cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capsule Influences the Deposition of Critical Complement C3 Levels Required for the Killing of Burkholderia pseudomallei via NADPH-Oxidase Induction by Human Neutrophils

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis and is a major mediator of sepsis in its endemic areas. Because of the low LD50 via aerosols and resistance to multiple antibiotics, it is considered a Tier 1 select agent by the CDC and APHIS. B. pseudomallei is an encapsulated bacterium that can infect, multiply, and persist within a variety of host cell types. In vivo studies suggest that macrophages and neutrophils are important for controlling B. pseudomallei infections, however few details are known regarding how neutrophils respond to these bacteria. Our goal is to describe the capacity of human neutrophils to control highly virulent B. pseudomallei compared to the relatively avirulent, acapsular B. thailandensis using in vitro analyses. B. thailandensis was more readily phagocytosed than B. pseudomallei, but both displayed similar rates of persistence within neutrophils, indicating they possess similar inherent abilities to escape neutrophil clearance. Serum opsonization studies showed that both were resistant to direct killing by complement, although B. thailandensis acquired significantly more C3 on its surface than B. pseudomallei, whose polysaccharide capsule significantly decreased the levels of complement deposition on the bacterial surface. Both Burkholderia species showed significantly enhanced uptake and killing by neutrophils after critical levels of C3 were deposited. Serum-opsonized Burkholderia induced a significant respiratory burst by neutrophils compared to unopsonized bacteria, and neutrophil killing was prevented by inhibiting NADPH-oxidase. In summary, neutrophils can efficiently kill B. pseudomallei and B. thailandensis that possess a critical threshold of complement deposition, and the relative differences in their ability to resist surface opsonization may contribute to the distinct virulence phenotypes observed in vivo.
Improved performance of the superconducting cavity maser at short measuring times (atomic frequency standards)

Measurements on a superconducting cavity maser oscillator are presented which show a frequency stability of parts in 10/sup 15/ for times from 1 second to 1000 seconds. A phase noise of approximately -80 dB/f/sup 3/, where f is frequency, is shown. The measured stability at a 1 second interval is 10 times better than that of a hydrogen maser, and phase noise at 8 GHz is more than 20 dB below that of a multiplied quartz crystal oscillator. >
Psychiatric disorders in first-degree relatives of children with pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections (PANDAS).

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the rates of psychiatric disorders in the first-degree relatives of children with infection-triggered obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tics (pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections; PANDAS). Method The probands of this study were 54 children with PANDAS ( n = 24 with a primary diagnosis of OCD; n = 30 with a primary diagnosis of a tic disorder). One hundred fifty-seven first-degree relatives (100 parents [93%] and 57 siblings [100%]) were evaluated for the presence of a tic disorder. One hundred thirty-nine first-degree relatives (100 parents [93%] and 39 of 41 siblings over the age of 6 [95%]) were evaluated with clinical and structured psychiatric interviews to determine the presence of subclinical OCD, OCD, and other DSM-IV Axis I disorders. Results Twenty-one probands (39%) had at least one first-degree relative with a history of a motor or vocal tic; 6 mothers (11%), 9 fathers (19%), and 8 siblings (16%) received this diagnosis. Fourteen probands (26%) had at least one first-degree relative with OCD; 10 mothers (19%), 5 fathers (11%), and 2 siblings (5%), received this diagnosis. An additional 8 parents (8%) and 3 siblings (8%) met criteria for subclinical OCD. Eleven parents (11%) had obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. Conclusions The rates of tic disorders and OCD in first-degree relatives of pediatric probands with PANDAS are higher than those reported in the general population and are similar to those reported previously for tic disorders and OCD. Further study is warranted to determine the nature of the relationship between genetic and environmental factors in PANDAS.
Residual gas in closed systems—I: development of gas in fused silica ampoules

The amounts and composition of residual gases formed in sealed silica glass ampoules were investigated. The effect of the silica brand, outgassing and annealing conditions, system geometry, and a presence of graphite were determined and discussed.
Neon scattering off Sodium clusters at finite temperatures

We present findings from computer simulations of collisions of neon atomic beams with Na20 atomic clusters at different internal temperatures. A functional form for the double differential cross section is determined, and no simple signature of a phase transition is seen, even though the clusters undergo a melting phase transition in the temperature range investigated (100 K–400 K). However, such experiments can be used effectively to measure the internal cluster temperature.
American Brachytherapy Society consensus guidelines for locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix. Part I: General principles

