cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Victim Vices, Victim Voices, and Impact Statements: On the Place of Emotion and the Role of Restorative Justice in Capital Sentencing

This article examines the efficacy and legitimacy of using victim impact statements (VIS) during the penalty phase of capital cases. It is argued that the emotionally laden content of VIS (particularly victim allocution) fuels vengeance, anger, and hatred, thereby undermining prospects for a fair and impartial sentence and undoing prospects for a more meaningful and restorative experience of victim justice. To examine these dynamics, several principles of “critical” restorative justice are delineated, the empirical and legal limits of VIS are identified, society's urge to punish is conceptually and speculatively explored, and this tendency is juxtaposed against the extent to which compassion and forgiveness are important dimensions of the sentencing process. The article concludes with an outline of several policy reforms, consistent with critical restorative justice practice, explaining how personal/family harm following criminal wrongdoing can significantly be attended to for victims, offenders, and the ...
Methyl group exchange in methyllithiumlithium bromide solutions in diethyl ether

Abstract The 220 MHz 1H NMR spectrum of an ether solution of CH3Li and LiBr in 10–1 ratio has been examined as a function of temperature. At low temperature distinct resonances, assignable to Li4(CH3)4 and Li4(CH3)3Br, are seen. Methyl group exchange between the two tetramers is observed in the NMR spectra in the temperature interval −32 to 0°. The exchange is shown to be much slower than the dissociation of Li4(CH3)4 tetramer, measured in other work. It is proposed that the rate-determining step is dissociation of Li4(CH3)3Br to form Li2(CH3)2 and Li2(CH3)Br. The rate constant for dissociation, k2, obeys the equation ln k2 = 36.0−83303/T.
Induction of phase II enzyme, quinone reductase, in murine hepatoma cells in vitro by grape extracts and selected phytochemicals.

Abstract Consumption of fruits and vegetables has been associated with a lowered risk of developing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Grapes are rich in phenolics, flavonoids, and resveratrol, which have been suggested to be responsible for the health functions. Thirteen grape varieties and eighteen common phytochemicals were evaluated for their ability to induce mammalian phase II detoxification enzymes – quinone reductase (QR) in Hepa1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells. Amongst all the grape varieties analyzed, Cabernet Franc showed the highest inducible effect on QR with the lowest induction concentration. Quercetin, genistein, and resveratrol exhibited strong QR induction activity amongst the eighteen phytochemicals. The proliferation of Hepa1c1c7 cells was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner after exposure to all of the grape extracts and some of the phytochemicals. The selective index (SI) of grapes and phytochemicals as anticarcinogenic potency was assessed.
Tumor suppressor gene therapy for cancer: from the bench to the clinic

There is a growing list of possible tumor suppressors that can potentially be used to control cancer cell growth in the clinic. These include p53, Rb, p21, p16, p27, BRCAI and APC, some of which are already in clinical trials, p53 induces apoptosis and suppresses cancer cells containing multiple genetic alterations as well as multidrug-resistant cells, making it a promising and popular target. Other agents such as CDK-inhibitors are generally cytostatic with little evidence for apoptosis. The genetic make-up may help guide a rational therapy of particular tumors. Preclinical studies are exploring combinations of gene therapy and chemotherapy. Some early results are beginning to emerge from clinical trials including those using the E1b-deleted adenovirus that is unique in being a tumor-specific cytotoxic agent for the most common types of cancer.
Community College Reverse Transfer Students: A field Survey of a Nontraditional Student Group:

Data from a 54-item survey directed at reverse transfer students in the University of Kentucky Community College System was analyzed based on responses from two subgroups: 734 completers (those who had completed a baccalaureate) and 148 noncompleters. Chi square and t tests indicated statistically significant differences between completers and noncompleters as to race and marital status, age, number of dependents, number of credit hours, and grade point average. The data also revealed differences between the two groups as to reasons for enrollment and current goals. The authors discuss the resulting profile of reverse transfers in a student services context.
Music Activities for Mama, Mama and Papa, Papa

Jean Marzollo creates two beautiful texts using a child’s first words, “Mama, Mama” and “Papa, Papa” as a recurring theme. Wildlife artist, Laura Regan, illustrates Marzollo’s poetry with loving images of parents and children in the animal kingdom. Poetry and illustrations highlight the tenderness and care of Mama and Papa as they bond with their babies. General Music Today columnist, Cardany, provides a soothing melody for Marzollo’s texts and suggests related music activities to enhance young children’s musical development in a classroom music setting and in the home environment.
Utilizing existing sensor technology to predict spring wheat grain nitrogen concentration.

