cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power line characterization from an airborne data collection with a millimeter wave radar

Enhancing the operational safety of small, maneuverable rotorcraft has been a critical consideration in the development of next generation situational awareness sensor suites. From landing assistance to target detection and obstacle avoidance, millimeter wave radars have become the leading candidate for such solutions due to their ability to operate in degraded visual environments, whether it is weather, induced debris, or night conditions that must be dealt with. Power lines pose arguably the largest safety risk for helicopter operation due to their difficulty in detection and proper identification to support avoidance maneuvering, where even under perfect conditions they can be nearly invisible to the naked eye. The backscatter phenomenology from braided power lines has been well-studied and formulated in previous literature, albeit mainly in controlled laboratory settings or limited field trials. Subsequently, the ability to simply detect power lines at operational distances up to around 2 km has been demonstrated. In this work, an analysis is performed on the measureable characteristics of power lines captured in a representative operational environment for helicopters. The test location included a diverse set of power line configurations with surrounding ground and tower clutter, representing a realistic scenario. A radiometrically calibrated w-band real-beam FMCW sensor allows the study and estimation of target RCS, as well as evaluation against the developed theory. All analysis is performed on dynamically captured data from a helicopter, where platform dynamics and system stability also play a significant role in a processed result. Results from this work will aid the effective development of next generation situational awareness systems.
Evidence for nuclear superfluidity in 236 U isomeric- and prompt-fission modes

Isomer fission in $^{236m}\mathrm{U}$, ${t}_{\frac{1}{2}}=125$ nsec, from $^{235}\mathrm{U}(d, pf)$ was compared with prompt fission $^{235}\mathrm{U}({n}_{\mathrm{th}}, f)$, in twin experiments. Fine structure in the total kinetic energy, average total kinetic energy as a function of mass, and mass yield were observed in isomer fission of $^{236m}\mathrm{U}$. This observation is compatible with a superfluid descent from saddle to scission points. Two peaks in the total-kinetic-energy distribution from isomer fission are observed near fragment mass 132, and this is interpreted as due to the proton-pairing effect at $Z=50$.
Phase matching limitations of high efficiency second harmonic generation

-A discussion of second harmonic generation with imperfect phase matching in the high conversion limit is presented. Phase modulation of the fundamental pulse, dispersion, central frequency wavevector mismatch, and fundamental depletion are included. The results show that even small amounts of phase modulation or central frequency wavevector mismatch can limit harmonic generation and must be considered at high conversion efficiency. Both spatial and temporal phase matching parameters are more restrictive at high conversion efficiency because of the narrowing of the central phase matching peak. If the harmonic conversion process is overdriven, severe distortion of the harmonic and transmitted fundamental pulses can result. Cascade harmonic generation of neodymium laser radiation to 266 nm is presented as an example.
HPLC Determination of Morphine-Hydromorphone-Bupivacaine and Morphine-Hydromorphone-Tetracaine Mixtures in 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection

Abstract High performance liquid chromatography procedures have been developed for the assay of morphine-hydromorphone-bupivacaine and morphine-hydromorphone-tetracaine mixtures in 0.9% sodium chloride injection. The separation and quantitation of morphine-hydromorphone-bupivacaine was performed on a phenyl column at ambient temperature using a mobile phase of 50:50 v/v 0.02M phosphate buffer pH 6.0-acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min with the detection of all three analytes at 235 nm. The separation was achieved within 20 min with sensitivity in ng/mL range for each analyte. Morphine, hydromorphone and bupivacaine were linear in 5.0–51, 5.1–51.7 and 5.0–50 μg/mL ranges, respectively. Accuracy and precision were in the range 0.51–1.89 and 0.02–0.50%, respectively, for all three analytes and the limit of detection was close to 250 ng/mL for each component based on a signal to noise ratio of 3 and 20 μL injection. The separation and quantitation of morphine-hydromorphone-tetracaine was achieved on a s...
Social grouping cannot account for cerebral effects of enriched environments

Several experiments were conducted to test whether, as suggested by Welch et al. in this journal, mere group living (social stimulation) can account for the significant differences in measures of brain anatomy and brain chemistry that develop between rodents housed in groups in enriched environments and rodents housed singly in restricted environments; the alternative hypothesis was that features of the inanimate environment can significantly affect brain measures of animals living in a social group. Groups of 12 male rats were assigned for 30 days to several types of environment: (a) large cage without stimulus objects, (b) large cage containing varied stimulus objects, (c) large cage containing a maze whose pattern of barriers was changed daily, and (d) a seminatural outdoor environment; in each experiment, littermates of rats in the social conditions were housed in isolation in small colony cages. At the end of the 30-day period, measures were taken of weights of brain regions, RNA and DNA contents of regions of cerebral cortex, and acetylcholinesterase activities of brain regions. Although the number of rats housed together was constant for conditions a--d and cage size was constant for conditions a--c, the magnitudes of the cerebral measures varied significantly as a function of the inanimate stimulus conditions. The differences from isola;ion-housed littermates was greatest in condition d and smallest in condition a. Thus, social grouping alone is inadequate to explain the cerebral effects of enriched environments and the inanimate stimulus conditions must be taken into account.
Evidence for the Autoregulation of Hormone Secretion by Prolactin

