cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new approach for dissimilar aluminum-steel impact spot welding using vaporizing foil actuators

Abstract Dissimilar joining of aluminum to steel is an important industrial and academic problem. The present study reports the application of a novel approach in impact welding where a pocket machined on the flyer sheet generates the requisite standoff, enabling joining of commonly used automotive aluminum alloys to high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels. The new approach enables impact spot welding of heat treatable AA6111-T4 aluminum (Al) alloy to bare, hot-dip galvanized and e-coated HSLA 340 steel (with local removal of the coating on the faying surface) as well as of high-pressure vacuum die cast Aural 2 Al alloy to hot-dip galvanized HSLA 340 steel. Characterization of the welded samples via lap-shear and coach peel testing demonstrated high joint strengths with button pullout failure modes in all weld pairs. Optical microscopy of the weld cross-sections revealed defect-free joints displaying typical impact welded interface morphology. A significant outcome of the novel impact spot welding approach was the ability to produce joints exhibiting flat external target surfaces with unperturbed coating, a potential enabler for mixed metal joining applications involving pre-treated, e-coated, or painted materials.
Quality Control in In-Patient Sleep Studies

Background: Hospitalized patients may present with risk factors for sleep disordered breathing (SDB) which has not been previously diagnosed or treated. Untreated SDB has been associated with increased readmission rates, poor outcomes in post ischemic stroke, and an increased risk for atrial fibrillation. In October 2015 the Respiratory Therapy and Sleep Wake Center departments collaborated with a sleep medicine physician to establish an inpatient sleep medicine program. The goal of the program was to diagnose and treat SDB during hospitalization thereby reducing the delay to treatment. Unattended sleep testing was utilized with a goal to maintain an error rate of approximately 7% which is the same rate present in our unattended home studies. Methods: Portable home sleep test (HST) devices were utilized to diagnose patients for SDB. Initially all night shift respiratory therapists were trained by sleep technologists to set up and place the HST equipment. After set up the therapists were instructed to check on the patient once during the night, then remove the device in the morning and deliver the device to the department. The sleep technologist would retrieve the equipment and score the study. Errors occurred when the study was unable to be scored correctly due to absence of oximetry signals, lack of detected airflow, or a poor signal from the thoracic belt. After 3 months a high error rate was noted and the process was changed in that a select team of 21 therapists and supervisors were retrained on use of the HST devices. This new training process included the use of simulated testing on coworkers. Nursing staff were also reeducated on the testing process and specific instructions were communicated via a revised order set. Results: An error rate of 37.9% was present after the initial 95 studies were completed. The revised training methods were then implemented and the therapists performing studies were reduced to a core team. These changes produced an error rate of 5.5% in the subsequent 756 studies. The reduced error rate led to fewer studies that had to be repeated. As of July 2018, the total error rate was 9.2% (78/851 studies). Conclusions: The incidence of errors during inpatient sleep testing can be reduced through focused training, use of a core group of therapists, and improved communication. This reduction can increase the likelihood that SDB can be diagnosed and treated prior to hospital discharge. Disclosures: None
Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives. To examine the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns on food insecurity among a predominantly African American cohort residing in low-income racially isolated neighborhoods.Methods. Residents of 2 low-income African American food desert neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were surveyed from March 23 to May 22, 2020, drawing on a longitudinal cohort (n = 605) previously followed from 2011 to 2018. We examined longitudinal trends in food insecurity from 2011 to 2020 and compared them with national trends. We also assessed use of food assistance in our sample in 2018 versus 2020.Results. From 2018 to 2020, food insecurity increased from 20.7% to 36.9% (t = 7.63; P < .001) after steady declines since 2011. As a result of COVID-19, the United States has experienced a 60% increase in food insecurity, whereas this sample showed a nearly 80% increase, widening a preexisting disparity. Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (52.2%) and food bank use (35.9%) did not change significantly during the early weeks of the pandemic.Conclusions. Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.
The Essential Self of Natalie Waite in Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson

In light of a 2016 biography and 2020 feature film about writer Shirley Jackson, contemporary readers are rediscovering Jackson’s work. One novel of interest is Hangsaman (1951). This is a book in motion, with shifting realities and narratives that are mirrored in the author’s naming schemes. Moments of disorientation in Hangsaman originate in, and reflect, the inner life of protagonist Natalie Waite. There seem to be multiple Natalies who struggle at times to be whole, and at other times to be a different person entirely. Along with these vicissitudes in personality, the protagonist takes on variations on the name Natalie. At the point at which she is at the greatest risk of losing herself completely, Natalie adopts a new name, the gender-ambiguous Tony. Natalie is ultimately saved from slipping away and becoming Tony through the author’s device of false starts, i.e., opportunities for characters to relive and rename events in a new light, in a different reality. Natalie’s internal journey has been, all along, tracked by her public and private names.
Thyroid Disruptors: Extrathyroidal Sites of Chemical Action and Neurodevelopmental Outcome-An Examination Using Triclosan and Perfluorohexane Sulfonate.