Optimum grain nitrogen (N) concentration and yield in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be problematic without proper N fertilizer management. Sensor-based technologies have been used for application of fertilizers and also to predict yield in wheat, although little has been done in the prediction of grain N. Field studies were conducted in South Dakota in 2006 (Gettysburg, Bath, and Cresbard) and 2007 (Gettysburg, Aurora, Leola, and Artas). There were five N treatments (0, 56, 112, 168, and 224 kg N ha−1) applied pre-plant with a second N application applied foliar at anthesis. Sensor readings were taken at growth stages Feekes 10, anthesis, and postfoliar application using the GreenSeeker Hand Held optical sensor. Grain samples were taken at maturity and analyzed for total N. Using similar information collected in 2003 and 2005, a critical normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) value was determined using the Cate–Nelson procedure. The critical NDVI value needed to ensure optimum grain N was...
A power amplifier with minimal efficiency degradation under back-off

A zero voltage switching technique that can maintain its peak efficiency over a 12dB dynamic range of output power is presented. The application of the technique is illustrated by the design and simulation based verification of an 800 MHz, 130nm CMOS PA that achieves close to a constant drain efficiency of about 40% over a 12 dB dynamic range of output power. System level simulations show that the PA achieves an ACPR of −54dBc at 400 KHz and −60dBc at 600 KHz frequency offsets respectively.
“Model province”: Explaining the Holocaust of Bessarabian and Bukovinian Jewry∗

Romanian war-time policy towards Jews presents a paradox. In the summer and fall of 1941 Romanian military and police were killing the Jews of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina indiscriminately. In late fall of the same year, those Jews who survived the first wave of killings were forcibly deported further to the east—this time not only from Bessarabia and the northern part of Bukovina but from the whole of the latter's province. In the late fall of 1941, Jews from Odessa were once again murdered en masse and any survivors deported from the city. At this time, i.e. in the summer and fall of 1941, Romanian policy was at least as radical and brutal as the Germans', perhaps surpassing it in its brutality, a fact that elicited Hitler's delight and commendation. But then Romanian policy underwent a gradual but more and more pronounced change. Though Romanian authorities took part in the preparations for the deportation of Romanian Jews to the Nazi concentration camps in the summer and early fall 1942, in October of that year the Romanians abruptly terminated their participation in all preparations. In 1943 and 1944 the Romanian government even took measures to protect Romanian Jewish citizens residing in the German-ruled territories by demanding that those Jews were exempt from deportation to concentration camps and facilitated Jewish emigration to Palestine from Romania. Inside Romania, Jews were still heavily discriminated against, exposed to various vexations and harsh confiscatory taxation, but the majority of them survived the war.
Selective Crystallization of Organic Semiconductors on Patterned Templates of Carbon Nanotubes

A method of patterning large arrays of organic single crystals is reported. Using single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) bundles as patterned templates, several organic semiconductor materials were successfully patterned, including p-type pentacene, tetracene, sexiphenylene, and sexithiophene, as well as n-type tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ). This study suggests that the selective growth of crystals onto patterned carbon nanotubes is most likely due to the coarse topography of the SWNT bundles. Moreover, we observed that the crystals nucleated from SWNT bundles and grew onto SWNT bundles in a conformal fashion. The dependence of the number of crystals on the quantity of SWNT bundles is also discussed. The crystal growth can be directly applied onto transistor source-drain electrodes and arrays of organic single-crystal field effect transistors are demonstrated. The results demonstrate the potential of utilizing carbon nanotubes as nucleation templates for patterning a broad range of organic materials for applications in optoelectronics.
Cross-linking of IgE-receptor complexes at the cell surface: a fluorescence method for studying the binding of monovalent and bivalent haptens to IgE.

Abstract We have developed a method for use in investigating factors controlling the binding and cross-linking by bivalent haptens of immunoglobulin E (IgE) bound to receptors on rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells. This method employs monoclonal anti-2,4-dinitrophenyl (DNP) IgE that is labeled with fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC), and it measures FITC quenching that accompanies DNP occupation of the antibody combining sites in a titration experiment. The validity of this approach is demonstrated using the monovalent hapten DNP- l -lysine. The affinity constant for this ligand obtained by the FITC quenching method is compared with those obtained with previously established methods: equilibrium dialysis and quenching of endogenous tryptophan for IgE in solution and [3H]-DNP- l -lysine binding to IgE on cells. The FITC quenching method has been used to carry out a detailed study of the binding of monovalent DNP-aminocapryol l -tyrosine (DCT) and bivalent (DCT)2-cystine to FITC-IgE and its Fab fragments in solution. Intrinsic (K) and cross-linking (Kx) affinity constants are obtained by analyzing the binding curves in terms of simple equilibrium equations. With these DCT haptens the ability of this method to assess hapten binding and cross-linking of IgE bound to receptors on RBL cells is shown.
Rod threshold: Influence of neighboring cones

Abstract Changes in rod increment threshold at the center of a desensitizing background disc were measured. Sensitization by an annular surround was shown to depend more upon the surround's effects on cones than on rods. This demonstrates a rod-cone interaction in which the activation of cones in the vicinity of a test flash influences the detection of that flash by rods .
Routes to new hafnium(IV) tetraaryl porphyrins and crystal structures of unusual phosphate-, sulfate-, and peroxide-bridged dimers.