The cells from the 2B8 clonal strain of pituitary cells which previously have been reported to produce only PRL were incubated with varying amounts of ovine PRL (oPRL) ranging from 0.01--1000 ng/ml. After 1 h, significantly less PRL was measured in culture media from cells incubated with all doses of oPRL employed. This inhibition was dose related. The cells were rinsed five times with Hank's balanced salt solution and subsequently placed into PRL-free media for an additional hour. Hypersecretion of hormone occurred from those cells previously exposed to 1--1000 ng/ml oPRL. The PRL in the media from cells previously exposed to 0.01--0.1 ng/ml was similar to that in the control culture. In some experiments, the cellular concentration of PRL was determined at the end of each of the two 1-h incubation periods. After the initial exposure to oPRL, an increase in intracellular hormone was observed only in those groups incubated with 1--1000 ng/ml oPRL. In contrast, after the cells were rinsed and placed into PRL-free medium, the cellular concentration of PRL was unchanged in all groups except the group previously exposed to 100 ng/ml oPRL. These data indicate that PRL can inhibit its own secretion through direct action on the lactotrophs of the anterior pituitary gland.
Control Driven Advances in Smart Rotating Machinery

In the last twenty years, there has been significant progress in the design of rotating machinery equipped with smart components and embedded functions. This was accompanied by developments in actuators, sensors and power electronics technologies, advances in data acquisition and signal processing, as well as developments in control theory. This paper will provide a brief overview of the current state of art and it will illustrate examples of the applications of smart technologies applied to rotating machines. Several technologies, either most recently developed or under development will be presented, which involve active control and are relevant to smart solutions applied to rotating machinery.
Stress pulses produced during the fracture of brittle tensile specimens

Abstract A theoretical model similar to that used by Miklowitz is assumed for the fracture of uniaxial tensile specimens. For this model both symmetric and antisymmetric pulses are propagated away from the fracture zone. The theoretical predictions for surface strain are found to agree remarkably well with experimental results.
Information technology and U.S. productivity growth: evidence from a prototype industry production account

The rapid productivity growth in the US during the Information Age, prior to the dot-com bust in 2000, and the large contribution of the IT producing sector, is well known. Less known are the sources of the surprisingly rapid TFP growth during the slow growth period after 2000. We construct an account of US economic growth by aggregating over detailed industries using a new data set based on the NAICS classification. We find that, post 2000, TFP originating from the IT-Producing sector decelerated relative to the IT boom, but still accounted for 40% of aggregate productivity growth. This deceleration was counterbalanced by the contribution from IT-Using sectors, which buoyed aggregate TFP growth to almost the same rate as the 1995–2000 period. For aggregate GDP, the contributions to the growth rate of 2.8% during 2000–2007 were: capital input (1.7% points), labor input (0.4) and TFP (0.7).
Error Detection And Correction In Multilevel Algebraic Optical Processors

The performance of inexact processors can be improved at the cost of throughput by using parallel redundant computations to correct errors at the processor's output. Error correcting codes applicable to binary data strings have previously been suggested for application to optical processors. We demonstrate that multilevel block codes can likewise be applied. Specific attention is given to error correction multilevel optical matrix-vector multipliers. The per-formance of the multilevel block code is compared to that of multilevel error correction codes formulated for VLSI processors and bar code readers. In residue-coded form (in which the matrix-vector multiplication is performed conventionally), the multilevel block code is shown overall to require fewer resolvable levels at the output.
ADA SUPPORTS VITAL TOOTH BLEACHING—BUT LOOK FOR THE SEAL

The ADA has lent its support to tooth bleaching by providing procedural codes, educational materials and product evaluation procedures. The author describes the elements of the ADA product evaluation process and the role they should play in product development.
Ultrasound-heated photoacoustic flowmetry.

We report the development of photoacoustic flowmetry assisted by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). This novel method employs HIFU to generate a heating impulse in the flow medium, followed by photoacoustic monitoring of the thermal decay process. Photoacoustic flowmetry in a continuous medium remains a challenge in the optical diffusive regime. Here, both the HIFU heating and photoacoustic detection can focus at depths beyond the optical diffusion limit (~1 mm in soft tissue). This method can be applied to a continuous medium, i.e., a medium without discrete scatterers or absorbers resolvable by photoacoustic imaging. Flow speeds up to 41 mm⋅s^(-1) have been experimentally measured in a blood phantom covered by 1.5-mm-thick tissue.
Vα14iNKT cell Deficiency Prevents Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Failure by Enhancing Hepatic Glutathione and Altering APAP Metabolism

Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is widely regarded as a major cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Intentional or accidental overdose of APAP in man or rodent elicits direct hepatocellular injury that is accompanied by hepatic depletion of the antioxidant, glutathione (GSH). In recent years, the innate immune response has also been shown to promote the development of APAP hepatotoxicity via indirect liver damage. In the present study, we demonstrate that Jα18(-/-) mice, which are selectively deficient in the innate immune T cell, Vα14iNKT cells, were resistant to APAP hepatotoxicity relative to WT mice as reflected by biochemical and histological liver injury markers. In parallel, improvement in the biochemical and histological parameters of liver injury in Jα18(-/-) mice was associated with a significant increase in hepatic levels of GSH, which detoxified APAP metabolites to attenuate hepatic oxidative stress, liver injury and necrosis. Notably, the protective effect of hepatic GSH during Vα14iNKT cells deficiency was demonstrated by its depletion in Jα18(-/-) mice using dl-buthionine-[S,R]-sulfoximine which exacerbated hepatic oxidative and nitrosative stress as well as liver necrosis and caused mice mortality. Extraordinarily, APAP metabolism in Jα18(-/-) mice was altered in favor of hepatic GSH conjugates and decreased glucuronide conjugates. In summary, we reveal a novel finding establishing a unique association between hepatic innate immunity and GSH levels in altering APAP metabolism to suppress liver injury and necrosis during Vα14iNKT cells deficiency in Jα18(-/-) mice.
Control of emission colour with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands in phosphorescent three-coordinate Cu(I) complexes

A series of three phosphorescent mononuclear (NHC)–Cu(I) complexes were prepared and characterized. Photophysical properties were found to be largely controlled by the NHC ligand chromophore. Variation of the NHC ligand leads to emission colour tuning over 200 nm range from blue to red, and emission efficiencies of 0.16–0.80 in the solid state.
Fluorescent Pseudomonas isolates from Mississippi Delta oxbow lakes: in vitro herbicide biotransformations.

(( ) ABSTRACT: Fluorescent pseudomonads were a major component log 10 4.2 -6.1 colony-forming 1 ) units mL of the culturable heterotrophic gram-negative bacterioplankton observed in three Missis- sippi Delta oxbow lakes in this study. Pure cultures of fluorescent pseudomonads were isolated from () three Mississippi Delta oxbow lakes 18 per lake , using selective media S-1. Classical physiological tests and Biolog GN plates were used in criteria for taxonomic identification. Most isolates were () ( ) ( ) identified as biotypes of Pseudomonas fluorescens 55% II , 7% III , and 25% V. About 7% of the isolates were identified as P. putida and 7% as non-fluorescent Pseudomonas-like. Cell suspensions of these isolates were tested for their ability to metabolize/co-metabolize six 14 C-radiolabeled herbicides
Cell-Level Pharmacokinetic Model of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor: Implications for Ligand Lifetime and Potency in Vivo

The cytokine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (GCSF) is of great clinical importance, with primary application to rapidly elevate the peripheral neutrophil levels of chemotherapy patients through accelerated granulopoiesis. However, these mature bloodstream neutrophils express the GCSF receptor (GCSFR), presenting a significant and specific clearance mechanism of circulating GCSF that increases with time. Here, we formulate a mathematical model that describes these cell-level GCSF/GCSFR dynamics and correlate the effect of these endocytic trafficking processes to ligand depletion in an in vitro culture. We further incorporate this cell-level model into an existing pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model, to gain insight into the effects that specific molecular and cellular parameters may have on overall PK/PD effects in vivo. Our cell-level model suggests that ligand depletion may be reduced in vitro by decreasing the endosomal affinity of endocytosed GCSF/GCSFR complexes, matching experimental findings. Additionally, our modified PK/PD model suggests that a GCSF analog with a modification that effectively eliminates renal clearance should have a significantly longer half-life in vivo and should therefore improve peripheral neutrophil counts. This is consistent with clinical studies on a polyethylene glycol chemical conjugate of GCSF termed SD/01. The model predicts that a GCSF analog that eliminates renal clearance and has reduced endosomal binding affinity may result in an even longer ligand half-life and increased neutrophil counts at a lower dose than either wild-type GCSF or SD/01. More generally, this type of hierarchical model provides a correlation between the molecular and pharmacological properties of a drug and may elucidate design goals for such protein therapeutics.
An extreme bias in the germ line of XY C57BL/6 XY FVB/N chimaeric mice

Chimaeric analysis is a powerful method to address questions about the cell-autonomous nature of defects in spermatogenesis. Symplastic spermatids (sys) mice have a recessive mutation that causes male sterility due to an arrest in germ-cell development during spermiogenesis. Chimaeric mice were generated by aggregation of eight-cell embryos from sys (FVB/N genetic background) and wild-type C57BL/6 (B6) mice to determine whether the male germ-cell defect is cell-autonomous. The resulting FVB/N B6 chimaeras ( denotes fusion of embryos) were mated with FVB/N mice and coat colour of offspring was used to identify transmission of FVB/N or B6 gametes. Regardless of the relative contribution of B6 to somatic tissues of the chimaeras, almost all (282 of 284; 99.3%) offspring of B6 XY XY FVB/N (+/+ or sys/+) males (n = 9) received a FVB/N-derived paternal gamete. After mating of female B6 FVB/N chimaeras, 51 of 73 (69.9%) offspring received an FVB-derived maternal gamete. Southern blot analysis of different tissues from chimaeric males indicated that, despite the presence of balanced chimaerism in somatic tissues, the germ line in B6 XY XY FVB/N mice was essentially FVB/N in composition. Thus there is a strong selective advantage for FVB/N male germ cells over B6 male germ cells in B6 FVB/N-aggregation chimaeras at some stage during development of the male germ line. Each of three male chimaeras that were either B6 XY XY FVB/N (sys/sys) or B6 XX XY FVB/N (sys/sys) in composition was sterile, and testis histology was essentially sys mutant. This finding indicates that the function of the gene(s) affected in the sys mutation may be required in the testis, although whether expression is required in germ cells, somatic cells or both remains unknown. The extreme bias in transmission of male gametes has implications for experimental design in studies that use chimaeric analysis to address questions regarding the cell-autonomous nature of germ-cell defects in mice.
Living History Museums and the Construction of the Real through Performance