Many xenobiotics are identified as potential thyroid disruptors due to their action to reduce circulating levels of thyroid hormone, most notably thyroxine (T4). Developmental neurotoxicity is a primary concern for thyroid disrupting chemicals yet correlating the impact of chemically-induced changes in serum T4 to perturbed brain development remains elusive. A number of thyroid-specific neurodevelopmental assays have been proposed, based largely on the model thyroid hormone synthesis inhibitor propylthiouracil (PTU). This study examined whether thyroid disrupting chemicals acting distinct from synthesis inhibition would result in the same alterations in brain as expected with PTU. The perfluoroalkyl substance perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS, 50 mg/kg/day) and the antimicrobial Triclosan (300 mg/kg/day) were administered to pregnant rats from gestational day (GD) 6 to postnatal day (PN) 21, and a number of PTU-defined assays for neurotoxicity evaluated. Both chemicals reduced serum T4 but did not increase thyroid stimulating hormone. Both chemicals increased expression of hepatic metabolism genes, while thyroid hormone-responsive genes in the liver, thyroid gland, and brain were largely unchanged. Brain tissue T4 was reduced in newborns, but despite persistent T4 reductions in serum, had recovered in the PN6 pup brain. Neither treatment resulted in a low dose PTU-like phenotype in either brain morphology or neurobehavior, raising questions for the interpretation of serum biomarkers in regulatory toxicology. They further suggest that reliance on serum hormones as prescriptive of specific neurodevelopmental outcomes may be too simplistic and to understand thyroid-mediated neurotoxicity we must expand our thinking beyond that which follows thyroid hormone synthesis inhibition.
A comparison of two mail-based strategies to recruit older cancer survivors into a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention.

To compare response rates to business letter versus greeting card invitations used to recruit older cancer survivors to a randomized controlled clinical trial of a lifestyle intervention Capitalizing upon recruitment efforts for a lifestyle intervention trial among older cancer survivors, we explored response rates to study invitations formatted as greeting cards versus standard business letters. Survivors were identified from cancer registries and medical records and randomly assigned with strata defined by gender and racial/ethnicity to one-of-the-two invitations. Both groups received telephone follow-up. Contact was verified among 708 survivors with an average age of 72 years with most being non-Hispanic White (NHW), urban dwelling, and female. Survivors assigned to the business letter (n = 360) as compared to the greeting card (n = 348) were significantly more likely to express interest in participation (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.11–2.70). With the exception of racial/ethnic minorities (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.26–2.11), all other subgroups favored the business letter with significance observed in females (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.00–2.74), NHWs (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.29–3.49), and rural dwellers (OR 3.61; 95% CI 1.49–8.76). Moreover, the business letter costs were substantially lower than the card. Clinical trial recruitment is significantly more effective if solicitations are formatted as standard business letters as compared to greeting cards, though this may not generalize to racial/ethnic minorities where more research is warranted. These study findings are not only valuable to researchers but also have the potential to improve recruitment and engagement of older cancer survivors in clinical trials. Harvest for Health for in Older Cancer Survivors, ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02985411
The Kondo Screening Cloud

A single impurity in a metal is described by the Kondo (or s-d) model: $$ \hat U_t \phi \left( x \right) = \phi \left( {U_t x} \right) = \phi \left( {x\left( t \right)} \right). $$ (1)
Justice Raymond L. Sullivan

the field of law and fulfilled by the love of family, which he has earned by his own understanding and humanity. When Ray Sullivan came from practice to the court of appeal in 1961 he at first plied me, as a veteran of 2 years more of service, with many questions about the practices and procedure of the court. Within weeks, however, it was I who was asking the questions of Ray when I discovered his fantastic knowledge of trial and appellate practice, garnered from years of experience in the state and federal courts.
A spectral stochastic approach to the inverse heat conduction problem

Publisher Summary This chapter presents a spectral stochastic approach to the inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP). In IHCP, one computes an unknown boundary heat flux from given temperature history data at a sensor location. In the stochastic inverse heat conduction problem (SIHCP), the full statistics of the boundary heat flux are computed given the stochastic nature of the temperature sensor data and in general accounting for uncertainty in the material data and process conditions. The governing continuum equations are solved using the spectral stochastic finite element method. The stochasticity of inputs is represented spectrally by employing orthogonal polynomials as the trial basis in the random space. Solution to the ill-posed SIHCP is then sought in an optimization sense in a function space that includes the random space. The gradient of the objective function is computed in a continuum sense using an adjoint framework. An example is presented in the solution of a one-dimensional stochastic inverse heat conduction problem to highlight the methodology and potential applications of the proposed techniques.
Electron Transfer in Simple Atomic Collisions: Recent Theory, Experiment, and Applications