New routes for the synthesis of mono tetraaryl porphyrinato hafnium(IV) complexes, Hf(IV)Por(L)2, are reported, where the secondary ligands, L, are determined by the method of purification. These synthetic routes cater to the solubility of the macrocycles and provide access to Hf(IV) complexes of meso tetraaryl porphyrins bearing diverse functional groups such as phenyl, tolyl, pyridyl, pentafluorophenyl, and carboxyphenyl. The latter three derivatives significantly expand the repertoire of hafnium porphyrinates. One route refluxes the porphyrin with HfCl4 in 1-chloronaphthalene or in a mixed solvent of 1-chloronaphthalene and o-cresol. A second, solventless method is also reported wherein the porphyrin is mixed with Hf(cp)2Cl2 and heated to give the metalated porphyrin in good yields. Simultaneous purification and formation of stable porphyrinato hafnium(IV) diacetate complexes, Hf(Por)OAc2, is accomplished by elution over silica gel using 3−5% acetic acid in the eluent. Exchange of the acetate ligands f...
THE INTERPRETATION OF IMAGE TRANSITIONS IN BETA-DECAY THEORY

The allowed favored beta-transitions are studied in relation to problems of nuclear structure and beta-decay theory. These problems include (1) the influence of deviations from $L\ensuremath{-}S$ coupling on the beta-decay matrix elements of the light nuclei, (2) the relation between the observed magnetic moments, simple nuclear models and deviations from $L\ensuremath{-}S$ coupling, (3) determination of the ratio of Fermi to Gamow-Teller type coupling constants, and (4) determination of the absolute magnitudes of the coupling constants.The analysis of all available data yields two mutually supporting conclusions: (a) a substantial Fermi-type component is present in the beta-decay interaction and (b) deviations from $L\ensuremath{-}S$ coupling are an important factor in the interpretation of nuclear magnetic moments.
Structure of Flagellar Motor Proteins in Complex Allows for Insights into Motor Structure and Switching

The flagellar motor is one type of propulsion device of motile bacteria. The cytoplasmic ring (C-ring) of the motor interacts with the stator to generate torque in clockwise and counterclockwise directions. The C-ring is composed of three proteins, FliM, FliN, and FliG. Together they form the “switch complex” and regulate switching and torque generation. Here we report the crystal structure of the middle domain of FliM in complex with the middle and C-terminal domains of FliG that shows the interaction surface and orientations of the proteins. In the complex, FliG assumes a compact conformation in which the middle and C-terminal domains (FliGMC) collapse and stack together similarly to the recently published structure of a mutant of FliGMC with a clockwise rotational bias. This intramolecular stacking of the domains is distinct from the intermolecular stacking seen in other structures of FliG. We fit the complex structure into the three-dimensional reconstructions of the motor and propose that the cytoplasmic ring is assembled from 34 FliG and FliM molecules in a 1:1 fashion.
Reduction of Acidurance of Streptococcal Growth and Glycolysis by Fluoride and Gramicidin

The acidurance of glycolysis by intact cells of Streptococcus mutans GS-5, Streptococcus salivarius ATCC 25925, and Streptococcus sanguis NCTC 10904 was found to be highly dependent on membrane functions affected by gramicidin, which increases the proton permeability of cell membranes. Plots of % glucose utilized during two hours against suspension pH values for cells suspended in 100 mM phosphate buffer plus 1 mM MgCl2 plus 13.9 mM glucose indicated, for 50% glucose utilization, pH values of 5.0 for S. mutans, 5.7 for S. salivarius, and 6.2 for S. sanguis. Gramicidin treatment shifted these values to 6.0, 6.3, and 6.9, respectively. Growth of S. mutans and S. salivarius in complex media proved to be more acid-sensitive than was glycolysis, and in batch cultures, there was a well-defined, post-growth phase of glycolysis. Minimum pH values for growth and for glycolysis in medium with excess glucose were approximately 4.8 and 4.4, respectively, for S. mutans, and 4.9 and 4.3 for S. salivarius. S. sanguis was less aciduric and showed little differential acid sensitivity, with minimum pH values of about 5.2 for both growth and glycolysis. Fluoride acted to eliminate the differences in acidurance of growth and glycolysis for S. mutans or S. salivarius and to render both processes more acid-sensitive. Thus, glycolysis was more fluoride-sensitive than was growth. Growth was found to be acid-limited in media with initial glucose levels greater than 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5% (weight/volume) for S. sanguis, S. mutans, and S. salivarius, respectively, and to be glucose-limited at lower levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Defensive burying following injections of cholecystokinin, bombesin, and LiCl in rats.

Abstract Past research indicates that feeding is reduced for animals injected with cholecystokinin and bombesin. One explanation for this effect suggests that these peptides act as natural satiety signals; an opposing view asserts that bombesin and cholecystokinin reduce feeding through malaise. The present experiment tested the basic assumptions associated with these positions using the defensive burying procedure. Groups of rats were given sweetened condensed milk followed by IP injections of bombesin (6,16, and 32 μg/kg), cholecystokinin (0.7, 1.4, and 2.9 μg/kg), LiCl (6.4 mg/ml), or saline. The results showed that animals injected with cholecystokinin, bombesin, and LiCl developed learned aversions to the milk and actively buried the milk spout with their bedding. The findings provide further support for the view that bombesin and cholecystokinin induce malaise rather than satiety.
Realizing Engel's Biopsychosocial Vision: Resilience, Compassion, and Quality of Care