Abstract Purpose To develop brachytherapy recommendations covering aspects of pretreatment evaluation, treatment, and dosimetric issues for locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods Members of the American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) with expertise in cervical cancer brachytherapy formulated updated recommendations for locally advanced (Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stages IB2–IVA) cervical cancer based on literature review and clinical experience. Results The ABS recommends the use of brachytherapy as a component of the definitive treatment of locally advanced cervical carcinoma. Precise applicator placement is necessary to maximize the probability of achieving local control without major side effects. The ABS recommends a cumulative delivered dose of approximately 80–90 Gy for definitive treatment. The dose delivered to point A should be reported for all brachytherapy applications regardless of treatment-planning technique. The ABS also recommends adoption of the Groupe Europeen Curietherapie-European Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology (GEC-ESTRO) guidelines for contouring, image-based treatment planning, and dose reporting. Interstitial brachytherapy may be considered for a small proportion of patients whose disease cannot be adequately encompassed by intracavitary application. It should be performed by practitioners with special expertise in these procedures. Conclusions Updated ABS recommendations are provided for brachytherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer. Practitioners and cooperative groups are encouraged to use these recommendations to formulate their clinical practices and to adopt dose-reporting policies that are critical for outcome analysis.
Health Services Utilization Among Graduate Students: Patterns of Use, Access, and Satisfaction

Abstract Utilization of health services by graduate students has been a neglected area of college health research. This paper describes the access problems and utilization patterns of a systematic random sample of the graduate student population at the University of Mississippi. Survey methodology was used to assess sociodemographic, health status, and attitudinal characteristics of the study sample. In addition to type and number of visits for various health services, other utilization-related items included access to and satisfaction with care, and information received about these health services. The results indicated that graduate students and their dependents were reliant to a large degree on local health care. Inadequacy of information was viewed as a major problem relating to access. Satisfaction with care appeared to be a function of the quality of care received.
Distance learning in nursing

Objectives To inform oncology nurses about distance-learning technologies and to offer suggestions for how nurses can locate, appropriately select, and use distance learning to their benefit. Data Sources Published articles, research studies, and review articles pertaining to distance education and learning in nursing. Conclusions Distance learning offers new opportunities for nurses who are seeking basic or advanced degrees, certificates, or lifelong learning for professional development. Implications for Nursing Practice Oncology nursing practice is a dynamic specialty and requires the nurse to be a lifelong learner. Distance learning facilitates this requirement.
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Science, Mathematics, and Reading: Learning as Children Learn

A project was designed to implement an integrated curriculum in mathematics, science, and reading by promoting the professional growth of K-4 in-service teachers through a 6-hour graduate course. The course adopts a view of teachers' knowledge acquisition based on constructivism, a perspective currently more accepted for elementary children than for teachers. The effectiveness of the project in the Ist year was evaluated in part by employing content examinations, portfolios, journals, questionnaires, and course assignments. The findings suggest implications for teacher educators, program administrators, teachers in K-4, and the children served by the educational system.
Effect of aqueous phase anion on the mode of facilitated ion transfer into room-temperature ionic liquids.

Measurements of the partitioning of various alkali and alkaline earth cations between solutions of hydrochloric acid and a series of 1,3-dialkylimidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) to which a crown ether has been added have revealed substantial differences in extraction behavior versus both conventional molecular solvents (e.g., 1-octanol) under the same conditions and the same ILs when nitric acid solutions are employed as the aqueous phase. These results can be rationalized by application of a three-path model for metal ion partitioning into ILs in the presence of a neutral extractant. Additionally, the results point to a significant role for anion hydration energy in determining the balance amongst the possible modes of partitioning and strongly suggest that ion exchange involving the cationic metal complex and the cationic constituent of the ionic liquid constitutes the “default” route for metal ion extraction in IL systems incorporating a neutral extractant.
PowerUp!: A Tool for Calculating Minimum Detectable Effect Sizes and Minimum Required Sample Sizes for Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Design Studies

