cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The direct effect of protein starvation on protein breakdown and synthesis in regions of the cultured early chick embryo

Abstract Chick embryo explants of 11–13 somites (40 hours of preincubation) were exposed to14C-amino acids for 3 hours in liquid medium, cultured for 6 hours to reduce the trichloroacetic acid-soluble radioactive material, and then cultured on either protein starvation or growth media for periods up to 48 hours. The brain regions of explants cultured under starvation conditions lost larger quantities of radioactivity from protein than other regions of the embryo proper and the neural tube regions lost more radioactivity than the somites. The hearts of starved explants did not lose radioactivity. Explants cultured under growth conditions did not lose radioactivity from the regions of the embryo proper. Radioactivity was lost, however, from the protein of the extraembryonic membranes of explants cultured under both growth and starvation conditions. These basic observations were reproduced in experiments involving various14C-amino acids, the use of both growth and starvation conditions during the 6-hour preexperiment culture period, and the presence or absence of12C-amino acids in the final culture media. In an attempt to determine whether the regional differences in protein breakdown of starved explants were related to regional differences in protein synthesis, explants cultured for various periods on growth and starvation media were exposed to14C-amino acids for 90 and 180 minutes. The protein specific activities of embryo regions, corrected for regional differences in uptake and for the low overall specific activities of growing relative to starved explants, were comparable for growing and starved explants. This suggested that starvation did not differentially inhibit protein synthesis between regions of the embryo.
TRIPLET ESR IN l‐TYROSINE

Abstract : Triplet state electron spin resonances have been observed from L-tyrosine in low temperature glasses at 77K on irradiation by u.v. light in the band between 220 and 300 millimicrons. Two different resonances have been observed. and ESR spectra and optical absorption spectra as a function of degree of ionization show that the resonances are due to the ionized and un-ionized forms of tyrosine respectively. Solvent composition and temperature affect the ratio of the concentrations of the two forms but not their resonant fields. The resonances have half lives of from two to three seconds at 77K. (Author)
Mitochondrial regulation of cancer associated nuclear DNA methylation

The onset and progression of cancer is associated with the methylation-dependent silencing of specific genes, however, the mechanism and its regulation have not been established. We previously demonstrated that reduction of mitochondrial DNA content induces cancer progression. Here we found that mitochondrial DNA-deficient LN{rho}0-8 activates the hypermethylation of the nuclear DNA promoters including the promoter CpG islands of the endothelin B receptor, O{sup 6}-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, and E-cadherin. These are unmethylated and the corresponding gene products are expressed in the parental LNCaP containing mitochondrial DNA. The absence of mitochondrial DNA induced DNA methyltransferase 1 expression which was responsible for the methylation patterns observed. Inhibition of DNA methyltransferase eliminated hypermethylation and expressed gene products in LN{rho}0-8. These studies demonstrate loss or reduction of mitochondrial DNA resulted in the induction of DNA methyltransferase 1, hypermethylation of the promoters of endothelin B receptor, O{sup 6}-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase, and E-cadherin, and reduction of the corresponding gene products.
POLYNOMIALS FOR HYPER-KLOOSTERMAN SUMS

Fix an integer m > 1, and let denote the group of reduced residues modulo m and set ζm = exp(2 πi/m). Let denote the multiplicative inverse of x modulo m. The n-dimensional Kloosterman sums are defined by and satisfy the polynomial where the product is taken over a reduced system of residues modulo m. Here we give a natural factorization of fm(x); namely, where σ runs through the n + 1-st power classes modulo m. Questions concerning the determination of the factors (or at least their beginning coefficients), their reducibility over the rational field Q and duplications among the factors are studied. The treatment generalizes results of the author in the classical case n = 1, and relies heavily on the recent explicit evaluation of hyper-Kloosterman sums for prime powers.
Resonance-Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization Jet Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry of Tyrosine-Containing Dipeptides Using a Pulsed Laser Desorption/Volatilization Method