George Engel's biopsychosocial vision was simultaneously scientific and humanistic. He passionately presented an approach to clinical care to correct the progressive distancing of clinical care and research from the lived experience of the patient. Yet, while science provides ever greater evidence for the linkages between subjectively-reported experience and health outcomes, trainees and practicing clinicians struggle to realize a biopsychosocial vision in a pragmatic way. These challenges are magnified by the mandate for greater patient autonomy and participation in care, increased access to information, and overlaps and omissions as multiple professionals try to address the whole person. Importantly, trainees and clinicians get stuck implementing the biopsychosocial model partly because they have not developed the capacity for resilience, self-awareness, and self-monitoring. These capacities must accompany efforts to help clinicians engage more deeply with their patients; otherwise, they risk emotional distress, empathic failure, premature closure, and withdrawal from effective connections with patients. This article will explore ways in which Engel's biopsychosocial vision can be realized through building the capacities of clinicians to become more self-aware and resilient, and engage in compassionate action.
First Report of Ophiosphaerella herpotricha Causing Spring Dead Spot of Bermudagrass in Mississippi

Spring dead spot (SDS) is the most destructive disease of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.). Symptoms of SDS appear in the spring when bermudagrass transitions out of winter dormancy. These symptoms include depressed, straw-colored patches that range from several centimeters to a meter in diameter. Infected roots and rhizomes are black, brittle, and necrotic. The disease is caused by three species of fungi: Ophiosphaerella herpotricha (Fr:Fr) J. Walker; O. korrae (J. Walker & A.M. Smith) Shoemaker & C.E. Babcock; or O. narmari (J. Walker & A.M. Smith) Wetzel, Hubert & Tisserat. However, O. korrae is the most prevalent causal organism of SDS in the southeastern United States and was the only species reported in Mississippi (1). In April of 2006, root samples were collected from a bermudagrass putting green in Booneville, MS with a high level of SDS incidence and severity. Symptomatic roots were collected and surface disinfested in 0.6% NaOCl and plated on one-quarter-strength potato dextrose agar ...
Enzyme-based molecular imprinting with metals.

Aromatic monomers with various functional groups were utilized in horseradish peroxidase-catalyzed polymerization reactions with metal ions Cu(II), Ni(II), and Fe(III) as imprinting templates. The approach described combines molecular imprinting with enzymatic free radical coupling. Selectivity in metal ion affinity between the various polymer products was assessed and found to depend on the metal used in the imprinting process using aniline, tyramine, and phenol as monomers. Selectivity in binding metals was found when polymers imprinted with copper, nickel, or iron were screened against the three metals, with preference for the metal used in the imprinting step. A model for the structural features of the putative imprinted polymers is proposed based on electron paramagnetic resonance, NMR, and IR analysis. Specific potential benefits to this imprinting method include reactivity with a wide range of aromatic monomers to provide more diverse options for molecular recognition with the target analyte and th...
Pressure dependence of Tc in Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4

Abstract The pressure dependence of the superconducting transition temperature Tc was measured to ≈8 kbar in a He pressure medium. We find dTc/dP = 0.0(±0.02) k/kbar.
Utilization of microarray technology for functional genomics in ictalurid catfish

The channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, and the closely related blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, are important species in aquaculture and serve as biological models for immunology, neurobiology and environmental monitoring. Directed and high-throughput sequencing technologies have produced 44 767 channel catfish expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and 10 764 blue catfish ESTs to date. Experiments incorporating large-scale gene expression analyses have utilized a 660 cDNA macroarray, a 1900 cDNA spotted microarray and in situ synthesized oligonucleotide microarrays covering 19 000 and 28 000 genes. These experiments have revealed numerous transcripts that are differentially expressed in response to environmental stressors, immunostimulation and exposure to viral and bacterial pathogens. A current collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Community Sequencing Programme will soon provide a much larger resource of ESTs for both catfish species. This will enhance the coverage of the catfish transcriptome and lead to the production of more comprehensive microarrays for future investigations. Functional characterization of the catfish genome will improve the understanding of genetic variation in catfish populations and their responses to environmental variation and enhance the role of the channel catfish as a model species and source of dietary protein.
Resorbable polymer microchips releasing BCNU inhibit tumor growth in the rat 9L flank model

Abstract Sustained local delivery of single agents and controlled delivery of multiple chemotherapeutic agents are sought for the treatment of brain cancer. A resorbable, multi-reservoir polymer microchip drug delivery system has been tested against a tumor model. The microchip reservoirs were loaded with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU). BCNU was more stable at 37 °C within the microchip compared to a uniformly impregnated polymeric wafer (70% intact drug vs. 38%, at 48 h). The half-life of the intact free drug in the microchip was 11 days, which is a marked enhancement compared to its half-life in normal saline and 10% ethanol (7 and 10 min, respectively) [P. Tepe, S.J. Hassenbusch, R. Benoit, J.H. Anderson, BCNU stability as a function of ethanol concentration and temperature, J. Neurooncol. 10 (1991) 121–127; P. Kari, W.R. McConnell, J.M. Finkel, D.L. Hill, Distribution of Bratton–Marshall-positive material in mice following intravenous injections of nitrosoureas, Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol. 4 (1980) 243–248]. A syngeneic Fischer 344 9L gliosarcoma rat model was used to study the tumoricidal efficacy of BCNU delivery from the microchip or homogeneous polymer wafer. A dose-dependent decrease in tumor size was found for 0.17, 0.67, and 1.24 mg BCNU-microchips. Tumors treated with 1.24 mg BCNU-microchips showed significant tumor reduction (p = 0.001) compared to empty control microchips at two weeks. The treatment showed similar efficacy to a polymer wafer with the same dosage. The microchip reservoir array may enable delivery of multiple drugs with independent release kinetics and formulations.
Reliability guaranteed energy-aware frame-based task set execution strategy for hard real-time systems

