cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Ceramides in Barrier Function of Healthy and Diseased Skin

Stratum corneum intercellular lipids play an important role in the regulation of skin water barrier homeostasis and water-holding capacity. Modification of intercellular lipid organization and composition may impair these properties. Patients with skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, and some genetic disorders have diminished skin barrier function. Lipid composition in diseased skin is characterized by decreased levels of ceramide and altered ceramide profiles. To clarify mechanisms underlying ceramides as a causative factor of skin disease, investigators have examined the activity of enzymes in the stratum corneum on ceramide production and degradation. The activities of ceramidase, sphingomyelin deacylase, and glucosylceramide deacylase are increased in epidermal atopic dermatitis. Investigators have also compared the expression levels of sphingolipid activator protein in the epidermis of normal and diseased skin. A decreased level of prosaposin has been identified in both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. These results indicate that decreased ceramide level is a major etiologic factor in skin diseases. Hence, topical skin lipid supplementation may provide opportunities for controlling ceramide deficiency and improving skin condition.
Nailing Down and Tying Up: Lessons in Intertextual Impossibility from the Martyrdom of Polycarp

Abstract This paper addresses scholarly approaches to the function of allusions and intertextuality in the Martyrdom of Polycarp. It argues that scholarship on this question has operated with and been hampered by unspoken assumptions about the historicity and authenticity of the account, the development of canon, the use of scriptural sources, and the function of allusions. Attention to the function of intertextuality in the account reveals both that it is difficult to identify concretely the sources of the account and that, as a result, it is impossible to speak authoritatively about the author’s intent with respect to the use of these sources.
Colonic ulcers accompanying collagenous colitis: implication of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Colonic ulcers accompanying collagenous colitis: implication of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
Characteristics performance of production-worthy multiple e-beam maskless lithography

E-beam direct write (EBDW) is one of the potential solutions for technology nodes of 28-nm half-pitch (HP) and beyond. Throughput limitation confined its development mostly to small-volume prototyping. Recently, proposals have been made to achieve throughput greater than 10 wafers per hour (WPH) on a single column with >10,000 beams writing in parallel (MEBDW), or even greater than 100 WPH by further clustering multiple columns within a typical production-tool footprint. The MAPPER concept contains a CMOS-MEMS blanker array driven by high-speed optical data path architecture to simultaneously control >10,000 beams, switching them on and off independently. The MAPPER Pre-Alpha Tool with a 110-beam, 5-keV column and a 300-mm wafer stage has been installed in a semiconductor manufacturing cleanroom environment and is ready for imaging test. In this paper, the resist imaging results of 110-beam parallel raster-scan writing for 30-nm half-pitch (HP) dense hole on 300-mm wafer is shown. The challenges of implementing multiple e-beam maskless lithography (MEBML2) in mass production environment, including resolution, local variation, focusing, energy latitude, proximity effect correction and electron scattering model fitting of hole patterning are discussed. Similar to mask-error-enhanced-factor (MEEF), the new writing-error-enhanced-factor (WEEF) to describe the impact of writing error, is introduced.
Technical workshop report: Working Group II: agricultural occupational health and safety services for farmers and ranchers

This work group felt that there is compelling evidence that effective occupational health services are essential to improve the serious occupational safety and health problems in agriculture. Program initiatives may be stimulated by federal and state governments, but development and implementation must involve the grassroots farm community and local resources. Other countries (Sweden, Finland, Canada) are far ahead of the United States in this area and serve as examples. Developing services should be comprehensive and should include clinical, technical, and educational efforts. Marketing programs to the public must include grassroots involvement. Surveillance and program evaluation are essential in any new program efforts. Funding such programs must be shared by federal, state, local, and private resources. Regulatory options should be a minimal part of such a program, but mandatory rollover protective devices and mandatory reporting seems to be one feasible regulatory option. Language: en
Direct oxidation of boronates by peroxynitrite: Mechanism and implications in fluorescence imaging of peroxynitrite

In this study, we show that boronates, a class of synthetic organic compounds, react rapidly and stoichiometrically with peroxynitrite (ONOO(-)) to form stable hydroxy derivatives as major products. Using a stopped-flow kinetic technique, we measured the second-order rate constants for the reaction with ONOO(-), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and found that ONOO(-) reacts with 4-acetylphenylboronic acid nearly a million times (k=1.6x10(6) M(-1) s(-1)) faster than does H(2)O(2) (k=2.2 M(-1) s(-1)) and over 200 times faster than does HOCl (k=6.2x10(3) M(-1) s(-1)). Nitric oxide and superoxide together, but not alone, oxidized boronates to the same phenolic products. Similar reaction profiles were obtained with other boronates. Results from this study may be helpful in developing a novel class of fluorescent probes for the detection and imaging of ONOO(-) formed in cellular and cell-free systems.
Intergranular interactions and structure of multilayer CoCrPt/CoCrTa thin films for ultra-high density recording

Abstract Multilayer CoCrPt/CoCrTa magnetic films with Cr underlayers were studied. The films were fine-grain with in-plane c -axis orientation, the in-plane coercivities H c‖ in the range of 1.9–3.8 kOe and coercivity squareness S ∗ > 0.81 . The H c‖ decreased and S ∗ increased with increasing volume fraction of the CoCrTa layer and intergranular interactions varied significantly with thickness and number of layers in the film.
Space charge associated with resonant tunneling.

