cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new crdered tetragonal phase in the Ti3Al+Nb system

Results are reported from an experimental study of phase stability in a plasma-sprayed Ti3Al+Nb alloy using TEM and electron diffraction techniques. The alloys was produced from Ti3Al+Nb powder via an inductively coupled plasma deposition process. Evidence was found for the ordering of the B2 phase to a structure similar to the DO3-type phase, but with a tetragonal distortion. An ordered tetragonal phase (T) is proposed to account for these observations, and the existence of the B2 - T ordering transformation in the Ti3Al+Nb system is suggested. The T phase can be regarded as a DO3-like phase with a tetragonal distortion. The tegragonality c0/a0 is approximately equal to 1.02, and a0 equals 0.65 +/-0.01 nm.
Comment on “40Ar / 39Ar dating of the Rajahmundry Traps, eastern India and their relationship to the Deccan Traps” by Knight et al. [Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 208 (2003) 85–99]

Abstract Knight et al. presented age and chemical data on two (sets of) lava flows from the Rajahmundry area, on either bank of the Godavari River. The age and petrogenesis of these flows and their possible link to sections of the main Deccan Province are of importance to the understanding of many aspects of flood basalt volcanism. I comment on (a) the use of geochemical fingerprints for lava identification/correlation at Rajahmundry, superceding (apparent) field relations, (b) their 40 Ar / 39 Ar data and its refinement based on statistical tests and the alteration state of the samples (c) correlation of age data and the magnetic polarity of the lavas to the geomagnetic polarity time scale and (d) the possibility that both lavas at Rajahmundry were formed by intracanyon flows derived from ∼1000 km away.
In vitro determination of radiation sensitivity parameters for DU-145 prostate cancer cells

Purpose: The prolonged delivery times associated with intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) may reduce treatment effectiveness of radiation therapy for cancers with short repair half-times. In this study, in vitro radiation experiments with DU-145 prostate cancer cells were designed to quantify the half-time of sublethal damage repair.Method and materials: A series of single-fraction and split-dose clonogenic survival experiments were performed and analyzed using the linear-quadratic (LQ) survival model with mono-/two-component exponential and reciprocal-time repair kinetic models.Results: Our data indicate that DU-145 cells are very radiosensitive (α = 0.44 Gy−1, standard CI: 0.41–0.49 Gy−1) and are relatively insensitive to dose fractionation (α/β = 16 Gy, standard CI: 12–34 Gy). The estimated repair half-time is 23 min (standard CI: 10–97 min) with some evidence that a small portion of the sublethal damage is repaired more slowly.Conclusion: The reported radiosensitivity parameters (α and α/β) a...
Cytochemical and ultrastructural studies of ribonucleoprotein containing structures in oocytes of Acheta domesticus.

Two distinct types of ribonucleoprotein containing structures are found in oocytes of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus, a large secondary or accessory nucleolus and many small primary nucleoli. The secondary nucleolus increases in size during oocyte development and is similar in appearance to the nucleolus of somatic cells. The primary nucleoli are intimately associated with a large, extrachromosomal DNA containing body. The DNA body is no longer visible in nuclei of late diplotene stage cells when the primary nucleoli are dispersed within the nucleoplasm. Both types of nucleoli contain cytochemically detectable RNA and acid protein, little or no DNA and basic protein, and particulate structures similar to but smaller than cytoplasmic ribosomes.
Posterior vertebral column subtraction osteotomy for the treatment of tethered cord syndrome: review of the literature and clinical outcomes of all cases reported to date

Tethered cord syndrome (TCS) is a debilitating condition of progressive neurological decline caused by pathological, longitudinal traction on the spinal cord. Surgical detethering of the involved neural structures is the classic method of treatment for lumbosacral TCS, although symptomatic retethering has been reported in 5%-50% of patients following initial release. Subsequent operations in patients with complex lumbosacral dysraphic lesions are fraught with difficulty, and improvements in neurological function are modest while the risk of complications is high. In 1995, Kokubun described an alternative spine-shortening procedure for the management of TCS. Conducted via a single posterior approach, the operation relies on spinal column shortening to relieve indirectly the tension placed on the tethered neural elements. In a cadaveric model of TCS, Grande and colleagues further demonstrated that a 15-25-mm thoracolumbar subtraction osteotomy effectively reduces spinal cord, lumbosacral nerve root, and filum terminale tension. Despite its theoretical appeal, only 18 reports of the use of posterior vertebral column subtraction osteotomy for TCS treatment have been published since its original description. In this review, the authors analyze the relevant clinical characteristics, operative data, and postoperative outcomes of all 18 reported cases and review the role of posterior vertebral column subtraction osteotomy in the surgical management of primary and recurrent TCS.
Context-dependent effects of asparagine glycosylation on Pin WW folding kinetics and thermodynamics.

