cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of hepatitis B antiviral drug resistance variants in North American patients with chronic hepatitis B not receiving antiviral treatment.

Antiviral drug resistance hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants (HBV-DR) occur spontaneously in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and after exposure to nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs). We determined the prevalence of HBV-DR variants among participants of the Hepatitis B Research Network (HBRN) Cohort Study conducted at 21 sites in the United States (US) and Canada. Samples obtained from 1342 CHB participants aged ≥18 years, and who were currently not receiving NUCs, were tested for HBV-DR variants by Sanger sequencing. In addition, next generation sequencing (NGS) was used to characterize HBV-DR variants from 66 participants with and 66 participants with no prior NUC exposure matched for HBV genotype and HBV DNA level. Half the participants were men, 75% Asian, 26% HBeAg positive. Primary HBV-DR variants were detected by Sanger sequencing in 16 (1.2%) participants: 2/142 (1.4%) with and 14/1200 (1.2%) without prior NUC exposure; only 1 of these 16 had a secondary variant. In total, 23 (1.7%) participants had secondary variants, including 1 with prior NUC experience. In the subset of 132 participants, NGS detected HBV-DR variants in a higher proportion of participants: primary variants in 18 (13.6%) (8 [12.1%] with, and 10 [15.2%] without prior NUC therapy) and secondary variants in 10 (7.6%) participants. Based on Sanger sequencing, prevalence of primary HBV-DR variants is low (1.2%) among adults with CHB in US/Canada. The similar low prevalence of HBV-DR variants in participants with and without NUC treatment suggests transmission of these variants is uncommon.
Temperature and doping concentration dependence of the energy band gap in β-Ga_2O_3 thin films grown on sapphire

This paper presents the effects of temperature and n-type doping concentration on the energy band gap of β-Ga2O3 thin films grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD). The β-Ga2O3 thin films were grown using high purity gallium (Ga) and oxygen (O2) as precursors, and Si as the n-type dopant. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) diffraction pattern showed that the thin films are single crystals that have a monoclinic crystal structure. The dependence of the energy band gap on temperature and n-type doping concentration have been experimentally determined from photoluminescence excitation (PLE) and absorbance spectra. The PLE spectra were measured in the temperature range of 77-298 K. The results indicate that both temperature and carrier concentration play important roles in determining the energy band gap of β-Ga2O3 thin films. The optical gap increased with the electron concentration for ne ≤ 2.52x1018 cm−3, which is due to the dominant Burstein-Moss (BM) shift. The sudden decrease in the energy gap at a doping concentration of 6.23x1018 – 3.05x1019 cm−3 is consistent with the theoretical prediction of Mott criterion for Ga2O3 semiconductor-metal transition. The energy band gap shrinks with an increasing temperature from 77 to 298 K.
Regulation of heart creatine kinase.

Magnetization transfer nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) provides measurement of the velocity of the creatine kinase reaction in the intact heart. Standard one-pulse NMR spectroscopy coupled with conventional biochemical analyses provides information about the average cytosolic concentrations of ATP, creatine phosphate (CrP), creatine (Cr) and H+ in the heart. By combining these techniques, we tested the hypothesis that the velocity of the creatine kinase reaction in vivo was regulated by changes in cytosolic concentrations of its substrates. We found that the reaction velocity cannot always be predicted from its metabolite levels. We interpreted these observations as support for the hypothesis that flux through the creatine kinase reaction is regulated by metabolite levels in micro-compartments formed by localization of creatine kinase isozymes.
Fast, Cheap, and Unethical? The Interplay of Morality and Methodology in Crowdsourced Survey Research

Crowdsourcing is an increasingly popular method for researchers in the social and behavioral sciences, including experimental philosophy, to recruit survey respondents. Crowdsourcing platforms, such as Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk), have been seen as a way to produce high quality survey data both quickly and cheaply. However, in the last few years, a number of authors have claimed that the low pay rates on MTurk are morally unacceptable. In this paper, I explore some of the methodological implications for online experimental philosophy research if, in fact, typical pay practices on MTurk are morally impermissible. I argue that the most straightforward solution to this apparent moral problem—paying survey respondents more and relying only on “high reputation” respondents—will likely increase the number of subjects who have previous experience with survey materials and thus are “non-naive” with respect to those materials. I then discuss some likely effects that this increase in experimental non-naivete will have on some aspects of the “negative” program in experimental philosophy, focusing in particular on recent debates about philosophical expertise.
Taking a Risk: Explaining the Use of Complex Debt Finance by the Chicago Public Schools

In the decade leading up to the global crisis of 2007-2008, local governments in the United States used increasingly complex financial structures to underwrite major capital projects. These structu...
Evolution of the Mammalian Reproductive Tract and Placentation

Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the internalization of reproduction and the development of hemochorial placentation have been accompanied by conservation of primitive genitourinary genes. The products include the renin-angiotensin system and the innate immune system. This explains what might otherwise be considered an ectopic presence of these systems in the mammalian reproductive tract and the interaction of the allograft embryo and maternal host.
The brain represents people as the mental states they habitually experience