A general formula is obtained for the electron density per unit area associated with the quasilevel in a symmetrical resonant tunneling heterostructure. The relation of this quantum-mechanical electron accumulation to the time dependence of conduction is discussed.
Biophysical and biochemical properties of wild cucumber mosaic virus and of two related virus-like particles.

Abstract Plants infected with wild cucumber mosaic virus produce two virus-like particles (designated top component a and top component b) in addition to virus (designated bottom component). The bottom component and a mixture of top component a and top component b were isolated by means of sucrose-density gradient centrifugation. The molecular weights, determined by sedimentation and diffusion experiments, were 4.0·106 for top component a, 4.3·106 for top component b, and 7.0·106 for bottom component. These particles differ in their nucleic acid content. Top component a has no nucleic acid, top component b contains approx. 11% RNA, and bottom component contains approx. 35% RNA. The relative proportion of the 4 nucleotide bases in the RNA of top component b and in the RNA of bottom component are similar. Both have an unusually high proportion of cytosine. The amino acid compositions of the three components are quite similar.
Kinetic and thermodynamic modeling of the formation of polymeric microspheres using solvent extraction/evaporation method

Abstract The formation of polylactide-co-glycolide microspheres loaded with a peptide using solvent extraction/evaporation methods involves intrinsic variables, such as solvent-polymer interaction parameters, and extrinsic variables, such as dispersed phase/ continuous phase ratio, temperature and dispersed phase composition. A mathematical model based on mass transfer was developed by incorporating these variables, and, by superimposing with the state of phase transition, the model was used to predict the microsphere properties. The mass transfer in the dispersed phase was based on diffusion theory and was a function of the driving force of chemical potential gradient and transport parameters. The solvent removal process involved solvent diffusion out of the dispersed phase followed by evaporation at the continuous phase/air interface, a process which can be facilitated by forced convective flow. Mathematically, the process can be expressed by coupling the equations for mass transfer in the dispersed phase and first order evaporation from the continuous phase. Two phase transitions, the viscous and glassy boundaries, were used to represent the phase transitions in the polymer solution. The phase transition can be superimposed on the composition profile in the dispersed phase; the solidification of microsphere can be evaluated from such a treatment.
Effect of carbon dioxide on rate of brain cooling during induction of hypothermia by direct blood cooling

Summary Rate of fall of brain temperature during the induction of hypothermia is increased by the addition of 10 per cent carbon dioxide to the ventilatory mixture. Under these circumstances brain temperatures approximate those of the esophagus and mixed venous blood.
Mapping the structure of perceptual and visual–motor abilities in healthy young adults

The ability to quickly detect and respond to visual stimuli in the environment is critical to many human activities. While such perceptual and visual-motor skills are important in a myriad of contexts, considerable variability exists between individuals in these abilities. To better understand the sources of this variability, we assessed perceptual and visual-motor skills in a large sample of 230 healthy individuals via the Nike SPARQ Sensory Station, and compared variability in their behavioral performance to demographic, state, sleep and consumption characteristics. Dimension reduction and regression analyses indicated three underlying factors: Visual-Motor Control, Visual Sensitivity, and Eye Quickness, which accounted for roughly half of the overall population variance in performance on this battery. Inter-individual variability in Visual-Motor Control was correlated with gender and circadian patters such that performance on this factor was better for males and for those who had been awake for a longer period of time before assessment. The current findings indicate that abilities involving coordinated hand movements in response to stimuli are subject to greater individual variability, while visual sensitivity and occulomotor control are largely stable across individuals.
The Role of Behavioural Treatment in the Management of Insomnia

Insomnia is a highly prevalent complaint among the general public that can affect an individual’s health, performance and quality of life. Despite its broad effects, patients’ help-seeking rate is very low. One possible reason for this is the patients’ lack of knowledge about treatment options for insomnia. In order to facilitate understanding and appreciation of the behavioural treatments of insomnia, this article offers an overview of clinical indications, procedures, and expected short term and long term effects of various effective behavioural treatments for insomnia. Treatments discussed include: (i) stimulus control instructions that eliminate the maladaptive association between bedtime cues and anxiety; (ii) sleep restriction therapy that enhances central sleep mechanisms by systematically curtailing the amount of time in bed; (iii) relaxation techniques that promote sleep by reducing physiological tension and cognitive arousal; (iv) biofeedback protocols that produce relaxation or enhance sleep regulation through the feedback of physiological measures; (v) cognitive therapies that facilitate sleep onset by alleviating pre-sleep cognitive arousal; (vi) sleep hygiene that improves sleep by avoiding habits and activities interfering with sleep; and (vii) chronotherapy and light therapy that facilitate sleep regulation based on the principles of circadian rhythmicity.
Perched brine plumes above salt domes and dewatering of geopressured sediments

