cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of acid labile ether protecting groups on the oxide etch resistance and lithographic performance of 248-nm resists

In our attempts to develop etch resistance 248 nm positive resists, we have designed and synthesized thermally stable and acid sensitive methylbenzyl ether (MBE) protected poly(hydroxystyrene) derivatives. Results presented in this paper clearly illustrate that the MBE protecting group provides superior etch resistance to conventional carbonate, ester and acetal/ketal based protecting groups. It is also shown that the MBE protecting group is thermally stable and undergoes acid catalyzed deprotection leading to preferential rearrangement products due to electrophilic ring substitution. Such a rearrangement is shown to provide a unique mechanism to reduce/eliminate resist shrinkage and improve lithographic performance.
Defective simian virus 40 genomes: isolation and growth of individual clones.

Abstract Eleven defective deletion mutants of simian virus 40 (SV40) have been isolated. The methodology developed for this purpose involves the use of temperature-sensitive mutants as helpers. Included are procedures for screening for the presence of mutants, plaque-purifying, propagating, and assaying the titer of stocks of these mutants, and assigning mutants to complementation groups. These same procedures may be adaptable to enable isolation of deletion mutants of other animal viruses as well.
Animals may not be stuck in time

Humans have the ability to mentally travel forward and back in time. They can retrieve vivid memories of past events (episodic memories) and can imagine the future (planning). Although it has been suggested that this is a uniquely human ability, the evidence for subjective time travel in humans is typically based on verbal report and elaboration. Such evidence cannot be obtained from animals. However, we may have indirect evidence for episodic memory and planning. For example, we can show that animals can ‘report’ about their recent past experience when they are unexpectedly asked to do so—performance that is analogous to episodic memory. We can also show that animals use the anticipation of a future event as the basis for a present action—analogous to planning. Thus, we have suggestive evidence that animals may not be stuck in time.
Food ecology of the rice rat, Oryzomys palustris (Harlan), in a Georgia salt marsh.

Examination of 22 stomachs of rice rats taken in summer and fall indicated a predominance of animal food, chiefly insects and small crabs, although plant remains were present in several stomachs. Predation on eggs and young of marsh wrens was known to occur. Individuals reared in the laboratory from nestlings taken from a Georgia salt marsh preferred foods of an animal source, and made greater weight gains when animal material constituted all or part of the diet. While captives were able to assimilate both plant and animal food efficiently, they ingested more calories when animal food was offered. A daily intake level of 0.15 Kcal/Kcal body tissue was required to maintain body weight in the laboratory; ingestion rates above this level resulted in weight gains. It is concluded that during the summer months the trophic niche of the rice rat in the salt marsh ecosystem is that of a carnivore.
Electrical characteristics of microplasma devices with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the cathode

The experimental results of glow discharge in microplasma devices are presented. Different constructions of the cathode are investigated. Breakdown voltage as a function of pressure of each cathode structure is recorded and the comparison to Paschen's curve is made. The voltage-current characteristics of each cathode construction are studied with two different background gases and fixed pressures. One microplasma device uses CNTs as the cathode. The hollow structure is achieved by placing a dielectric layer with a center hole over the planar CNTs fabricated on a silicon wafer by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The anode is a metal attached to the surface of the dielectric. It is shown that the cathode with CNTs has a lower ignition voltage at the initial stage of breakdown, due to the enhanced field emission characteristics of CNTs. The device is operated in the pressure range of 50 to 750 Torr with DC applied voltage and the results are compared with and without CNT in the hollow cathode structure.
STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF EPITAXIAL Ni80Fe20 THIN FILMS ON Cu/Si

Single-crystal films of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) were grown on Cu(001) seed layers oriented epitaxially with Si(001). The microstructural properties were measured using in-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and ex-situ transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy, whereas the magnetic properties were probed using in-situ magneto-optic Kerr effect and ex-situ vibrating sample magnetometry. Anisotropic magnetoresistance and resistivity for some of the samples were also measured. The coercivity for thinner (≤5 nm) Ni80Fe20 was significantly higher (10–20 Oersteds) than polycrystalline films deposited on SiO2/Si, and was also higher than films deposited on lattice-matched CuxNi1–x alloys. These magnetic properties were explained using a theoretical model involving interaction of domain walls with defects such as misfit dislocations and coherent islands, due to the mismatch between Ni80Fe20 and Cu.
US Wingspan Registry 12-Month Follow-Up Results

Background and Purpose—The purpose of this study is to present 12-month follow-up results for a series of patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting with the Gateway-Wingspan stenting system (Boston Scientific) for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherostenosis. Methods—Clinical and angiographic follow-up results were recorded for patients from 5 participating institutions. Primary end points were stroke or death within 30 days of the stenting procedure or ipsilateral stroke after 30 days. Results—During a 21-month study period, 158 patients with 168 intracranial atherostenotic lesions (50% to 99%) were treated with the Gateway-Wingspan system. The average follow-up duration was 14.2 months with 143 patients having at least 3 months of clinical follow-up and 110 having at least 12 months. The cumulative rate of the primary end point was 15.7% for all patients and 13.9% for patients with high-grade (70% to 99%) stenosis. Of 13 ipsilateral strokes occurring after 30 day...
Advanced Regional Biomass Processing Depots: A key to the logistical challenges of the cellulosic biofuel industry

