acylated daunosamine derivative 4 from a common intermediate ( 13 ) is described.
The entropy of a constrained signal: A maximum entropy approach with applications

The information content of signals subject to constraints such as the total power at a set of frequencies is well understood. This paper illustrates a general approach to the computation of the entropy of a constrained signal. Although general solutions will be derived, exact solutions may be difficult and so three approximation techniques are discussed. One is based on the cumulant expansion. The lowest-order results from this expansion have a simple form. The use of an asymptotic expression to compute the signal entropy is explored when the constraints are such that the number of states available to the signal is small. The role of direct numerical calculations is discussed. Results are discussed in light of the problem of computing the entropy of a signal constrained by its moments. The lowest-order terms in the cumulant expansion of the entropy are used to find a generalized correlation filter to detect signals subject to different constraints. The critical role that entropy has in determining the sensitivity and specificity of such a detector is discussed. Another application is the computation of the entropy of a signal subject to polyspectral constraints. It is demonstrated that the entropy change is governed by the higher-order coherence. Applications of these findings to the detection of signals subject to polyspectral constraints is discussed as are the limitations of the second-order cumulant expansion. More general expressions for the entropy of such systems are derived.
The Command Language Grammar: a representation for the user interface of interactive computer systems

This article introduces and discusses a specific grammatical structure—the Command Language Grammar (CLG)—as a representational framework for describing the user interface aspects of interactive computer systems. CLG partitions a system into a Conceptual Component (tasks and abstract concepts), a Communication Component (command language), and a Physical Component (display, keyboard, etc.), The components are further stratified into distinct Levels—a Task Level, a Semantic Level, a Syntactic Level, and an Interaction Level-each Level being a complete description of the system at its level of abstraction. Each Level's description contains procedures for accomplishing the tasks addressed by the system in terms of the actions available at that Level. That is, the system is described by progressive refinement. An extensive example, a small message-processing system, is described at all Levels in the CLG notation. CLG is discussed from three points of view: the Linguistic View sees CLG as elaborating the structure of the system's user interface and of the communication between the user and the system. The principal goal of CLG in this view is to lay out the space of command language systems. The Psychological View sees CLG as describing the user's mental model of the system. The main concern in this view is with the psychological validity of the CLG description. The Design View sees CLG as a series of representations for specifying the design of a system. CLG proposes a top-down design process in which the conceptual model of the system is first specified and then a command language is created to communicate with it.
Electron paramagnetic resonance of the high-Tc superconductor Y0.9Er0.1Ba1.9Sr0.1Cu3O7−δ

Abstract The Y0.9Er0.1Ba1.9Sr0.1Cu3O7−δ superconductor has been investigated by X-band EPR in the temperature range 4.2–300 K. The superconducting transition temperature of the sample has been determined to be Tc = 88 K. No copper EPR line was observed at any temperature, contrary to that observed in the undoped high-Tc superconductor YBa2Cu3O7−δ. The sizes of the Josephson junctions are determined to be in the range 0.4–0.7 μm. The dependence of the lower critical field Hcl on temperature exhibits an upward inflection at ∼ 15 K, possibly due to the dimensional effect, which is observed in multilayered and granular weakly coupled superconductors. The lower critical field and the upper critical field, as extrapolated to 0 K, have been estimated to be Hc1(0) = 19 mT and Hc2(0) = 83 T, respectively, while the Sommerfeld constant γ = 4.8 mJ mol−1 K−2. The spin-glass nature of the sample, below Tc, has also been confirmed by the observed shift in the base line. The values of the critical exponent defined by I ≃ (T c − T) n , where I is the intensity of the low-field microwave absorption, is determined to be n = 1.32.
Do changes in dysfunctional attitudes mediate changes in depression and anxiety in cognitive behavioral therapy