The search for the mechanisms underlying the transfer of particles and/or energy between interacting atoms or molecules continues to fascinate many investigators in physics, chemistry and biology. Most interesting are those processes which are unusally probable and highly specific, requiring special conditions such as internal energy resonance during some portion of the collisional interaction time. The general questions are:Under what conditions can particles and/or energy be transferred? How can we control these conditions and study the processes in the laboratory?;and Can we make predictive calculations to verify our physical understanding and eliminate the need to do uninteresting experiments? The answers to these questions are not generally available except for some simple atom-atom collisions and a few triatomic cases such as H+ + H2. And we shall see that much remains to be understood even for those simple systems extensively studied in the four years following the closing dates for past monographs on electron transfer.1–5
Carbon Tax, Health Care Tax, Bank Tax and Other Regulatory Taxes

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act as an exercise of the taxing power has led to a reconsideration of the regulatory role of taxation. This paper re-evaluates that role in light of the decision and examines when taxation should be used for regulatory purposes.
Racializing Cities, Naturalizing Space: The Seductive Appeal of Iconicities of Dispossession

In pursuit of a critical geography of globality, my essay examines how racial hegemonies are sustained and perpetuated by the ways in which urban spaces inhabited by peoples on the margins of the world economy are imagined, represented, and brought to public visibility. Central to my inquiry is how iconic representations of "slum life" are produced for a white consumer public. Propelled by fantasies of racial essence, primal bodies, and exotic naturalism, the iconicities of "shantytowns" and the "black ghetto" are circulated as popular commodity forms throughout Europe's metropolitan centers. In analyzing this process, I identify "africanism" (spaces of contested black civility, premodern savagery, urban jungle) and "tropicalism" (naturalized landscapes of color and houses, childlike creativity, and happy workers) as representational codes for how "slums" as sites of urban dispossession are racially mapped and consumed.
Readings in qualitative reasoning about physical systems

The ability to reason qualitatively about physical systems is important to understanding and interacting with the world for both humans and intelligent machines. Accordingly, this study has become an important subject of research in the artificial intelligence and cognitive science communities. The goal of "qualitative physics," as the field is sometimes known, is to capture both the commonsense knowledge of the person on the street and the tacit knowledge underlying the quantitative knowledge used by engineers and scientists. "Readings in Qualitative Reasoning About Physical Systems" is an introduction and source book for this dynamic area, presenting reprints of key papers chosen by the editors and a group of expert referees. The editors present introductions discussing the context and significance of each group of articles as well as providing pointers to the rest of the literature. In addition, the volume includes several original papers that are not available elsewhere.
Soft Material Characterization for Robotic Applications

Abstract In this article we present mechanical measurements of three representative elastomers used in soft robotic systems: Sylgard 184, Smooth-Sil 950, and EcoFlex 00-30. Our aim is to demonstrate the effects of the nonlinear, time-dependent properties of these materials to facilitate improved dynamic modeling of soft robotic components. We employ uniaxial pull-to-failure tests, cyclic loading tests, and stress relaxation tests to provide a qualitative assessment of nonlinear behavior, batch-to-batch repeatability, and effects of prestraining, cyclic loading, and viscoelastic stress relaxation. Strain gauges composed of the elastomers embedded with a microchannel of conductive liquid (eutectic gallium–indium) are also tested to quantify the interaction between material behaviors and measured strain output. It is found that all of the materials tested exhibit the Mullins effect, where the material properties in the first loading cycle differ from the properties in all subsequent cycles, as well as respon...
Estrogen Inhibition of Basal and Gonadotropin-Stimulated Progesterone Production by Rhesus Monkey Luteal Cells in Vitro

To assess the direct effect of estrogen on primate luteal function, including the ability of estrogen to counteract a gonadotropic stimulus, luteal cells isolated from corpora lutea of rhesus monkeys were incubated in vitro in the presence of estrogen, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), or estrogen and hCG combined. Luteal cells were obtained during the mid-luteal (day 15–19 of the menstrual cycle; 5–8 days after the preovulatory LH surge) and late luteal (day 21–25 of the cycle; 9–12 days after the LH surge) phase of the menstrual cycle. Under basal conditions (no exogenous hormones), progesterone production by mid-luteal phase cells was significantly (P < 0.01) greater than that by late luteal phase cells and significantly (P < 0.01) decreased by the addition of 1000 and 10,000 ng 17β-estradiol (E2)/ml. Ten-fold less E2 (100 ng/ml) significantly (P = 0.01) reduced basal progesterone production by late luteal phase cells, but not by mid-luteal phase cells. E2 and estrone inhibited luteal cell progestero...
Can vitamin D delay the progression of ALS

The pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is multifactorial and a treatment targeting only one aspect of the disease is unlikely to be beneficial. Vitamin D is safe and may delay progression of ALS by acting on several aspects of the disease. In this article we explore how vitamin D may promote VGEF, IGF-1 and axonal regeneration delaying ALS progression. In addition, we discuss how vitamin D may increase calcium binding protein in motor neuron cells conferring a greater resistance to the underlying disease process, as seen in the oculomotor nerve and Onuf’s nucleus. Finally, we discuss vitamin D immunomodulator role, decreasing the reactive gliosis in ALS.
Assessing user perceptions of genetic resource collections in crucifer crops