Interest in commercially viable cellulosic biofuel production has greatly increased due to concerns regarding the sustainability of petroleum fuels. While research into solving the technical issues surrounding cel- lulosic biofuels is ongoing, much less attention has been paid to solving supply chain challenges such as low bulk density of cellulosic biomass, compositional variability and seasonality of the feedstock, food vs fuel issues, and local environmental concerns. To address these supply chain problems, we explore the concept of Regional Biomass Processing Depots (RBPDs), strategically distributed facilities that procure, pre-process /pre-treat and densify biomass into stable intermediate products that are compatible with existing bulk commodity logisti- cal systems. In this perspective, we discuss the fundamental concept of RBPDs, their functionality, advantages, and potential challenges. We then extend the analysis of depots to include enhanced confi gurations and discuss some technologies that might be deployed in RBPD networks and the valuable coproducts that might be pro- duced via synergies among these technologies. © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
A novel pathway of presentation by class II-MHC molecules involving peptides or denatured proteins important in autoimmunity.

Abstract We describe here a pathway of presentation involving peptides or denatured proteins that generate unique peptide–MHC complexes. Such complexes select for non-conventional CD4 T cells. We have examined this pathway and the corresponding CD4 T cells in diabetic autoimmunity. Autoimmunity requires both the escape of self-reactive T cells from thymic selection and, importantly, suitable conditions in peripheral tissues that allow for activation of T cells. In the autoimmune diabetes of NOD mice, insulin reactive T cells are highly focused on a peptide, encompassing the 9–23 segment of the B chain (B:9–23) bound to I-A g7 . Examination of the B:9–23 reactive T cell repertoire revealed the presence of two independent sets of T cells that recognize this epitope. One set, called type A, reacted like conventional CD4 T cells, recognizing both processed insulin protein and soluble B:9–23 peptide presented by APC. These T cells were highly deleted in the thymus and poorly represented in the periphery. The second set, called type B, did not recognize processed insulin protein presented by APC, but reacted strongly to the presentation of soluble B:9–23 peptide. Notably, this set was not deleted in the thymus, abundant in the periphery and caused diabetes. Free insulin peptides generated a unique peptide–MHC complex not found after insulin processing. These two T cell subsets discriminated between two independent, overlapping registers found within the B:9–23 peptide. In the islets of Langerhans, beta cells constitutively generated proteolyzed peptides from insulin, which were taken up by intra-islet APC and presented to peptide-specific type B T cells. Thus, self-reactive T cells that escape thymic selection can become pathogenic in the target organ where high concentrations of antigen and/or differences in intracellular processing lead to the presentation of peptides bound in distinct registers from those found in the thymus.
Effect of intraventricular adenosine on food intake in rats

Abstract Previous studies have shown that peripherally administered purines suppress food intake in rats. In this study we show that central administration of adenosine, adenine and AMP potently suppressed food intake in rats. Intraperitoneal adenosine suppressed feeding at the 100 and 50 mg/kg dose whereas 100, 50 and 10 μg of intraventricular adenosine suppressed feeding after intracerebroventricular injection at 30 minutes and up to 120 minutes at the high doses. Inosine, 2-deoxyinosine, 7-methyl-inosine and 2-deoxyguanosine all failed to suppress food intake when given intraventricularly at the same doses used for adenosine, adenine and AMP. Adenosine, 10 μg ICV, also decreases water uptake. The effect of adenosine was specific for ingestive behaviors as it did not significantly decrease spontaneous movement or grooming. These results suggest that adenosine suppresses feeding via a central mechanism and that this suppressive effect is not dependent on deamination of adenosine to inosine. The central adenosine effect appears to work by a different mechanism to the satiety effect of peripherally administered inosine.
Neuroprotectin D1-mediated anti-inflammatory and survival signaling in stroke, retinal degenerations, and Alzheimer's disease

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the main omega-3 fatty acid, is concentrated and avidly retained in membrane phospholipids of the nervous system. DHA is involved in brain and retina function, aging, and neurological and psychiatric/behavioral illnesses. Neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), the first-identified stereoselective bioactive product of DHA, exerts neuroprotection in models of experimental stroke by down-regulating brain ischemia reperfusion (BIR)-induced leukocyte infiltration, proinflammatory signaling, and infarct size. Moreover, NPD1 inhibits cytokine-mediated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression. Photoreceptor membranes display the highest content of DHA of any cell. Retinal pigment epithelial cells participate in the phagocytosis of the tips of photoreceptor cells (photoreceptor outer segment renewal). There is a DHA retrieval-intercellular mechanism between both types of cells that conserves this fatty acid during this process. NPD1 promotes homeostatic regulation of the integrity of these two cells, particularly during oxidative stress, and this protective signaling may be relevant in retinal degenerative diseases. Moreover, neurotrophins are NPD1-synthesis agonists, and NPD1 content is decreased in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of Alzheimer's patients. Overall, NPD1 promotes brain cell survival via the induction of antiapoptotic and neuroprotective gene-expression programs that suppress Aβ42 production and its neurotoxicity. Thus, NPD1 elicits potent cell-protective, anti-inflammatory, prosurvival repair signaling.
Identification of ethanol hydrate complexes by multivariate curve resolution analysis of radial distribution functions