In this paper, we study the problem of how to execute a real-time frame-based task set on DVFS-enabled processors so that the system's reliability can be guaranteed and the energy consumption of executing the task set is minimized. To ensure the reliability requirement, processing resources are reserved to re-execute tasks when transient faults occur. However, different from commonly used approaches that the reserved processing resources are shared by all tasks in the task set, we judiciously select a subset of tasks to share these reserved resources for recovery purposes. In addition, we formally prove that for a give task set, the system achieves the highest reliability and consumes the least amount of energy when the task set is executed with a uniform frequency (or neighboring frequencies if the desired frequency is not available). Based on the theoretic conclusion, rather than heuristically searching for appropriate execution frequency for each individual task as used in many research work, we directly calculate the optimal execution frequency for the task set. Our simulation results have shown that with our approach, we can not only guarantee the same level of system reliability, but also have up to 15% energy saving improvement over other fault recovery-based approaches existed in the literature. Furthermore, as our approach does not require frequent frequency changes, it works particularly effective on processors where frequency switching overhead is large and not negligible.
Classification for predicting offender affiliation with murder victims

Abstract The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is used by law enforcement to record a detailed picture of crime incidents, including data on offenses, victims and suspected arrestees. Such incident data lends itself to the use of data mining to uncover hidden patterns that can provide meaningful insights to law enforcement and policy makers. In this paper we analyze all homicide data recorded over one year in the NIBRS database, and use classification to predict the relationships between murder victims and the offenders. We evaluate different ways for formulating classification problems for this prediction and compare four classification methods: decision tree, random forest, support vector machine and neural network. Our results show that by setting up binary classification problems to discriminate each type of victim–offender relationship versus all others good classification accuracy can be obtained, especially by the support vector machine method and the random forest approach. Furthermore, our results show that interesting structural insight can be obtain by performing attribute selection and by using transparent decision tree models.
A simple three-step method for preparing homochiral 5-trityloxymethyl-2-oxazolidinones from optically active 3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones

Abstract A simple high-yield three-step route to O -tritylated optically active 5-hydroxymethyl oxazolidinones from optically active 3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactones is described. The key intermediate is the 4- O -trityl ether of homochiral 3,4-dihydroxybutyramide, which is obtained in quantitative yield from 3-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone by treatment with ammonia. It is readily transformed to the oxazolidinone by Hoffmann rearrangement in a two-phase system. The carbonyl group in the oxazolidinone is derived from C-1 of the amide, and a separate carbonylation reaction is not required. Oxazolidinones are key compounds in drug synthesis especially in the areas of antibacterials and behavior disorder therapy.
Urokinase‐type and tissue‐type plasminogen activators have different distributions in cultured bovine capillary endothelial cells

The cell extracts and conditioned medium from cultured bovine capillary endothelial (BCE) cells were examined to determine the types of plasminogen activator (PA) present in each of these two fractions. The fractions were first analyzed by fibrin autography after sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The cell extracts contained two species of PA of Mr 48,000 and 28,000. Multiple forms of PA were detected in the conditioned medium: variable amounts of the Mr 48,000 and 28,000 forms and a broad band of activity with Mr in the range of 67,000–93,000. The major fraction of the Mr 48,000 form was in the cell extract. Treatment of the cells with 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate or with a preparation containing angiogenic activity resulted in a proportionate increase in the levels of all forms. The Mr 48,000 form was demonstrated to be a urokinase-like PA, since it was immunoprecipitated with antibodies to urokinase. When conditioned medium or cell extracts from biosynthetically labelled BCE cells were incubated with antiserum to urokinase, the Mr 48,000 form was immunoprecipitated only from the cell extract. The Mr 67,000–93,000 forms were demonstrated to be tissue-type PAs, since they were immunoprecipitated with antibodies to tissue PA. When the same conditioned medium or cell extracts were incubated with antiserum to tissue-type PA, the Mr 67,000–93,000 forms were immunoprecipitated only from the conditioned medium. Therefore, BCE cells are able to produce both tissue-type PA, which is primarily secreted, and urokinase-type PA, which remains primarily cell associated.
Intertrimer and Intratrimer Metallophilic and Excimeric Bonding in the Ground and Phosphorescent States of Trinuclear Coinage Metal Pyrazolates: A Computational Study