Previous studies have shown that there is a brine plume with more than 160 g l−1 total dissolved solids (TDS) in the subsurface, perched above Welsh Salt Dome in South Louisiana. The occurrence of this plume has been postulated to be due to the expulsion of geopressured fluids up a fault on the flank of Welsh Dome. The process that resulted in formation of the anomalous brine plume near Welsh Dome is of importance because hydrocarbon production is approximately coincident with the brine plume in map plan, although in cross-sections, the brine plume actually occurs a few hundred meters above hydrocarbon production zones. Using a variable density groundwater flow model, Sutra, we tested the hypothesis that a pulse of fluid flow up the fault could result in brine formation near the top of the dome. When the permeability of the geopressured zone was very low in our simulations, brine formation in the hydropressured zone occurred entirely by brine-density flow and flow was downward along the fault flanking the dome. Above a certain threshold permeability for the geopressured zone, between 10−7 darcy and 10−5 darcy in the vertical direction, geopressured fluids were forced up the fault and brine formation occurred above the dome rather than on the flank. Brines can theoretically form above salt domes in very short geologic times (10−1 Ma) by expulsion of waters from the geopressured zone below, but the fluid effluxes required are gigantic and appear to be unsustainable over large time intervals such as 10 Ma.
A prototype web-based custom product specification system

For companies who must provide customized products on demand, it is important that the voice of the customer be addressed and incorporated early into the design process. Web-based design interfaces have emerged as useful tools to make customer voices interactive and provide a customer-friendly and cost-effective interface. The effectiveness of the interface can be greatly enhanced through implementation of a strategic customization process that can proactively react to customer requests. The design process represents a virtual product line that approaches the goal of providing infinite variety at minimal costs. The process provides a base for a true customization approach, which is different from the typical mass customization approach to provide ample but limited product variety a priori for a targeted market. In this paper, we describe the development of a prototypical custom product specification system and the underlying strategic design process that is based on a collection of product platforms. The development is illustrated using an example from on-going research with a company that produces customized valves for the power industry.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Brief history of laser-induced breakdown (Abstract Only)

Breakdown of air by a focused pulse from a Q-switched ruby laser was first observed in 1962. This marked the beginning of studies on laser-generated plasmas and of laser-induced breakdown in solids, liquids and gases. A historical overview will be presented of major developments in the basic physical processes involved, including multiphoton ionization and avalanche breakdown. Recent experiments on plasma creation and damage induced by femtosecond pluses have thrown new light on this subject, which continues to be of great technical interest.
The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms (ASC) curriculum: focusing upon diverse students and teachers.

Abstract The Minority Institution Astrobiology Collaborative (MIAC) began working with the NASA Goddard Center for Astrobiology in 2003 to develop curriculum materials for high school chemistry and Earth science classes based on astrobiology concepts. The Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms (ASC) modules emphasize interdisciplinary connections in astronomy, biology, chemistry, geoscience, physics, mathematics, and ethics through hands-on activities that address national educational standards. Field-testing of the Astrobiology in Secondary Classrooms materials occurred over three years in eight U.S. locations, each with populations that are underrepresented in the career fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Analysis of the educational research upon the high school students participating in the ASC project showed statistically significant increases in students' perceived knowledge and science reasoning. The curriculum is in its final stages, preparing for review to become a NASA edu...
Benefits of microscan for staring infrared imagers

Imagers based on focal plane arrays (FPA) risk introducing in-band and out-of-band spurious response, or aliasing, due to undersampling. This can make high-level discrimination tasks such as recognition and identification much more difficult. To overcome this problem, three-chip color charge coupled device (CCD) cameras typically offset one CCD by 1/2 pixel with respect to the other two. Analogously, monochrome imagers including infrared can use microscan (or dither) to reduce aliasing. This paper describes a generic microscan technique and benefits of microscanning. Covered are analysis and experiments on four-point microscan employed in infrared imagers, in which the image is mechanically shifted by 1/2 pixel between fields, in each dimension. Four of these offset fields are then combined to form one frame of high-resolution video. We show that microscan reduces aliasing, which results in higher resolution and improved image quality resulting in improved performance.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Are We There Yet? The State of Public Human Resource Management Research

Beginning in 1996, the state of Georgia embarked on a bold experiment in public management reform, embracing employment at-will (EAW) for public employees. Public human resource management (PHRM) r...
Solubility of biphenyl in binary solvent mixtures

Abstract Solubilities have been determined at 25°C for biphenyl in binary mixtures of cyclohexane with n-hexane, n-heptane and n-octane, and in binary mixtures of carbon tetrachloride with cyclohexane, n-hexane and n-heptane. The results of these measurements are compared to solution models previously developed. The Nearly Ideal Binary Solvent (NIBS) model predicts the binary solvent solubilities to within a maximum deviation of 1.3%, using as input data the solubility of biphenyl in the pure solvents. In comparison, the UNIFAC group contribution model predicts the experimental solubilities in both pure and binary solvents to within a maximum deviation of 49%. While the deviations for the later solution model appear quite large, the predicted values do represent a significant improvement over the ideal solubility approximation.
Eulerian derivation of the fractional advection-dispersion equation.