Germplasm collections worldwide are increasing in both size and quality, but quantitative data on user needs and their perceptions of collection management are limited. Such information would enable more effective planning and management by collection curators. In 1991, we surveyed and analyzed the opinions of 47 scientists working with crucifer crops, including oilseed Brassica napus L. and B. rapa L., vegetable coles [B. oleracea subsp. italica (broccoli), B. oleracea subsp. capitata L. (cabbage), B. rapa subsp. pekinensis Lour. (Chinese cabbage), etc.], and wild and weedy relatives. Survey respondents were located in 19 countries and represented a broad range of institutional affiliations, professional interests, educational backgrounds, and research programs. Significant differences occurred among respondents' opinions on various activities (acquisition, preservation and distribution, documentation, and research). Respondents utilized genetic resources from all gene pool categories, obtained them from an array of sources, and expected to increase their use about 30% by 1994. Nearly 80% of respondents maintained a germplasm collection for their own use. They estimated ex situ genebanks held <50% of total genetic diversity of crucifers and were dissatisfied with collection documentation. About 80% used biotechnological techniques and projected an increased use of gene pools comprising F 1 fertile relatives, F 1 semi-sterile and sterile related species, and genetic stocks. Respondents felt that research that focused on identification and transfer of new and useful traits would enhance crucifer germplasm collections. Our survey results provided a current, systematic assessment of germplasm users' expectations, but curators must have the scientific and managerial skills to reconcile those expectations with limited resources.
Osmiophilia of the saturated phospholipid, dipalmitoyl lecithin, and its relationship to the alveolar lining layer of the mammalian lung.

The appearance and the osmiophilic properties of synthetic dipalmitoyl lecithin (DPL) were characterized under various conditions. It was shown that DPL appeared as 50 A round to oval dots and lamellae of 50 A periodicity when negatively stained with phosphotungstate. Osmium-vapor treatment of a DPL suspension produced negatively outlined DPL, similar to the images obtained with negative staining with phosphotungstate. A mixture of ethanol, osmium and DPL showed the heavily osmiophilic lamellae of DPL in thin sections. The periodicity measures 42 A. These results are the first in the literature to reveal the osmiophilic nature of saturated dipalmitoyl lecithin. Prolonged washing after both glutaraldehyde and osmium fixation of lung tissue, thus eliminating the chance for interaction among osmium tetroxide, ethanol and saturated phospholipid, resulted in a loss of the heavily osmiophilic surface film that has been reported to be present after routine tissue processing. Secondary osmication of the washed lung with a mixture of osmium tetroxide and ethanol solution brought about striking osmiophilia of the surface film, which was lamellar and was identical to synthetic DPL in its periodicity. It is suggested that the osmiophilic line observed after routine tissue processing is saturated phospholipid that binds osmium during the process of ethanol dehydration immediately following osmium fixation.
Migfilin and its binding partners: from cell biology to human diseases

Links between the plasma membrane and the actin cytoskeleton are essential for maintaining tissue integrity and for controlling cell morphology and behavior. Studies over the past several decades have identified dozens of components of such junctions. One of the most recently identified is migfilin, a widely expressed protein consisting of an N-terminal filamin-binding domain, a central proline-rich domain and three C-terminal LIM domains. Migfilin is recruited to cell-matrix contacts in response to adhesion and colocalizes with β-catenin at cell-cell junctions in epithelial and endothelial cells. Migfilin also travels from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, a process that is regulated by RNA splicing and calcium signaling. Through interactions with multiple binding partners, including Mig-2, filamin and VASP, migfilin links the cell adhesion structures to the actin cytoskeleton. It regulates actin remodeling, cell morphology and motility. In nuclei, migfilin interacts with the cardiac transcriptional factor CSX/NKX2-5 and promotes cardiomyocyte differentiation. It probably functions as a key regulator both at cell adhesion sites and nuclei, coordinating multiple cellular processes, and is implicated in the pathogenesis of several human diseases.
Fibre communications: Time-reversed twin

Co-propagating a signal with its phase conjugate along an optical fibre link makes it possible to mitigate unwanted nonlinear distortions and improve the signal-to-noise ratio in long-haul optical communication systems.
Identification of a Nonlinear Polynomial Model for an Air-to-Air Missile using the GMDH Algorithm

This paper presents a procedure which is used to identify the coefficients of a nonlinear polynomial model for an air-to-air missile. The structure of the polynomial model is determined using the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH) algorithm with a data base consisting only of values for input-output variables. The GMDH algorithm generates a network of smaller nonlinear polynomial kernels as its model. The resulting model is a multivariate third-order representation of the system.
A Comparative Study of Radiation Damage In A12O3, FeTiO3, And MgTiO3