Pulsed laser desorption is used as a means of volatilizing thermally labile tyrosine-containing dipeptides for entrainment into a supersonic jet expansion. The jet expansion provides ultracold molecules whose spectral features are probed by resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) spectroscopy in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. In the dipeptides studied, spectral contours ~1.5 nm FWHM are observed. Although no sharp spectral features were obtained, the shape of the contour is quite distinctive, and isomeric dipeptides can be distinguished. In addition, the ions produced are monitored in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer. It is shown that soft ionization can be obtained for each of these dipeptides by optimizing the jet cooling and exciting at the maximum intensity of the specific origin transition. By an increase in the laser energy, fragmentation is produced which can be used for structural identification of each of these dipeptides. Other factors that may affect these results, such as thermal decomposition, are also investigated.
Validation of Methodology for Estimating Aircraft Unsteady Aerodynamic Parameters from Dynamic Wind Tunnel Tests

A basic problem in flight dynamics is the mathematical formulation of the aerodynamic model for aircraft. This study is part of an ongoing effort at NASA Langley to develop a more general formulation of the aerodynamic model for aircraft that includes nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics and to develop appropriate test techniques that facilitate identification of these models. A methodology for modeling and testing using wide-band inputs to estimate the unsteady form of the aircraft aerodynamic model was developed previously but advanced test facilities were not available at that time to allow complete validation of the methodology. The new model formulation retained the conventional static and rotary dynamic terms but replaced conventional acceleration terms with more general indicial functions. In this study advanced testing techniques were utilized to validate the new methodology for modeling. Results of static, conventional forced oscillation, wide-band forced oscillation, oscillatory coning, and ramp tests are presented.
Angiogenesis in Chronic Lung Disease

Chronic lung diseases like COPD, severe progressive pulmonary hypertension (PH), and interstitial lung diseases all have a lung vascular disease component. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of pulmonary vascular remodeling have been experimentally explored in many animal models, and it is now clear that microvessels are involved. In emphysema patients, there is a loss of lung microvessels, and in many forms of severe PH there is obliteration of precapillary arterioles by angioproliferation. Thus, COPD/emphysema and severe angioproliferative PH are on the opposite ends of a spectrum of vascular biology responses. Animal experiments have provided insight regarding some of the initiating events that shape the various forms of pulmonary vascular remodeling. In pulmonary fibrosis and in the postinjury phase of acute lung injury, the angiogenic/angiostatic balance is also affected. This review will therefore discuss angiogenesis in several chronic lung diseases and will speculate on how altered vascular homeostasis may contribute to lung disease development.
Absolute volumetric blood flow quantification in rabbit brain using digital subtraction angiography

An angiographic method using first pass distribution analysis (FPA) has been investigated for determining instantaneous absolute volumetric blood flow in an angiographic perfusion phantom and in a rabbit animal model following intra-arterial injection of contrast material. The method is based on the concept of conservation of contrast material in successive angiographic images, utilizing the videodensitometric information in the arterial bed. The volume of contrast material entering the perfusion bed between two successive images was determined using videodensitometric and entrance vessel calibration techniques. In phantom studies, measured (M) and known (K) mean flow rates were related with videodensitometric and entrance vessel calibration techniques, respectively. In vivo, measured and known flow rates in the left common carotid artery of two rabbits were related with the videodensitometric and the entrance vessel calibration techniques, respectively. The results of this study demonstrated the potential utility of the FPA algorithm in conjunction with digital substraction angiography for measuring phasic blood flow.
Pulmonary neoplastic and lymphoproliferative disease in AIDS: a review.