Asparagine glycosylation is one of the most common and important post-translational modifications of proteins in eukaryotic cells. N-glycosylation occurs when a triantennary glycan precursor is transferred en bloc to a nascent polypeptide (harboring the N-X-T/S sequon) as the peptide is co-translationally translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). In addition to facilitating binding interactions with components of the ER proteostasis network, N-glycans can also have intrinsic effects on protein folding by directly altering the folding energy landscape. Previous work from our laboratories (Hanson, et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2009, 109, 3131–3136; Shental-Bechor, D.; Levy, Y. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2008, 105, 8256–8261) suggested that the three sugar residues closest to the protein are sufficient for accelerating protein folding and stabilizing the resulting structure in vitro; even a monosaccharide can have a dramatic effect. The highly conserved nature of these three proximal sugars in N-glycans led us to speculate that introducing an N-glycosylation site into a protein that is not normally glycosylated would stabilize the protein and increase its folding rate in a manner that does not depend on the presence of specific stabilizing protein-saccharide interactions. Here we test this hypothesis experimentally and computationally by incorporating an N-linked GlcNAc residue at various positions within the Pin WW domain, a small β-sheet rich protein. The results show that increased folding rate and thermodynamic stability are not general, context-independent consequences of N-glycosylation. Comparison between computational predictions and experimental observations suggest that generic glycan-based excluded volume effects are responsible for the destabilizing effect of glycosylation at highly structured positions. However, this reasoning does not adequately explain the observed destabilizing effect of glycosylation within flexible loops. Our data are consistent with the hypothesis that specific, evolved protein-glycan contacts must also play an important role in mediating the beneficial energetic effects on protein folding that glycosylation can confer.
Determining the Slope and Quality of Fit for the Linear Part of a Test Record

It is often necessary to determine the slope of a linear region within a test record, and for standardization purposes, it is desirable to have a method for determining the slope that is not subjective. A fully automated algorithm is presented, which is independent of operator judgment for data sets that meet specific quality of data and fit criteria. The algorithm uses analysis of residuals to simulate the visual process of determining the linear region. Analysis of benchmark and real test data provide validation that the algorithm correctly differentiates between problem data (noisy, insufficient digital resolution, or no significant linear range) and good data.
Employment and health among married women with children

A sample of nearly 500 urban married women with children was used to evaluate the possible effect of outside-the-home employment on the mental and physical health of married mothers. Six measures of health were used, some drawn from interviews with the women, others from a medical examination. After controlling for ethnicity, education, and age of the women, the husband's occupation, number of children in the family, and length of time the woman has been married, it was found that wives who had been employed for more than a year were healthier than wives not employed outside the home and wives who had worked less than one year. Housewives who had never worked outside the home were healthier, on the whole, than wives who had been employed at some time in the past. Poor marital relationships and having no preschool age children seemed to increase the health advantage of long-term employed wives over those in the housewife categories. The occupational status of wife and husband did not seem to change these health differences very much.
Temporal response of the second-order nonlinearity in poled bulk-fused silica under field reversal

When an electric field is applied to a heated piece of bulk silica glass, which is subsequently cooled with the field applied, a permanent second order nonlinearity is formed.Here we examine the formation of the nonlinearity in situ via real-time observation of the second harmonic signal. The dynamics of the growth and decay of the signal are dependent on filed polarity, sample history and ambient environment during heating. The in situ dynamics indicate that under field reversal, there can be a long delay in creating or destroying the nonlinearity.
A Plasmonic Slot Waveguide Nanofilter

A novel plasmonic nanofilter using subwavelength slot waveguide is demonstrated. Standard circuit synthesis methods are applied to offer a fast filter design method. The filter structure is realized using indentations in a slot waveguide.
Topologies arising from metrics valued in abelian ℓ-groups

This paper considers metrics valued in abelian l-groups and their induced topologies. In addition to a metric into an l-group, one needs a filter in the positive cone to determine which balls are neighborhoods of their center. As a key special case, we discuss a topology on a lattice ordered abelian group from the metric dG and the positive filter consisting of the weak units of G; in the case of \({\mathbb R^{n}}\) , this is the Euclidean topology. We also show that there are many Nachbin convex topologies on an l-group which are not induced by any positive filter of the l-group.
An objective Bayesian estimation of parameters in a log-binomial model

Abstract Log-binomial model is commonly recommended for modeling prevalence ratio just as logistic regression is used to model log odds-ratio. However, for the log-binomial model, the parameter space turns out to be restricted causing difficulties for the maximum likelihood estimation in terms of convergence of numerical algorithms and calculation of standard errors. Bayesian approach is a natural choice for modeling log-binomial model as it involves neither maximization nor large sample approximation. We consider two objective or non-informative priors for the parameters in a log-binomial model: an improper flat prior and a proper prior. We give sufficient conditions for the posterior from the improper flat prior to be proper, and compare the two priors in terms of the resulting posterior summaries. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo via slice sampling to simulate from the posterior distributions.
Bank failures in the U.S.: A note on regulation Q