Abstract This paper and the accompanying tool are intended to complement existing supports for conducting power analysis tools by offering a tool based on the framework of Minimum Detectable Effect Sizes (MDES) formulae that can be used in determining sample size requirements and in estimating minimum detectable effect sizes for a range of individual- and group-random assignment design studies and for common quasi-experimental design studies. The paper and accompanying tool cover computation of minimum detectable effect sizes under the following study designs: individual random assignment designs, hierarchical random assignment designs (2-4 levels), block random assignment designs (2-4 levels), regression discontinuity designs (6 types), and short interrupted time-series designs. In each case, the discussion and accompanying tool consider the key factors associated with statistical power and minimum detectable effect sizes, including the level at which treatment occurs and the statistical models (e.g., fi...
Expansion of interferon-gamma-producing multifunctional CD4+ T-cells and dysfunctional CD8+ T-cells by glypican-3 peptide library in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Abstract Glypican-3 is a promising target for immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma, but limited data exist regarding its immunogenicity in patients with diverse HLA types, immunogenicity for CD4 + T-cells, and the impact of inhibitory co-stimulation on glypican-3-specific T-cells. Using a 15mer overlapping peptide library for glypican-3, PBMC from patients with HCC were assessed ex vivo and after short-term in vitro expansion for tumor antigen-specific T-cell responses with and without blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 and CTLA-4 signaling. Glypican-3-specific T-cells were undetectable ex vivo , but primarily IFNγ + TNFα + CD4 + T-cells expanded with short-term in vitro stimulation in 10/19 (52%) patients. Glypican-3-specific CD8 + T-cells predominantly produced TNFα, but did not secrete IFNγ nor degranulate. CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade minimally impacted the cytokine secretion and proliferation of glypican-3-specific T-cells. These data suggest that CD8 + T-cell-directed tumor vaccines in HCC may have limited potential for efficacy unless optimal co-stimulation conditions can be identified but CD4 + -directed vaccines merit consideration.
"The Real South Starts Here": Whiteness, the Confederacy, and Commodification at Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain, near Atlanta, Georgia, has served as a vital landscape for the construction of regional and racial identities in the South through the construction of a White identity based on the region's Confederate past. This paper examines Stone Mountain's historical development as a landscape of southern White identity construction, with particular focus on the roles played by "Lost Cause" interpretations of southern history, the Ku Klux Klan, and the state of Georgia during the Civil Rights movement. Since 1998, the partial privatization and development of Stone Mountain Park as a theme park based on an historical recreation of a late 19th-century southern town has altered the contexts and reproduction of these racial and regional identities. Stone Mountain, while retaining elements of the White southern identity rooted in the celebration of a Confederate past, has become primarily a place for the consumption ofa commodified historical experience.
Real-time adaptive sampling with the fan algorithm.

Adaptive sampling of cardiac waveforms can produce higher quality measurements than uniform sampling at the same average rates. The paper presents the design of a device for real-time adaptive sampling with the fan algorithm. Design equations define the relationships between system parameters, allowing choices among hardware complexity, speed or accuracy to be evaluated. The design incorporates a parallel architecture, which can be expanded to achieve any desired peak sampling rate. Examples show the system to be flexible and realistic. A major feature of the design is that fan samples are provided to the user at a fixed rate that the user specifies, although they are selected internally at variable rates. Because of this feature, complications in receiving and storing samples at widely varying intervals are entirely avoided, and simple computers such as PCs can be used to collect samples at a rate far below the peak sampling rate. To accomplish fixed-rate transmission, the system itself selects the fan tolerance e based on characteristics of the incoming signal. As the signal changes, e is varied dynamically to ensure that the fixed rate is never exceeded. Furthermore, the design guarantees that measurements will never be worse than those from uniform sampling at the given fixed rate.
Identification of RFLP Markers Linked to the Barley Aluminum Tolerance Gene Alp

Aluminum (At) toxicity limits crop productivity in acidic soils. As with many crops, natural genetic variation for Al tolerance has been found in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Al tolerance can be evaluated by replicated field trials, by soil bioassays in pots, or by solution culture methods. To date, alternative marker-assisted methods of Al tolerance selection in barley have not been developed. The goal of this study was to identify molecular markers for Alp, a gene in the barley cv Dayton that confers a high level of Al tolerance. An F 2 mapping population was generated from a cross between Dayton and the more aluminum-sensitive cv Harlan Hybrid. Al tolerance in this population was scored by hematoxylin staining, and was confirmed to segregate in a monogenic fashion. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) mapping of Alp was undertaken, and it was localized to the long arm of chromosome 4H, 2.1 cM proximal to the marker Xbcd1117 and 2.1 cM distal to the markers Xwg464 and Xcdo1395. These markers can be used for marker-assisted selection of Al tolerance in barley without the need for field trials, soil bioassays, or solution culture analysis. Further, the linkage between XcdoI395 and Alp is interesting because this marker is also linked to the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Al tolerance gene Alt RH located on the long arm of chromosome 4D. This result is suggestive of the possibility that Al tolerance in barley and wheat may be due to the action of orthologous loci.
Cellulitis in patients with cirrhosis and edema: an under recognized complication more common than spontaneous bacterial peritonitis

Cellulitis in patients with cirrhosis and edema: an under recognized complication more common than spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
Opening it up for more questions: racial disparities in hospice use.

more evenly serve our patients. The study by Johnson et al. focuses on differences in hospice use between black and white patients. Prior research has shown wide geographic variation in hospice use among racial groups. This study evaluated whether racial variation held true at the county level in the Carolinas. What they found was a statistically significant racial variation in just under a third of the counties studieddthis was not particularly surprising. What was surprising and interesting was the finding that, in counties with black-white disparities, there was a significant association with a greater number of hospital beds, physicians per older person, hospices, and a higher proportion of nongeneralist physicians. Fewer blacks used hospice in counties where specialists and hospitals were highly available. As the authors note, key questions remain unanswered. How do patient preferences and clinician behaviors influence observed disparities? How does the matching of treatment to goals influence patient satisfaction? The authors attribute this difference to previously documented variance in preference for using hospital resources when available, but there
Structured models of metapopulation dynamics