Kaposi sarcoma and lymphoma are the most common forms of neoplastic disease encountered in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Pulmonary involvement is fairly common with Kaposi sarcoma, while lymphoma only rarely involves the lungs. There has been a significant increase in the number of AIDS patients who develop Kaposi sarcoma, especially male homosexuals. There has also been an increase in the incidence of high-grade (aggressive) lymphoma in male homosexuals (and young men in general). Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia is a chronic condition that primarily affects adults and is becoming more common in patients with AIDS. When present in children less than 13 years old, lymphoid interstitial pneumonia is considered to be an indication of AIDS. Bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue and a condition resembling angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy are also being found in children with AIDS. A review of the literature on neoplastic and lymphoproliferative disease in AIDS suggests that a variety...
Sleep Perchance to Learn

It is well established that previously laid down memories can be strengthened during sleep and that individuals have the capacity to process a range of sensory information while they are sleeping. But we have not yet determined whether humans can acquire new information while they are sleeping. Now, Arzi et al . test this possibility in 69 healthy adults by introducing them to a range of pleasant and unpleasant odors as they slept. The authors used a unique interaction between sleep and smell to address the question of learning during sleep. They applied a technique called differential partial-reinforcement trace conditioning between tones and odors during sleep. In this method, they paired different tones with pleasant and unpleasant odors during sleep and then tested whether the tones alone, without an accompanying odor, would induce stronger sniffs by the participants if the participant associated the tone with a pleasant odor. They tested for such learned tone-induced sniffs during the same night’s sleep and during the subsequent awake phase. The authors found that partial trace conditioning between tones and odors with varying pleasantness during sleep resulted in learning of a new behavior—namely, pleasantness-dependent tone-induced sniffs—which persisted throughout the night and then when the participants were awake. These effects occurred despite application of strict exclusion criteria for arousal from sleep during the learning process. These results demonstrate that learning does indeed occur during sleep. This study was limited by the fact that there was a relatively small number of sleeping participants who did not show arousal during the learning process. Despite this limitation, the results reveal that learning new information during natural human sleep does occur and can be implemented during the waking hours. Importantly, the authors found that this learning occurred without later awareness of the learning process, suggesting that, beyond the general health advantages associated with good sleep, the human brain is not sleeping on the job. A. Arzi et al ., Humans can learn new information during sleep. Nat. Neurosci. 15 , 1460–1465 (2012). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v15/n10/full/nn.3193.html
On the geometry of Dupin cyclides

In the 19th century, the French geometer Charles Pierre Dupin discovered a non-spherical surface with circular lines of curvature. He called it a cyclide in his book,Applications de Geometrie published in 1822. Recently, cyclides have been revived for use as surface patches in computer aided geometric design (CAGD). Other applications of cyclides in CAGD are possible (e.g., variable radius blending) and require a deep understanding of the geometry of the cyclide. We resurrect the geometric descriptions of the cyclide found in the classical papers of James Clerk Maxwell and Arthur Cayley. We present a unified perspective of their results and use them to devise effective algorithms for synthesizing cyclides. We also discuss the morphology of cyclides and present a new classification scheme.
HIV/AIDS Prevention in Zimbabwe-Local Views and Adaptations

In recent years there has been much discussion, often emotionally charged, about the most successful method for HIV/AIDS prevention. This debate has assumed added significance with an increased emphasis on the provision of funding for abstinence-based approaches through PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief). Discussed below, the so-called ABC model for preventing new HIV infections (Green 2003) has provoked heated controversies. This paper does not examine the details of this controversy or any attempts that have been made to reformulate and further develop the ABC model. Instead, the focus of this paper is to give evidence on the reception and adaptation of the model in Zimbabwe. Further, I argue that the integrative nature of the ABC model is its strength.
A Flask for Preparation of Standards in Gas Chromatography

An inexpensive modification to the stopcock of a conventional gas-sampling bulb permits convenient preparation of standards for gas chromatography.
Shared parenting: A new paradigm for the treatment of child abuse