A fractional advection–dispersion equation (ADE) is a generalization of the classical ADE in which the second-order derivative is replaced with a fractional-order derivative. In contrast to the classical ADE, the fractional ADE has solutions that resemble the highly skewed and heavy-tailed breakthrough curves observed in field and laboratory studies. These solutions, known as α-stable distributions, are the result of a generalized central limit theorem which describes the behavior of sums of finite or infinite-variance random variables. We use this limit theorem in a model which sums the length of particle jumps during their random walk through a heterogeneous porous medium. If the length of solute particle jumps is not constrained to a representative elementary volume (REV), dispersive flux is proportional to a fractional derivative. The nature of fractional derivatives is readily visualized and their parameters are based on physical properties that are measurable. When a fractional Fick's law replaces the classical Fick's law in an Eulerian evaluation of solute transport in a porous medium, the result is a fractional ADE. Fractional ADEs are ergodic equations since they occur when a generalized central limit theorem is employed.
Homoleptic, four-coordinate azadipyrromethene complexes of d10 zinc and mercury.

Tetraarylazadipyrromethenes, and especially their boron chelates, are a growing class of chromophores that are photoactive toward red light. The coordination chemistry of these ligands remains to be explored. Reported here are four-coordinate zinc(II) and mercury(II) complexes of tetraarylazadipyrromethene ligands. The new complexes contain two azadipyrromethenes bound per d10 metal center and are characterized by 1H NMR, optical absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction crystallography, and elemental analysis. Solid-state structures show that these bis-chelate complexes distort significantly from idealized D2d symmetry. AM1 geometry optimizations indicate relaxation energies in the range of 6.8–15.2 kcal mol−1; interligand π-stacking provides an added energetic impetus for distortion. The absorption spectra show a marked increase in the absorption intensity in the red region and, in the case of the zinc(II) complexes, the development of a second distinct absorption band in this region, which is red-shif...
Life‐stage‐specific toxicity of sediment‐associated chlorpyrifos to a marine, infaunal copepod

The life-stage-specific acute toxicity of sediment-associated chlorpyrifos to the marine, infaunal copepod, Amphiascus tenuiremis, was assessed. Chlorpyrifos is a common-use, high K ow , organophosphate pesticide. Duplicate 96-h tests were conducted with each major life stage of the copepod (adult, copepodite, and nauplius) exposed to sediments spiked with chlorpyrifos. Calculated median lethal concentrations (LC50s) were 66, 74, and 40 μg chlorpyrifos per kilogram sediment for the adult, copepodite, and nauplius stages, respectively. Analysis of covariance and logistical regression analysis on the mortality data revealed significant (α = 0.05) sensitivity differences for the life stages. The nauplius stage was significantly more sensitive than either the adult or copepodite stages. However, the copepodite stage showed no significant sensitivity difference versus the adult stage. The lowest-observed-effect concentrations (LOECs) also showed these relationships, with the naupliar LOEC being almost three times lower than that of either the adult or copepodite stages. A predicted sediment quality criterion (SQC) based on the equilibrium partitioning theory (EqPT) for chlorpyrifos was calculated to be 38 μg chlorpyrifos per kilogram sediment. This calculated criterion, supposedly protective of most sediment-dwelling invertebrates, was only 2 μg/g lower than the LC50 for the nauplius life stage and far above the LOEC. An EqPT-derived SQC for chlorpyrifos clearly would not be protective of this meiobenthic copepod.
Thermodynamic properties of synthetic otavite, CdCO3(cr) : Enthalpy increment measurements from 4.5 K to 350 K

The environmental fate of pollutants is controlled by both thermodynamic and kinetic properties. Despite the growing ability to mathematically and computationally process large simulations of soil and ground water chemistry, the quality of the simulations can be seriously compromised by poor quality thermodynamic and kinetic information. Enthalpy increments for cadmium carbonate were measured for temperatures from 4.5 K to 350 K with an adiabatic calorimeter. These measurements were used to compute the entropy, enthalpy relative to 0 K, and the heat capacity of cadmium carbonate. A small anomaly was observed for the sample in the temperature region from approximately 175 K to 265 K. Comparison of the calculated entropy for 298.15 K, 103.88 J/K{center_dot}mol, is made with other previously published reference values to arrive at a more precise and consistent set of thermodynamic properties for otavite.
Physics of gain and stimulated emission in ZnSe-based quantum well lasers