Oriented single crystals of synthetic alpha-alumina (α-Α1 2 O 3 ), geikielite (MgTiO 3 ), and natural ilmenite (FeTiO 3 ) were irradiated with 200 keV argon ions under cryogenic conditions (100 K) to assess their damage response. Using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry combined with ion channeling techniques, it was found that ilmenite amorphized readily at doses below 5×10 14 , alumina amorphized at a dose of 1-2x10 15 , and geikielite was amorphized at -2x10 15 Ar cm -2 . The radiation damage response of the ilmenite crystal may be complicated by the presence of hematite exsolution lamellae and the experimentally induced oxidation of iron. The relative radiation-resistance of geikielite holds promise for similar behavior in other Mg-Ti oxides.
PARTICLE SIZE AND NONMEAT ADJUNCT EFFECTS ON THE PROTEIN FUNCTIONALITY OF BONELESS CURED PORK FORMULATED WITH PSE AND RFN RAW MATERIAL

A randomized complete block design with six replications was utilized to test the treatment effects of adjuncts (no adjuncts (C), 2% soy protein concentrate (SPC), and 2% SPC + 1.5% modified food starch (SPC + MFS)) and raw material size (2.54 ± 2.54 cm (CF) and 10 ± 10 cm (SF)) on the protein functionality in boneless cured pork produced from a combination of 25% PSE and 75% red, firm, and nonexudative (RFN) semimembranosus muscle. Utilization of the smaller raw material size, CF decreased (P < 0.05) expressible moisture, CIE L*, and CIE b*values and also decreased (P < 0.001) protein-protein bind. SPC and SPC + MFS were effective in decreasing (P < 0.05) cooking loss in the CF product. Formulations utilizing smaller particle size in a chunked and formed product demonstrate the potential to improve the water holding capacity and cooked color in deli ham rolls formulated from a combination of 25% PSE and 75% RFN pork.
1,2-Dichlorobenzene-Induced Lipid Peroxidation in Male Fischer 344 Rats is Kupffer Cell Dependent

Abstract 1,2-Dichlorobenzene (1,2-DCB) is a potent hepatotoxicant in male Fischer 344 (F344) rats and previous studies have suggested that reactive oxygen species may play a role in the development of hepatotoxicity. Since reactive oxygen species can damage lipid membranes, this study was conducted to determine the extent of lipid peroxidation after administration of 1,2-DCB by immunohistochemical analysis of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) protein adduct formation in liver and conjugated diene formation in liver and serum. The contribution of Kupffer cells to the lipid peroxidation was also investigated. Male F344 rats were administered 1,2-DCB (3.6 mmol/kg ip in corn oil) and killed at selected times between 3 and 48 h. Time course studies revealed the greatest abundance of 4-HNE protein adducts in the centrilobular regions of the liver 24 h after 1,2-DCB administration, with much lower levels at 16 h. Adducts were present in necrotic and vacuolized centrilobular hepatocytes of 1,2-DCB treated rats but not in livers of controls. Further, conjugated dienes were significantly increased in liver and serum 16 and 24 h after 1,2-DCB administration, peaking at 24 h. These data correlated with hepatocellular injury, determined by serum alanine aminotransferase activity and histopathological evaluation, which was markedly elevated within 16 h and peaked at 24 h. When rats were pretreated with gadolinium chloride (GdCl 3 ; 10 mg/kg iv 24 h prior to 1,2-DCB), an inhibitor of Kupffer cells, hepatotoxicity was decreased by 89 and 86%, at 16 and 24 h, respectively. Conjugated diene concentrations were decreased to control values at these times after 1,2-DCB administration. Moreover, no 4-HNE protein adducts were detected in livers of 1,2-DCB-treated rats pretreated with GdCl 3 . Finally, Kupffer cells isolated from 1,2-DCB-treated rats produced significantly more superoxide anion than Kupffer cells isolated from vehicle controls. These data, along with previous findings, suggest that lipid peroxidation associated with 1,2-DCB is mediated in part by Kupffer cell-derived reactive oxygen species.
Using the Yeast Three-Hybrid System to Identify Proteins that Interact with a Phloem-Mobile mRNA

Heterografting and RNA transport experiments have demonstrated the long-distance mobility of StBEL5 RNA, its role in controlling tuber formation, and the function of the 503-nt 3´ untranslated region (UTR) of the RNA in mediating transport. Because the 3´ UTR of StBEL5 is a key element in regulating several aspects of RNA metabolism, a potato leaf cDNA library was screened using the 3´ UTR of StBEL5 as bait in the yeast three-hybrid system to identify putative partner RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). From this screen, 116 positive cDNA clones were isolated based on nutrient selection, HIS3 activation, and lacZ induction and were sequenced and classified. Thirty-five proteins that function in either RNA- or DNA-binding were selected from this pool. Seven were monitored for their expression profiles and further evaluated for their capacity to bind to the 3´ UTR of StBEL5 using β-galactosidase assays in the yeast three-hybrid system and RNA gel-shift assays. Among the final selections were two RNA-binding proteins, a zinc-finger protein, and one protein, StLSH10, from a family involved in light signaling. In this study, the yeast three-hybrid system is presented as a valuable tool to screen and verify interactions between target RNAs and putative RNA-binding proteins. These results can shed light on the dynamics and composition of plant RNA-protein complexes that function to regulate RNA metabolism.
Base-pairing mediated non-covalent polymers