Abstract Equilibrium radial distribution functions (RDFs) were obtained by molecular dynamics simulations of pure water, ethanol, and ethanol–water solutions. Four-component multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) analysis of these RDFs resolves two ethanol–water complexes of compositions E∙6H 2 O and 3E∙H 2 O. The water-rich complex reaches its maximum at an ethanol mol fraction of 0.3, while the maximum concentration of ethanol-rich complex occurs at 0.7. The structure of the E∙6H 2 O complex was investigated by the radial distribution analysis on a crystal supercell constructed from the crystallographic data for ethylene oxide clathrate I. The similarities between the crystal RDF and the resolved RDF for E∙6H 2 O imply that E∙6H 2 O is a disordered relative of the clathrate I. The existence of E∙17H 2 O, which has been reported, was also investigated by exhausting combinations of ethanol hydrates as initial estimates in the four-component MCR-ALS analysis. All analyses using E∙17H 2 O as one of the ethanol-water complexes result in unphysical solutions. Therefore, E∙17H 2 O clusters are not a credible component of ethanol–water solutions.
Minimum structural requirement for an inhalational anesthetic binding site on a protein target.

Abstract The present study makes use of direct photoaffinity labeling and fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy to examine the interaction of the inhalational anesthetic halothane with the uncharged α-helical form of poly( l -lysine) over a range of chain lengths. Halothane bound specifically to long chain homopolymers (190 to 1060 residues), reaching a stable stoichiometry of 1 halothane to 160 lysine residues in polymers longer than 300 residues. Halothane bound only non-specifically to an α-helical 30 residue polymer and to all of the polymers in their charged, random coil form. The data suggest that halothane binding is a function of supersecondary structure whereby intramolecular helix-helix clusters form in the longer polymers, resulting in the creation of confined hydrophobic domains. Circular dichroism spectroscopy cannot demonstrate changes in poly( l -lysine) secondary structure at any chain length with up to 12 mM halothane, suggesting that extensive hydrogen bond disruption by the anesthetic does not occur.
Can an atheist believe in God

Some have proposed that it is reasonable for an atheist to pursue a form of life shaped by engagement with theistic religious language and practice, once language and belief in God are interpreted in the appropriate non-realist manner. My aim is to defend this proposal in the face of several objections that have been raised against it. First, I engage in some conceptual spadework to distinguish more clearly some varieties of religious non-realism. Then, in response to two central objections, I seek to articulate the most promising version of the view. I conclude by discussing some practical and moral objections to a non-realist form of religious life.
The steady-state temperature as a function of casket geometry for microwave-heated refractory caskets

This study demonstrates experimentally that for a fixed microwave input power, the steady-state temperature for microwave ”caskets” (specimen enclosures) can vary significantly as the casket geometry changes. Also, the steady-state casket temperatures are very similar for caskets with and without an included specimen, as long as the specimen’s volume and mass are small compared to the casket’s volume and mass. In addition to the experimental work, a simple model is presented that describes the variation in steady-state temperature as a function of casket geometry. The model also describes how the steady-state casket temperature scales with microwave input power level. For the single-mode microwave cavity operated at 2.45 GHz that is used in this study, the steady-state casket temperature at 600 Watts of input power ranged from 1112°C to 1519°C as the casket geometry changed for caskets composed of porous zirconia cylinders with aluminosilicate end pla tes.
CHANGES IN THE GEOGRAPHIC PATTERN OF WESTERN AID1966–1990

In the early 1960s, the United States dominated aid-giving to Latin America; the US, the European states and Japan all disbursed aid to the Asian nations; and the European states provided most of the aid to Africa. Since then, three major changes have occurred in the Western aid regime. First, the international coordination of the Western aid programs has increased. Second, the US role as the dominant aid donor has come to an end. Instead, it is the countries of the European Community and Japan that dominate Western aid-giving today. Third, a framework for coordination of the aid programs within the EC has emerged. Although these changes fundamentally have altered the geographic distribution of aid from the 1960s, they do not conclusively point to a development toward a tripolar panregional division among the Western donors.
Analysis of symptom assessment and management content in nursing textbooks.