I develop models of metapopulation dynamics that describe changes in the numbers of individuals within patches. These models are analogous to structured population models, with patches playing the role of individuals. Single species models which do not include the effect of immigration on local population dynamics of occupied patches typically lead to a unique equilibrium. The models can be used to study the distributions of numbers of individuals among patches, showing that both metapopulations with local outbreaks and metapopulations without outbreaks can occur in systems with no underlying environmental variability. Distributions of local population sizes (in occupied patches) can vary independently of the total population size, so both patterns of distributions of local population sizes are compatible with either rare or common species. Models which include the effect of immigration on local population dynamics can lead to two positive equilibria, one stable and one unstable, the latter representing a threshold between regional extinction and persistence.
Developmental Origin of Reproductive and Metabolic Dysfunctions: Androgenic Versus Estrogenic Reprogramming

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common fertility disorders, affecting several million women worldwide. Women with PCOS manifest neuroendocrine, ovarian, and metabolic defects. A large number of animal models have evolved to understand the etiology of PCOS. These models provide support for the contributing role of excess steroids during development in programming the PCOS phenotype. However, considerable phenotypic variability is evident across animal models, depending on the quality of the steroid administered and the perinatal time of treatment relative to the developmental trajectory of the fetus/offspring. This review focuses on the reproductive and metabolic phenotypes of the various PCOS animal models that have evolved in the last decade to delineate the relative roles of androgens and estrogens in relation to the timing of exposure in programming the various dysfunctions that are part and parcel of the PCOS phenotype. Furthermore, the review addresses the contributory role of the postnatal metabolic environment in exaggerating the severity of the phenotype, the translational relevance of the various animal models to PCOS, and areas for future research.
Steady propagation of plane strain shear cracks on an impermeable plane in an elastic diffusive solid

Abstract Quasi-static shear crack propagation in a linear elastic fluid-saturated porous solid causes a change of pore pressure on the crack plane if it is impermeable but not if it is permeable. Assuming that the pore pressure induced on the crack plane reduces the effective compressive stress (total stress minus pore fluid pressure) and as a result, the frictional resistance, we find that the energy required to drive the crack is decreased by up to about 60% of the value required in a purely elastic solid. The required energy decreases with velocity at low and high velocities, but increases with velocity for Vl / c in the range of 10 0.5 –10 2 , where V is th speed of propagation. l is the loaded length of the semi-infinite crack and c is the diffusivity. When the effect of the pore pressure induced on the crack plane is neglected, the results are qualitatively similar to those of Rice and Simons (1976. J. Geophys. Res. 81 , 5322–5344) for the permeable crack: coupling between deformation and diffusion stabilizes propagation in the sense that the energy that must be supplied to drive the crack increases with velocity within a finite range of the ratio Vl / c is about an order of magnitude lower than that for the permeable crack, but includes the range cited above and is within the range of observed creep events on the San Andreas fault.
Military Buildups, War, and Realpolitik A Multivariate Model

This article examines the role of mutual military buildups in dispute escalation to war. It is argued that the effect of the pervasive realist culture in the modern state system is to affect policy...
Macroscopic friction laws and shear yielding of glassy solids

Abstract Molecular simulations of yield in models of glassy polymers and amorphous metals are used to test classic yield criteria. Bulk systems follow the pressure-modified von Mises criterion, which is based on an isotropic, energy-driven model of yield. Thin films follow the Mohr–Coulomb criterion, which is based on an anisotropic friction model. The difference in behavior is correlated with a change in shear mechanism, and the connection between thin film results and macroscopic friction laws is discussed.
Historic disturbance regimes promote tree diversity only under low browsing regimes in eastern deciduous forest