Bank failures in the U.S. have increased enormously since 1981. In order to explain this situation, certain factors have been identified—recession, the cost of funds to banks, and the Tax Reform Act of 1986. In addition, the interest rate ceilings imposed upon banks in the U.S. under Regulation Q (until its elimination) have been suggested as a possible contributing cause of the bank failure problem. The purpose of this paper is to provide an initial, formal, and empirical investigation into whether or not Regulation Q did influence the bank failure rate in the U.S. In fact, Regulation Q appears to have been a statistically significant contributor to the commercial bank failure rate.
The effect of bitumen polar groups adsorption on mastics properties at low temperatures

The current design standard for asphalt mixtures provides guidance on selection of aggregates and asphalt binder and includes requirements for the amount of mineral filler to be added in the mix. In the SuperPave system, the amount of filler that can be included is limited to a ratio in the range of 0.6–1.2 by mass of the filler to the binder (i.e. approximately 20–40% by volume of mastic). However, this range is based on experience rather than on scientific evaluation of the interaction between filler and binder. The experimental results collected in this study for mastics produced with two bitumens and a set of commonly used fillers indicate that the physico-chemical interaction effect is the result of adsorption of asphaltenes and resins (i.e. polar groups in asphalt) on the surface of the filler particles. This adsorption is partially responsible for the changes in the mechanical properties (e.g. stiffness and viscosity) and thermo-volumetric properties (e.g. coefficients of thermal contraction and gl...
A collapsed image of a completion of a “turn-square”

Abstract By a “turn-square” is meant a latin square of order ten expressed as a direct product or groups of orders 2 and 5 with some latin subsquares of order 2 turned. An image of a potential completion of such a latin square collapsed onto an order-5 square is given.
Ultra-wideband RF systems for harsh propagation environments

The nature of pulse based transmission in ultrawideband systems offer special characteristics that make them advantageous to conventional RF communications, radar, and tagging/tracking systems. Due to the large bandwidth of such narrow pulses, most industry efforts on UWB has been focused on short ranges (<10 m) high-bandwidth data transmission. However, the large bandwidth can open the opportunity for other applications with special propagation needs, such as harsh propagation environments, where the conventional narrowband technology faces significant challenges. In this paper we discuss successful developments of UWB technology for special applications in the areas of wireless communications, tomographic radar imaging, and radio frequency identifications (RFID).
Regulation of Dendrite Arborization by Substrate Stiffness is Mediated by Glutamate Receptors

Brain injury or disease can initiate changes in local or global stiffness of brain tissue. While stiffness of the extracellular environment is known to affect the morphology and function of many cell types, little is known about how the dendrites of neurons respond to changes in brain stiffness. To assess how extracellular stiffness affects dendrite morphology, we took biomaterial and biomedical engineering approaches. We cultured mixed and pure hippocampal neurons on hydrogels composed of polyacrylamide (PA) of varying stiffnesses to mimic the effects of extracellular matrix stiffness on dendrite morphology. The majority of investigations of cortical and spinal cord neurons on soft hydrogels examined branching at early time points (days in vitro (DIV) 2-7), an important distinction from our study, where we include later time points that encompass the peak of branching (DIV 10-12). At DIV 12, dendrite branching was altered by stiffness for both pure and mixed neuronal cultures. Furthermore, we treated hippocampal cultures with glutamate receptor antagonists and with astrocyte-conditioned media. Blocking AMPA and NMDA receptors affected the changes in dendrite branching seen at varying rigidities. Moreover, extracellular factors secreted by astrocytes also change dendrite branching seen at varying rigidities. Thus, astrocytes and ionotropic glutamate receptors contribute to mechanosensing.
Behavioral intervention for domestic pet mistreatment in a young child with autism

Abstract Household pets can have a positive influence on quality of life for individuals who live with them (Bryant, 1990). Little previous research has investigated issues related to interaction between individuals with developmental disabilities and pets. In this study, we used simple behavioral intervention procedures to decrease pet mistreatment by a young child with autism. Specifically, differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) and differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) were evaluated. DRA did not decrease the behavior but DRO produced immediate and significant decreases in pet mistreatment and the DRO interval was successfully lengthened to 10 min. All sessions were implemented by the child's regular behavioral therapy team, in the child's home.
A new framework for inferring Earth's past climate

[1] Bayesian Hierarchical Models for Climate Field Reconstruction; Palisades, New York, 8–11 February 2011; Inferring Earth's past climate from noisy, incomplete proxy time series remains an important challenge in the geosciences. Bayesian hierarchical models (BHMs), which have theoretical advantages over established regression methods based on empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs), are a powerful new method for spatially explicit climate field reconstruction. Whereas EOF-based approaches involve projecting the proxy and instrumental data sets onto reduced subspaces and then assuming a linear relationship between these transformed variables, BHMs allow for scientific knowledge about the target climate field to be included at the process level of the hierarchy and for each data type to have a different functional relationship with that target field. A workshop held at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University provided in-depth exposure to BHMs for climate reconstructions to researchers who currently use EOF-based multivariate regression models for inferring past climate. In addition, the workshop explored how other established methods perform in relation to BHMs and examined the ability of each approach to characterize reconstruction uncertainties in practice.
Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, and cardiovascular events among older adults.

Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate associations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations separately and in combination with incident cardiovascular events and mortality during 14 years of follow-up in the CHS (Cardiovascular Health Study). Background Vitamin D deficiency and PTH excess are common in older adults and may adversely affect cardiovascular health. Methods A total of 2,312 participants who were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline were studied. Vitamin D and intact PTH were measured from previously frozen serum using mass spectrometry and a 2-site immunoassay. Outcomes were adjudicated cases of myocardial infarction, heart failure, cardiovascular death, and all-cause mortality. Results There were 384 participants (17%) with serum 25-OHD concentrations Conclusions Among older adults, 25-OHD deficiency is associated with myocardial infarction and mortality; PTH excess is associated with heart failure. Vitamin D and PTH might influence cardiovascular risk through divergent pathways.
Replica victim caching to improve cache reliability against transient errors

Future cache memories must deal with soft errors to ensure data reliability. This paper investigates the addition of a small cache – replica victim cache, to accommodate the replicas that are frequently evicted from the L1 data cache due to in-cache replication (ICR) for further enhancing the data reliability against soft errors. Our experimental results reveal that a replica victim cache with only four entries can increase the reliability of the L1 data cache by 21.7% more than ICR without impacting performance significantly. Also, the area overhead is less than 10% for most L1 data cache configurations. We believe the proposed scheme provides an interesting cache design option, especially for the applications that are operated in highly noisy environments or demand very high data integrity.
The Color Glass Condensate to the Strongly Interacting Quark Gluon Plasma: Theoretical Developments

I argue that the physics of the scattering of very high energy strongly interacting particles is controlled by a new, universal form of matter, the Color Glass Condensate. This matter is the dominant contribution to the low x part of a hadron wavefunction. In collisions, this mater almost instantaneously turns into a Glasma. The Glasma initially has strong longitudinal color electric and magnetic fields, with topological charge. These fields melt into gluons. Due to instabilities, quantum noise is converted into classical turbulence, which may be responsible for the early thermalization seen in heavy ion at RHIC
Mycelia and spent fermentation broth of Beauveria bassiana incorporated into synthetic diets affect mortality, growth and development of larval Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Beauveria bassiana endophytically colonises corn (Zea mays) reducing tunneling from European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis). Endophytic colonisation of other plants by B. bassiana has been reported, and potentially, may reduce insect feeding on these plants. We evaluated the effects on larval growth and development, and mortality of different rates of dried, ground mycelia and water-soluble metabolites from fermentation broth culture of different isolates of B. bassiana incorporated into a synthetic diet and fed to neonate bollworm, Helicoverpa zea larvae. Development was delayed, weights of larvae were lower, and mortality was high for larvae fed the highest rates (1.0 and 5.0%, w/v) of mycelia incorporated diet compared to control. Insects fed diets containing mycelia of B. bassiana isolate 11-98 had the greatest mortality. Mortality was 100% for larvae fed 5% (w/v) mycelia incorporated diet of isolate 11-98, and 61% for isolate 3-00. For insects fed low rates (0.1 to 0.5%, w/v) of mycelia inc...
Scanning electron microscopy and histologic analysis of an apexification "cap": a case report

A maxillary permanent central incisor with a history of trauma, apexification, and internal thermocatalytic bleaching sustained a horizontal fracture at the cementoenamel junction, which necessitated extraction of the tooth. After removal, the root apex was examined histologically and by scanning electron microscopy. An apexification "cap" with unusual anatomic character and structure was observed.
An Easton theorem for level by level equivalence

We establish an Easton theorem for the least supercompact cardinal that is consistent with the level by level equivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness. In both our ground model and the model witnessing the conclusions of our theorem, there are no restrictions on the structure of the class of supercompact cardinals. We also briefly indicate how our methods of proof yield an Easton theorem that is consistent with the level by level equivalence between strong compactness and supercompactness in a universe with a restricted number of large cardinals. We conclude by posing some related open questions. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Chemometric and statistical analyses of ToF-SIMS spectra of increasingly complex biological samples