Using structural equation modeling (SEM), four hypotheses about the causal linkages between dysfunctional attitudes (DAs), anxiety, and depression were tested in a group of 521 outpatients treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) over a 12-week period. The four hypotheses were as follows: (1) changes in DAs lead to changes in depression and anxiety during treatment (the cognitive mediation hypothesis); (2) changes in depression and/or anxiety lead to changes in DAs (the mood activation hypothesis); (3) DAs and negative emotions have reciprocal causal effects on each other (the circular causality hypothesis); and (4) there are no causal links between DAs and emotions—instead, a third variable simultaneously activates DAs, depression and anxiety (the “common cause” hypothesis). Consistent with previous reports, DAs were significantly correlated with levels of depression and anxiety at intake and at 12 weeks; in addition, changes in DAs were significantly correlated with changes in depression and anxiety during treatment. However, the results were inconsistent with the first three hypotheses. There did not appear to be any causal effects linking the DAs with depression or anxiety at intake or at 12 weeks. Instead, the analyses suggested the existence of an unknown variable with simultaneous causal effects on dysfunctional attitudes, depression, and anxiety. This common cause accounted for all the correlations between the attitude and mood variables, and also appeared to mediate the effects of psychotherapy and medication on dysfunctional attitudes, depression, and anxiety.
Effect of temperature and inoculum concentration on gel microstructure, permeability and syneresis kinetics. Cottage cheese-type gels

Abstract Effects of coagulation temperature and inoculum concentration on microstructure, permeability and syneresis of cottage cheese gels were investigated. Relationships between coagulation parameters (obtained by rheology and near infrared light backscatter) and rate and extent of syneresis were studied. Mass of drained whey was fitted to first order equation W = W ∞ ( 1 - e - k whey t ) (determination coefficient, R 2 = 0.994 ± 0.005 ). Temperature coefficient and activation energy for syneresis were estimated. Increasing temperature significantly enhanced the rate of syneresis, due to bond relaxation. Increasing inoculum concentration decreased rate of syneresis, suggesting that faster acidification rate inhibited network rearrangement during whey expulsion. Syneresis parameters were highly correlated with the rates of acidification and network formation and with the loss tangent. Permeability coefficient, mass of whey drained and kinetic rate constant for syneresis were predicted by equations that included temperature and coagulation parameters. The close interactions between coagulation and syneresis kinetics suggested that it may be possible to develop optical sensors to simultaneously monitor both of these processes.
Photoemission Studies of Time-Resolved Surface Reactions: Isothermal Desorption of Co from Ni (111).

Abstract A new dynamic approach to spectroscopic studies of surface reactions is described. A fast-acting UHV gas dosing system is employed to prepare the adsorbed species in an initial chemisorption state under reaction conditions of elevated temperature and/or pressure (to ∼ 1 Torr). Individual reaction steps are then resolved in time using photoemission spectroscopy to probe the surface electronic structure, yielding information about the kinetics of individual reaction steps, the nature of chemisorbed species, and the surface reaction path. As a first application of this approach, the kinetics of isothermal desorption of CO from Ni(111) is studied for temperatures up to ∼230°C. The coverage-dependence of the rate constants is revealed directly in the shape of each desorption curve. Preexponential (frequency) factors as well as desorption activation energies show significant variation with coverage.
Sex‐roles and family scripts in early childhood

To learn more about the scripting process for marriage, the family and sex‐role development of children, 42 children between 3 and 5 years were interviewed at a day care center. Parents were asked to complete a questionnaire which assessed such characteristics as family structure, parental sex roles, income, housing, etc. In general, results showed that young children seem to be building scripts that are favourable to marriage, family and parenthood.
Modeling and Predicting Selected Immunological Effects of a Chemical Stressor (3,4-Dichloropropionanilide) Using the Area under the Corticosterone Concentration versus Time Curve

Many chemicals and drugs can induce a neuroendocrine stress response that can be immunosuppressive. Mathematical models have been developed that allow prediction of the immunological impact of such stress responses in mice on the basis of exposure to the important stress-related mediator corticosterone. The area under the corticosterone concentration vs. time curve (AUC) has been used as an indicator of cumulative corticosterone exposure in these modeling studies. In the present study, an immunotoxicant known to induce a stress response, 3,4-dichloropropionanilide (propanil), was evaluated to determine if corticosterone AUC values are related to suppression of immunological parameters in mice treated with this chemical. Linear relationships between corticosterone AUC values and suppression of the following parameters were noted in B6C3F1 female mice: thymus cellularity and thymus subpopulation percentages, splenic subpopulation percentages, natural killer cell activity, MHC class II protein expression, and IgG1 and IgG2a antibody responses to antigen. Linear models derived in previous studies using mice treated with exogenous corticosterone or with restraint stress effectively predicted the immunological effects of 3,4-dichloropropionanilide on the basis of corticosterone AUC values. The models derived using immobilization stress were more effective (r 2
Novel HIV-1 MiRNAs Stimulate TNFα Release in Human Macrophages via TLR8 Signaling Pathway