Social life requires us to treat each person according to their unique disposition. To tailor our behavior to specific individuals, we must represent their idiosyncrasies. Here, we advance the hypothesis that our representations of other people reflect the mental states we perceive those people to habitually experience. We tested this hypothesis by measuring whether neural representations of people could be accurately reconstructed by summing state representations. Separate participants underwent functional MRI while considering famous individuals and individual mental states. Online participants rated how often each famous person experiences each state. Results supported the summed state hypothesis: frequency-weighted sums of state-specific brain activity patterns accurately reconstructed person-specific patterns. Moreover, the summed state account outperformed the established alternative-that people represent others using trait dimensions-in explaining interpersonal similarity. These findings demonstrate that the brain represents people as the sums of the mental states they experience.
Smallest water clusters supporting the ice I structure

The article by Moberg et al. (1) addresses the fundamental question of the number of molecules a water cluster must contain in order to find a significant fraction of the molecules with a hydrogen-bonding arrangement characteristic of ice I, which is a mixture of the structurally similar hexagonal ice Ih and cubic Ic species (2). An early experimental study addressing this question placed the critical cluster size for displaying ice-like behavior between 200 and 1,000 molecules (3). More recent estimates of the smallest water cluster with ice I character range from about 90 to 300 molecules (2, 4⇓⇓–7). The study of Moberg et al. brings to bear experiments and computer simulations to obtain a more precise estimate of the cluster size at which ice I character is manifested and to elucidate the factors responsible for the wide spread in earlier estimates of the critical cluster size. The preparation of isolated water clusters in the gas phase is generally accomplished by using seeded supersonic jet expansion of a mixture of water and a buffer gas. Such expansions start at relatively high temperatures and pressures, with both temperature and pressure decreasing as the expansion proceeds. Depending on the conditions employed in the expansion, the cooling rate can vary appreciably, which can impact the resulting structures. If the cooling rate is too fast, the resulting clusters can be trapped in local energy minima and, thus, not sample thermodynamically more stable structures. In other words, rapid cooling could cause the experiments to sample clusters that are amorphous in nature while, in fact, the crystalline form could be more stable at the final temperature achieved. In the experiments of Moberg et al. (1), the expansion conditions are varied to achieve slow as well as fast cooling (with low stagnation pressure … [↵][1]1Email: jordan{at}pitt.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Multi-agent approach to modeling and simulation of microgrid operation with vehicle-to-grid system

Abstract This study presents the modeling and simulation of a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system within a microgrid considering the requirements of various components of the microgrid system such as distributed renewable energy resources (DERs), plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) and non-PEV loads. The system modeling is carried out using an agent-based methodology where components of the microgrid are modeled as agents. The use of PEV car batteries collectively as a virtual power plant (VPP) enables PEVs to not only act as loads but as energy sources alongside DERs such as wind and solar power generation. The smart control and scheduling of the charging and discharging of the PEVs by the charging station can be used to achieve sustainable integration of a high number of PEVs in the microgrid power system. In addition to simulating a microgrid operation, results of this study show how agents’ behavior change based on factors such as penetration of renewable energy, penetration of PEVs, travel pattern of PEV drivers and price of energy generation.
Pediatric Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease: Perspectives and Pearls from the Allergy Clinic

Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases (EGID) are uncommon to rare gastrointestinal eosinophilic infiltrated clinicopathological conditions, ranging from the esophagus to the sigmoid colon. Outside of the near immediate newborn period, associated with milk or soy protein colitis ( Food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis) 1 the presence of exaggerated gastrointestinal eosinophilia is clinically relevant and has long-term concerns. In this review the separate clinical EGID conditions will be briefly reviewed, with added clinical pearls, based on an extensive Pediatric Allergy-Immunology experience.
Corrosion behavior of ferritic FeCrAl alloys in simulated BWR normal water chemistry

Abstract Ferritic iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrAl) alloys with varying Cr content were subjected to in-situ irradiation-corrosion with energetic protons or electron beams in pure water with various oxygen concentrations. Oxide microstructure and composition were characterized to compare the corrosion under irradiation with the thermal corrosion in the same water conditions. The dominant effect seems to be the production of H2O2 at the surface by the intense proton and electron beams. The corrosion potential of FeCrAl under BWR-NWC condition is somewhat above the Cr2O3/CrO42− phase boundary, oxidizing the Cr(III) to Cr(VI) in the outer part of the film, but with some Cr(III) remaining in the interior of the oxide. The beam increases the corrosion potential, significantly reducing Cr(III) content throughout the oxide. The crystallites on the surface, which form by re-precipitation from solution, do not contain Cr because at low potential Cr(III) is not soluble, and at high potential Cr(VI) is quite soluble.
VidCloud: Joint Stall and Quality Optimization for Video Streaming over Cloud