The narrative fabric of modern history, writes Roland Barthes, tends to be woven with a certain amount of “useless” details, which, though they are ultimately “filling” (“catalysis”), nonetheless have “indisputable symbolic value.” As a consequence, the past two centuries have seen the “development of techniques, of works and institutions based on the incessant need to authenticate the ‘real.’” These techniques include photography, reportage, exhibitions, and, I would like to emphasize, “the tourism of monuments and historical sites”—the subject of this essay. Indeed, for the tourist, the symbolic value accorded the minutiae on display at historic sites, preserved or re-created for public display, seem to be the very elements that guarantee real history, despite the fact that many of these details are often the most conjectural elements.
Simultaneous determination of zidovudine and lamivudine from rat plasma, amniotic fluid and tissues by HPLC

A sensitive HPLC method has been developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of zidovudine (AZT) and lamivudine (3TC) in rat plasma, amniotic fluid and placental and fetal tissues. Samples were processed by solid-phase extraction using C2 cartridges. Chromatography was performed using a phenyl column (5 microm, 150 x 2 mm i.d.) under a flow rate of 0.2 mL/min. The mobile phase consisted of 8% acetonitrile in 5 mM 1-heptane sulfonic acid dissolved in 30 mM ammonium formate buffer (pH 3.3). The method was validated in the range 0.25-50 microg/mL for both 3TC and AZT in the four biological matrices. Finally, the method was applied to a study involving fetal transport of co-administration of these compounds in a pregnant rat.
Effect of electrode configuration and electronic conductivity on current density distribution measurements in PEM fuel cells

Abstract Current density and potential distribution measurements were conducted using a segmented current collector and flow field setup on membrane electrode assemblies prepared with segmented and unsegmented electrodes made from two different types of commercially available gas diffusion layers. Both galvanostatic and potentiostatic discharge modes were employed. Irrespective of the type of gas diffusion layer, when a common electrode was employed, significant performance variations were encountered between current collector segments in the constant voltage mode, while the segment to segment variations were minimal in the constant current mode. Both types of discharge modes showed negligible variations between segments in the case of segmented electrode. A simple mathematical model was developed to assist in the interpretation of the experimental results. The differences in contact resistances between the current collectors and the gas diffusion layer, especially on the cathode side have been identified as the primary reason for the experimentally observed behavior. Based on the results presented here, segmenting the electrode along with the current collector is recommended for current distribution studies. When using a common electrode, only the galvanostatic mode is preferred to minimize contact artifacts.
Nickel Enzymes & Cofactors

This review covers the structure and function of the eight known Ni enzymes, with a focus on the chemistry and biology of the metallocenter. For the Ni redox enzymes, the Ni ion exhibits versatility in redox properties in exploiting the +3/+2 (superoxide dismutase and hydrogenase), the +2/+1 (hydrogenase, CO dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA synthase, and methyl-CoM reductase), and perhaps even reaching the 0 (acetyl-CoA synthase) states for the redox enzymes. On the other hand, the nonredox Ni enzymes (urease, glyoxylase-I, aci-reductone dioxygenase) apparently remain in the +2 state during catalysis. The Ni site(s) in these enzymes adopt a wide variety of coordination environments; some form mononuclear square planar or octahedral complexes, while others are homo- or hetero- (with iron) dinuclear with oxo or thiolato bridges and still others join heteromultinuclear clusters. Acetyl-CoA synthase contains the most complex Ni metallocenter yet described, which is a [4Fe–4S]2+ cluster bridged by a cysteine thiolate to a binuclear NiNi center. The three-dimensional structures of all these enzymes are known and some (acetyl-CoA synthase, aci-reductone dioxygenase, CO dehydrogenase, and superoxide dismutase) have been determined in the past two years leading to a significant reinterpretation of spectroscopic results. In many Ni enzymes, density functional theory has begun to play a major role in assigning active-site structures and testing mechanistic hypotheses. Keywords: methanogenesis; urease; hydrogenase; carbon monoxide dehydrogenase; acetyl-CoA synthase; methyl-coenzyme M reductase; superoxide dismutase; gloxylase I; aci-reductone dioxygenase; acetogenesis; iron–sulfur
Identifying Preferences in Persons with Dementia: Systematic Preference Testing vs. Caregiver and Family Member Report