This article reports on one goal of a project designed to improve end-of-life (EOL) care in nursing education. The goal was to improve the content regarding pain and EOL care included in major textbooks used in nursing education. A descriptive study design was selected using content analysis of 50 texts selected from a potential of over 700 texts. The 50 texts included 45,683 pages. The text review was conducted using an analysis framework encompassing 9 essential areas of EOL care. The study methods included content analysis as well as quantification of the content present in the texts. The 9 areas of the analysis framework were: palliative care defined; quality of life; pain; other symptom assessment/management; communication with dying patients and families; role/needs of family caregivers in EOL care; death; issues of policy, ethics, and law; and bereavement. This article reports on the findings of the analysis related to symptom assessment/management. Nursing texts have limited content on symptom ass...
Korok: A Variable Unit of Physical and Social Space among the Pokot of East Africa

korok dissect the physical and social environments into units of considerable significance to both farmers and herders. The substance of this paper will be presented by way of an examination of these units and their variable contents. In my conclusions I relate the korok to an important aspect of Pokot cultural behavior-the interdependence of farmers and herders, and the sense of ethnic unity which both display. Since Schneider (1953, 1957, 1959) recently has described the economy and environment of the Pokot in some detail, only a summary description is needed here of the region in which fieldwork was carried out-West Pokot District of Kenya, an area of some 2,200 square miles, and inhabited by about 60,000 Pokot. As Dr. Porter has emphasized in his paper for this symposium, the physical environment of the District is marked not only by great contraststhe interpenetration of mountains and plains-but by abrupt transitions between the two. Within a short horizontal distance one may pass from highland moors at more than 10,000 feet to semi-arid plains at less than 3,000 feet above sea level, a transition involving great and sudden differences of environmental potentials. The areas of fieldwork approached the extremes of the Pokot environment: about six months were spent with the pastoralists of Masol, in the northern part of the District, where plant cover varies from lush grassland to thorny scrub and hummocked grass. Another six months were spent in Tamkal, a mountain valley south of the Masol plains. In Tamkal, the inhabitants cultivate millets, sorghum, and maize, at times utilizing a network of irrigation canals to distribute water from points of permanent supply to less favored areas in the valley. My informants, although drawn largely from Masol and Tamkal, also included persons from nearly every other part of the District, specifically including the central mountain massif and the western and eastern plains. The responses of these informants, as well as considerable textual material, assert a wide currency of the term korok, and an impressive consensus on the meaning-contents and grammatical status of the term.' Korok has three regular meanings, the first of which is anatomical, and refers to the human tibia or
The "hyperacute" extraaxial intracranial hematoma: computed tomographic findings and clinical significance.

Thirteen patients with acute subdural and epidural hematomas were found to have fresh, unclotted blood at the time of surgical decompression several hours after injury. Computed tomographic (CT) scans of these patients demonstrated areas of hyperdensity, corresponding to clotted hematoma, admixed wi
Who Invested In Amaranth?: A Flash Analysis of Fund of Funds

Throughout the second half of the month of September, investors and other participants in the hedge fund industry watched as Amaranth Advisors’ Multi-Strategy Funds suffered extraordinary losses of approximately 65% of capital on adverse bets in natural gas and other assets. This article identifies 80 fund of funds that were invested in Amaranth in September, 2006, utilizing direct or indirect, statistical methods. The results show that due to their exposures to Amaranth, fund of funds lost an average of 19.2M dollars and dissipated an estimated median of 2.1 years and an average of 5.7 years of their total alpha production. Investors in fund of funds should consider this a lesson in the importance of evaluating the overall investment processes of such fund of funds, and accordingly evaluate whether the value of all services provided by candidate fund of funds match or exceeds the value of expected fees.
DEMEANOR, CRIME, AND POLICE BEHAVIOR: A REEXAMINATION OF THE POLICE SERVICES STUDY DATA*

Recent research has called into question the seemingly well-established conclusion that the likelihood of arrest by the police rises when suspects display a disrespectful or hostile demeanor toward the police. In this article we reanalyze data collected for the Police Services Study, on which a substantial body of supporting evidence for this conclusion is based, to determine whether previous analyses of these data have misestimated the effects of demeanor on police behavior. We find that, insofar as the data permit us to address the criticisms, the original findings hold.
Effects Of Rapid Thermal Postoxidation Of Rapid Thermally Nitrided Oxides

The chemical and electrical characteristics of ~10 nm MOS gate dielectrics formed by the rapid thermal postoxidation of rapid thermally nitrided oxides (RTO/RTN oxides) are described. TEM micrographs show that the interface smoothed by the RTN (1000°C,60s) of SiO2 is roughened by the subsequent heavy RTO (1100°C,60s). The fixed charge and interface state densities of the produced films are strongly dependent on the degree of reoxidation of Si at the interface. MOS capacitor results indicate that, as compared to pure oxide films, the RTO/RTN oxide samples exhibit reduced bulk trap and interface state generation rates under high electrical field stress. Optimized RTN and RTO processes can produce thin dielectrics with enhanced charge to breakdown (QBD strength and flat band voltage (VFB) stability. This multiple rapid thermal processing (RTP) procedure is found to be compatible with MOSFET fabrication technology and to reduce weak spots in thermal oxides. The electrical characteristics of n-channel transistors fabricated with RTO/RTN dielectrics are comparable to those of transistors fabricated with pure oxides.
Flow equivalence of reducible shifts of finite type