As video-streaming services have expanded and improved, cloud-based video has evolved into a necessary feature of any successful business for reaching internal and external audiences. In this article, video streaming over distributed storage is considered where the video segments are encoded using an erasure code for better reliability. We consider a representative system architecture for a realistic (typical) content delivery network (CDN). Given multiple parallel streams/link between each server and the edge router, we need to determine, for each client request, the subset of servers to stream the video, as well as one of the parallel streams from each chosen server. To have this scheduling, this article proposes a two-stage probabilistic scheduling. The selection of video quality is also chosen with a certain probability distribution that is optimized in our algorithm. With these parameters, the playback time of video segments is determined by characterizing the download time of each coded chunk for each video segment. Using the playback times, a bound on the moment generating function of the stall duration is used to bound the mean stall duration. Based on this, we formulate an optimization problem to jointly optimize the convex combination of mean stall duration and average video quality for all requests, where the two-stage probabilistic scheduling, video quality selection, bandwidth split among parallel streams, and auxiliary bound parameters can be chosen. This non-convex problem is solved using an efficient iterative algorithm. Based on the offline version of our proposed algorithm, an online policy is developed where servers selection, quality, bandwidth split, and parallel streams are selected in an online manner. Experimental results show significant improvement in QoE metrics for cloud-based video as compared to the considered baselines.
Targeted molecular characterization of external auditory canal squamous cell carcinomas

Hypothesis Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the external auditory canal (EAC) may harbor unique genomic alterations that may explain aggressive behavior and differentiate these tumors from cutaneous SCCs of other subsites. Background EAC SCCs arise in a non-ultraviolet-exposed region of the head and neck, are often locally aggressive and may metastasize to lymph nodes or distant sites. The genomic alterations underlying cutaneous SCC of other sites are well-documented; however, mutational profiles of EAC SCC are less well characterized and may contribute to the unique anatomic site, high rates of recurrence and tumor spread. We performed targeted sequencing of a cohort of primary EAC SCCs to identify recurring and potentially targetable genomic alterations. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of 7 EAC SCCs and subjected to targeted DNA sequencing using a 227-gene panel. Somatic alterations and gene copy number alterations were annotated using our validated, in-house bioinformatics pipelines. Results In our EAC SCCs, we found recurrent alterations in TP53 and genes of receptor tyrosine kinase (eg, EGFR, FGFR) and PI3K pathways (eg, PIK3CA), similar to cutaneous SCCs of other head and neck sites. We also observed a high frequency of telomerase reverse transcriptase amplification and DNA methyltransferase 1 alterations, both of which are rarely observed in cutaneous SCCs of other sites. Conclusion These data represent the first step toward precise molecular characterization of EAC SCCs that may lead to an enhanced understanding of tumor biology and modernized precision medicine approaches for unique tumors.Level of Evidence: NA.
Generous hosts: Growth of 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus' in Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) highlights its nutritional needs.

‛Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’, the putative causal agent of citrus greening is not available in pure culture yet. In addition to trees of citrus and citrus relatives, ‛Ca. L. asiaticus’ can g...
Immunological and Genetic Aspects of Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy is an increasingly recognized sleep disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness, symptoms of dissociated/abnormal rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, disrupted nocturnal sleep, and cataplexy. Although daytime sleepiness is the most disabling symptom, significantly disrupted sleep at night results in a similar total amount of sleep over 24 hours compared to controls. Many of the hallmark symptoms of narcolepsy [sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucinations, sleep-onset REM periods (SOREMPs)] are also seen in the general population, especially in the context of sleep deprivation, however cataplexy (brief episodes of bilateral muscle weakness triggered by emotions) is highly specific to narcolepsy. The most typical triggers for cataplexy are joking, laughter, and to a lesser extent, anger. Attacks may vary in severity ranging from jaw sagging or head dropping, to knees buckling, or total body paralysis lasting up to several minutes, with consciousness preserved throughout the episode. The unifying feature of these symptoms is that they all reflect a fundamental dysregulation of normal transitions between sleep and wake. Disease onset is most often in childhood, peaking between 10 and 25 years of age, and once established, the disease is life-long. Recent work has resulted in substantial insights on key genetic factors contributing to susceptibility and how these relate to the immunological processes underlying the pathophysiology of the disease. Narcolepsy-cataplexy occurs with a fairly consistent prevalence of approximately 0.02-0.03% in various Caucasian groups throughout the world, with a somewhat higher prevalence in Japanese (0.16%) and individuals of African descent, and a lower prevalence in Israeli Jews (0.002%).1,2 These prevalence rates partially correspond with higher frequency of the susceptibility factor DQB1*06:02 (discussed below). This factor has a high frequency in African Americans (38%) and lower frequency in Ashkenazi Jews (3-6%), although not in Japanese (12%). The prevalence of narcolepsy without cataplexy has been difficult to characterize, as the diagnosis lacks specificity (relying primarily on the presence of SOREMPs), and patients are likely to be underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Population based studies indicate that 1-3% of the population report sleepiness with multiple SOREMPs detected by mean sleep latency test (MSLT) testing.3,4 Familial occurrence of narcolepsy-cataplexy was reported in the initial 1887 report by Westphal,5 and until recently, it has been considered to be a familial disorder. Many previously reportReceived: July 23, 2011 Accepted: July 23, 2011 Correspondence Emmanuel Mignot, MD, PhD Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine, 1050 Arastradero Road, Building A Floor 2, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA Tel +1-650-725-6517 Fax +1-650-725-4913 E-mail mignot@stanford.edu Immunological and Genetic Aspects of Narcolepsy
Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages.