Characterizing and classifying molecular variations within biological samples are critical for determining the fundamental mechanisms of biological processes. Toward these ends, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was used to examine increasingly complex samples of biological relevance. The large, multivariate datasets were analyzed using five commonstatisticalandchemometrictechniques:principalcomponentanalysis(PCA),lineardiscriminantanalysis(LDA),partial least-squaresdiscriminantanalysis(PLSDA),softindependentmodelingofclassanalogy(SIMCA),anddecision-treeanalysisby recursivepartitioning.PCAwasfoundtoprovideinsightintoboththerelativegroupingsofsamplesandthemolecularbasisfor thosegroupings.Formonosaccharide,pureprotein,andcomplexproteinmixturesamples,LDA,PLSDA,andSIMCAallproduced excellent classification. For mouse embryo tissues, however, SIMCA did not classify samples as accurately. The decision-tree analysis was the least successful for all tested samples, providing neither as accurate a classification nor chemical insight. Based on these results we conclude that as the complexity of samples increases, so must the sophistication of the multivariate technique used to classify the samples. PCA is a preferred first step for understanding ToF-SIMS data that can be followed by either LDA or PLSDA for effective classification. This study demonstrates the strength of the combination of ToF-SIMS and multivariate analysis to classify increasingly complex biological samples. Applying these techniques to information-rich mass spectraldataopensthepossibilitiesfornewapplicationsincludingclassificationofsubtlydifferentbiologicalsamplesthatmay provide insights into cellular processes, disease progress, and disease diagnosis. Copyright c � 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of the TCF4 gene in the phenotype of individuals with 18q segmental deletions

The goal of this study is to define the effects of TCF4 hemizygosity in the context of a larger segmental deletion of chromosome 18q. Our cohort included 37 individuals with deletions of 18q. Twenty-seven had deletions including TCF4 (TCF4+/−); nine had deletions that did not include TCF4 (TCF4+/+); and one individual had a microdeletion that included only the TCF4 gene. We compared phenotypic data from the participants’ medical records, survey responses, and in-person evaluations. Features unique to the TCF4+/− individuals included abnormal corpus callosum, short neck, small penis, accessory and wide-spaced nipples, broad or clubbed fingers, and sacral dimple. The developmental data revealed that TCF4+/+ individuals were only moderately developmentally delayed while TCF4+/− individuals failed to reach developmental milestones beyond those typically acquired by 12 months of age. TCF4 hemizygosity also conferred an increased risk of early death principally due to aspiration-related complications. Hemizygosity for TCF4 confers a significant impact primarily with regard to cognitive and motor development, resulting in a very different prognosis for individuals hemizygous for TCF4 when compared to individuals hemizygous for other regions of distal 18q.
Leveraging Structural Relations for Fluent Compressions at Multiple Compression Rates

Prior approaches to sentence compression have taken low level syntactic constraints into account in order to maintain grammaticality. We propose and successfully evaluate a more comprehensive, generalizable feature set that takes syntactic and structural relationships into account in order to sustain variable compression rates while making compressed sentences more coherent, grammatical and readable.
Separation of a helium-methane mixture in permeators with two types of polymer membranes

The separation of a HeCH4 mixture containing 9.95 mol% He in permeator modules that incorporate two different types of polymer membranes was studied theoretically and experimentally. The membranes were symmetric dense capillaries of silicone rubber and asymmetric hollow fibers of cellulose triacetate. These membranes exhibit reverse selectivities for He and CH4, silicone rubber being more permeable to CH4, and cellulose triacetate more permeable to He. The simultaneous use of these two types of membranes in a permeator enhances the enrichment and recovery of He compared to the levels obtained with a single-membrane permeator utilizing either membrane alone. The experimental results were found to confirm the theoretical predictions, the agreement being better at the lower stage cuts.
PROPERTIES OF THE CAUSATIVE AGENT OF A CHICKEN TUMOR : XI. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF PURIFIED CHICKEN TUMOR EXTRACTS CONTAINING THE ACTIVE PRINCIPLE.

The fractionation of active chicken tumor extracts has been continued. 1. By a rapid method of dialysis the diffusible fraction of the treated extract, representing about 75 per cent of the solids, has been eliminated without reducing the tumor-producing activity. 2. Combined methods of fractionation have resulted in the elimination of as much as 95 per cent of the total solids of the extract as inactive constituents. Since there was some concomitant enhancement of the activity of the agent the results were equivalent to a 25-fold concentration of it in terms of dry weight. 3. The chemical content of the undiffusible fraction has been determined in terms of total nitrogen, reducing substances, sulfur, phosphorus, and lipoids. 4. The evidence points to a protein and a phospholipoid as the principal constituents of the active residue. Further fractionation is being attempted with a view to connecting the tumor-producing activity with one of its remaining constituents.
Gradient of surface potential on a homogeneous sphere: lateral hemispheric mean magnitude

The lateral hemispheric mean of the magnitude of the gradient of scalp surface potential due to an eccentric current dipole source was determined for various source positions and orientations within a homogeneous conductive sphere. It was found that a source positioned in one hemisphere can produce a mean gradient which is larger on the surface of the opposite hemisphere. This result suggests that caution must be employed when using surface electrode measurements to establish source laterality. >
Effect of PMA on effective fixed charge in thermally grown oxide on 6H-SiC