Using an invariant of Cuntz, we classify reducible shifts of finite type with two irreducible components up to flow equivalence.
A Colorimetric Chemical Sensing Platform for Real-Time Monitoring of Indoor Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is one of the most important indoor air pollutants affecting human immune system, and causing various respiratory diseases and even certain cancers. Traditional formaldehyde detection technologies are bulky, expensive and difficult to maintain. Here, we report a colorimetric chemical sensing platform for fast (2 min) and sensitive detection (30 ppbv) of formaldehyde over a wide dynamic range (0-750 ppbv). The sensor can tolerate humidity variation from 5% to 90% and is immune of common interferents, such as CO 2 (4%), SO 2 (10 ppm), NO 2 (125 ppbv), and O 3 (300 ppbv) in air. We also demonstrated continuous detection of formaldehyde on this sensing platform using disposable sensor chip.
Plug load energy analysis: The role of plug loads in LEED certification and energy modeling

Abstract Plug loads use 12% of site energy in U.S. office buildings and their relative importance is projected to increase. We studied the predicted and simulated plug load energy consumption using data submitted to the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED certification, and surveyed 92 energy modelers on their simulation techniques. 660 LEED for Commercial Interiors projects and 429 LEED for New Construction projects were analyzed. This is the first study to analyze LEED submittal data related to plug loads. The survey results indicated that 40% of modelers use between 10.8 and 16.1 W/m 2 for their peak plug load estimates in offices, and 68% of modelers estimate average plug load energy use intensity to be at or less than 10.8 W/m 2 . LEED results show that 73% of the projects under LEED-CI that attempted the credit dedicated to plug loads earned 2 of 2 points available (90% or more of eligible equipment is ENERGY STAR rated). Under LEED-NC, the median peak and average plug load power intensity reported are 10.8 and 4.0 W/m 2 , respectively. LEED-NC submittal data showed that eQUEST is the most used tool for compliance. Only 5 of 429 LEED-NC projects attempted exceptional calculations for efficient plug loads.
Postnatal exposure to MK801 induces selective changes in GAD67 or parvalbumin.

Brain injury during the last trimester to the first 1–4 years in humans is now thought to trigger an array of intellectual and emotional problems later in life, including disorders such as schizophrenia. In adult schizophrenic brains, there is a specific loss of neurons that co-express glutamic acid decarboxylase-parvalbumin (GAD67-PV). Loss of this phenotype is thought to occur in mature animals previously exposed to N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonists during late gestation or at postnatal day 7 (P7). However, in similarly treated animals, we have previously shown that GAD67 and PV are unaltered in the first 24 h. To more precisely define when changes in these markers first occur, we exposed rat pups (P7 or P6–P10) to the NMDAR antagonist MK801 and at P11 co-stained brain sections for GAD67 or PV. In the cingulate cortex, we found evidence for a reduction in PV (GAD67 levels were very low to undetectable). In contrast, in the somatosensory cortex, we found that expression of GAD67 was reduced, but PV remained stable. Further, repeated but not single doses of MK801 were necessary to see such changes. Thus, depending on the region, NMDAR antagonism appears to influence expression of PV or GAD67, but not both. These observations could not have been predicted by previous studies and raise important questions as to how the GAD67-PV phenotype is lost once animals reach maturity. More importantly, such differential effects may be of great clinical importance, given that cognitive deficits are seen in children exposed to anesthetics that act by blocking the NMDAR.
Fathers, Families, and the Future: A Plethora of Plausible Predictions

This commentary focuses on new directions in the study of fathers and families. Several topics that are ripe for more theoretical and empirical scrutiny are outlined. These include the biological determinants of fathering, cultural constraints on fathers, the impact of becoming a father on men's development as adults, and an intergenerational perspective on fathering. The implications of the recent advances in our understanding of gay and lesbian parents for the critical nature of the father's role in the family are examined. Finally, a wider range of methodological approaches—including qualitative as well as quantitative, experimental as well as correlational—is advocated in order to advance our appreciation of fathers in children's lives.
The effect of coal beneficiation and swelling on liquefaction behavior of Black Thunder coal