Eastern deciduous forests are changing in species composition and diversity outside of classical successional trajectories. Three disturbance mechanisms appear central to this phenomenon: fire frequency is reduced, canopy gaps are smaller, and browsers are more abundant. Which factor is most responsible is a matter of great debate and remains unclear, at least partly because few studies have simultaneously investigated more than one process. We conducted a large-scale experiment in mesophytic forests of West Virginia, USA, to test three key hypotheses: (1) the fire hypothesis (fire suppression limits diversity to few shade-tolerant, fire-intolerant species that replace and suppress many fire-tolerant species); (2) the gap hypothesis (small gaps typical of today's forests promote dominance of a few shade-tolerant species); and (3) the browsing hypothesis (overbrowsing by deer limits diversity to a few unpalatable species). We tested these hypotheses using a factorial experiment that manipulated surface fire, large canopy gap formation (gap size ;255 m 2 ), and browsing by deer, and we followed the fates of .28 000 seedlings and saplings for five years. Understory tree communities in control plots were dominated (up to 90% )b yFagus grandifolia, averaging little more than two species, whereas overstories were diverse, with 10-15 species. Fire, large canopy gaps, and browsing all dramatically affected understory composition. However, our findings challenge views that fire and large canopy gaps can maintain or promote diversity, because browsers reduced the benefits of gaps and created depauperate understories following fire. Consequently, two major disturbances that once promoted tree diversity no longer do so because of browsing. Our findings appear to reconcile equivocal views on the role of fire and gaps. If browsers are abundant, these two disturbances either depress diversity or are less effective. Alternatively, with browsers absent, these disturbances promote diversity (three- to fivefold). Our results apply to large portions of eastern North America where deer are overabundant, and we provide compelling experimental evidence that historical disturbance regimes in combination with low browsing regimes typical of pre-European settlement forests could maintain high tree species diversity. However, restoring disturbances without controlling browsing may be counterproductive.
Autoradiographic Studies of the Utilization of Ca45 by the Chick Embryo

Calcium-45 was injected into the dense albumen of fertile hen's eggs, to the extent of 25 µc. per egg. The eggs were incubated under standard conditions and three or more embryos removed daily and fixed in 10 per cent neutral formalin. Stripping-film autoradiograms were prepared from paraffin sections of the tibiofibulae. Exposure varied with the isotope concentration. The tissue sections with their autoradiograms in place were stained with dilute Giemsa, while other sections were stained with hematoxylin-azure-eosin and by von Kossa to demonstrate bone salt. At about 9 days, Ca45 is found in the cartilage template both intra- and extracellularly. Between 9 and 11 days, a primary diaphyseal lamella is deposited which is largely acellular. The lamella is eroded by capillaries from the periosteum and a resorption center is established in the cartilage. New lamellae of bone are deposited centrifugally in an imbricated pattern. Bone matrix formation precedes calcification by about 1 to ½ days, and calcification in a particular lamella is not uniform. Endochondral bone formation is described, as well as calcification of the epiphyseal/diaphyseal cartilage. Calcium-45 occurs intracellularly in the osteocyte during bone formation.
Ontogeny of light and gravity responses in rock crab larvae (Cancer irroratus)

Larvae of the rock crab Cancer irroratus Say were hatched and reared under controlled laboratory conditions of temperature and salinity. Zoeae (Stages I–V) and megalopae were exposed to 5 sets of experimental conditions in an experimental column. Variables investigated included darkness, cool-white fluorescent light, and column orientation (horizontal or vertical). Results indicated a positive phototaxis throughout larval development, with the extent of photopositive movement decreasing slightly as metamorphosis to the megalopal stage approached. Conversely, responses to gravity appeared to change significantly as development proceeded, culminating in a rather abrupt and complete transition from geonegative to geopositive behavior in Stage V zoeae. This strong geopositive movement resulted in a change from a planktonic to a benthic habit.
Contrasting ion-association behaviour of Ta and Nb polyoxometalates

Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies of aqueous [Ta6O19]8− compared to prior studies of aqueous [Nb6O19]8− reveals key differences in behaviour, which is likely at the root of the difficultly in developing polyoxotantalate chemistry. Specifically, where contact ion-pairing dominates between [Nb6O19]8− and its counterions, solvent-separated ion-pairing between [Ta6O19]8− and its counterions has been unveiled in the current study.
Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate downregulates Hsc70: implications for intracellular trafficking of ΔF508-CFTR

The most common mutation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), DeltaF508, is a trafficking mutant that has prolonged associations with molecular chaperones and is rapidly degraded, at least in part by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Sodium 4-phenylbutyrate (4PBA) improves DeltaF508-CFTR trafficking and function in vitro in cystic fibrosis epithelial cells and in vivo. To further understand the mechanism of action of 4PBA, we tested the hypothesis that 4PBA modulates the targeting of DeltaF508-CFTR for ubiquitination and degradation by reducing the expression of Hsc70 in cystic fibrosis epithelial cells. IB3-1 cells (genotype DeltaF508/W1282X) that were treated with 0.05-5 mM 4PBA for 2 days in culture demonstrated a dose-dependent reduction in Hsc70 protein immunoreactivity and mRNA levels. Immunoprecipitation with Hsc70-specific antiserum demonstrated that Hsc70 and CFTR associated under control conditions and that treatment with 4PBA reduced these complexes. Levels of immunoreactive Hsp40, Hdj2, Hsp70, Hsp90, and calnexin were unaffected by 4PBA treatment. These data suggest that 4PBA may improve DeltaF508-CFTR trafficking by allowing a greater proportion of mutant CFTR to escape association with Hsc70.
Interfacial activation, lysophospholipase and transacylase activity of Group VI Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2