One problem facing professional caregivers of dementia patients involves identifying preferences in patients with impaired verbal abilities. Long-term care staff often rely on the opinions of family or trial and error to discover patient preferences despite the availability of empirical methods for assessing preferences in nonverbal populations. The purpose of this study was to examine whether caregivers and family members could accurately determine the preferences of dementia patients. Patient preferences were determined using an empirical preference assessment while caregivers and family completed a self-report measure concerning their opinions about patient preferences. Results indicated that family and staff were relatively inaccurate in determining the preferences of patients. Results may have implications for developing more effective care plans and improving quality of life for persons with dementia residing in long-term care facilities.
Experiments in Aligning Threaded Parts Using a Robot Hand

Techniques for determining and correcting threaded part alignment using force and angular position data are developed to augment currently limited techniques for aligning threaded parts. These new techniques are based on backspinning a nut with respect to a bolt and measuring the force change that occurs when the bolt "falls" into the nut. Kinematic models that describe the relationship between threaded parts during backspinning are introduced and are used to show how angular alignment may be determined. The models indicate how to distinguish between the aligned and misaligned cases of a bolt and a nut connection by using axial force data only. In addition, by tracking the in-plane relative attitude of the bolt during spinning, data can be obtained on the direction of the angular misalignment which, in turn, is used to correct the misalignment. Results from experiments using a bolt held in a specialized fixture and a three fingered Stanford/JPL hand are presented.
Linear Complementarity Models of Nash-Cournot Competition in Bilateral and POOLCO Power Markets

Two Cournot models of imperfect competition among electricity producers are formulated as mixed linear complementarity problems (LCPs), and a simple example is presented to illustrate their application. The two models simulate bilateral markets. The models include a congestion pricing scheme for transmission, but other transmission pricing approaches can also be represented in this framework. The two models differ from each other in that one has no arbitrage between nodes of the network, while in the other model, arbitragers erase any noncost based differences in price. The latter bilateral model turns out to be equivalent to a Cournot model of a POOLCO. The models differ from other Cournot market models in that they include both of Kirchhoff's laws via a DC approximation; can include arbitragers; possess unique solutions; and are readily solved by efficient LCP algorithms. The key assumption that permits their formulation as LCPs is that each producer naively assumes that its output will not affect transmission prices.
Issues in a submicron Cu interconnect system using liftoff patterning

A liftoff process has been used to study integration issues associated with submicron copper interconnects. Copper interconnects clad with upper and lower layers of chromium have been patterned at 0.8 and 0.5 mu m dimensions using a silicon template-based tri-layer resist stack. Reliability studies have been performed which indicate that complete cladding of copper lines is necessary in integrated systems. To protect the interconnect sidewalls, blanket PECVD SiON films have been deposited over the lifted-off Cr/Cu/Cr structures. This type of sidewall cladding procedure has been found to be effective even when the lines are entrenched in polyimide layers. Based on these findings, 0.8 mu m double level metal chains have been constructed with entrenched features, fully clad Cr/Cu/Cr interconnects, and lifted-off Ti/AlCu/Ti plugs. >
Visual Access and Attention in Two-Year-Olds' Event Reasoning and Object Search

Several recent studies have revealed substantial limitations in 2-year-olds' ability to search accurately for objects that have undergone unseen movement, even along highly constrained paths. In many of these studies, children observed a ball as it rolled down a track and behind an occluding panel that contained 4 doors. The track had a barrier that was partly visible and could be placed in locations corresponding to the doors. When the ball came to a rest against the barrier and behind the occluder, the child's task was to find the ball by opening the correct door. The search accuracy of 2-year-olds has not differed from chance across several variations of this task. This research was conducted to identify the source of 2-year-olds' limitation in this domain. Children were granted a full view of the event before the ball was occluded with a door panel. Children's performance was better under this condition, but was still not systematically accurate unless their gaze remained locked onto the correct locat...
Spontaneous Reconstitution of Functional Transmembrane Proteins During Bioorthogonal Phospholipid Membrane Synthesis.

Transmembrane proteins are critical for signaling, transport, and metabolism, yet their reconstitution in synthetic membranes is often challenging. Non-enzymatic and chemoselective methods to generate phospholipid membranes in situ would be powerful tools for the incorporation of membrane proteins. Herein, the spontaneous reconstitution of functional integral membrane proteins during the de novo synthesis of biomimetic phospholipid bilayers is described. The approach takes advantage of bioorthogonal coupling reactions to generate proteoliposomes from micelle-solubilized proteins. This method was successfully used to reconstitute three different transmembrane proteins into synthetic membranes. This is the first example of the use of non-enzymatic chemical synthesis of phospholipids to prepare proteoliposomes.
Optimization of factors influencing the transfection efficiency of folate–PEG–folate-graft-polyethylenimine