The molecular phagocytic lineage comprises, in order of increasing maturity, the committed macrophage precursor cell, the monoblast, promonocyte, monocyte and the macrophage. Methods for the preparation and culture of bone marrow-derived macrophages, developed by Stanley and colleagues (1-3), provide large numbers of mononuclear phagocytes that are capable of extensive cell proliferation. Since their proliferation can be stimulated by colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or interleukin-3 (IL-3), they represent an important primary cell source for studies of the actions and interactions of these three growth factors. The principles underlying the method are: (1) to generate and expand primitive mononuclear phagocyte precursor cells by culturing bone marrow cells in a combination of partially purified CSF-1 and IL-3 for a period of 3 d, (2) to remove contaminating red cells, fibroblasts and mature macrophages and disrupt aggregates of proliferating cells, by proteolytic digestion of the nonadherent cells at d 1 and 3 of culture and, (3) to obtain a population of mononuclear phagocytes that is relatively homogeneous with respect to their state of differentiation by recovering only those cells (i.e., mono-blasts, promonocytes) that acquire the capacity to adhere to tissue culture plastic during d 4-5 of culture.
Dendritic Cells and Macrophages Can Mature Independently From a Human Bone Marrow - Derived, Post - Colony-Forming Unit Intermediate

CD34+ precursors in normal human bone marrow (BM) generate large numbers of dendritic cells alongside macrophages and granulocytic precursors when cultured for 12 to 14 days in c-kit ligand, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). This study reports an intermediate cell type that develops by day 6, and has the potential to differentiate into either macrophages or dendritic cells. When the d6 progeny are depleted of mature macrophages and residual CD34+ precursors, a discrete CD14+ HLA-DR+ population persists in addition to immunostimulatory CD14- HLA-DR() dendritic cells. Half of the CD14+ HLA-DR+ population is in cell cycle (Ki-67+), but colony-forming units (CFUs) are no longer detectable. The calls are c-fms+, but lack myeloperoxidase and nonspecific esterase. They also possess substantial phagocytic and allostimulatory activity. These post-CFU, CD14+ HLA-DR+ intermediates develop into typical macrophages when recultured in the absence of exogenous cytokines. M-CSF supports up to approximately 2.5-fold expansion of macrophage progeny. In contrast, the combination of GM-CSF and TNF-alpha supports quantitative differentiation into dendritic cells, lacking c-fms, CD14, and other macrophage properties, and expressing HLA-DR, CD1a, CD83, CD80, CD86, and potent allostimulatory activity. Therefore, normal CD34+ BM precursors can generate a post-CFU bipotential intermediate in the presence of c-kit ligand, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha. This intermediate cell type will develop along the dendritic cell pathway when macrophages are removed and GM-CSF and TNF-alpha are provided. Alternatively, it can differentiate along a macrophage pathway when recultured with or without M-CSF.
Applied theatre in corporate training

Purpose – This article aims to be a synthesis among the latest learning and development books as well as academic journals across organizational behaviour, educational theatre, drama therapy, and performance studies. It pinpoints five management‐related competencies that the new trend of applied theatre in corporate training can facilitate.Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an Asian practitioner‐performer‐scholar who identifies and distils knowledge in Western interdisciplinary contexts.Findings – This article concludes that applied theatre can be a new concept and methodology for corporate training to enhance the main competencies in business settings – leadership, communication, creativity, team building, and emotion management. Practical implications – This study provides a conceptual foundation and practical language for human resource and training professionals as well as company directors who choose and evaluate training methodology.Originality/value – This briefing links the...
Isolation and characterization of the lipopolysaccharides from Bradyrhizobium japonicum.