The naturally occurring nucleic acid bases (nucleobases) adenine, thymine (uracil), guanine, and cytosine are widely appreciated for their ability to stabilize canonical Watson–Crick base-pairing motifs, as well as a number of other well-characterized arrangements, such as Hoogsteen and wobble heterodimers, and a variety of homodimers. In this tutorial review, the use of these kinds of interactions to form synthetic polymeric and oligomeric ensembles is summarized. Particular emphasis will be placed on synthetic analogues of guanine that stabilize the formation of well-defined higher order aggregates, as well as de novo polymeric systems whose properties are modulated by the presence of nucleobase derivatives incorporated within or attached to the chain-defining backbone. In both cases, nucleobase–nucleobase interactions serve to underlie the chemistry, establish the structural morphology, and enable the development of bioinspired, environmentally responsive materials.
Novel cerebral physiologic monitoring to guide low-flow cerebral perfusion during neonatal aortic arch reconstruction

Abstract Objective: This study was undertaken to describe the combined measurement of cerebral blood flow velocity and cerebral oxygen saturation as a guide to bypass flow rate for regional low-flow perfusion during neonatal aortic arch reconstruction. Methods: Data were prospectively collected from 34 patients undergoing neonatal aortic arch reconstruction with regional low-flow perfusion. Cerebral oxygen saturation and blood flow velocity were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, respectively, throughout cardiopulmonary bypass. After cooling to 17°C to 22°C, baseline values of cerebral oxygen saturation and blood flow velocity were recorded during full-flow bypass. Regional low-flow perfusion was instituted for aortic arch reconstruction, and bypass flow rate was adjusted to maintain cerebral oxygen saturations and blood flow velocities within 10% of baseline recorded during cold full-flow bypass. Cerebral oxygen saturations and blood flow velocities were recorded again after repair during full-flow hypothermic bypass. Bypass flow during regional low-flow perfusion was recorded, as were arterial pressure and blood gas data. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used to determine differences in values during regional low-flow perfusion relative to baseline and after perfusion. Results: A mean bypass flow of 63 mL/(kg × min) was required to maintain cerebral oxygen saturations and blood flow velocities within 10% of baseline. Mean arterial pressure had a poor correlation with the required bypass flow rate ( r 2 = 0.006 by linear regression analysis). Fourteen of 34 patients had a cerebral oxygen saturation of 95% during regional low-flow perfusion, placing them at risk for cerebral hyperperfusion if the cerebral oxygen saturation had been used alone to guide bypass flow. Pressure was detected in the umbilical or femoral artery catheter (mean 12 mm Hg) in all patients during regional low-flow perfusion. Conclusions: Cerebral blood flow velocity, as determined by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, adds valuable information to cerebral oxygen saturation data in guiding bypass flow during regional low-flow perfusion. Its most important use may be prevention of cerebral hyperperfusion during periods with high near-infrared spectroscopic saturation values. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:491-9
Linear combinatorial approach to thin film research

We describe high-throughput experimentation of film synthesis by use of a linear tape transport system (similar to a web-coating system). Metal tape is fed continuously in a reel-to-reel transport system inside the vacuum deposition chamber. Ion-beam assisted deposition (IBAD) texturing is used to enable the growth of epitaxial films on flexible, polycrystalline metal tapes which further enhances the capability of this research. The tape that is continuously fed can be used as a sample itself, via the use of IBAD-textured templates on the tape, or can be a carrier of other smaller substrates (even nonflexible ones). Characterization of samples is done by means of in situ monitoring as well as ex situ sequential analysis. We utilize in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction for high-throughput analysis of samples. Epitaxial films are deposited on heated samples by evaporation and by pulsed laser deposition. Here, we explain the techniques and the methodologies developed for this type of combinatorial experimentation and show some examples of the material research completed.
Leukocytoclastic vasculitis in an adolescent with ulcerative colitis: Report of a case and review of the literature

An adolescent female with long-standing, difficult-to-control ulcerative colitis developed leukocytoclastic vasculitis, a rare cutaneous extra-intestinal manifestation of the inflammatory bowel disease. The authors provide a literature review on leukocytoclastic vasculitis complicating ulcerative colitis. Furthermore, the clinical features of leukocytoclastic vasculitis are compared and contrasted with the more common cutaneous extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease, erythema nodosum, and pyoderma gangrenosum.
Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity maps and three-dimensional shear velocity structure of the western US from local non-plane surface wave tomography