Abstract The Group VI 80-kDa Ca2+-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2) has been purified from murine P388D1 macrophages and Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The amino acid sequence of the iPLA2 has been determined and shown to contain a lipase consensus sequence and eight ankyrin repeats, which makes it distinct from Group I–V PLA2s. This enzyme appears to play a key role in mediating basal phospholipid remodeling. We now report that the Group VI iPLA2 displays interfacial activation toward short chain phospholipids, 1-octanoyl-2-heptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-diheptanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, and 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine micelles. ATP protects the iPLA2 from a loss in activity as a result of prolonged incubation during the assay. Hence higher enzyme activity is observed in the presence than in the absence of ATP. Similar protection was obtained with glycerol. In addition, the iPLA2 exhibits multiple activities which are strongly dependent on substrate presentation. The lysophospholipase activity of this enzyme was diminished by Triton X-100 and stimulated by glycerol. With the combination of 50 μM Triton X-100 and 50% glycerol, the enzyme’s lysophospholipase activity achieved equivalent activity to its PLA2 activity. The iPLA2 displayed both lysophospholipid/transacylase and phospholipid/transacylase activity, supporting the conclusion that the mechanism of action of iPLA2 proceeds through an acyl-enzyme intermediate as proposed for the Group IV cPLA2.
Chattering-free variable structure control with application to flight vehicles

Variable structure control (VSC) is a popular robust control method widely used to cope with uncertain system dynamics. Unfortunately, current VSC always comes with "chattering". Eliminating or alleviating such chattering has motivates numerous research efforts, but most proposed methods for chattering elimination are achieved at the price of control precision and additional heavy computations. In our recent paper (Y. D. Song, et al., March 2004) a novel approach is proposed to completely remove the chattering yet maintain asymptotical system stability. The design philosophy is to directly design the rate of the control (compensating) signal, so that the control input is readily obtained via integration. It is shown that the method can eliminate chattering without sacrificing control precise while at the same time ensuring a bounded and smooth control action. This paper extends the results in (Y. D. Song, et al., March 2004) to a more general higher order nonlinear system. Application of this method to heading direction tracking control of flight vehicles is simulated presented. The results with comparison to traditional VSC and VSC + smoothening are represented.
Quantitative measurement of ovalbumin messenger ribonucleic acid activity. Localization in polysomes, induction by estrogen, and effect of actinomycin D.

Abstract Procedures are described for the quantitative assay of ovalbumin mRNA in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate protein-synthesizing system. A technique for rapid and efficient separation of labeled immunoprecipitated ovalbumin from nonspecific radioactivity is presented. The capacity of the lysate system for total de novo protein synthesis, determined with the use of aurintricarboxylic acid, was found to be correlated with the capacity for ovalbumin mRNA translation. Hemin, a compound that stimulates hemoglobin synthesis in reticulocyte lysates, also stimulates ovalbumin synthesis. The yield of ovalbumin mRNA activity was used as a criterion in choosing optimal conditions for the isolation of undegraded nucleic acid from oviduct. Phenol extraction of total oviduct homogenate yielded only one-third as much activity as isolation by sodium dodecyl sulfate sucrose gradient. When high concentrations of heparin were used to inhibit ribonuclease, the degradation rate of ovalbumin mRNA activity after homogenization could be slowed enough (half-life = 6.4 hours) to permit nearly quantitative recovery of activity in subcellular fractions. No translation of mRNA fragments could be detected in partially degraded nucleic acid preparations. Seventy-one per cent of the total ovalbumin mRNA activity sedimented with polysomes with only 5% in the 27,000 x g pellet. Administration of estrogen to immature chicks induced ovalbumin mRNA activity, and continued hormone treatment was necessary for the maintenance of activity. In vivo administration of actinomycin D to chicks led to a 65% increase in the rate of ovalbumin synthesis in culture with no change in total or polysomal mRNA levels, providing direct evidence that this drug increases the rate of ovalbumin mRNA translation.
Shock-induced mixing of a light-gas cylinder

Experiments have been carried out to quantify the mixing induced by the interaction of a weak shock wave with a cylindrical volume of a gas (helium) that is lighter than its surroundings (air). In these experiments a round laminar jet was used to produce the light-gas cylinder, and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), utilizing a fluorescent tracer (biacetyl) mixed with the helium, was used to visualize the flow. These techniques provide a higher quality of flow visualization than that obtained in previous investigations. In addition, the PLIF technique could be used for the measurement of species concentration. The distortion of the helium cylinder produced by the passing shock wave was found to be similar to that displayed by images from previous experimental and computational investigations. The downstream displacement of several points on the boundary of the light-gas cylinder are measured and agree reasonably well with the results of earlier experimental and theoretical studies as well. Because the mixing process causes the helium originally contained within the cylinder to be dispersed into the surrounding air, the PLIF image area inside the contour at one half the maximum concentration of the fluorescent tracer decreases as the two gases mixed. The change in this area is used as a measure of the mixing rate, and it is found that the time rate of change of this area divided by the area of the initial jet is approximately - 0.7 X 10^3 S^(-1).
Quasi-single Crystal Semiconductors on Glass Substrates Through Biaxially Oriented Buffer Layers