Purpose: To determine whether HIV-1 produces microRNAs and elucidate whether these miRNAs can induce inflammatory response in macrophages (independent of the conventional miRNA function in RNA interference) leading to chronic immune activation. Methods: Using sensitive quantitative Real Time RT-PCR and sequencing, we detected novel HIV-derived miRNAs in the sera of HIV+ persons, and associated with exosomes. Release of TNFa by macrophages challenged with HIV miRNAs was measured by ELISA. Results: HIV infection of primary alveolar macrophages produced elevated levels of viral microRNAs vmiR88, vmiR99 and vmiR-TAR in cell extracts and in exosome preparations from conditioned medium. Furthermore, these miRNAs were also detected in exosome fraction of sera from HIV-infected persons. Importantly, vmiR88 and vmiR99 (but not vmiR-TAR) stimulated human macrophage TNFa release, which is dependent on macrophage TLR8 expression. These data support a potential role for HIV-derived vmiRNAs released from infected macrophages as contributing to chronic immune activation in HIV-infected persons, and may represent a novel therapeutic target to limit AIDS pathogenesis. Conclusion: Novel HIV vmiR88 and vmiR99 are present in the systemic circulation of HIV+ persons and could exhibit biological function (independent of gene silencing) as ligands for TLR8 signaling that promote macrophage TNFa release, and may contribute to chronic immune activation. Targeting novel HIV-derived miRNAs may represent a therapeutic strategy to limit chronic immune activation and AIDS progression.
10. Daily Emotional and Behavioral Interactions in Young Men's and Young Women's Single and Multiple Partner Relationships

Purpose: Public health risk reduction efforts commonly focus on avoiding multiple-partner relationships, as they can be associated with increased sexual risk behaviors (e.g. inconsistent condom-use). During adolescence, however, young people normatively participate in different romantic/sexual relationships – some of which occur simultaneously (e.g. dating two people). Since emerging relationships support learning to manage emotional and behavioral aspects of sexuality, it is possible that different types of relationships confer specific developmental skills. We compared day-to-day emotional and behavioral interaction differences between adolescent women's and men's single and multiple partner relationships.
PReS-FINAL-2049: Bone health, muscle strength, activity

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) effects bone health, muscle strength, physical fitness and well-being in children and adolescent. Due to biological medical treatment there is increased outcome of the disease with less flares and arthritis. Impaired bone health, muscle strength and decreased well-being have been reported in this group. There is evidence for intervention studies with cardiovascular fitness, physical fitness and muscle strength exercises for increased outcome of the disease.The aim was to evaluate an exercise programme in children and adolescents before and after 12 weeks with rope-skipping and muscle strength exercises and to evaluate the effect on bone health, muscle strength, physical fitness and well-being.
New insights into the mechanism of action of acetaminophen: Its clinical pharmacologic characteristics reflect its inhibition of the two prostaglandin H2 synthases

a t s o o t Acetaminophen (INN, paracetamol) possesses highly elective analgesic and antipyretic effects that result rom its inhibitory actions on the synthesis of prostalandins (PGs). PGs are lipid mediators derived from rachidonic acid that play central roles in the pathogensis of inflammation, fever, and pain. However, acetminophen differs from the majority of nonsteroidal nti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and selective inhibtors of prostaglandin H2 synthase (PGHS) 2 because it acks significant antiinflammatory activity. Moreover, s opposed to aspirin, acetaminophen is a poor inhibitor f platelet function at doses that are antipyretic. PGs are generated by the oxygenation of arachidonic cid to the unstable intermediate prostaglandin H2 PGH2) by PGHS, of which there are 2 major isoorms—the constitutive PGHS-1 and the (generally) nducible PGHS-2 (discussed later). These enzymes re also commonly referred to as cyclooxygenase COX) 1 and 2, respectively, in reference to the specific nzymatic active site that catalyzes arachidonic acid xygenation and provides the target for the majority of
Odor discrimination and dominance in male domestic guinea pigs.