Abstract The thesis of this article is that child abuse can be most effectively prevented by recasting it as a part of a larger problem of inadequately parented families. Services for these families may be offered for voluntary participation. They need not be thought of as treatments since they would be designed to prevent rather than treat injuries. The goal of the services would be to improve the childrearing experiences of children in two ways: by helping their parents to function more effectively and providing whatever elements of parental functioning (nurture, education, discipline, or protection) which the natural parents could not give. The proposed facilities would provide supplemental parenting and other services for children as necessary. Facilities would include outreach into the homes, family drop-in centers, family half-way houses for parents who can take care of their children only with onsite supervision, and residential facilities and foster homes at which natural parents would be encouraged to visit and participate. The majority of child abuses occur when there is stress on parents who are inadequate because they themselves have received deficient parenting. The proposed services would relieve stress on parents. This sharing of parental responsibilities between the natural parents and the sharing parents encountered in the proposed facilities would provide children with more adequate parenting than they could receive from their natural parents alone. This would give them a chance to grow into adequate, nonabusive parents and thus interrupt the generational cycle of abuse. The paper recommends some kinds of new services, but more importantly suggests revisions of the goals and functions of current facilities that would make them more effective in preventing child abuse and helping inadequately parented families.
High-temperature strings

Abstract The microcanonical density of states for a weakly interacting gas of strings compactified on a torus is computed in the limit of large energy, taking into account conservation of winding number and momentum. These constraints affect the high-energy form of the density of states. Using these results we discuss physical properties of the string ensemble near the Hagedorn temperature. In the free theory the Hagedorn temperature is interpreted as signaling the transition to long string dominance; in the interacting theory the system gravitationally collapses, possibly to a new phase. Formation of long strings may also be relevant to Hawking radiation and to acceleration radiation.
Sonic infrared imaging of fatigue cracks

Abstract We describe a novel 1 hybrid ultrasonic/infrared nondestructive technique for detecting cracks. This technique uses a short pulse of low frequency ultrasound to cause the crack surfaces to rub or clap, thus inducing frictional heating. The heating is then observed through the use of an infrared (IR) video camera. In the case of a surface-breaking crack, the appearance of the image of the crack takes only milliseconds after the initiation of the ultrasonic pulse. Subsurface cracks become visible to the IR camera with time delays that are determined by diffusion of the heat from the crack to the surface of the sample. Using this method we have observed fatigue cracks as short as 20 μm in metal samples.
Pleurodesis for effusions in pediatric oncology patients at end of life.

Background Pleurodesis for end-of-life care has been used in adults for decades, but little is known about the usefulness of this technique in improving the quality of care for pediatric patients.
A theory of the induced size effect

A quantitative formulation of Ogle's induced size effect is carried out on the assumption that vertical equality of the retinal images acts as a cue for localing the subjective median plane as opposed to the horizontal retinal dispartities which serve for localizing the subjective frontal plane; that this cue operates, independently of such cues as are provided by ocular versions, and predominates when the versions are not great. The equation which embodies the theoretical predictions involves no parameters not directly measurable.
Specific allylic-allylic coupling procedures effected by ligand-induced elimination from di(allylic)palladium species

Abstract Bis(allylic)palladium complexes can be induced to undergo reductive elimination by replacement of phosphine ligands in the system with π-acidic ligands. The product 1,5-diencs, formed in high yield, are predominantly the ‘head-to-head’ coupled isomers. The bis(allylic)palladium intermediatesmay be formed by addition of an allylic Grignard or trialkyl(allylic)tin reagent to an (η 3 -allyl)palladiuin chloride complex, or by 1,3-diene condensation. The latter process leads to cydodimerization, ‘unusual’ for palladium catalysed reactions.
Targeting the cancer cell cycle by cold atmospheric plasma

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), a technology based on quasi-neutral ionized gas at low temperatures, is currently being evaluated as a new highly selective alternative addition to existing cancer therapies. Here, we present a first attempt to identify the mechanism of CAP action. CAP induced a robust ~2-fold G2/M increase in two different types of cancer cells with different degrees of tumorigenicity. We hypothesize that the increased sensitivity of cancer cells to CAP treatment is caused by differences in the distribution of cancer cells and normal cells within the cell cycle. The expression of γH2A.X (pSer139), an oxidative stress reporter indicating S-phase damage, is enhanced specifically within CAP treated cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. Together with a significant decrease in EdU-incorporation after CAP, these data suggest that tumorigenic cancer cells are more susceptible to CAP treatment.
Ring resonators for microwave optoelectronics