Abstract Liquefaction experiments were undertaken using subbituminous Black Thunder mine coal to observe the effects of aqueous SO 2 coal beneficiation and the introduction of various coal swelling solvents and catalyst precursors. Aqueous SO 2 beneficiation of Black Thunder coal removed alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, increased the sulfur content and increased the catalytic liquefaction conversion to tetrahydrofuran (THF) solubles compared to untreated Black Thunder coal. The liquefaction solvent had varying effects on coal conversion, depending upon the type of solvent added. The hydrogen donor solvent, dihydroanthracene, was most effective, while a coal-derived Wilsonville solvent promoted more coal conversion than did relatively inert 1-methylnaphthalene. Swelling of coal with hydrogen bonding solvents tetrahydrofuran, isopropanol, and methanol, prior to reaction resulted in increased noncatalytic conversion of both untreated and SO 2 treated Black Thunder coals, while dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which was absorbed more into the coal than any other swelling solvent, was detrimental to coal conversion. Swelling of SO 2 treated coal before liquefaction resulted in the highest coal conversions; however, the untreated coal showed the most improvements in catalytic reactions when swelled in either THF, isopropanol, or methanol prior to liquefaction.
On-line capillary liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry on an ion trap/ reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer using the sequence tag database search approach for peptide sequencing and protein identification

Capillary high-performance liquid chromatography has been coupled on-line with an ion trap storage/reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer to perform tandem mass spectrometry for tryptic peptides. Selection and fragmentation of the precursor ions were performed in a three-dimensional ion trap, and the resulting fragment ions were pulsed out of the trap into a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer for mass analysis. The stored waveform inverse Fourier transform waveform was applied to perform ion selection and an improved tickle voltage optimization scheme was used to generate collision-induced dissociation. Tandem mass spectra of various doubly charged tryptic peptides were investigated where a conspicuous y ion series over a certain mass range defined a partial amino acid sequence. The partial sequence was used to determine the identity of the peptide or even the protein by database search using the sequence tag approach. Several peptides from tryptic digests of horse heart myoglobin and bovine cytochrome c were selected for tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) where it was demonstrated that the proteins could be identified based on sequence tags derived from MS/MS spectra. This approach was also utilized to identify protein spots from a two-dimensional gel separation of a human esophageal adenocarcinoma cell line.
Electrical conductivity of pH-responsive hydrogels

The electrical conductivity of pH-responsive hydrogels based on cross-linked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) copolymers has been studied as a function of pH over the range 5-10, for copolymers containing up to 20 mol% of the amine-containing comonomer. The conductivities of membranes equilibrated in buffered potassium chloride solutions were determined by measuring the electrical resistance of a membrane mounted between the chambers of a modified side-by-side diffusion cell. The conductivity, expressed as a fraction of the conductivity of the buffer in which the gels were equilibrated, ranged from 1% for the gels in the collapsed state to 70% for the most highly swollen gels. The observed results are qualitatively consistent with a proposed model in which the ion concentrations in the fluid phase of the gel are described by Donnan partitioning, and the ion mobilities by the free-volume theory of Yasuda. The results suggest that conductivity measurements may provide an ...
Globin vectors: control without the locus

Hereditary hemoglobinopathies have long been favorites of gene therapists, and a genetic cure would be a wonderful extension of the decades of research spent understanding the molecular biology of hemoglobin gene expression. The most realistic approaches rely on retroviral vectors, which have the
Global volumetric phase fractions in horizontal three-phase flows

Generalized drift-flux expressions for horizontal three-phase (gas/water/oil) conduit flows have been derived. A detailed set of phasic volume fraction data were measured for the various flow regimes observed in air/water/oil flows. This article shows that drift-flux techniques can be used to predict the phasic volumetric fractions for horizontal three-phase flows, such as those which may occur in off-shore oil well lines.
Experimental shielding evaluation of the radiation protection provided by the structurally significant components of residential structures

The human health and environmental effects following a postulated accidental release of radioactive material to the environment have been a public and regulatory concern since the early development of nuclear technology. These postulated releases have been researched extensively to better understand the potential risks for accident mitigation and emergency planning purposes. The objective of this investigation is to provide an updated technical basis for contemporary building shielding factors for the US housing stock. Building shielding factors quantify the protection from ionising radiation provided by a certain building type. Much of the current data used to determine the quality of shielding around nuclear facilities and urban environments is based on simplistic point-kernel calculations for 1950s era suburbia and is no longer applicable to the densely populated urban environments realised today. To analyse a building's radiation shielding properties, the ideal approach would be to subject a variety of building types to various radioactive sources and measure the radiation levels in and around the building. While this is not entirely practicable, this research analyses the shielding effectiveness of ten structurally significant US housing-stock models (walls and roofs) important for shielding against ionising radiation. The experimental data are used to benchmark computational models to calculate the shielding effectiveness of various building configurations under investigation from two types of realistic environmental source terms. Various combinations of these ten shielding models can be used to develop full-scale computational housing-unit models for building shielding factor calculations representing 69.6 million housing units (61.3%) in the United States. Results produced in this investigation provide a comparison between theory and experiment behind building shielding factor methodology.
Relocalization in floppy free radicals: the OCNO and OCCHO isoelectronic series.