Abstract Folate–poly(ethylene glycol)–folate-grafted-polyethylenimine (FPF-g-PEI) was synthesized over a range of grafting ratios of folate–poly(ethylene glycol)–folate (FPF) to polyethylenimine (PEI). The conjugation was determined using the absorbance at 363 nm for each polymer. FPF-g-PEIs were determined to have 2.3, 5.2, 9.3 and 20 FPF linear polymers grafted to each PEI. The average molecular weight was calculated to be ∼34,848, 47,266, 64,823 and 110,640 Da, respectively. The pH profiles of FPF-g-PEIs suggest that the polymers have endosomal disruption capacity, and the gel electrophoretic band retardation showed efficient condensation of DNA. The transfection efficiency, determined using plasmid encoding luciferase, was dependent on the cell type and was different for CT-26 colon adenocarcinoma, KB oral epidermoid, and normal smooth muscle cells (SMC). The relative toxicity of polymer/plasmid complexes was determined using the MTT colorimetric assay. At neutral charge ratio, FPF-g-PEI/pLuc complexes were less toxic to cells and showed higher transfection in cancer cells compared to PEI/pLuc complexes. Smooth muscle cells showed no specificity for FPF-g-PEI/pLuc complexes, whereas PEI/pLuc complexes showed a higher transfection efficiency. The transfection efficiency increased when neutral polymer/DNA complex concentrations increased, but decreased when positively charged polymer/DNA complex concentrations increased. There was little increase in toxicity when FPF-5.2g-PEI/pLuc complex concentrations increased.
Information Assurance and Secure Streaming Algorithm Based on Cubic Roots of Integers

In this paper three communication issues are considered: 1) security 2) reliability and 3) streaming of information. For the security of communication a new public-key cryptography algorithm, based on extraction of cubic roots modulo composite n=pq, is described. The paper demonstrates how to intertwine both the security requirement and communication assurance into one algorithmic protocol. Several examples of reliability protocols are introduced and their efficiencies (probabilities of failure, bandwidth requirement per block of transmitted ciphertext and complexities of decryption per block of ciphertext) are analyzed and compared.
Attenuation of length dependence of calcium activation in myofilaments of transgenic mouse hearts expressing slow skeletal troponin I

We compared sarcomere length (SL) dependence of the Ca2+-force relation of detergent-extracted bundles of fibres dissected from the left ventricle of wild-type (WT) and transgenic mouse hearts expressing slow skeletal troponin I (ssTnI-TG). Fibre bundles from the hearts of the ssTnI-TG demonstrated a complete replacement of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) by ssTnI. Compared to WT controls, ssTnI-TG fibre bundles were more sensitive to Ca2+ at both short SL (1.9 +/- 0.1 micrometer) and long SL (2.3 +/- 0.1 micrometer). However, compared to WT controls, the increase in Ca2+ sensitivity (change in half-maximally activating free Ca2+; DeltaEC50) associated with the increase in SL was significantly blunted in the ssTnI-TG myofilaments. Agents that sensitize the myofilaments to Ca2+ by promoting the actin-myosin reaction (EMD 57033 and CGP-48506) significantly reduced the length-dependent DeltaEC50 for Ca2+ activation, when SL in WT myofilaments was increased from 1.9 to 2.3 micrometer. Exposure of myofilaments to calmidazolium (CDZ), which binds to cTnC and increases its affinity for Ca2+, sensitized force developed by WT myofilaments to Ca2+ at SL 1.9 micrometer and desensitized the WT myofilaments at SL 2.3 micrometer. There were no significant effects of CDZ on ssTnI-TG myofilaments at either SL. Our results indicate that length-dependent Ca2+ activation is modified by specific changes in thin filament proteins and by agents that promote the actin-myosin interaction. Thus, these in vitro results provide a basis for using these models to test the relative significance of the length dependence of activation in situ.
On the Structure of the Eyewall of Hurricane Diana (1984): Comparison of Radar and Visual Characteristics

Abstract Features seen in aerial and satellite photographs of the inside edge of the eyewall of Hurricane Diana (1984) are compared with features seen in digitized three-dimensional airborne radar reflectivity data. The photographs show regularly spaced, upwind and downshear tilted striations in the northeast, east, and southeast sectors of the eyewall that are nearly collocated with upwind-tilted axes of relative reflectivity maxima of approximately 15 dBZ.
Funding Innovative Research: The Robert Wood Johnson Programs for Political Scientists

McKnight Professor at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Jacobs is author of Politicians Don't Pander: Political Manipulation and the Loss of Democratic Responsiveness (with Robert Y Shapiro, University of Chicaqo Press, 2000}, The Heolth of Nations: PubXic Opinion ancl the Making of Health Policy in the U.S. and Britain {Cornell University Press, 1 993J, as well as several edited volumes and articles in the American Political Science Review, World Politics, Comparative Politics, Public Opinion Quarterly, Nature Biotechnology, Health Affairs, Journal of Health Politics, Policy ancl Law, and many other scholarly outlets. The Robert Woocl Johnson Foundation awarcled him an Investigator Award in the program's first year; he serves on the National Advisory Committee for the Investigator Awards and has participated in the Evaluation of Scholars Program works are read by a broad audience and whose influence extends beyond a narrow academic readership." Here are some brief details (more information on both programs can be found at www.RWJF.org).
ANTIBIOTIC CONCENTRATIONS IN MIDDLE EAR EFFUSIONS