SUMMARY We utilize two-and-three-quarter years of vertical-component recordings made by the Transportable Array (TA) component of Earthscope to constrain three-dimensional (3-D) seismic shear wave velocity structure in the upper 200 km of the western United States. Single-taper spectral estimation is used to compile measurements of complex spectral amplitudes from 44 317 seismograms generated by 123 teleseismic events. In the first step employed to determine the Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity structure, we implement a new tomographic method, which is simpler and more robust than scattering-based methods (e.g. multi-plane surface wave tomography). The TA is effectively implemented as a large number of local arrays by defining a horizontal Gaussian smoothing distance that weights observations near a given target point. The complex spectral-amplitude measurements are interpreted with the spherical Helmholtz equation using local observations about a succession of target points, resulting in Rayleigh-wave phase-velocity maps at periods over the range of 18–125 s. The derived maps depend on the form of local fits to the Helmholtz equation, which generally involve the non-plane-wave solutions of Friederich et al. In a second step, the phase-velocity maps are used to derive 3-D shear velocity structure. The 3-D velocity images confirm details witnessed in prior body-wave and surface-wave studies and reveal new structures, including a deep (>100 km deep) high-velocity lineament, of width ∼200 km, stretching from the southern Great Valley to northern Utah that may be a relic of plate subduction or, alternatively, either a remnant of the Mojave Precambrian Province or a mantle downwelling. Mantle seismic velocity is highly correlated with heat flow, Holocene volcanism, elastic plate thickness and seismicity. This suggests that shallow mantle structure provides the heat source for associated magmatism, as well as thinning of the thermal lithosphere, leading to relatively high stress concentration. Our images also confirm the presence of high-velocity mantle at ≳100 km depth beneath areas of suspected mantle delamination (southern Sierra Nevada; Grande Ronde uplift), low velocity mantle underlying active rift zones, and high velocity mantle associated with the subducting Juan de Fuca plate. Structure established during the Proterozoic appears to exert a lasting influence on subsequent volcanism and tectonism up to the Present.
The Interface of Paleontology and Mammalogy: Past, Present, and Future

For nearly a century the fields of mammalogy and paleomammalogy have complemented each other, although the relative influence of one on the other has waxed and waned. The development of new techniques, databases, and information-handling capabilities in the past decades have enhanced the potential for working at the interface between these 2 fields in ways never before possible. This portends an elevated role for mammalogy in the development of ecological and evolutionary theory and serves as a model for merging paleontological and neontological data in other disciplines.
Noise assessment of a Fourier transform infrared spectroradiometer subject to the stability of a conventional laboratory blackbody source.

A method is described for the measurement of the noise-equivalent spectral radiance (NESR) of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroradiometers at all wave numbers of a selected range. The method requires minimal detailed knowledge of the sensor and no support equipment beyond a blackbody source. The NESRs of the FTIR spectroradiometer are determined at every wave-number increment in the 700–1300 cm-1 range, for six resolutions, with a conventional blackbody source and ensembles of differential spectra. The NESRs are well behaved and consistent with the expected dependence on resolution; however, they depend on source temperature at the highest (1 cm-1) and lowest (32 cm-1) resolutions, with little or no statistical dependence at intermediate resolutions. Residual source drift is shown to be the likely cause of the dependence at 1 cm-1; the dependence on the source at 32 cm-1 resolution is shown to be most probably due to photon noise. At intermediate resolutions the sensor noise is dominant.
TRANSPLANTATION OF NEONATAL PANCREAS IN THYMECTOMIZED HAMSTERS.

Abstract : The results of the study appear to partially substantiate Miller's conclusions concerning the role of the thymus in transplantation immunity. However, the study also points out a difference between the mouse and hamster in regard to their response to tissue grafts and to the agefunction relationship of the thymus, for Miller has indicated that the optimum effects were obtained when thymectomy was performed on the newborn. If the mice were more than two weeks old, thymectomy was ineffective in changing the reaction to transplanted tissue. At present, no attempt will be made to explain the apparent increase in islet differentiation. This phase is now under investigation. (Author)
Spinal Cord Injuries and Orgasm: A Review

Definitions of orgasm remain varied, and physiologic markers have not been standardized or consistently applied. The occurrence of orgasm after spinal cord injury (SCI) has been documented for a number of years; however, in the recent past, the neurologic and autonomic correlates associated with orgasm after SCI have been investigated. In this article we review recent studies pertaining to the occurrence of orgasm after SCI. Laboratory-based assessments of orgasmic responsiveness of women and men with known levels and degrees of SCI have shown the effects of orgasm on peripheral autonomic responses and the effects of varying injury patterns on the ability to achieve orgasm. A spinal pattern generator has also been identified that mediates ejaculation in male rats and responses similar to orgasm in female rats. Taken together, these findings suggest that retraining reflexic orgasm through vibratory or other forms of neural stimulation may provide a means to remediate orgasmic dysfunction in persons with SCI.
Estradiol benzoate, norepinephrine, and weight regulatory behavior in female rats