Spectroscopic work is reviewed which focuses on the microscopic mechanism of gain in ZnSe-based quantum well (QW) lasers, under optical and electrical injection, respectively. In particular, the lasing process in optically pumped ZnCdSe/ZnSe QW lasers at cryogenic temperatures is shown to be entirely an excitonic process. This conclusion is supported by results from resonant pumping experiments and femtosecond pump-probe measurements. A phenomenological model is presented, which can explain the experimental observation rather well. More strikingly for this strong quasi-two-dimensional (2D) exciton system, recent studies on room temperature ZnCdSe/ZnSSe/ZnMgSSe diode lasers show that pairwise electron-hole Coulomb correlation remains relevant in this case as well
Stable and efficient evaluation of periodized Green's functions for the Helmholtz equation at high frequencies

A difficulty that arises in the context of infinite d-periodic rough-surface scattering relates to the effective numerical evaluation of the corresponding ''quasi-periodic Green function''G"q"p. Due to its relevance in a variety of applications, this problem has generated significant interest over the last 40 years, and a variety of numerical methods have been devised for this purpose. None of these methods to evaluate G"q"p however, were designed for high-frequency calculations. As a result, in this regime, these methods become prohibitively expensive and/or unstable. Here we present a novel scheme that can be shown to outperform every alternative numerical evaluation procedure and is especially effective for high-frequency calculations. Our new algorithm is based on the use of some exact integrals that arise on judicious manipulation of the integral representation of G"q"p and which reduce the overall problem to that of evaluation of a sequence of simpler integrals that can be effectively handled by standard quadrature formulas. We include a variety of numerical results that confirm that, indeed, our algorithm compares favorably with alternative methods.
Efficacy of a money deposit contingency on clinical outpatients' attendance and participation in assertive training

Abstract Clinical outpatients in an ongoing assertive training program were randomly assigned to a money deposit or no deposit condition. Subjects in the deposit condition maintained high attendance (98%), participated in more self-rating exercises during sessions (98%) and completed more extra session self-monitoring logs (98%). Clients who were not subject to the financial contingency attended less frequently (70%), completed fewer in-session rating exercises when they attended (74%) and returned fewer extra session logs (53%). Use of a money deposit is recommended to facilitate clinical research in applied outpatient settings.
The Origin of Warped, Precessing Accretion Disks in X-Ray Binaries

The radiation-driven warping instability discovered by Pringle holds considerable promise as the mechanism responsible for producing warped, precessing accretion disks in X-ray binaries. This instability is an inherently global mode of the disk, thereby avoiding the difficulties with earlier models for the precession. Here we follow up on earlier work to study the linear behavior of the instability in the specific context of a binary system. We treat the influence of the companion as an orbit-averaged quadrupole torque on the disk. The presence of this external torque allows the existence of solutions in which the direction of precession of the warp is retrograde with respect to disk rotation, in addition to the prograde solutions that exist in the absence of external torques.
Inhibition of serotonin synthesis by dopa and other catechols.

THE introduction of L-dopa, which reduces central serotonin stores1,2, for treatment of Parkinson's disease has focused attention on the drug's central pharmacological action. The effect of L-dopa was attributed to the release of serotonin by dopamine which was formed from the administered dopa. We have shown that dopamine and other catechols effectively inhibit serotonin synthesis from tryptophan in slices obtained from rat's brain. Thus, the inhibition of serotonin synthesis by dopa may also contribute to the lowering of central serotonin stores following administration of this aromatic amino-acid.
Analysis of complex brain disorders with gene expression microarrays: schizophrenia as a disease of the synapse

The level of cellular and molecular complexity of the nervous system creates unique problems for the neuroscientist in the design and implementation of functional genomic studies. Microarray technologies can be powerful, with limitations, when applied to the analysis of human brain disorders. Recently, using cDNA microarrays, altered gene expression patterns between subjects with schizophrenia and controls were shown. Functional data mining led to two novel discoveries: a consistent decrease in the group of transcripts encoding proteins that regulate presynaptic function; and the most changed gene, which has never been previously associated with schizophrenia, regulator of G-protein signaling 4. From these and other findings, a hypothesis has been formulated to suggest that schizophrenia is a disease of the synapse. In the context of a neurodevelopmental model, it is proposed that impaired mechanics of synaptic transmission in specific neural circuits during childhood and adolescence ultimately results in altered synapse formation or pruning, or both, which manifest in the clinical onset of the disease.
D-optimal designs on the unit q-ball

Abstract Consider a polynomial regression model on the unit q-ball. We can express the determinant of the information matrix in terms of canonical moments. Thus we can find the robust-type D-optimal designs in the sense of Stigler (1971) and Studden (1982). We also consider the D-optimal design for some special multi-response regression models where each response is a polynomial.
Cooperative disordering of single-stranded polynucleotides through copper crosslinking.