Do male guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), with established positions in social dominance hierarchies, discriminate subordinate and dominant animals based upon odor cues from the perineal sac glandular complex? Six groups of three or four males were tested first to establish within-group dominance status and second for responses to cotton swabs that had been wiped with the perineal sac glandular complex of other males in the group. There was a significant (P < 0.05) linear relationship between aggressive responses to the cotton swabs and dominance ranks of the males (y = -0.16x + 0.86). Dominance may influence sebum production in the perineal sac glandular complex of guinea pigs via a mechanism involving androgens. Discrimination of dominance status could function in terms of male spatial relations, avoidance of areas inhabited by dominant individuals, and possibly in terms of female mate selection.
Balancing sparse matrices for computing eigenvalues

Abstract Applying a permuted diagonal similarity transform DPAP T D −1 to a matrix A before calculating its eigenvalues can improve the speed and accuracy with which the eigenvalues are computed. This is often called balancing . This paper describes several balancing algorithms for sparse matrices and compares them against each other and the traditional dense algorithm. We first discuss our sparse implementation of the dense algorithm; our code is faster than the dense algorithm when the density of the matrix is no more than approximately .5, and is much faster for large, sparse matrices. We next describe a set of randomized balancing algorithms for matrices that are not given explicitly, i.e. given a vector x , we can compute only Ax and perhaps A T x . We motivate these Krylov-based algorithms using Perron–Frobenius theory. Results are given comparing the Krylov-based algorithms to each other and to the sparse and dense direct balancing algorithms, looking at norm reduction, running times, and the accuracy of eigenvalues computed after a matrix is balanced. We conclude that sparse balancing algorithms are efficient preconditioners for eigensolvers.
Atomic orbital energies in calcium to copper

Abstract Three types of orbital energies, classified as ionizable, configurative, and additive, are found for Ca to Cu. The ionizable orbital energies explain the easier ionization of 4s than 3d in M[Ar]4s 2 3d N . The configurative orbital energies select the ground configuration by approximating the Hartree-Fock energy of the transition M[Ar]4s 2 3d N → M[Ar]4s 1 3d N +1 . The additive orbital energies indicate the changes in the valence and core orbitals caused by the above transition. The changes in both the valence energy and the core energy are dominated by the change in valence exchange energy.
Implementation of TQM and lean Six Sigma tools in local government: a framework and a case study

Abstract While TQM is an organization-wide approach, aimed at improving the quality of products and services and mainly focused on continuous improvement, Lean Six Sigma is an approach focused on improving quality, reducing variation and eliminating waste in an organization. The concept of combining the principles and tools of Lean Enterprise and Six Sigma in a more synergistic manner has occurred in the literature over the last several years. The majority of TQM and Lean Six Sigma applications have been in private industry, focusing mostly on manufacturing applications. The literature has not provided cases of Lean Six Sigma programmes applied to local government. This paper presents some efforts of implementing TQM tools in local government and a case study of applying Lean and Six Sigma tools and principles to improving the quality and timeliness of providing local governmental services.
Dynamic dielectric analysis of solids

Abstract An automated technique has been developed which enables a rapid determination of the dielectric properties of a material over a wide range of temperatures and frequencies. The speed of data acquisition and the range of temperature and frequencies that can be investigated in a single experiment using this technique, exceed the capabilities of techniques currently employed for dielectric analysis. Frequencies for dielectric measurements can be pre-selected in increments over the range 50 Hz-1 MHz. Temperature range for these measurements extends from 25°C to 800°C. The present technique, which features extensive automation in data acquisition and processing, is illustrated by measurements on minerals and shales. The dynamic nature of the above technique also facilitates effective coupling with conventional thermal analysis techniques.
Alternate realizations to adaptive IIR filters and properties of their performance surfaces

It is shown how different structures of an adaptive filter lead to a change in the characteristics of the corresponding error surface and, consequently, to a change in the corresponding convergence rate and minimum mean-square error. Alternate realizations of adaptive infinite impulse response (IIR) filters are presented, and some properties of their performance surfaces are found through mathematical analysis. A parallel-form realization of adaptive IIR filters is introduced, and the behaviors of the recursive least-mean-square algorithm for this structure and for the direct form realization are compared. A general theory based on an analysis of stationary points is presented. This general result is then specialized for parallel and cascade realizations. >
Ceramide Kinase Regulates the Production of Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα) via Inhibition of TNFα-converting Enzyme