Penicillin G and oxytetracycline were present in measurable concentrations in effusions taken from the middle ear of patients with acute suppurative otitis media, following an intramuscular injection of either drug from 1 to 3 hours earlier. Fluid taken from the middle ear space of patients with secretory otitis media given similar injections contained quantities of oxytetracycline too low to measure accurately, while penicillin activity was readily measurable and comparable to levels found in patients with acute suppurative otitis media. When the antibiotic concentrations present in these effusions were considered in terms of the accepted in vitro inhibitory concentrations of the common middle ear pathogens, penicillin appeared to be the drug better suited for the management of most acute middle ear bacterial infections. Oxytetracycline, on the basis of its in vitro antibacterial activity and the concentrations achieved in the middle ear fluid, does not appear to be the drug of choice if the pathogen is Strep. pyogenes, D. pneumoniae, or Staph. aureus. A limited number of observations suggests that penicillin, though not the ideal drug, has more promise than oxytetracycline in the management of middle ear infections due to H. influenzae. Preliminary observations suggest that penicillin given by mouth results in concentrations in middle ear effusions adequate to suppress a large proportion of the pathogenic gram-positive cocci that cause middle ear infection. An extensive study of this problem is needed. Other antibiotics should be studied to find an agent that both enters the middle ear in concentrations equal to or in excess of those needed to inhibit H. influenzae in vitro and possesses the activity of penicillin against the common gram-positive pathogens responsible for middle ear infections.
Two new species of snapping shrimps from the Indo-Pacific, with remarks on colour patterns and sibling species in Alpheidae (Crustacea : Caridea)

Alpheus tricolor, and Alpheus fasqueli, two morphologically very close, but differently coloured species of snapping shrimps are described and illustrated. Descriptions are based on specimens imported from Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Both new species belong to the A. edwardsil group, and can be distinguished from all other species of Alpheus by several features of the first and second chelipeds, liontal region, third maxilliped, and most readily by their conspicuous colour patterns. These attractive shrimps are regularly imported from Indonesia and Sri Lanka to Europe and Singapore, sometimes under the name "Alpheus strenuus".
Typical and atypical bronchopulmonary carcinoids: A clinicopathologic and flow cytometric study

The clinicopathologic and flow cytometric characteristics of 47 bronchopulmonary carcinoids were assessed, relative to patient survival. Aneuploidy was associated more often with tumor size of greater than or equal to 3.0 cm (P less than 0.004) and lymph node (P less than 0.013) or vascular involvement (P less than 0.004). Also, an aneuploid DNA content was seen significantly more often in histologically atypical (79%) than in typical carcinoid neoplasms (18%) (P less than 0.0001). Cox proportional hazard model analysis revealed that the histologic category (typical vs. atypical) and ploidy pattern were important prognostic indicators. Size of the primary tumor and the presence of vascular involvement were also significant predictors of outcome. Histologically atypical carcinoids with diploid DNA content pursued a less aggressive course than did their aneuploid counterparts.
Environmental Reform, Negative Duties, and Petrocrats: A Strategic Green Energy Argument

This article constructs an argument for the development of green energy that can appeal to Americans moderately skeptical of climate change. Accepting—arguendo and in a qualified way—key empirical and normative assumptions of American environmental skeptics, I make two main moves. First, while environmentalists often justify the development of green energy through references to future generations, I try to show that they need a present-oriented argument focused on negative duties to respect rights in order to justify prioritizing the development of green energy to environmental skeptics in the United States. Second, I construct such an argument, calling on affluent democracies to develop green energy in order to be able to stop their complicity, through oil trade, in petrocrats’ violation of their peoples’ property rights. I anticipate multiple objections, including the objection that stopping trade with petrocrats will not lead to green energy as a replacement.
Average Daily Gains of Brahman-Crossbred and English × Exotic Feeder Heifers During Long-Term Exposure to Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae)

Long-term exposure of Brahman-crossbred and English X Exotic heifers to a medium (approximately 14 stable flies per foreleg per minute at 1600 hours) stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), population level caused a continuous decline in average daily gains of both breeds from day 1 to day 84 of exposure (that is, from 12 to 14 mo of age). Neither breed was affected by stable fly feeding from 85 d until 112 d exposure, when heifers were greater than or equal to 15 mo in age. At that age, heifers compensated for weight loss during the previous 84-d exposure to stable fly feeding. Overall reduction in average daily gain was approximately 0.15 kg/d or 9% for both breeds, indicating that Brahman-crossbred heifers were as susceptible to long-term exposure to a medium stable fly population as were English X Exotic heifers.
Comparison of mechanical loads produced by current intramedullary reamer systems