The effect of post-metallisation annealing (PMA) on the effective fixed charge in thermally grown SiO2 on 6H-SiC has been systematically studied. It is found that under a carefully controlled and optimised PMA condition, it is possible to reduce the effective fixed charge density for both p-type and n-type samples. The study covers an annealing temperature range 400 – 600°C in forming gas (5% hydrogen in nitrogen) for both p-type and n-type 6H-SiC. The optimum annealing conditions are reported.
High frequency photonic microwave oscillators based on WGM resonators

This paper studies the applications of novel photonic microwave oscillators containing high-Q whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators intended to produce low noise high frequency MW signals ranging from X-band to W-band. We theoretically compare the fundamental as well as practical restrictions on the performance of both an optical hyper-parametric oscillator based on a nonlinear high-Q WGM resonator and an "oscillator" based on two lasers locked to the same linear WGM resonator to produce stable MW beat signals. Finally, we report on a proof of the principle experiment where we realized the hyper-parametric oscillator generating /spl sim/ 10 GHz signals with 200 Hz linewidth and -110 dBc/Hz noise floor at 1 MHz from /spl sim/ 10 GHz carrier.
Identification of critical amino acid residues on human dihydrofolate reductase protein that mediate RNA recognition.

Previous studies have shown that human dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) acts as an RNA-binding protein, in which it binds to its own mRNA and, in so doing, results in translational repression. In this study, we used RNA gel mobility shift and nitrocellulose filter-binding assays to further investigate the specificity of the interaction between human DHFR protein and human DHFR mRNA. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to identify the critical amino acid residues on DHFR protein required for RNA recognition. Human His-Tag DHFR protein specifically binds to human DHFR mRNA, while unrelated proteins including thymidylate synthase, p53 and glutathione-S-transferase were unable to form a ribonucleoprotein complex with DHFR mRNA. The Cys6 residue is essential for RNA recognition, as mutation at this amino acid with either an alanine (C6A) or serine (C6S) residue almost completely abrogated RNA-binding activity. Neither one of the cysteine mutant proteins was able to repress the in vitro translation of human DHFR mRNA. Mutations at amino acids Ile7, Arg28 and Phe34, significantly reduced RNA-binding activity. An RNA footprinting analysis identified three different RNA sequences, bound to DHFR protein, ranging in size from 16 to 45 nt, while a UV cross-linking analysis isolated an ~16 nt RNA sequence bound to DHFR. These studies begin to identify the critical amino acid residues on human DHFR that mediate RNA binding either through forming direct contact points with RNA or through maintaining the protein in an optimal structure that allows for the critical RNA-binding domain to be accessible.
Advancing Genetic Theory and Application by Metabolic Quantitative Trait Loci Analysis

This review describes recent advances in the analysis of metabolism using quantitative genetics. It focuses on how recent metabolic quantitative trait loci (QTL) studies enhance our understanding of the genetic architecture underlying naturally variable phenotypes and the impact of this fundamental research on agriculture, specifically crop breeding. In particular, the role of whole-genome duplications in generating quantitative genetic variation within a species is highlighted and the potential uses of this phenomenon presented. Additionally, the review describes how new observations from metabolic QTL mapping analyses are helping to shape and expand the concepts of genetic epistasis.
Sex-specific chromatin states in mammalian fetal germ cells

Background Male and female mammalian germ cells follow identical developmental trajectories for the first half of embryogenesis, during which time they also maintain a pluripotentlike state. Beginning around day 13.5 of embryogenesis (E13.5), male and female germ cells initiate dramatically different developmental programs: female germ cells enter meiotic prophase, while male germ cells enter a G0-like cell cycle arrest until after birth [1]. At this time, both male and female germ cells also lose the ability to establish pluripotent cell lines in culture [2]. As late as E12.5, male and female germ cells are morphologically identical, and few transcriptional differences can be detected [1,3]. To evaluate the coordination of sex-specific transcriptional states during this important interval in germ cell differentiation, we examined placement of the activating histone modification H3K4me3 and the repressive histone modification H3K27me3 in XX and XY murine germ cells before and during the initiation of sex differentiation.
Phylogeny and Ecophysiology of Opportunistic Snow Molds from a Subalpine Forest Ecosystem

Mats of coenocytic “snow molds” are commonly observed covering the soil and litter of alpine and subalpine areas immediately following snow melt. Here, we describe the phylogenetic placement, growth rates, and metabolic potential of cold-adapted fungi from under-snow mats in the subalpine forests of Colorado. SSU rDNA sequencing revealed that these fungi belong to the zygomycete orders Mucorales and Mortierellales. All of the isolates could grow at temperatures observed under the snow at our sites (0°C and −2°C) but were unable to grow at temperatures above 25°C and were unable to grow anaerobically. Growth rates for these fungi were very high at −2°C, approximately an order of magnitude faster than previously studied cold-tolerant fungi from Antarctic soils. Given the rapid aerobic growth of these fungi at low temperatures, we propose that they are uniquely adapted to take advantage of the flush of nutrient that occurs at the soil–snow interface beneath late winter snow packs. In addition, extracellular enzyme production was relatively high for the Mucorales, but quite low for the Mortierellales, perhaps indicating some niche separation between these fungi beneath the late winter snow pack.
Efficient, one-pot syntheses of biologically active α-linked glycolipids