The thermal transitions of single-stranded polynucleotides are noncooperative. In contrast, Cu(II) cooperatively disorders the single-stranded helical structures of poly(A) and poly(C), as demonstrated by ORD and UV spectral changes as a function of the Cu2+ activity, and by a dramatic chain-length dependence of the spectral changes. Equilibrium dialysis binding studies indicate that the cooperative disordering is paralleled by a somewhat less cooperative binding process. The difference between the thermal- and Cu(II)-induced transition is explained by the following mechanism. (1) Cu(II) initially binds in a noncooperative fashion to phosphate. (2) The Cu(II) so bound forms a second bond to a nonadjacent base site on the same polymer strand or another strand. These intramolecular and intermolecular crosslinks to the bases are responsible for the disordering. (3) The initial crosslinks formed provide nuclei for the cooperative formation of additional crosslinks, producing cooperative spectral changes paralleled by cooperative binding. A comparison of the spectral and binding transitions indicates that there is appreciable noncooperative binding of copper to phosphate, which produces no spectral changes in the presence of added electrolyte. This comparison also indicates that each copper crosslink disorders several bases. The formation of intermolecular crosslinks is demonstrated by a polymer concentration dependence of the disordering. The formation of intramolecular crosslinks can be deduced from the fact that the “cooperative unit” required to explain the differences between the hexamer, which does not readily form intramolecular crosslinks, and the polymer is considerably larger than the cooperative unit determined from the polymer results. The poly(A) disordering transition is less symmetrical than that of poly(C), particularly at low polymer concentrations. These results, together with other phenomena, are explained by a greater flexibility of poly(A), which favors the formation of small intramolecular loops.
Cultural Differences in Korean‐ and Anglo‐American Preschoolers' Social Interaction and Play Behaviors

48 Korean- and 48 Anglo-American children were observed in their preschool settings to examine the role of culture in organizing children's activities and in shaping their pretend play behavior. Observers recorded the presence or absence of preselected social behaviors and levels of play complexity. Parents completed a questionnaire about play in the home, teachers rated children's social competence, and children were given the PPVT-R and a socio-metric interview. Korean parents completed an acculturation questionnaire. The findings revealed cultural differences in children's social interaction, play complexity, adult-child interaction and play in the home and in the preschool, adult beliefs about play, scores on the PPVT-R, and children's social functioning with peers. The results suggest that children's social interaction and pretend play behavior are influenced by culture-specific socialization practices that serve adaptive functions.
Reduction of physical assignments to a standard lod table: chromosome 1.

A method for reducing physical assignments of markers to a lod score table is described, and these tables are added to those from family data to provide a consistent genetic map of chromosome 1. Various chiasma maps are considered, and the results suggest that terminalization of chiasmata does occur. Chiasmata appear to be significantly less localized in oocytes than spermatocytes, and crossing-over in the vicinity of the centromere is more common in females than in males.
The 3Rs of life: Ras, Raf and growth regulation

Cellular Ras proteins are essential elements in normal signal transduction pathways while activated Ras proteins are prevalent in many different forms of human cancers. Here, we discuss the mechanism through which Ras proteins, either cellular or activated, transmit a proliferative signal by activating cytoplasmic serine/threonine kinases.
Identification of four CCCH zinc finger proteins in Xenopus, including a novel vertebrate protein with four zinc fingers and severely restricted expression.

Tristetraprolin (TTP), the prototype of a class of CCCH zinc finger proteins, is a phosphoprotein that is rapidly and transiently induced by growth factors and serum in fibroblasts. Recent evidence suggests that a physiological function of TTP is to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha secretion from macrophages by binding to and destabilizing its mRNA (Carballo, E., Lai, W.S., Blackshear, P.J., 1998. Science, 281, 1001-1005). To investigate possible functions of CCCH proteins in early development of Xenopus, we isolated four Xenopus cDNAs encoding members of this class. Based on 49% overall amino acid identity and 84% amino acid identity within the double zinc finger domain, one of the Xenopus proteins (XC3H-1) appears to be the homologue of TTP. By similar analyses, XC3H-2 and XC3H-3 are homologues of ERF-1 (cMG1, TIS11B) and ERF-2 (TIS11D). A fourth protein, XC3H-4, is a previously unidentified member of the CCCH class of vertebrate zinc finger proteins; it contains four Cx8Cx5Cx3H repeats, two of which are YKTEL Cx8Cx5Cx3H repeats that are closely related to sequences found in the other CCCH proteins. Whereas XC3H-1, XC3H-2, and XC3H-3 were widely expressed in adult tissues, XC3H-4 mRNA was not detected in any of the adult tissues studied except for the ovary. Its expression appeared to be limited to the ovary, oocyte, egg and the early embryonic stages leading up to the mid-blastula transition. Its mRNA was highly expressed in oocytes of all ages, and was enriched in the animal pole cytosol of mature oocytes. Maternal expression was also seen with the other three messages, suggesting the possibility that these proteins are involved in regulating mRNA stability in oocyte maturation and/or early embryogenesis.
A theoretical framework for CNS arousal.