Estradiol benzoate (EB: 0, 10, 25, 50, and 100 micrograms) was administered to prepubertal, pregnant, pseudopregnant, lactating, and ovariectomized female rats. Estradiol decreased feeding and increased locomotion in the ovariectomized rats only. A second experiment examined the eating and activity of these same preparations following intraventricular norepinephrine (NE: 2 micrograms) administration. NE reduced feeding and enhanced activity in all groups. The findings are interpreted to mean that NE mediates estradiol’s effect on weight regulatory behavior.
Atmospheric circulation climate changes

The role of the atmospheric circulation in climate change is examined. A review is given of the information available in the past record on the atmosheric circulation and its role in climate change, firstly at the surface via sea level pressure in both the northern and southern hemispheres and secondly for the free atmosphere. As with most climate information, the climate record is compromised by non-physical inhomogeneities arising from changes in observing and analyzing techniques and changes in data coverage. Problems with and threats to the rawinsonde network are discussed. Global analyses produced by the operational centers, U.S. National Meteorological Center (NMC) and the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), for weather forecasting purposes contain many discontinuous changes in the analyses arising from improvements in the system used to produce them. A discussion is given of the prospects for and motivation behind an activity known as ‘reanalysis’ in which the historical data are reanalyzed using a state-of-the-art system that is held constant for the entire record. The only sources of spurious change then are the changes in the observing system, such as the introduction of space-based observations. Recommendations are made on needed actions for better understanding and monitoring climate change.
Self-concepts among Afro-American students in racially isolated minority schools: some regional differences.

Four thousand eighty-eight black and white children in three northern and three southern cities were tested using the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and a sociofamilial questionnaire to determine the effects of school desegregation of self-concept development. The black children in segregated southern schools scored higher than all the other groups. Other regional and racial differences are noted and discussed in the context of the historical differences between black communities in the North and South in terms of community cohesiveness.
Effects of Loading Rate on Cracking of Cement Paste in Compression

Submicroscopic cracking within cement paste is studied for monotonic and short-term sustained loading. Loading times range from 1.25 minutes to 4 hours. Water cement ratios of 0.3 and 0.5 are used. Specimens are loaded to preselected strains and immediately unloaded. The specimens are then sliced with a diamond saw and viewed in a scanning electron microscope. Crack traces are cataloged based on length, width and orientation. The crack traces are converted to three dimensional crack distributions, which are in turn used to determine the degree of softening due to cracking. The results indicate that for loading to a fixed strain, slow loading results in less cracking than rapid loading. However, at the same stress-strength ratio, rapid loading results in fewer cracks. The results indicate that the role of submicroscopic cracking in the nonlinear behavior of cement paste increases with strain rate.
Agitation and despair in relation to parents: activating emotional suffering in transference

Affect and motivation are known to arise in the social-cognitive process transference, which occurs when a new person minimally resembles a significant other, implicitly activating the mental representation of this significant other (Andersen, Reznik, & Manzella, 1996) and indirectly, the relational self (i.e. Andersen & Chen, 2002). Triggering the significant-other representation should also indirectly activate any self-discrepancy held from this other's perspective, resulting in shifts in discrete affect and self-regulation. Participants (n = 110; 34 men, 76 women) with an actual-ideal or actual-ought self-discrepancy from their parent's perspective (Higgins, 1987) learned about a new person who did or did not minimally resemble this parent. As predicted, this evoked positive evaluation of the new person, that is, a positive transference, and yet, as a function of self-discrepancy, also increased discrete negative mood with ideal-discrepant individuals becoming more dejected and ought-discrepant individuals more hostile and less calm. Self-regulatory focus shifted as well in terms of motivation to avoid emotional closeness. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell biological regulation of division fate in vertebrate neuroepithelial cells

The developing nervous system derives from neuroepithelial progenitor cells that divide to generate all of the mature neuronal types. For the proper complement of cell types to form, the progenitors must produce postmitotic cells, yet also replenish the progenitor pool. Progenitor divisions can be classified into three general types: symmetric proliferative (producing two progenitors), asymmetric neurogenic (producing one progenitor and one postmitotic cell), and symmetric neurogenic (producing two postmitotic cells). The appropriate ratios for these modes of cell division require intrinsic polarity, which is one of the characteristics that define neuroepithelial progenitor cells. The type of division an individual progenitor undergoes can be influenced by cellular features, or behaviors, which are heterogeneous within the population of progenitors. Here we review three key cellular parameters, asymmetric inheritance, cell cycle kinetics, and interkinetic nuclear migration, and the possible mechanisms for how these features influence progenitor fates.
Enthalpies of solution of tri-n-alkyl phosphates in mixtures of water and N,N-dimethylformamide: The effect of cosolvent on the hydrophobic interaction

Enthalpies of solution of trimethylphosphate (TMP), triethylphosphate (TEP), tri-n-propylphosphate (TPP), and tri-n-butylphosphate (TBP) in mixtures of N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and water have been measured at 25°C. The results are interpreted in terms of the previously proposed statistical cooperative hydration model. The calculations suggest that in each case for TMP, TEP, and TPP the hydration cage is comprised of approximately 30 water molecules.