Objective This study evaluated the mechanical loading experienced by four clinically used intramedullary reamer cutter designs to evaluate the effects of variations in speed and feed rate on reamer system performance. Design Biomechanical laboratory study. Setting Research laboratory. Main outcome measure Four clinically used reamer systems with detachable cutters were tested using a computer-controlled machining system at representative reaming and drilling speeds of 250 and 750 revolutions per minute (RPM), respectively. Hard oak blocks with mechanical properties similar to cortical bone were reamed using cutter heads with diameters from nine to fourteen millimeters (in 0.5-millimeter increments) at feed rates of 1.0 and 7.6 centimeters per second. Reactive axial loads and torques were recorded and analyzed. Results All systems demonstrated reduced maximal loads/torques for small reamer sizes (9 to 10.5 millimeters) at drilling speeds rather than reaming speeds. Individual systems demonstrated measurable differences in sensitivity to alterations in operating speed, indicating that some designs are not amenable to operation at increased speeds. In tests where reamer head cutting characteristics were isolated by using identical solid drive shafts, the deeply fluted design with a long lead taper and a rounded, burrlike body consistently produced significantly lower mechanical loading at all speeds and feed rates. In addition, two of the four systems tested use a larger flex shaft diameter for reamer head sizes of thirteen millimeters or greater. There was no indication of a need to use larger flex shafts for the larger reamers, based on mechanical load/torque data for those systems. Conclusions The tests performed demonstrate that appropriate control of reaming speeds (RPM) can be used to minimize mechanical loading for all systems. Caution should be exercised, however, so that any operational changes that reduce resistive loads and torques do not lead the surgeon to increased feed rates. Additional study is required to investigate the variable effects of increasing the operating speed of each system on localized thermal changes.
COADAPTATION AND RECESSIVE LETHAL CONTENT IN DDT RESISTANT POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER.

The vast literature dealing with recessive lethals in Drosophila populations dates back to the report of Dubinin (1931) that a large number of wild flies carried recessive lethal genes concealed in the heterozygous condition. Subsequent work intended to define the genetic significance of recessive lethals often gave what appeared to be contradictory results (Dobzhansky, 1964). Much of the inconsistency in experimental findings has been ascribed to deficiencies in the control and evaluation of all the genetic and environmental parameters shown to influence lethal heterozygote expression (Oshima and Kitagawa, 1961; Tobari, 1966; Ytterborn, 1971). Alternative hypotheses regarding recessive lethals are that they contribute either to the balanced component of the genetic load or to the mutational component (Crow, 1958). A controversy exists over the propolrtion of lethal genes that belong to each category. Experimental work by Hiraizumi and Crow (1960) and an analysis by Crow and Temin (1964) of data from a number of studies have been interpreted to mean that most of the naturally occurring lethal load in Drosophila populations is dependent upon recurrent mutations for replacement of lethals lost through selection against homozygotes, and more importantly, their heterozygous combinations. However, Wallace and Dobzhansky (1962) have presented experimental evidence to support an argument that the balanced portion of the lethal load may be
Similar Trajectory of Executive Functioning Performance over 5 years among individuals with Bipolar Disorder and Unaffected Controls using Latent Growth Modeling

Abstract Objective Executive Functioning (EF) deficits in bipolar disorder (BD) are commonly present regardless of mood state and therefore are considered core features of the illness. However, very little is known about the temporal stability of these deficits. We examined the natural course of EF over a five year period in BD and healthy control (HC) samples. Method Using a 5-year longitudinal cohort, 91 individuals with BD and 17 HC were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests that captured four main areas of EF: Processing Speed with Interference Resolution, Verbal Fluency with Processing Speed, Inhibitory Control, and Conceptual Reasoning and Set Shifting. Evaluations occurred at study entry, one, and five years later. Results Latent Growth Curve Modeling demonstrated that the BD group performed significantly worse in all EF areas than the HC group. Changes in EF from baseline to 5-year follow-up were similar across both diagnostic groups. Older age at baseline, above and beyond education and diagnosis, was associated with worse initial performance in EF. Being of older age was associated with greater decline in Processing Speed with Interference Resolution, and Verbal Fluency with Processing Speed. Higher education was marginally associated with a smaller declining slope for Processing Speed with Interference Resolution. Conclusions Executive functioning deficits in BD persist over time, and in the context of normative age-related decline, may place individuals at greater risk for cognitive disability as the disease progresses. Age and having a BD diagnosis together, however, do not accelerate executive functioning decline over time.
Light Availability Influences psbA Expression and the Ratio of Two Forms of D1 in Cyanobacterial Thylakoids

Cyanobacteria carry out photosynthesis using a two-photosystem, oxygen-evolving photo synthetic apparatus which is structurally and functionally similar to the thylakoid membrane system of higher plant chloroplasts. At the reaction center core of PSII, a dimer of two structurally similar proteins, termed Dl and D2, houses the photoreactive chlorophylls, primary electron acceptor, and other cofactors involved in photosynthetic electron transport through PSII. D1 is encoded by the psbA gene, which is highly conserved among plants and cyanobacteria. In higher plants, the psbA gene is present as a single copy in the chloroplast genome, whereas cyanobacteria possess small psbA multigene families in the bacterial chromosome. The chromosome of Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 7942 contains three distinct copies of the psbA gene encoding two forms of D1 (1). The psbA genes predict that form I (the product of psbAI) differs from Form II (the product of both psbAII and psbAIII) at 25 residues, 12 of which are located in the first 16 amino acids of the protein.