Abstract The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Bradyrhizobium japonicum 61A123 was isolated and partially characterized. Phenol-water extraction of strain 61A123 yielded LPS exclusively in the phenol phase. The water phase contained low-molecular-weight glucans and extracellular or capsular polysaccharides. The LPSs from B. japonicum 61A76, 61A135, and 61A101C were also extracted exclusively into the phenol phase. The LPSs from strain USDA 110 and its Nod- mutant HS123 were found in both the phenol and water phases. The LPS from strain 61A123 was further characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, composition analysis, and 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Analysis of the LPS by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that it was present in both high- and low-molecular-weight forms (LPS I and LPS II, respectively). Composition analysis was also performed on the isolated lipid A and polysaccharide portions of the LPS, which were purified by mild acid hydrolysis and gel filtration chromatography. The major components of the polysaccharide portion were fucose, fucosamine, glucose, and mannose. The intact LPS had small amounts of 2-keto-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid. Other minor components were quinovosamine, glucosamine, 4-O-methylmannose, heptose, and 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxyhexose. The lipid A portion of the LPS contained 2,3-diamino-2,3-dideoxyhexose as the only sugar component. The major fatty acids were beta-hydroxymyristic, lauric, and oleic acids. A long-chain fatty acid, 27-hydroxyoctacosanoic acid, was also present in this lipid A. Separation and analysis of LPS I and LPS II indicated that glucose, mannose, 4-O-methylmannose, and small amounts of 2,2-diamino-2,3-dideozyhexose and heptose were components of the core region of the LPS, whereas fucose, fucosmine, mannose, and small amounts of quinovosamine and glucosamine were components of the LPS O-chain region.
Constipation and Meconium Ileus Equivalent in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

Constipation and its complications, particularly meconium ileus equivalent, may become management problems in patients with cystic fibrosis. The medical records of 168 patients with cystic fibrosis were reviewed for the prevalence of constipation and meconium ileus equivalent. Of 168 patients, 54 (32%) had experienced at least one episode of constipation which responded to oral or rectal laxative therapy. In 16 of the study group (9%) meconium ileus equivalent developed. Patients younger than 5 years of age had a lower prevalence and those older than 30 years of age had a much higher prevalence of both conditions. Those with prolonged histories of inadequately controlled steatorrhea appeared to be at higher risk for the eventual development of meconium ileus equivalent. Recurrences and complications of constipation may be avoided by instituting early and aggressive therapy.
Inside the Energy Salon: Installation and Illusions of Finality

This article analyzes promotional images associated with energy events as ethnographic objects in their own right. I examine how the sensory experience of promotional imagery with its fantasy display contributes to the rational presentation of energy planning, with its emphasis on accountability through expert knowledge provisioning. Promotional images fall under the rubric of impression management where an ideal of believability mediates between objects of manufacture and their desire. Informed by the works of artists Marcel Duchamp and Andy Warhol, I frame these images as an illusion of finality, which I then connect to a broader argument about the rise of an energy salon―a shift that appears to involve an increased prominence of visual attention and management in how energy expertise is produced, performed, and circulated.
Reconstitution of calyculin-inhibited K-Cl cotransport in dog erythrocyte ghosts by exogenous PP-1

Osmotic swelling of dog and other mammalian erythrocytes activates Cl-dependent K transport, K-Cl cotransport. This activation can be abolished by nanomolar concentrations of calyculin, a potent inhibitor of serine-threonine protein phosphatases. Therefore, K-Cl cotransport is probably activated by dephosphorylation by a type 1 and/or type 2A protein phosphatase (PP-1 and PP-2A, respectively). This was tested directly by incorporating exogenous protein phosphatases into resealed ghosts made from dog erythrocytes previously exposed to calyculin. K-Cl cotransport was nearly completely inhibited in the ghosts. Incorporation of PP-1 reconstituted K-Cl cotransport. Maximal reconstitution was up to 90% of the control flux in the ghosts and 0.1 U PP-1/ml lysate gave half-maximal reconstitution of cotransport. In contrast, PP-2A had no effect. This result with PP-1 provides direct evidence that K-Cl cotransport is activated by PP-1 in dog erythrocytes. Half-maximal activation of K-Cl cotransport required approximately 180 molecules of PP-1 per ghost.
A Model for Oxide Film Evolution on Alloys and Prediction of Resulting Layer Structure

Alloys and their oxides are a very important class of materials on which modern society depends. Yet, today we do not have an adequate fundamental physical-chemical model of how oxides evolve on alloys under oxidizing conditions. This physical chemical understanding will effect our ability to design a wide range of materials from electronic devices to the improved protective oxide films on alloys. The fundamental progress, in both physics and chemistry, made on several critical questions, •What interface(s) control alloy oxidation and how? •What parameters provide the driving potential for oxidation? •How does this potential respond to temperature (T), pressure (P) and compositional changes? will be discussed. Progress on these questions have allowed models to be proposed to predict alloy oxidation behavior under any set of conditions. These models are already providing some predictive power in how the oxide overlayer and passive film structure develop. By using surface studies of the oxidation behavior of the following alloys and their thin films: Cu-Mn, Ag-Mn, Ni-Ti, Ni-Zr, Ti-Cu and Ti-Al, we have been able to delineate the factors which are most important to the oxide formation process and provide insight into the prediction of oxide layer structures. These will be illustrated with actual experimental results on selected alloys.
Thermodynamics of aragonite-strontianite solid solutions: Results from stoichiometric solubility at 25 and 76°C