Distributed transmission line theory is used to accurately model circular microstrip resonant structures. The model incorporates the effects of microstrip dispersion, conductor and dielectric loss, curvature, and the coupling capacitance of the feed lines. It is applied to study electronically tuned resonators and excellent agreement is obtained between theory and experiment. Microwave optoelectronic mixing is obtained by heterodyning a microwave local oscillator with a modulated optical carrier in a microstrip ring resonator on semi-insulating GaAs substrate.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Material and spatial gauge theories of solids. II: Problems with given material dislocation densities

Abstract Effects of material defects that arise from local action of the material translation symmetry group are analyzed. These problems are uncoupled by the assumptions that only the material translation group acts locally and that the material dislocation density 2-forms (material Cartan torsion) are both specified and 2-plane supported (elementary). All essential geometric quantities are evaluated. Since the material dislocation densities are specified, the only dynamical variables are the three displacement functions of the deformed body. Explicit forms of the dynamic equilibrium equations are obtained. These give new definitions of effective linear momentum and effective stress. Exact solutions of the field equations reproduce the stress field of straight screw dislocations, but the stress field for straight edge dislocations only obtain in the weak defect field limit. Both of these classes of problems arise through the local action of spatial material translations. The governing equations for problems with local action of the material time translation group are derived. They are shown to yield stress distributions that depend on the velocity components. Solutions of the field equations indicate that such models can represent relaxation phenomena.
Characterization of Small Intestinal Submucosa Regenerated Canine Detrusor: Assessment of Reinnervation, in Vitro Compliance and Contractility

AbstractPurpose: We characterized small intestinal submucosa regenerated canine bladder.Materials and Methods: We subjected 15-month small intestinal submucosa regenerated canine bladder strips to in vitro muscle bath compliance, contractility testing and immunohistochemical staining.Results: Compliance studies demonstrated no significant difference between small intestinal submucosa regenerated and control bladders, which were 30-fold more compliant than native small intestinal submucosal graft material. Contractility studies demonstrated contractile responses and innervation similar to those of normal canine bladder. Afferent nerves were demonstrated through immunohistochemical techniques.Conclusions: These characteristics further support the regenerative capacity of small intestinal submucosa and its potential use as a bladder augmentation material.
Increased parathyroid hormone-related peptide in patients with hypercalcemia associated with islet cell carcinoma.

•Objective To report the high prevalence of increased parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) in patients with islet cell carcinoma and associated hypercalcemia. Design We conducted a retrospective study of PTHrP levels in patients with hypercalcemia and eucalcemia associated with islet cell carcinoma and compared these findings with those in healthy subjects. Material and Methods Using a sensitive PTHrP immunochemiluminometric assay, we measured PTHrP levels in 17 patients with islet cell carcinoma and 110 healthy subjects. The differences between PTHrP levels in patients with normal and those with high serum calcium concentrations were analyzed statistically. Results PTHrP levels were significantly higher ( P Conclusion PTHrP levels are increased in a substantial proportion of patients with hypercalcemia and islet cell carcinoma and seem to decrease after treatment of the underlying tumor. Measurement of PTHrP levels may be useful for confirming the diagnosis of hypercalcemia associated with malignant disease and for monitoring of therapy.
Compatibility and interaction in the small group: Validation of Schutz's FIRO‐B using a modified version of Lashbrook's PROANA5

(1972). Compatibility and interaction in the small group: Validation of Schutz's FIRO‐B using a modified version of Lashbrook's PROANA5. Western Speech: Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 31-40.
Lentiviral infection, immune response peptides and sleep