The interactions present in cyclic trinuclear coinage metal pyrazolates were studied computationally. Cuprophilic interaction was found to bind the singlet ground state of the dimer of trimers {[Cu(Pz)]3}2, overcoming electrostatic repulsion. The large variation in intertrimer separations found in the literature for coinage metal pyrazolates is consistent with the relatively weak metallophilic interaction. The emissive triplet excited-state geometry of {[M(Pz)]3}2 is predicted by density functional calculations to show major geometric distortion caused by Jahn−Teller instability and excimeric M−M bonding. Large calculated Stokes' shifts, which are also observed for experimental models, are consistent with significant excited-state distortions for these materials. The major finding derived from the present study is that the intertrimer M···M contraction in the emissive T1 state is much more than the intratrimer contraction in all {[M(Pz)]3}2 models, giving rise to a lower T1 → S0 phosphorescence energy in ...
Fourth-generation X-ray sources: some possible applications to biology.

The term `fourth generation X-ray sources' has come to mean X-ray free-electron lasers which use multi-GeV electron beams from linear accelerators to generate X-rays by self-amplified stimulated emission when fired into long undulators. Properties of the radiation expected from such sources are reviewed briefly and two possible applications of the resulting pulsed highly collimated X-radiation to problems in biology are discussed: use of X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy to measure time correlations of atoms in protein crystals, and use of Mossbauer radiation extracted from the photon beams by resonant Bragg diffraction from ^{57}Fe-containing crystals, for MAD phasing of very large unit-cell biomolecular crystals and possibly for photon echo measurements.
Dealing with shift work: physical fitness, temperature, and napping

Abstract This paper reviews the effects of generally controllable factors such as physical conditioning, ambient temperature, and amount of prior sleep in adjustment to night work periods and shift work. One can expect a 5–10% decline in capacity for work in nocturnal work periods as compared to daytime work periods. This decreased capacity would dissipate if workers maintained a consistent sleep-wake routine for 8–16 days after moving to a new shift. Proven means for accelerating this adaptation are currently not available. The ability to perform work also declines as the length of the work period increases but depending upon individual tasks. Physical conditioning improves mood and general well-being, but no strong evidence currently indicates that conditioning increases tolerance or adjustment to shift work. Increased ambient temperature increases the stress of work, although studies do not address heat as a factor in adjustment to shift work. While lower nocturnal temperature would be assumed to reduc...
Activated carbon from jackfruit peel waste by H3PO4 chemical activation: Pore structure and surface chemistry characterization

Abstract The effects of activation temperature and impregnation ratio on the pore structure and surface chemistry of activated carbons derived from jackfruit peel with chemical activation method using phosphoric acid as activating agent were studied. Activated carbons with well-developed pore sizes were produced at activation temperatures of 450 and 550 °C. The BET surface areas and total pore volumes of the carbons produced at these temperatures are in the range of 907–1260 m 2 /g and 0.525–0.733 cm 3 /g, respectively.
Differential Splicing Generates Tvl-1/RFXANK Isoforms with Different Functions

Abstract Earlier studies have shown that Tvl-1 gives rise to at least two differentially spliced mRNAs, one of which (Tvl-S) encodes a protein that lacks amino acids 91–112. DNA binding of RFX complexes assembled in the presence of Tvl-S is impaired. As a result, Tvl-S does not support the expression of Class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes. Here, we show that the reason Tvl-S is inactive as a transcriptional regulator of Class II MHC genes is that the RFX complexes assembled in the presence of Tvl-S are unstable. Additionally, we show that interferon-γ, which induces Class II MHC gene expression in 293 cells, promotes a shift in the splicing pattern of RFXANK/Tvl-1 toward the transcriptionally active Tvl-L isoform, suggesting that differential splicing of Tvl-1 is a signal-regulated process. Finally, we show that Tvl-1 regulates the expression of non-MHC genes. One such gene encodes the ephrin receptor EphA3. Since both Tvl-L and Tvl-S are identical in their ability to induce the expression of EphA3, we conclude that Tvl-1 regulates the expression of non-MHC genes by RFX-independent mechanisms.
Blown flap noise research

Noise data with models of both internally and externally blown jet flaps designed for STOL aircraft
Harmonic-Fit Partitioned Scheduling for Fixed-Priority Real-Time Tasks on the Multiprocessor Platform

One common approach for partitioned multiprocessor scheduling problem is to transform this problem into a traditional bin-packing problem, with the utilization of a task being the "size" of the object and the utilization bound of a processor being the "capacity" of the bin. However, this approach ignores the fact that some implicit relations among tasks may significantly affect the feasibility of the tasks allocated to a processor. In this paper, we present a novel multiprocessor partitioned scheduling algorithm for fixed-priority sporadic real-time tasks based on the Rate Monotonic Scheduling (RMS) policy. Our approach takes advantage of the fact that harmonic tasks can achieve a much higher processor utilization than that defined by a utilization bound. As demonstrated in our experiment results, when taking the task period relationship into consideration, our algorithm can achieve a significant improvement over previous work.
Child abuse: a case for a different approach.