High efficiency photovoltaic devices are normally fabricated on single crystalline substrates. These single crystalline substrates are expensive and volume production for widespread usage has not been realistic. To date, large volume production of solar cells is on less expensive non-crystalline substrates such as glass. Typically the films grown on glass are polycrystalline with less than ideal efficiency. It was proposed that a dramatic gain in the efficiency may be achieved if one uses a biaxially oriented buffer layer on glass to grow biaxial semiconductor films to fabricate solar devices compared to that of films grown directly on glass. Biaxial films are not exactly single crystal but have strongly preferred crystallographic orientations in both the out-of-plane and in-plane directions. Typically the misorientation between grains can be small (within a few degrees) and may possess low carrier recombination rate. In this paper we shall discuss growth techniques that would allow one to produce biaxial buffer layers on glass. A specific strategy using an atomic shadowing mechanism in an oblique angle deposition configuration that allows one to grow biaxial buffer layers such as CaF2 on glass substrate will be discussed in detail. Results of heteroepitaxy of semiconductor materials such as CdTe and Ge on these biaxial buffer/glass substrates characterized by x-ray pole figure, reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) pole figure and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) will be presented.
Design and characterization of a novel battery-less, solar powered wireless tag for enhanced-range remote tracking applications

In this paper, a novel wireless "Battery-less Solar Powered Wireless Tag" with an enhanced range of a factor of 3–5 with respect to other passive tags is introduced for remote tracking applications. Power and wireless link measurements carried out between the tag and a commercial wireless sensor network receiver verify the feasibility of this technology for remote tracking deploying very low cost multi-hop wireless communication. It is the first time that a communication between an RFID and a wireless sensor network is reported — based on the convergence/co-design of five different technologies — thus tremendously enhancing the capabilities, as well as drastically reducing the implementation cost of RFID's, while leading to the first generation of truly “green” RF electronics.
Orthogonal relations for reasoning about posets

In large distributed systems, event abstraction becomes an important issue in order to represent interactions and reason at the right level of abstraction. Abstract events are collections of more elementary events, which provide a view of the system execution at an appropriate level of granularity. Understanding how two abstract events relate to each other is a fundamental problem for knowledge representation and reasoning in a complex system. In this paper, we study how two abstract events in a distributed system are related to each other in terms of the more elementary causality relation. Specifically, we analyze the ways in which two abstract events can be related to each other orthogonally, that is, identify all the possible mutually independent relations by which two such events could be related to each other. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Emotions and Social Movements: Twenty Years of Theory and Research

The past 20 years have seen an explosion of research and theory into the emotions of protest and social movements. At one extreme, general theoretical statements about emotions have established their importance in every aspect of political action. At the other, the origins and influence of many specific emotions have been isolated as causal mechanisms. This article offers something in between, a typology of emotional processes aimed not only at showing that not all emotions work the same way, but also at encouraging research into how different emotions interact with one another. This should also help us overcome a residual suspicion that emotions are irrational, as well as avoid the overreaction, namely demonstrations that emotions help (and never hurt) protest mobilization and goals.
Preparation and properties of silicon telluride

Abstract The phase diagram for the silicon-tellurium system has been examined primarily by the methods of thermal analysis and metallographic examination. Only a single compound, Si 2 Te 3 , with an incongruent melting point of 892°C, was found to form in the solid state. The compound SiTe was identified only in the vapor phase. Single phase Si 2 Te 3 was prepared by quenching from the liquid phase and annealing, and by vacuum sublimation of excess Te from samples containing no unreacted Si. Red single crystal platelets of Si 2 Te 3 were grown by vapor transport in evacuated quartz capsules. Unprotected samples of Si 2 Te 3 hydrolyzed slowly when in contact with air. Si 2 Te 3 was found to be a p -type semiconductor with a band gap of 2·0 eV, an electrical resistivity normally in the 10 1 –10 4 Ω-cm range, a thermal conductivity of 4–5 mW °C-cm , and a density of 4·5 g cm 3 .
Computational Math, Science, and Technology: A New Pedagogical Approach to Math and Science Education