The aberrant sleep documented in subjects with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is uniquely important because of the contribution this poor quality sleep makes to the fatigue, disability, and eventual unemployment that befalls these patients. Especially given this importance in clinical care, the research on the prominent sleep changes described in HIV infection remains modest in quantity. The chronic asymptomatic stage of HIV infection is associated with the most intriguing and singular sleep structure changes. Especially robust is the increase in slow wave sleep, particularly in latter portions of the sleep period. This finding is rare in other primary or secondary sleep disorders. The sleep structure alterations are among the most replicable of several pathophysiological sequelae in the brain associated with early HIV infection. It is unlikely that these sleep architecture changes are psychosocial in etiology, and they occur before medical pathology is evident. They are not associated with stress, anxiety, or depression. Evidence is accumulating to support a role for the somnogenic immune peptides tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha and interleukin (IL-1 beta) in the sleep changes and fatigue commonly seen in HIV infection. These peptides are elevated in the blood of HIV-infected individuals, and are somnogenic in clinical use and animal models. The peripheral production of these peptides may also have a role in the regulation of normal sleep physiology. The lentivirus family contains both HIV and the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The use of the FIV model of HIV infection may provide a way to further investigate the mechanism of a neurotropic, neurotoxic virus initiating the immune acute phase response and affecting sleep. Neurotropic lentivirus infection is a microbiological probe facilitating neuroimmune investigation.
Effect of Simulated Weathering on Physicochemical Properties and Inherent Biodegradation of PLA/PHA Nonwoven Mulches

The effect of simulated weathering on the physicochemical properties and biodegradability of four fully biobased and potentially biodegradable agricultural mulches prepared nonwoven textile technology, consisting of randomly oriented fibers of average diameter 7–16 μm, has been investigated. Two mulches were prepared from polylactic acid (PLA) using spunbond processing, one naturally white and the other black (SB-W and SB-B, respectively), and two via meltblown processing, from 100 % PLA and a 75/25 w/w blend of PLA and polyhydroxyalkanoate [PHA; poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate); MB-PLA and MB-PLA+PHA, respectively]. SB-W and SB-B possessed higher tensile strength than MB-PLA and MB-PLA+PHA (56.2N, 37.1N, 8.96N, and 3.90N, respectively). Simulated weathering introduced minor changes in physicochemical properties of SBs, but enhanced inherent biodegradability, yielding 68–72 % mineralization in 90 days. Simulated weathering greatly affected the physicochemical properties of the MB mulches, particularly MB-PLA+PHA, which underwent a 95 % loss of tensile strength, 32 % decrease of weight-averaged molecular weight (from 95.4 to 70.5 kDa), and breakage of microfibers, during a 21 days weatherometry cycle. Weathering accelerated the biodegradation of both MB mulches, with the time course of biodegradation and final extent of biodegradation (91–93 % in 90 days) nearly matching the value obtained for the cellulosic positive control. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested the SB and MB mulches underwent hydrolysis and photodegradative chain scission (Norrish Type II reaction). SB nonwovens may prove useful as biobased and compostable materials for multi-season mulching, and other long-term agricultural applications, such as for row covers in perennial cropping systems. MB nonwovens may be better suited for more traditional agricultural mulch applications.
Electromigration in liquid metal alloys