Abstract A review of the literature on the subject of child abuse reveals a negligible amount of systematic data in contrast to a generous offering of untested hypotheses and speculations presented as evidence. We believe that the requirement of “nonaccident” as part of the definition and study of child abuse is doing the study a disservice in view of the evidence that “accidental injury” and “nonaccidental injury” are not mutually exclusive; in fact they commonly occur together resulting in a situation where they cannot be measured reliably. We suggest therefore that elimination of the variables “nonaccidental” or “accidental” would be a useful approach for studies on child abuse.
Bioaccumulation of PCBs in aquatic biota from a tidal freshwater marsh ecosystem

Water, sediments, and aquatic biota were sampled in a tidal river-marsh on the Potomac River near Washington, DC (USA) to assess baseline concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and bioaccumulation in finish species. The mean sediment total-PCB concentration in the wetland was 50 ng/g dry weight, and mean concentrations in biota ranged from 150 ng/g to 450 ng/g wet weight. The highest PCB concentrations were observed in channel catfish. The median biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) estimated in all finfish species for total-PCBs was 2.9. However, some of the individual and co-eluting PCB congeners had median BSAFs that were substantially greater (e.g., congener numbers 42, 74, 182/187/128, and 171) or lower (e.g., congener numbers 18/15, 45, 185, and 208) than the total-PCB average. Apparent bioaccumulation factors (biota/water PCB concentration ratios) for PCB congeners showed a parabolic relation with n-octanol/water partition coefficients, confirming some previous investigations. There was no clear trend between apparent bioaccumulation factors and trophic level. Organic-carbon-normalized sediment distribution constants (sediment/water PCB concentration ratios) were linearly related to the apparent bioaccumulation factors for all the finfish species investigated.
Sea levels changing in response to natural variations

Scientists have widely accepted that sea levels have been rising since the end of the 19th century due to human activities that warm the planet and melt land-locked ice. Models of future sea level rise suggest that sea levels will continue to increase at an accelerating rate if emissions of greenhouse gases continue at the current rate. This has motivated a number of scientists to search for already existing accelerations in global and regional sea level during the past 2 decades. However, Dangendorf et al. note that current attempts to detect a significant acceleration in sea level rise might have overestimated the role of anthropogenic forcing.
ON THE SOLUTION FOR THE ROTATIONAL MOTION OF AN AXISYMMETRIC RIGID BODY AT LOW REYNOLDS NUMBER WITH APPLICATION TO A FINITE LENGTH CYLINDER

The rotational motion of a rigid particle is considered. The method of Green's functions is used which reduces the governing equation to a Fredholm's integral equation of the first kind. Numerical and analytical solutions are obtained with any stress singularities taken explicitly into account.
The solubility of iron hydroxide in sodium chloride solutions

The solubility of iron(III) hydroxide as a function of pH was investigated in NaCl solutions at different temperatures (5–50°C) and ionic strengths (0–5 M). Our results at 25°C and 0.7 M in the acidic range are similar to the solubility in seawater. The results between 7.5 to 9 are constant (close to 10−11 M) and are lower than those found in seawater (>10−10) in this pH range. The solubility subsequently increases as the pH increases from 9 to 12. The solubility between 6 and 7.5 has a change of slope that cannot be accounted for by changes in the speciation of Fe(III). This effect has been attributed to a solid-state transformation of Fe(OH)3 to FeOOH. The effect of ionic strength from 0.1 to 5 M at a pH near 8 was quite small. The solubility at 5°C is considerably higher than at 25°C at neutral pH range. The effects of temperature and ionic strength on the solubility at low and high pH have been attributed to the effects on the solubility product and the formation of FeOH2+ and Fe(OH)4−. The results have been used to determine the solubility products of Fe(OH)3, K∗Fe(OH)3 and hydrolysis constants, β∗1, β∗2, β∗3, and β∗4 as a function of temperature (T, K) and ionic strength (I): log K∗Fe(OH)3 = −13.486 − 0.1856 I0.5 + 0.3073 I + 5254/T (σ = 0.08) log β∗1 = 2.517 − 0.8885 I0.5 + 0.2139 I − 1320/T (σ = 0.03) log β∗2 = 0.4511 − 0.3305 I0.5 − 1996/T (σ = 0.1) log β∗3 = −0.2965 − 0.7881 I0.5 − 4086/T (σ = 0.6) log β∗4 = 4.4466 − 0.8505 I0.5 − 7980/T. (σ = 0.2) Both strong ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and weak (HA) organic ligands greatly affect iron solubility. The additions of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and humic material were shown to increase the solubility near pH 8. The higher solubility of Fe(III) in seawater compared to 0.7 M NaCl may be caused by natural organic ligands.
Column-switching technique for the sensitive determination of ertapenem in human cerebrospinal fluid using liquid chromatography and ultraviolet absorbance detection.