Per-O-silylated galactosyl iodides undergo α-glycosidation with fully functionalized glycolipids producing biologically relevant conjugates.
“Working to shape what society’s expectations of us should be”: Philip Morris’ societal alignment strategy

Background: A key element of Philip Morris’s (PM’s) corporate social responsibility initiatives is “societal alignment”, defined as “strategies and programs to meet society’s expectations of a responsible tobacco company”. This study explored the genesis and implementation of Philip Morris9 (PM) societal alignment efforts. Methods: The study retrieved and analysed approximately 375 previously undisclosed PM documents now available electronically. Using an iterative process, the study categorised themes and prepared a case analysis. Results: Beginning in 1999, PM sought to become “societally aligned” by identifying expectations of a responsible tobacco company through public opinion research and developing and publicising programs to meet those expectations. Societal alignment was undertaken within the US and globally to ensure an environment favourable to PM’s business objectives. Despite PM’s claims to be “changing”, however, societal alignment in practice was highly selective. PM responded to public “expectations” largely by retooling existing positions and programs, while entirely ignoring other expectations that might have interfered with its business goals. It also appears that convincing employees of the value and authenticity of societal alignment was difficult. Conclusions: As implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control proceeds, tobacco control advocates should closely monitor development of such “alignment” initiatives and expose the motivations and contradictions they reveal.
Medical Applications and Toxicities of Gallium Compounds

Over the past two to three decades, gallium compounds have gained importance in the fields of medicine and electronics. In clinical medicine, radioactive gallium and stable gallium nitrate are used as diagnostic and therapeutic agents in cancer and disorders of calcium and bone metabolism. In addition, gallium compounds have displayed anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activity in animal models of human disease while more recent studies have shown that gallium compounds may function as antimicrobial agents against certain pathogens. In a totally different realm, the chemical properties of gallium arsenide have led to its use in the semiconductor industry. Gallium compounds, whether used medically or in the electronics field, have toxicities. Patients receiving gallium nitrate for the treatment of various diseases may benefit from such therapy, but knowledge of the therapeutic index of this drug is necessary to avoid clinical toxicities. Animals exposed to gallium arsenide display toxicities in certain organ systems suggesting that environmental risks may exist for individuals exposed to this compound in the workplace. Although the arsenic moiety of gallium arsenide appears to be mainly responsible for its pulmonary toxicity, gallium may contribute to some of the detrimental effects in other organs. The use of older and newer gallium compounds in clinical medicine may be advanced by a better understanding of their mechanisms of action, drug resistance, pharmacology, and side-effects. This review will discuss the medical applications of gallium and its mechanisms of action, the newer gallium compounds and future directions for development, and the toxicities of gallium compounds in current use.
Synovial fluid lactic acid. a diagnostic aid in septic arthritis

Lactic acid concentrations in the synovial fluid of 84 patients with acute monoarticular arthritis were determined by gas liquid chromatography. Lactic acid values in 27 cases of nongonococcal septic arthritis were strikingly higher (mean 1170 mg/100 ml) than in 45 cases of inflammatory or degenerative arthritis (mean 34 mg/100 ml), as well as in 12 cases of gonococcal arthritis (mean 27 mg/100 ml). With the proper equipment, determination of lactic acid can be a relatively rapid, reliable procedure. Synovial fluid lactic acid concentrations therefore can be used as a rapid, supplemental diagnostic aid in differentiating nongonococcal septic arthritis from both gonococcal and nonseptic acute arthritis.
Control of Doping in Cu2SnS3 through Defects and Alloying

As the world’s demand for energy grows, the search for cost competitive and earth abundant thin film photovoltaic absorbers is becoming increasingly important. A promising approach to tackle this challenge is through thin film photovoltaics made of elements that are abundant in the Earth’s crust. In this work, we focus on Cu2SnS3, a promising earth abundant absorber material. Recent publications have presented 3% and 6% device efficiencies using Cu2SnS3-based absorber materials and alloys, respectively. However, little is understood about the fundamental defect and doping physics of this material, which is needed for further improvements in device performance. Here, we identify the origins of the changes in doping in sputtered cubic Cu2SnS3 thin films using combinatorial experiments and first-principles theory. Experimentally, we find that the cubic Cu2SnS3 has a large phase width and that the electrical conductivity increases with increasing Cu and S content in the films, which cannot be fully explained ...
The origins of near band-edge transitions in hexagonal boron nitride epilayers