Dissolution of synthetic strontianite-aragonite solid solutions was followed analytically to stoichiometric saturation using large solid to solution ratios in CO2-H2O solution at 25 and 76°C. The compositional dependence of the equilibrium constant was calculated from the composition of saturated (stoichiometric) solutions and used to calculate the activities and activity coefficients of CaCO3 and SrCO3 in the solid Ca(1−x)SrxCO3 at 25 and 76°C. The results show that the solid-solution is not regular but unsymmetrical. The excess free energy of mixing is closely modeled for all compositions by the relation GE = x(1−x)[A0 + A1(2x−1)] where A0 is 8.49 ± 0.30 and 7.71 ± 0.20 KJ/mole and A1 is −4.51 ± 0.20 and −3.36 ± 0.40 KJ/mole at 25 and 76°C, respectively. The equilibrium constant is denned as a function of the SrCO3 mole fraction, x, by the relation ln K(x) = x(1−x)RT[A0 + A1(2x − 1)] + (2 − x) ln (KA(1 − x)) + x ln (Ksx) where R is the gas constant, T is in Kelvins and KA and KS are the aragonite and strontianite equilibrium constants. The experimental results indicate the Henry's law coefficients of SrCO3 in aragonites containing 0 to 6 mole percent SrCO3 are approximately 91± 8 and 23 ± 1 at 25 and 76°C, respectively and for strontianites the Henry's law coefficients and applicable compositional ranges are approximately 7.3 ± 0.3 (0.84 ≤ x ≤ 1.00) and 3.3 ± 0.5 (0.50 ≤ x ≤ 1.00) at 25 and 76°C, respectively. Substitution of small amounts of Sr in aragonite and Ca in strontianite initially increases the stability of the solid. The most stable aragonites and strontianites contain 0.58 ± 0.03 and 12.5 ± 1.1 mole percent SrCO3 and CaCO3 at 25°C and 3.1 ± 0.3 and 17.2 ± 1.1 mole percent SrCO3 and CaCO3 at 76°C, respectively. The spinode occurs over the regions 0.065 ± 0.001 ≤ x ≤ 0.620 ± 0.014 at 25°C and 0.103 ± 0.007 ≤ x ≤ 0.585 ± 0.019 at 76°C where all compositions are unstable. A miscibility gap occurs over the compositional ranges 0.0058 ± 0.0003 ≤ x ≤ 0.875 ± 0.011 at 25°C and 0.031 ± 0.003 ≤ x ≤ 0.828 ± 0.011 at 76°C and is in reasonable agreement with reported compositions of natural aragonites and strontianites. Marine aragonites are neither at equilibrium nor stoichiometric saturation with surface seawater. The experimentally observed distribution coefficient of Sr in aragonite is 12 times larger than the calculated equilibrium value (0.095) at 25°C. Naturally occurring strontianites contain large amounts of calcium primarily because Ca/Sr ratios in natural waters are typically large. Neither equilibrium nor stoichiometric saturation is observed at 76°C during laboratory recrystallization of strontianite-aragonite solid solutions even after apparent 100 percent conversion to a narrow secondary composition and demonstration of a nearly constant composition system for periods of 300 hours.
The pharmacodynamics of methyl mercury in the BALB/c mouse and its hairless homolog, the HRS/J mouse

Abstract 1. 1. Tissue/organ pharmacodynamics of methyl mercury were investigated in the BALB/c mouse and its hairless (homozygous) homolog, the HRS/J mouse. 2. 2. The order of maximum tissue/organ Hg uptake was similar for both strains. For most tissues/organs, the rate of Hg elimination was slower and the concentration maxima greater in the BALB/c mouse. 3. 3. Urinary excretion totaled 10% of the dose for the BALB/c mouse and 6% for the HRS/J mouse while facal Hg excretion totaled 63% for the BALB/c strain and 86% for the HRS/J.
Prechamber NOx formation in low BMEP 2-stroke cycle natural gas engines

Abstract Precombustion chambers (PCCs) are an ignition technology for large bore, natural gas engines enabling increased combustion stability while extending the lean limit of operation. A PCC is a small chamber, typically 1–2% of the clearance volume, in which a near-stoichiometric mixture of fuel and air is ignited by a standard spark plug. After the mixture in the PCC is ignited, its pressure rises and expels a flame jet of hot gas mixture into the main chamber. The amount of energy a typical PCC produces is roughly one million times that of a conventional spark plug. In this work the role that the PCC plays in the formation of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) is investigated. Previous research indicates that the PCC is responsible for a significant part of engine-out NO x , especially near the lean limit of engine operation. Experimental results are presented from a large bore lean-burn 2-stroke cycle engine. The data shows that the PCC is responsible for a significant part of engine-out NO x emissions. However, the PCC NO x does not form in the PCC. Rather it forms within the gas jet after it penetrates into the main chamber combustion gases.
Oral triiodothyronine administration lowers plasma fibronectin levels in humans