Rapid changes of state in central nervous systems (CNS), as required following stimuli that must arouse the CNS from a quiescent state in order to activate a behavioral response, constitute a particularly appropriate application of non-linear dynamics. Chaotic dynamics would provide tremendous amplification of neuronal activity needed for CNS arousal, sensitively dependent on the initial state of the CNS. This theoretical approach is attractive because it supposes dynamics that are deterministic and it links the elegant mathematics of chaos to the conception of a fundamental property of the CNS. However, a living system must be able to exit from chaotic dynamics in order to avoid widely divergent, biologically impossible outcomes. We hypothesize that, analogous to phase transitions in a liquid crystal, CNS arousal systems, having ‘woken up the brain’ to activate behavior, go through a phase transition and emerge under the control of orderly movement control systems. BioEssays 29:803–810, 2007. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development and usage of a small-scale V/STOL ground effects simulator

A small scale ground effects simulator for V/STOL aircraft design testing has been built by an American university in association with NASA-AMES. The simulator is used to measure pressures and forces on a wide variety of V/STOL model configurations including generic models which do not represent any particular aircraft. The modes of operation and instrumentation of the simulator are described, and a survey of some recent test results are presented. The basic simulator consists of two parts, an aluminum disk ground plane and a model support. Instrumentation consists of pressure transducers, scanivalves, thermocouples and hot wire anemometers. Test results are presented for single and twin nozzle configurations; a generic V/STOL design, and the Harrier and Grumman 698 combat aircraft models. A black and white photograph of the simulator is provided.
Role of the Dairy Cow in World Food Production

Abstract Cattle were domesticated 6,000 to 10,000 yr ago and have contributed greatly to human welfare. Important developments in agricultural history are specialized dairy breeds together with the necessary feed base and nutrition technology. Milk is a highly nutritious food — a perfect complement to cereal based diets. World-wide the average ratio of humans to cows milked is 20, ranging from about 5 in Oceania and USSR to 125 in mainland China. Milk produced per capita averages 98kg, ranging from less than 1kg in Indonesia to 765kg in Oceania. Productivity per cow ranges from 333kg in Africa to 4,560 in North America. Dairy cattle are the most efficient of all farm livestock in converting feed protein and energy to food. Escalating fossil energy costs and reduced supplies may precipitate sharp changes in systems of livestock production in the world, particularly those that are energy intensive. Greater reliance on high quality forages will become necessary. Potential for world forage production and for milk production from forages is several times current production. Improved forage production is essential to exploit potential for milk production in the tropics and subtropics where anticipated population increases are greatest, current per capita consumption is low, and need for animal protein is high. Population pressures and energy supply and cost could limit expansion of the dairy industry into these areas.
THE SUICIDE PROBABILITY SCALE: NORMS AND FACTOR STRUCTURE '

The present study examined the factor structure of the Suicide Probability Scale with a sample of 390 undergraduates, using confirmatory factor analysis. The original oblique four-factor structure provided a poor fit to the data. Scores on the total scale correlated .63 with scores on a validated self-report measure of mood and .51 and .42 with anxiety symptoms. Additional norms for the total scale are reported.
Whole language: Reform and resistance

Abstract ‘Whole language’ has emerged recently as a major reform effort in language and literacy education. This article addresses the issue of educational reform and the role of the teacher in the reform process, using whole language as a prototypical example. We argue that change cannot be understood independently of persistence, and that whole language teachers must develop a theoretical framework that not only informs their views of teaching/learning languages, but also provides an understanding of systems and systems change. We develop such a framework using insights from cybernetics and we offer suggestions for action.
Synthesis of a Minimum-Energy Controller Subject to an Average Power Constraint

The synthesis of controllers, optimum in the sense of Min?u2(t)dt, u(t) u the control function, and Subject to the constraint T = ? 0 Tu2(t)dt is given for a plant with constant coefficients and distinct characteristic roots. Several variations in the synthesis are considered if the plant has numerator dynamics. The computation involves solving a single transcendental equation for the response time T. Results for several particular plants are given, and these are fimilar to time optimal control.
Use of boundary-layer theory to predict the effect of heat transfer on the laminar-flow field in a vertical tube with a constant-temperature wall

Variations of density and viscosity with temperature cause distortions in the flow field and affect the rate of heat transfer to fluids in laminar flow in vertical tubes. The magnitude of these distortions is predicted through an approximate solution of the equations of motion and energy.
Possible unified interpretation of heavy nuclei.