Abstract A sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic (RP-HPLC) assay with on-line extraction was developed for quantifying ertapenem in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This assay is at least five times more sensitive than previously published ertapenem methods with a lower limit of quantitation at 0.025 μg/ml. In this assay, a CSF sample is extracted on-line using a RP extraction column and an aqueous acidic mobile phase (0.1% formic acid) to wash away polar endogenous materials, while ertapenem is retained on the column. Ertapenem is then back-flushed off the extraction column and directed to a RP analytical column using an acidic mobile phase with an organic modifier (acetonitrile/0.1% formic acid, 15:85 (v/v)) and detected using UV absorbance. The acidic mobile phase provided a sharper chromatographic peak and on-line extraction allowed large injection volumes (≥150 μl) of buffered CSF to be injected without compromising column integrity. These assay conditions were necessary to quantify ertapenem at levels expected to be found in human CSF (
Steam distillation–solid-phase microextraction for the detection of Ephedra sinica in herbal preparations

A new method involving concurrent solid-phase microextraction combined with continuous hydrodistillation of essential oil was developed. This new methodology allowed for the detection by GC-MS of very small amounts of a diagnostic peak for the authentication of Ephedra sinica, in a short period of time and using only small sample sizes. This diagnostic peak was identified as 4-vinylanisole, and elucidated from the chromatographic profile allowed for the identification of a sample as E. sinica among other species investigated in this study. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on using continuous solid-phase microextraction coupled to hydrodistillation for the investigation of essential oil components, and the first report of 4-vinylanisole as a marker compound for E. sinica. A total of 46 collections representing 21 species of Ephedra were studied.
Dynamics of a mechanistically derived stoichiometric producer-grazer model.

One of the simplest predator-prey models that tracks the quantity and the quality of prey is the one proposed by [I. Loladze, Y. Kuang, and J.J. Elser, Stoichiometry in producer-grazer systems: Linking energy flow with element cycling, Bull. Math. Biol. 62 (2000) pp. 1137–1162.] (LKE model). In it, the ratio of two essential chemical elements, carbon to phosphorus, C:P, represents prey quality. However, that model does not explicitly track P neither in the prey nor in the media that supports the prey. Here, we extend the LKE model by mechanistically deriving and accounting for P in both the prey and the media. Bifurcation diagrams and simulations show that our model behaves similarly to the LKE model. However, in the intermediate range of the carrying capacity, especially near the homoclinic bifurcation point for the carrying capacity, quantitative behaviour of our model is different. We analyze positive invariant region and stability of boundary steady states. We show that as the uptake rate of P by prod...
Anti-counterfeit Integrated Circuits using fuse and tamper-resistant time-stamp circuitry

Counterfeit Integrated Circuits (ICs) have become an important security issue in recent years, in which counterfeit ICs that perform incorrectly or sub-par to the expected can lead to catastrophic consequences in safety and/or mission-critical applications, in addition to the tremendous economic toll they incur to the semiconductor industry. In this paper, we propose two novel methods to validate the authenticity of ICs. First, a fuse with a charge pump is proposed to serve as a “seal” for the IC, in which any functional use will break the seal, and the broken seal is extremely hard to replace. Second, a novel time-stamp is proposed that can provide the date at which the IC was manufactured. The time-stamp circuitry is constructed using a Linear-Feedback Shift-Register (LFSR) such that any small change to the circuit would result in an entirely different date either in a distant past or future, beyond the lifetime of a typical IC. Furthermore, we propose a second layer of tamper resistance to the time-stamp circuit to make it even more difficult to modify. Results show that with about 8.8% area overhead in AES implementation, the adversary requires more than 10118 different trials to successfully tamper time-stamp circuit. These techniques are easy to implement and embed into the circuit using todays technologies, while extremely difficult to modify or tamper with by the adversary. Finally, the method can be combined with additional hardware to detect malicious alteration made in the circuit.
Chemical composition of purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), grown under greenhouse conditions, was harvested at three growth stages and analyzed for total solids, total protein, ash, soluble carbohydrate, and fructose/fructane in whole plants, leaves, stems, and roots. Significant increases were observed in total solids and protein during plant maturation. Leaves had the highest amount of protein in the third growth stage (44.25g/100g dry matter). Roots showed a decline in protein level as the plant aged. Soluble carbohydrate was significantly higher in growth states 1 and 3. Significant variation among growth stages was found with regard to total phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron, managanese, and copper. Total phosphorus (P) content in leaves was significantly higher than P found in stems and roots. Iron (Fe) content varied significantly among growth stages, and roots and leaves had the highest Fe content (121.47 and 33.21 mg, respectively). Significant accumulation of managanese (Mn) was found in different growth stages. Leaves and roots had significantly higher Mn content than stems.
Carbon nanotube-based health monitoring of mechanically fastened composite joints

The onset of local damage in joints, such as delamination, cracking and fastener loosening can often be difficult to detect and has long-term implications on the performance of the structure. As the use of advanced fiber composites expands in large-scale structural applications, where joining of large structural members using adhesives and/or mechanical fasteners are employed, these connections represent a potential weakness in the structure where catastrophic failure could occur. As a result, it is crucial to develop innovative techniques to monitor the state of damage in composite structures. In this research we report the unique capability of carbon nanotube networks as in situ sensors for sensing local composite damage and bolt loosening in mechanically fastened glass/epoxy composite joints. Through careful design of the specimen it is possible to detect the onset and progression of damage in the joint.