We describe math modeling and computer simulations as a new pedagogical approach to math and science education. Computational approach to Math, Science, and Technology (CMST) involves inquiry-based, project-based, and team-based instruction. It takes the constructivist approach recommended by national learning standards. Our college has formed a partnership with local school districts to study impact of CMST on student achievement in math and science. We have trained more than 60 middle and high school teachers and teacher candidates. Preliminary results indicate that CMST-based professional development contributed an increase in passing rate (from 39% to 85%) of Rochester City School District in New York State high school math exam. This paper establishes relevant literature supporting CMST as an important scientific and educational methodology.
From the Myth of Formal Equality to the Politics of Social Justice: Race and the Legal Attack on Native Entitlements

This article examines how the conservative legal movement's successful countermobilization of the politics of rights enables U.S. Supreme Court outcomes that exacerbate racial and ethnic inequities while solidifying the privileged position of others in the name of equality. A comparison of two pivotal Supreme Court cases involving native entitlements—Morton v. Mancari (1974) and Rice v. Cayetano (2000)—illustrates how appeals to formal, as opposed to substantive, equality work in effect to support existing hierarchies. At the same time, the conservative legal movement's success provides progressive social actors with opportunities to reframe the discourse. We suggest that a critical questioning of strategies predicated on appeals for equal rights may be necessary to advance the interests of native populations in the current environment, and we identify an alternative way of working for native interests, one that escapes the constraints of equality doctrine by appealing to broader claims of social justice.
5. WHAT DO MEDIEVAL BUILDINGS MEAN

The aim of this article is to review and reconsider what scholars, including historians, archaeologists, and those in other disciplines, are trying to get at when they attempt a “social interpretation” of English late medieval domestic buildings. I focus on the definition and interpretation of “meaning,” and I examine critically a series of concepts routinely deployed in social interpretations in the past, including my own work, such as type, zeitgeist, and intention. I argue that some of these concepts and interpretive moves are problematic and rather than aiding in our understanding, raise further questions in their turn about how buildings were lived in and understood by their medieval inhabitants. I argue for a shift in language and jargon away from “planning” and “meaning” to that of “lived experience”. I explore such a possible shift with reference to different understandings of and debates over the late medieval castle of Bodiam in southeastern England. Such a shift from meaning to lived experience raises fresh challenges for the development and empirical evaluation of interdisciplinary research on medieval buildings, but it also raises fresh possibilities and insights.
Political Cleavages and Changing Exposure to Trade

Combining the classical theorem of Stolper and Samuelson with a model of politics derived from Becker leads to the conclusion that exogenous changes in the risks or costs of countries' external trade will stimulate domestic conflict between owners of locally scarce and locally abundant factors. A traditional three-factor model then predicts quite specific coalitions and cleavages among owners of land, labor, and capital, depending only on the given country's level of economic development and its land-labor ratio. A preliminary survey of historical periods of expanding and contracting trade, and of such specific cases as the German “marriage of iron and rye,” U.S. and Latin American populism, and Asian socialism, suggests the accuracy of this hypothesis. While the importance of such other factors as cultural divisions and political inheritance cannot be denied, the role of exogenous changes in the risks and costs of trade deserves further investigation.
Bridging the theoretical divide in Holocene landscape studies: social and ecological approaches to ancient Oaxacan landscapes

Abstract In this article we discuss two theoretical approaches to landscape studies in archaeology: the ecological and social/symbolic. We suggest that an integrated approach can provide a more effective means through which archaeologists and earth scientists can model the complex interplay between people and the environment. Our perspective views peoples' engagements with the landscape as simultaneously ecological and social, material and symbolic. To illustrate this synthetic approach we discuss our research from the highland and lowland regions of the Mexican state of Oaxaca using archaeological, ethnographic, ethnohistorical, paleoecological, and geomorphological data. In highland Oaxaca we examine the ways in which political and religious principles were embedded in the landscape as well as the social, symbolic, and material dimensions of anthropogenic landscape change during the Formative period. For the coastal lowlands, we discuss the social and ecological implications of the transition to sedentism and the effects of anthropogenic landscape change during the Formative period. We also examine the interplay between politics and land use during the Classic and Postclassic periods.
Catching Conical Intersections in the Act: Monitoring Transient Electronic Coherences by Attosecond Stimulated X-Ray Raman Signals

Conical intersections (CIs) dominate the pathways and outcomes of virtually all photophysical and photochemical molecular processes. Despite extensive experimental and theoretical effort, CIs have not been directly observed yet and the experimental evidence is being inferred from fast reaction rates and some vibrational signatures. We show that short x-ray (rather than optical) pulses can directly detect the passage through a CI with the adequate temporal and spectral sensitivity. The technique is based on a coherent Raman process that employs a composite femtosecond or attosecond x-ray pulse to detect the electronic coherences (rather than populations) that are generated as the system passes through the CI.