A survey of the XCNY and XCCHY radicals with X and Y = CH2, NH, and O has been carried out by ab initio QCISD/6-311G(d,p) calculations to assess the impact of low-lying excited electronic states on the molecular dynamics. Multiple canonical structures may be drawn for each of these structural formulas, with the principal competition for most stable configuration between a 2A‘ form with four electrons in a‘‘ orbitals and a 2A‘‘ form with five a‘‘ electrons. Other low-lying configurations may include a 5a‘‘ state with nominally pentavalent nitrogen and a 6a‘‘ state. Optimized geometries and harmonic frequencies were evaluated for the lowest-energy minima on the potential energy surfaces. Localized unpaired electron density causes the 4a‘‘ state to be the most stable for (NH)CCHO and OCCHY, whereas allylic resonance stabilization favors the 5a‘‘ state for all other radicals in the set. For five of the 18 molecules studied, secondary minima (excluding conformers) are found within 30 kJ mol-1 of the most stabl...
Source separation using sparse-solution linear solvers

An algorithm is proposed to enumerate, locate and characterize individual signal sources given observation of their combined signals. No a-priori estimate for the number of sources is required. We assume a forward model exists, and that superposition holds, i.e. coupling between sources is ignored. A system of linear equations y=Ax is set up in which columns of matrix A contain expected signals from a large number of hypothesized sources, and y contains the observed signal. Recently-developed solvers designed for linear systems with sparse non-negative solutions make this approach feasible even when large numbers of sources are involved. With each iteration, the collection of hypothesized sources is refined using a Harmony Search algorithm. Application is demonstrated on the problem of locating multiple buried conductors based on electromagnetic induction (EMI) signals observed at ground surface.
Influence of droplet size, pH and ionic strength on endotoxin-triggered ordering transitions in liquid crystalline droplets

We report an investigation of ordering transitions that are induced in water-dispersed, micrometer-sized droplets of a thermotropic liquid crystal (LC) by the bacterial lipopolysaccharide endotoxin. We reveal that the ordering transitions induced by endotoxin - from a bipolar state of the droplets to a radial state - are strongly dependent on the size of the LC droplets. Specifically, as the diameters of the LC droplets increase from 2 μm to above 10 μm (in phosphate buffered saline with an ionic strength of 90 mM and a pH of 7.2), we measured the percentage of droplets exhibiting a radial configuration in the presence of 100 pg/mL endotoxin to decrease from 98 ± 1 % to 3 ± 2 %. In addition, we measured a decrease in either the ionic strength or pH of the aqueous phase to reduce the percentage of droplets exhibiting a radial configuration in the presence of endotoxin. These results, when interpreted within the context of a simple thermodynamic model that incorporates the contributions of elasticity and surface anchoring to the free energies of the LC droplets, lead us to conclude that (i) the elastic constant K24 plays a central role in determining the size-dependent response of the LC droplets to endotoxin, and (ii) endotoxin-triggered ordering transitions occur only under solution conditions (pH, ionic strength) where the combined contributions of elasticity and surface anchoring to the free energies of the bipolar and radial configurations of the LC droplets are similar in magnitude. Our analysis also suggests that the presence of endotoxin perturbs the free energies of the LC droplets by ~10-17 J/droplet, which is comparable to the standard free energy of self-association of ~103 endotoxin molecules. These results, when combined with prior reports of localization of endotoxin at the center of LC droplets, are consistent with the hypothesis that self-assembly of endotoxin within micrometer-sized LC droplets provides the driving force for the ordering transitions. Overall, these results advance our understanding of ordering transitions triggered by the interactions of analytes with LC droplets and, more broadly, provide guidance to the design of LC droplet systems as the basis of stimuli-responsive soft materials.
Interaction between Protein Phosphatase 5 and the A subunit of Protein Phosphatase 2A: EVIDENCE FOR A HETEROTRIMERIC FORM OF PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE 5 *

Members of the phosphoprotein phosphatase family of serine/threonine phosphatases are thought to exist in different native oligomeric complexes. Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is composed of a catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) that complexes with an A subunit, which in turn also interacts with one of many B subunits that regulate substrate specificity and/or (sub)cellular localization of the enzyme. Another family member, protein phosphatase 5 (PP5), contains a tetratricopeptide repeat domain at its N terminus, which has been suggested to mediate interactions with other proteins. PP5 was not thought to interact with partners homologous to the A or B subunits that exist within PP2A. However, our results indicate that this may not be the case. A yeast two-hybrid screen revealed an interaction between PP5 and the A subunit of PP2A. This interaction was confirmed for endogenous proteins in vivo using immunoprecipitation analysis and for recombinant proteins by in vitro binding experiments. Our results also indicate that the tetratricopeptide repeat domain of PP5 is required and sufficient for this interaction. In addition, immunoprecipitated PP5 contains associated B subunits. Thus, our results suggest that PP5 can exist in a PP2A-like heterotrimeric form containing both A and B subunits.
Obesity can disqualify would-be parents from adoption--a novel reason for not getting fat.