Abstract It has been shown that both serum triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and plasma fibronectin values decline with fasting and increase with treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis in a paralles manner. 13 To evaluate the mechanism responsible for these changes, we examined the effects of both oral T 3 administration and fasting in six healthy, adult subjects. Initial plasma fibronectin values were normal in four subjects (group 1) and decreased in two subjects (group 2). Initial serum T 3 and thyroxine (T 4 ) values were normal in both groups. Despite a substantial rise in serum T 3 values with oral T 3 administration, plasma fibronectin fell in group 1 subjects. Fasting caused a significant decline in serum T 3 levels, but only a small further decline of plasma fibronectin concentrations. Serum T 3 levels rose after 1 week of refeeding, whereas plasma fibronectin levels in group 1 did not return toward normal. Plasma fibronectin values did not change in group 2 subjects with oral T 3 , fasting, or refeeding. In conclusion, there is no simple cause-and-effect relationship between previously observed changes in plasma fibronectin and serum T 3 concentrations. High doses of oral T 3 will lower plasma fibronectin levels in subjects with initially normal plasma fibronectin values and a normal caloric intake.
Convective diffusion in position-dependent drag fields

Abstract The differential equation governing the convective diffusion of arbitrarily shaped Brownian particles whose mobility is nonisotropic is dervied. The nonisotropic mobility may arise from the presence of a boundary, for example. It is postulated that the thermal fluctuation couples with the nonisotropic mobility to produce an additional force which is biased toward the mobility gradient. The Langevin equation modified to include this nonisotropic force is the starting point our derivation. A generalized Fick's law of diffusion and a generalized Einstein-Stokes relation between the diffusion coefficient and the variable mobility are derived in a six-dimensional linear-angular displacement hyperspace.
The Effect of Horizontal Divergence and the Latitudinal Variation of the Coriolis Parameter on the Drift of a Model Hurricane

Abstract The northward drift of a three-dimensional model hurricane is investigated by long-time numerical integrations of non-divergent and divergent barotropic vortices on a β-plane. Both vortices drifted in a general northward direction at speeds between 1.4 and 2.8 m s−1 during the first 48 hours, a movement similar to that of the model hurricane. An anticyclone developed east of the cyclone in both barotropic models. The combined circulation around the cyclone and anticyclone produced a spiral zone of confluence which extended southeast of the cyclone and resembled a slowly moving spiral band circulation found in the model hurricane experiment. Finally, the effect of closed lateral boundary conditions was to eventually turn the barotropic vortices toward the west.
Activated dynamics and effective temperature in a steady state sheared glass.

We conduct nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations to measure the shear stress $\ensuremath{\sigma}$, the average inherent structure energy $⟨{E}_{\mathrm{IS}}⟩$, and the effective temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ of a sheared model glass as a function of bath temperature $T$ and shear strain rate $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$. For $T$ above the glass transition temperature ${T}_{0}$, the rheology approaches a Newtonian limit and ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}T$ as $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, while for $Tl{T}_{0}$, $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ approaches a yield stress and ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ approaches a limiting value near ${T}_{0}$. In the shear-dominated regime at high $T$, high $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \textperiodcentered \fi{}}{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ or at low $T$, we find that $\ensuremath{\sigma}$ and $⟨{E}_{\mathrm{IS}}⟩$ each collapse onto a single curve as a function of ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}}$. This indicates that ${T}_{\mathrm{eff}}$ is controlling behavior in this regime.
Assignment of a yeast protein necessary for mitochondrial transcription initiation

Abstract Yeast mitochondrial DNA contains multiple promoters that are responsible for expression of its genes. The basic yeast mitochondrial promoter consists of a nonanucleotide consensus sequence [5'-ATATAAGTA(+1)-3'] that must be recognized by transcription proteins, including mitochondrial RNA polymerase and any relevant trans-acting factors. Since mitochondrial RNA polymerase alone appeared unable to recognize a mitochondrial promoter, we examined the effects of providing accessory proteins to enable promoter function. After expression in Escherichia coli or purification from yeast mitochondria, two proteins were tested; they were ABF2 (a structural homologue of the human mitochondrial transcriptional activator mtTF1) and MTF1 (the gene product of a yeast locus known to exhibit a mitochondrial transcription phenotype). The results show that MTF1 specifies correct transcriptional initiation while ABF2 does not. We conclude that MTF1 is an essential key protein in yeast mitochondrial promoter function. Considering the increasing complexity of the mitochondrial transcription apparatus, we propose a nomenclature system for its components.
Biophysical investigations with MARCKS-ED: dissecting the molecular mechanism of its curvature sensing behaviors

Curved membranes are a common and important attribute in cells. Protein and peptide curvature sensors are known to activate signaling pathways, initiate vesicle budding, trigger membrane fusion, and facilitate molecular transport across cell membranes. Nonetheless, there is little understanding how these proteins and peptides achieve preferential binding of different membrane curvatures. The current study is to elucidate specific factors required for curvature sensing. As a model system, we employed a recently identified peptide curvature sensor, MARCKS-ED, derived from the effector domain of the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate protein, for these biophysical investigations. An atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation suggested an important role played by the insertion of the Phe residues within MARCKS-ED. To test these observations from our computational simulations, we performed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies to determine the insertion depth of MARCKS-ED into differently curved membrane bilayers. Next, studies with varied lipid compositions revealed their influence on curvature sensing by MARCKS-ED, suggesting contributions from membrane fluidity, rigidity, as well as various lipid structures. Finally, we demonstrated that the curvature sensing by MARCKS-ED is configuration independent. In summary, our studies have shed further light to the understanding of how MARCKS-ED differentiates between membrane curvatures, which may be generally applicable to protein curvature sensing behavior.
Dual Emission from a Family of Conjugated Dinuclear RuII Complexes