Starting from an earlier pseudopotential result of Sorbello an expression is obtained for the driving force for electromigration in liquid metal alloys. The resulting force expression is equivalent to the Faber formula. This formula is extended to include electron-ion potentials which are described by t-matrices in a phase-shift representation. Calculations are made for Na–K and Na–Rb alloys using a modified substitutional model for partial ionic structure factors and using the phase shifts computed by Meyer, Nestor, and Young. The theoretical calculations predict reversals in the direction of alloy separation near the experimentally observed values. Ausgehend von dem fruheren Pseudopotentialergebnis von Sorbello wird ein Ausdruck fur die Triebkraft fur Elektromigration in Legierungen flussiger Metalle erhalten. Der erhaltene Ausdruck fur die Kraft ist der Faberschen Formel aquivalent. Diese Formel wird erweitert und schliest Elektronen-Ionenpotentiale ein, die durch t-Matrizen in einer phasenverschobenen Darstellung beschrieben werden. Berechnungen werden fur Na–K- und Na–Rb-Legierungen mit einem modifizierten Substitutionsmodell fur teilweise ionische Strukturfaktoren und mit von Meyer, Nestor und Young berechneten Phasenverschiebungen durchgefuhrt. Die theoretischen Rechnungen sagen Umkehrungen in Richtung der Legierungsseparationen voraus, die in der Nahe der experimentell beobachteten Werte liegen.
Contribution of hydrophobicity to thermodynamics of ligand-DNA binding and DNA collapse.

Abstract The importance of understanding the dynamics of DNA condensation is inherent in the biological significance of DNA packaging in cell nuclei, as well as for gene therapy applications. Specifically, the role of ligand hydrophobicity in DNA condensation has received little attention. Considering that only multivalent cations can induce true DNA condensation, previous studies exploring monovalent lipids have been unable to address this question. In this study we have elucidated the contribution of the hydrophobic effect to multivalent cation- and cationic lipid-DNA binding and DNA collapse by studying the thermodynamics of cobalt hexammine-, spermine-, and lipospermine-plasmid DNA binding at different temperatures. Comparable molar heat capacity changes (Δ C p ) associated with cobalt hexammine- and spermine-DNA binding (−23.39 cal/mol K and −17.98 cal/mol K, respectively) suggest that upon binding to DNA, there are insignificant changes in the hydration state of the methylene groups in spermine. In contrast, the acyl chain contribution to the Δ C p of lipospermine-DNA binding (Δ C p ϕ =Δ C p lipospermine −Δ C p spermine ) is significant (−220.94 cal/mol K). Although lipopermine induces DNA ordering into "tubular" suprastructures, such structures do not assume toroidal dimensions as observed for spermine-DNA complexes. We postulate that a steric barrier posed by the acyl chains in lipospermine precludes packaging of DNA into dimensions comparable to those found in nature.
“Green” path from fossil-based to hydrogen economy: An overview of carbon-neutral technologies

Abstract While the dominant role of hydrogen in a sustainable energy future is widely accepted, the strategies for the transition from fossil-based to hydrogen economy are still actively debated. This paper emphasizes the role of carbon-neutral technologies and fuels during the transition period. To satisfy the world's growing appetite for energy and keep our planet healthy, at least 10 TW (or terawatt) of carbon-free power has to be produced by mid-century. Three prominent options discussed in the literature include: decarbonization of fossil energy, nuclear energy and renewable energy sources. These options are analyzed in this paper with a special emphasis on the role of hydrogen as a carbon-free energy carrier. In particular, the authors compare various fossil decarbonization strategies and evaluate the potential of nuclear and renewable energy resources to meet the 10 TW target. An overview of state-of-the-art technologies for production of carbon-free energy carriers and transportation fuels, and the assessment of their commercial potential is provided. It is shown that neither of these three options alone could provide 10 TW of carbon-neutral power without major changes in the existing infrastructure, and/or technological breakthroughs in many areas, and/or a considerable environmental risk. The authors propose a scenario for the transition from current fossil-based to hydrogen economy that includes two key elements: (i) changing the fossil decarbonization strategy from one based on CO2 sequestration to one that involves sequestration and/or utilization of solid carbon, and (ii) producing carbon-neutral synthetic fuels from bio-carbon and hydrogen generated from water using carbon-free sources (nuclear, solar, wind, geothermal). This strategy would allow taking advantage of the existing fuel infrastructure without an adverse environmental impact, and it would secure a smooth carbon-neutral transition from fossil-based to future hydrogen economy.
Ionization of the L-shell of aluminum by fast charged particles

Abstract The cross section for ionization of 2s and 2p electrons in aluminum has been calculated in Born approximation using Hartree-Slater wave functions. Large differences at small energy loss from previous hydrogen-like calculations are found.
Intelligent signal processing for detection system optimization.