Although it is well known that obesity is an established and important determinant of cardiovascular risks [1–3], there appears on the horizon a new non-medical reason for not getting fat. China is world's most popular country for prospective adoptive parents, because of overabundance of unwanted babies, especially baby girls, from its strict onechild policy [4,5]. Now China is considering new rules to restrict adoptions; one such criterion is that the would-be parents should not have a bodymass index (BMI) over 40 [6]. This new rule from China is similar to what other countries already had in an effort to ensure that prospective parents are healthy enough to care for the adopted child [6]. Some countries have even stricter rules; adoption agencies in South Korea require a BMI in prospective parents of no greater than 30 [6]. With the current epidemic of obesity around the world [7], the new non-medical reason for preventing obesity assumes more urgency. Furthermore, the supply side of the supply-anddemand equation is also changing in China. With the recent relaxation of China's one-child policy and waning traditional preference for boys to girls, fewer baby girls become available
Faculty contract configurations: Probable impact

A generalized version of the academic flow model was constructed from pooled data from two institutions of higher education. This version of the model was used to analyze the probable quantitative effects — on a faculty composition, on salary costs, and on the rate of faculty turnover — that would result from the implementation of each of the following seven theoretical options: (1) implementing an early retirement plan; (2) extending the probationary period for tenure; (3) shortening the probationary period for tenure; (4) using a greater proportion of part-time faculty; (5) using a greater proportion of unlimited renewable appointments (unlimited renewable appointments are one- or two-year term contracts that may be renewed indefinitely); (6) using a greater proportion of nonrenewable fixed-term appointments (fixed-term refers to those appointments that are full time but that are not eligible for tenure; and (7) granting substantially less tenure.
The Relative Influence of Accommodation and Convergence in the Judgment of Distance

Resume Le but de cette etude a ete d'evaluer, en termes quantitatifs, l'influence relative de l'accommodation et de la convergence dans le jugement de la distance. On a employe une nouvelle forme de stereoscope a miroir au moyen duquel il a ete possible de varier la convergence pendant que l'accommodation, la grandeur de l'image retinale, l'intensite de l'objet stereoscopique et tous les autres criteres secondaires de la distance visuelle sont restes constants. On a pu aussi varier l'accommodation pendant que la convergence, l'intensite, etc., sont restees constantes. On a employe une methode motrice pour mesurer la distance apparente de l'objet stereoscopique. Quand la machine a ete placee pour une des differentes combinasons de convergence et d'accommodation (on a choisi arbitrairement neuf conditions, dont on a choisi trois comme controles), le sujet a fait mouvoir un indicateur d'un cote ou de l'autre sur un bâton de laiton etalonne a la position apparente de l'objet stereoscopique. On a employe cinq ...
A comparison of daclizumab to ATGAM induction in simultaneous pancreas‐kidney transplant recipients on triple maintenance immunosuppression

Daclizumab (DAC) is a molecularly engineered humanized IgGa monoclonal Ab directed against the alpha chain of the interleukin-2 receptor (IL2R). Inhibiting the amplification of the immune response by blocking IL2R can reduce the frequency of acute rejection without the attendant risk of infection. The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare DAC to antithymocyte (ATGAM) induction in 24 simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants performed between September 1995 and September 1998. The primary endpoints were the incidence within 6 months post-transplant of: 1) biopsy-proven acute rejection; and 2) infection. The two groups (DAC, n = 12; ATGAM, n = 12) were matched on age, race, ESRD, number of HLA mismatches, PRA level, and cold ischemia time. DAC (I mg/kg) was given on the day of transplant, then every other week (a total of five doses); ATGAM (15 mg/kg) was given on post-transplant day 1, then daily for 7-10 d. Immunosuppressive therapy consisted of cyclosporine (Neoral® - 8-10 mg/kg/d) or Prograf® (0.16-0.2 mg/kg/d), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept® 2-3 g/ d) and steroids. Of the 12 DAC patients, 3 patients (25%) had biopsy-proven acute rejection versus 8/12 (67%) of the ATGAM patients. The time to acute rejection was significantly different by group (DAC = 110 d; ATGAM = 26 d). There was a reduction in the number of patients receiving antilymphocyte drugs for moderate to severe rejection (DAC = 2/12; ATGAM = 4/12), with 2 of the 4 ATGAM patients experiencing more than two episodes of biopsy-proven rejection. There was an increase in infection by group (DAC = 4/12; ATGAM = 7/12): total of three septic infections occurred in the ATGAM group opposed to none in the DAC group. Patient, pancreas, kidney 6-month survival rates were 100% for both groups. We conclude that DAC induction coupled with triple immunosuppressive therapy reduces the incidence of rejection in SPK transplant patients. The time to acute rejection was prolonged in the DAC group compared with the ATGAM group without the attendant risks of rejection.
Application of a Neuroelectric Model to Electrocutaneous Sensory Sensitivity: Parameter Variation Study

A previous publication discussed results from a neuro-electric model for analyzing excitation of myelinated nerve by external electrical stimuli. The studied model is an adaptation of the one developed by McNeal. The present paper examines how membrane and geometric parameter variations affect electrical sensitivity calculated with the model.