The data for five mass regions from $A=100\ensuremath{-}200$ are plotted against the valence-nucleon product ${N}_{p}{N}_{n}$. They are found to display a remarkable similarity, heretofore unrecognized, which suggests a unified interpretation in terms of the strength of the proton-neutron interaction and which also leads to a better understanding of the $A=190$ region.
On the dilemma of the use of the electroneutrality constraint in electrochemical calculations

Abstract A simple treatment is developed to demonstrate that invoking the electroneutrality assumption to solve electrochemical transport problems is equivalent to invoking the limit of the exact (Nernst–Planck–Poisson) treatment when certain charge-density-related terms become negligibly small.
Tantalum Alkyl and Silyl Complexes of the Bulky (Terphenyl)imido Ligand [2,6-(2,4,6-Me3C6H2)2C6H3N]2- ([Ar*N]2-). Generation and Reactivity of [(Ar*N)(Ar*NH)Ta(H)(OSO2CF3)], Which Reversibly Transfers Hydride to an Aromatic Ring of the Arylamide Ligand

Tantalum complexes containing the sterically demanding imido ligand [2,6-(2,4,6-Me3C6H2)2C6H3N]2- ([Ar*N]2-) are reported. The dimethyl complex (Ar*N)(Ar*NH)TaMe2 (4), prepared by the reaction of 2 equiv of Ar*NHLi (3) with TaMe3Cl2, was structurally characterized. Compound 4 forms adducts with donor ligands such as trimethylphosphine and pyridine and readily reacts with CO to give a monoinsertion product, the η2-acyl complex 5. The dichloride complex (Ar*N)(Ar*NH)TaCl2 (7), formed by the reaction of 2 equiv of Ar*NH2 (2) with TaMe3Cl2, reacted cleanly with NpLi (Np = Me3CCH2) to give the dineopentyl species (Ar*N)(Ar*NH)TaNp2 (8), which was structurally characterized. Unlike 4, complex 8 does not form adducts with donor ligands. The cationic complex [(Ar*N)(Ar*NH)TaMe][MeB(C6F5)3] (9), prepared by the reaction of 4 with B(C6F5)3, slowly converted to [(Ar*N)(Ar*NH)TaMe][HBC6F5)3] in the presence of PhSiH3. Treatment of 4 with AgOTf (OTf = OSO2CF3) provided the methyl triflate complex (Ar*N)(Ar*NH)TaMeOTf ...
Growing Interest in Meditation in the United States

Meditation is a self-regulatory, mind-body process used to help engage attention and awareness, and to produce a state of inner quiescence. It has been used as a self-transformative practice for millennia, most notably in the Far East. Interest in meditation was evident in the United States in the late 19th century, and began to flourish during the early 1960s as Transcendental Meditation, Zen, and other traditions grew significantly in popularity. Over the ensuing decades a large body of scientific literature has also emerged. One factor contributing to this growth in publications is an increasingly sophisticated ability to measure brain activity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and advance EEG and MEG technologies. National surveys, including the National Health Interview Survey's (NHIS), also show clear evidence of growing consumer interest in meditation. The NHIS shows use of meditation to be in the top ten most commonly used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Th...
High-wind-speed evaluation in the Southern Ocean

[1] Space-based scatterometer instruments provide crucial surface wind measurements with high resolution over global oceans. Midlatitude regions in the Southern Ocean are unique places to evaluate scatterometer winds at high-wind bands because these regions host the strongest wind fields at the ocean surface. The objective of this study is to evaluate high wind speeds observed by Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) wind measurements and produced by simulation models and compare them with weather station data in the Southern Ocean. The occurrence and intensity of high-wind events in scatterometer measurements are compared with that of reanalysis winds, and the spatial and seasonal variability of high-wind characteristics is examined. The results show that the speeds of scatterometer winds are similar to model simulations in the monthly mean field but consistently stronger than both European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research winds in high-wind bands. When scatterometer winds are compared with the weather station observations at Macquarie Island, the present study finds no systematic bias at high-wind bands across all months. However, both weather station and QuikSCAT winds are higher than the model simulations in high-wind bands most of the time. This suggests that model simulations may underestimate surface wind strength in high-wind bands. Such underestimation would lead to up to an 80% reduction in energy flux between the atmosphere and ocean. Even though high winds occur only sporadically and the reanalysis underestimation in high wind speed is not in itself of great magnitude, they have a significant impact on global climate.
The Neurobiology of Early Olfactory Learning

Young organisms emerge into a world of extraordinary complexity and yet must begin to function immediately in that world. Rather than dealing with the barrage of new stimuli in their new surround, some neonates filter much of it by restricting the number and sophisticaton of senses that are functional at birth. Altricial rodents, for example, are born with their eyes and ears sealed to external stimulation; their olfactory sense is their primary window to their world. As we shall see, even this system, although functional, is still a far less complex system than will eventually develop to process the complexities of the olfactory world. Rather, the system may be just competent enough to deal with the dominant odors in the surround, thus filtering the complexity in the olfactory environment by limitations in the sensory system. Because the important aspects of the olfactory world and the organization of the olfactory nervous system are unique to the neonatal period, there must be mechanisms to ensure a reliable response to the olfactory cues that are critical to the survival of the young.