Dual emission is observed from a family of simple acetylene-linked dinuclear RuII complexes, where two MLCT excited states coexist at room temperature and in fluid solution. This unique behavior is attributed to a specific substitution pattern on the bridging ligand and provides the opportunity to investigate the structural and electronic features that result in decoupling of standard nonradiative decay pathways.
SOX10 maintains multipotency and inhibits neuronal differentiation of neural crest stem cells

The mechanisms that establish and maintain the multipotency of stem cells are poorly understood. In neural crest stem cells (NCSCs), the HMG-box factor SOX10 preserves not only glial, but surprisingly, also neuronal potential from extinction by lineage commitment signals. The latter function is reflected in the requirement of SOX10 in vivo for induction of MASH1 and PHOX2B, two neurogenic transcription factors. Simultaneously, SOX10 inhibits or delays overt neuronal differentiation, both in vitro and in vivo. However, this activity requires a higher Sox10 gene dosage than does the maintenance of neurogenic potential. The opponent functions of SOX10 to maintain neural lineage potentials, while simultaneously serving to inhibit or delay neuronal differentiation, suggest that it functions in stem or progenitor cell maintenance, in addition to its established role in peripheral gliogenesis.
Thermoelectric efficiency in the space-charge-limited transport regime in semiconductors

The thermoelectric efficiency of semiconductors is usually considered in the ohmic electronic transport regime, which is achieved through high doping. Here we consider the opposite regime of low doping where the current-voltage characteristics are nonlinear and dominated by space-charge-limited transport. We show that in this regime, the thermoelectric efficiency can be described by a single figure of merit, in analogy with the ohmic case. Efficiencies for bulk, thin-film, and nanowire materials are discussed, and it is proposed that nanowires are the most promising to take advantage of space-charge-limited transport for thermoelectrics.
Conflict-handling and personality dimensions of project-management personnel

A sample of 199 project management personnel took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode instrument. Results supported the earlier research of Thomas and Kilmann (1975...
Short courses of antibiotics in selected febrile neutropenic patients.

To evaluate their policy of discontinuing broad spectrum antibiotics in patients with negative cultures who become afebrile but remain neutropenic, the authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of all pediatric patients diagnosed with cancer between 1980 and 1986. Two hundred seventy-one children had 385 admissions for infectious complications during the study period. In 39 of those episodes (9%), the patients had negative cultures, became afebrile, and were discharged with absolute neutrophil counts of < 1000 cells/mm3 (mean 390 cells/mm3). They received relatively short courses of antibiotics with a median duration of 4 days. Only four of these patients became febrile during the followup period and there were no fatalities. Given the benign course of these patients, recommendations for prolonged antibiotic courses should be reconsidered.
Microchannel Plate EUV Detectors for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer

The design and operating characteristics of the prototype imaging microchannel plate (MCP) detector for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) Satellite [1] are discussed. We show that this detector has achieved high position resolution performance (> 512×512 pixels) and has low (< 1%) image distortion. In addition, the channel plate scheme used has tight pulse height distributions (< 40% FWHM) for UV radiation and displays low (<.2 cnt cm-2 sec-1) dark background counting rates. We also describe work that has been done on EUV filters in relation to the envisaged filter and photocathode complement.
The effect of drug-eluting stents on intermediate angiographic and clinical outcomes in diabetic patients: insights from randomized clinical trials

Objective Implantation of drug-eluting stents has emerged as the predominant percutaneous revascularization strategy in diabetic patients, despite limited outcomes data. Accordingly, our aim was to conduct a meta-analysis to assess the benefit and safety profile of drug-eluting stents in diabetic patients. Methods We included randomized trials comparing either the paclitaxel- or sirolimus-eluting stent with a bare-metal stent or with each other in diabetic patients during a follow-up of at least 6 months. Results A total of 16 studies were identified, which included 2951 diabetic patients who were followed up for 6 to 12 months. Target lesion revascularization was less frequently performed in patients who received drug-eluting stents compared with bare-metal stents (risk ratio [RR] 0.35, 95% CI 0.27-0.46, P P P P = .046). Event rates were similar for Q-wave myocardial infarction (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.25-2.07, P = .54), death (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.32-1.28, P = .20), and stent thrombosis (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.13-1.27, P = .12). Conclusions In conclusion, diabetic patients who receive drug-eluting stents have a significantly lower incidence of target lesion revascularization, in-segment restenosis and myocardial infarction at 6 to 12 months, compared with bare-metal stents. The rates of mortality and stent thrombosis are similar.