Photoluminescence spectroscopy has been employed to probe the near band-edge transitions in hexagonal BN (h-BN) epilayers synthesized under varying ammonia flow rates. The results suggest that the quasi-donor-acceptor pair emission line at 5.3 eV is due to the transition between the nitrogen vacancy and a deep acceptor, whereas the 5.5 eV emission line is due to the recombination of an exciton bound to a deep acceptor formed by carbon impurity occupying the nitrogen site. By growing h-BN under high ammonia flow rates, nitrogen vacancy related peaks can be eliminated and epilayers exhibiting pure free exciton emission have been obtained.
Security protection of binary programs

The use of Software of Unknown Provenance (SOUP) in the development of modern information systems has become widespread and is difficult to avoid. Unfortunately, important properties of the software, such as critical security properties, cannot be assured with SOUP making the use of SOUP problematic. In this paper we summarize Kevlar, a comprehensive approach to enhancing the security of SOUP. Kevlar operates with access only to the binary program, i.e., no source code or other development documentation is required, and the current implementation supports Intel X86 software running on Ubuntu platforms.
Development of Gas Generation in Li_4Ti_5O_(12)-based Stationary Batteries

Spinel Li4Ti5O12 anode has attracted recent interests due to its excellent rate and cycling performance. However, the full battery based on Li4Ti5O12 anode suffers from severe flatulence, especially at high temperatures. This has become the greatest technologic challenge. For the large-scale application purpose, we should solve the swelling problems. This paper was to review recent development on this aspect, i.e., the main components of the generated gas, the influencing factors and the gas production mechanism. In addition, several possible solutions to suppressing gas generation in Li4Ti5O12-based batteries were also proposed.
Abstract 514: Endothelial Cell-Specific Molecule 1 or Endocan Is Required for Postnatal Cardiac Function

Introduction: Endothelial specific molecule 1 (ESM1) or Endocan is an endothelial secreted dermatan sulphate proteoglycan whose function remains elusive. ESM-1 is detected at a level of approximately 1 ng/ml in the plasma of healthy individuals and is significantly elevated in diseased states like cancer and sepsis. ESM1 expression in vivo is limited while its expression is up regulated in tumor neovessels. However there have been no in vivo studies of ESM1 function to date. Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the function of ESM1 in vivo using a global ESM1 knockout (KO) mouse model. Methods and results: ESM1 KO mice were generated by deleting the exon 1 containing the coding region of the mouse gene. Mice were backcrossed in C57BL/6 background for more than 10 generations. Targeted deletion of ESM1 was confirmed by real time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Analysis of ESM1 KO embryos and yolk sac at different time points (E12.5, E15.5) showed normal vasculature compared to WT controls. ESM1 KO mice were born at the normal mendelian but they showed 50% perinatal mortality by postnatal day 3 (P3). Pathological analysis of mice that died at P2 revealed dilated atria engorged with blood and thrombi indicative of possible defect in cardiac contractility. Pulmonary congestion was also observed indicative of possible cardiac failure. Fetal genes associated with cardiac stress response including atrial natriuretic peptide (Nppa), brain natriuretic pepetide (Nppb) and beta-myosin heavy chain (Myh7) were significantly up regulated in ESM1 KO postnatal (P2) hearts compared to controls. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate for the first time that ESM1 is required for postnatal cardiac function. Future studies are aimed at understanding the mechanisms leading to impaired cardiac function in ESM1 KO mice.
Solving Differential Equations by Symmetry Groups

(2007). Solving Differential Equations by Symmetry Groups. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 114, No. 9, pp. 778-792.
Educational strategies for clinicians.

SUMMARY Largely because of a lack of training, many primary care physicians are unaware of how they can prevent, detect, or manage substance abuse within their clinical practice. The educational process used to develop a teaching unit can be simplified by initially asking a few directed questions. The answers to these questions determine what needs to be taught while facilitating the subsequent steps of determining learning goals and objectives and selecting appropriate teaching materials and strategies. Evaluating the teaching unit on at least a cursory level provides useful information for future planning. A variety of curriculum manuals and clinical text parts can be readily incorporated into teaching units. These same sources can alternatively be adapted to an individual’s own self-directed course of study. Incorporation of experiential educational strategies is especially useful in substance abuse instruction. Including recovering individuals, attendance at self-help group meetings, and role play exercises are all useful experiential strategies for engaging the learner. Tapping into organizational resources and networking with others involved in similar activities enhances one’s potential through the sharing of information and through the synergism created by networking with others.
Relative Merit of Various Nonsurgical Treatments of Infection Stones in Dogs

Dietary management, urease inhibition and antibiotic treatment can control growth and recurrence of infection stones. Although urease inhibition and antibiotic treatment have also induced stone dissolution in a few patients, complete dissolution by these means is not common. Recently a stone dissolution (S/D) diet (Table 1) combined with antibiotic treatment has been shown to induce rapid dissolution of experimental and spontaneous infection stones in the dog1. Flurofamide is a novel potent urease inhibitor, excreted in the active form in the urine2. We compared the relative supersaturation of struvite (RSS) in urine when the S/D diet, flurofamide, and antibiotic treatment, alone or in combination, were given to dogs with experimental infection stone disease.