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is a well known cytokine involved in systemic and acute inflammation. In this study, we demonstrate that ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) produced by ceramide kinase (CERK) is a negative regulator of LPS-induced TNFα secretion. Specifically, bone marrow-derived macrophages isolated from CERK knock-out mice (CERK−/−) generated higher levels of TNFα than the wild-type mice (CERK+/+) in response to LPS. An increase in basal TNFα secretion was also observed in CERK−/− murine embryonic fibroblasts, which was rescued by re-expression of wild-type CERK. This effect was due to increased secretion and not transcription. The secretion of TNFα is regulated by TNFα-converting enzyme (TACE also known as ADAM17), and importantly, the activity of TACE was higher in cell extracts from CERK−/− as compared with wild type. In vitro analysis also demonstrated that C1P is a potent inhibitor of this enzyme, in stark contrast to ceramide and sphingosine 1-phosphate. Furthermore, TACE specifically bound C1P with high affinity. Finally, several putative C1P-binding sites were identified via homology throughout the protein sequence of TACE. These results indicate that C1P produced by CERK has a negative effect on the processing/secretion of TNFα via modulation of TACE activity.
Duox, Flotillin-2, and Src42A Are Required to Activate or Delimit the Spread of the Transcriptional Response to Epidermal Wounds in Drosophila

The epidermis is the largest organ of the body for most animals, and the first line of defense against invading pathogens. A breach in the epidermal cell layer triggers a variety of localized responses that in favorable circumstances result in the repair of the wound. Many cellular and genetic responses must be limited to epidermal cells that are close to wounds, but how this is regulated is still poorly understood. The order and hierarchy of epidermal wound signaling factors are also still obscure. The Drosophila embryonic epidermis provides an excellent system to study genes that regulate wound healing processes. We have developed a variety of fluorescent reporters that provide a visible readout of wound-dependent transcriptional activation near epidermal wound sites. A large screen for mutants that alter the activity of these wound reporters has identified seven new genes required to activate or delimit wound-induced transcriptional responses to a narrow zone of cells surrounding wound sites. Among the genes required to delimit the spread of wound responses are Drosophila Flotillin-2 and Src42A, both of which are transcriptionally activated around wound sites. Flotillin-2 and constitutively active Src42A are also sufficient, when overexpressed at high levels, to inhibit wound-induced transcription in epidermal cells. One gene required to activate epidermal wound reporters encodes Dual oxidase, an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide. We also find that four biochemical treatments (a serine protease, a Src kinase inhibitor, methyl-s-cyclodextrin, and hydrogen peroxide) are sufficient to globally activate epidermal wound response genes in Drosophila embryos. We explore the epistatic relationships among the factors that induce or delimit the spread of epidermal wound signals. Our results define new genetic functions that interact to instruct only a limited number of cells around puncture wounds to mount a transcriptional response, mediating local repair and regeneration.
Basal forebrain cholinergic neurons are selectively vulnerable to AMPA/kainate receptor-mediated neurotoxicity

Abstract We exposed murine basal forebrain neuronal cultures for 24 h to denned concentrations of N -methyl- d -aspartate, kainate or α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate, and assessed the resultant degeneration of the cholinergic neuronal subpopulation, as identified by choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry and acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. Cholinergic neurons, representing about 0.5% of the total neuronal population, were atypically vulnerable to excitotoxins. Compared to most basal forebrain neurons, they were more vulnerable to α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate/ kainate receptor-mediated injury and slightly less vulnerable to N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor-mediated injury. The present findings provide quantitative demonstration of a mechanism that preferentially injures basal forebrain cholinergic neurons, and may thus suggest candidate factors pertaining to their loss in disease states like Alzheimer's disease.
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Heat Transfer in Horizontal Semicircular Channels

Brayton cycle: thecomplexity of heat exchanger design due to the vast change in thermophysical propertiesnear a ﬂuid’s critical point. Turbulent heat transfer experiments using carbon dioxide,with Reynolds numbers up to 100 K, were performed at pressures of 7.5–10.1 MPa, attemperatures spanning the pseudocritical temperature. The geometry employed ninesemicircular, parallel channels to aide in the understanding of current printed circuitheat exchanger designs. Computational ﬂuid dynamics was performed using