A wavelet−neural network signal processing method has demonstrated ∼10-fold improvement over traditional signal processing methods for the detection limit of various nitrogen and phosphorus compounds from the output of a thermionic detector attached to a gas chromatograph. A blind test was conducted to validate the lower detection limit. All 14 of the compound spikes were detected when above the estimated threshold, including all 3 within a factor of 2 above the threshold. In addition, two of six spikes were detected at levels of half the concentration of the nominal threshold. Another two of the six would have been detected correctly if we had allowed human intervention to examine the processed data. One apparent false positive in five nulls was traced to a solvent impurity, whose presence was subsequently identified by analyzing a solvent aliquot evaporated to 1% residual volume, while the other four nulls were properly classified. We view this signal processing method as broadly applicable in analytica...
Imagining implausible events does not lead to false autobiographical memories: Commentary on Sharman and Scoboria (2009)

In several studies over the past ten years, we have reported that false memories are significantly less likely to be suggestively planted for events that are relatively implausible. Recently, Sharman and Scoboria (2009) reported no effect of event plausibility on rates of planting false childhood memories; that is, imagination inflation resulted for both moderate and low plausibility false childhood events after imagining those events. However, considerable differences in methodology, differences in operational definitions of key terms, and differences in data analysis techniques between these two studies bar these conclusions. Their study is also plagued by an error of circular logic; the researchers did not define the independent variable (plausibility) independently of the dependent variable (LEI change scores). In light of these problems, the findings of Pezdek et al. (2006), and the cognitive model they proposed, remain unchallenged by the results of Sharman and Scoboria. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Design of pentacene thin film transistors on flexible substrates

Organic thin film transistors using pentacene as the active material elaborated on flexible substrates are presented in this paper. Organosilane octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) is used to treat the gate oxide surface prior to pentacene deposition. This OTS treatment is expected to improve the device performance in terms of field-effect mobility, subthreshold slope, on/off current ratio, and threshold voltage. To pattern the organic active layer, polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that is a water-soluble polymer is used as photoresist. By using the PVA, the pentacene film can avoid exposure to harmful organic solvents or developers during patterning. The simulated results of a typical thin film resistors with gate length and width of 20μm and 200 μm, respectively, shows a field-effect mobility of 0.98cm 2 /Vs in the saturation region for V DS =30V, and an on/off current ratio larger than 10 6 .
Rationale for clinician self-disclosure and research agenda.

Patient self-disclosure is essential for effective, individualized health care. Since it is not necessarily forthcoming, health professionals must use communication strategies to facilitate patient self-disclosure. Therapist self-disclosure has become firmly established within the psychological literature as a facilitator of patient self-disclosure. Theoretically, clinician self-disclosure is supported within the framework of the helping relationship, operationalizing genuineness and perhaps empathy as well as decreasing the social distance. Historically, health professionals have been educated to avoid self-disclosure with their patients. Perhaps health professionals have been deliberately suppressing a potentially powerful communication technique.
Endothelium-Dependent Cerebral Artery Dilation Mediated by TRPA1 and Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels

Although it is well established that changes in endothelial intracellular [Ca2+] regulate endothelium-dependent vasodilatory pathways, the molecular identities of the ion channels responsible for Ca2+ influx in these cells are not clearly defined. The sole member of the ankyrin (A) transient receptor potential (TRP) subfamily, TRPA1, is a Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation channel activated by electrophilic compounds such as acrolein (tear gas), allicin (garlic), and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) (mustard oil). The present study examines the hypothesis that Ca2+ influx via TRPA1 causes endothelium-dependent vasodilation. The effects of TRPA1 activity on vascular tone were examined using isolated, pressurized cerebral arteries. AITC induced concentration-dependent dilation of pressurized vessels with myogenic tone that was accompanied by a corresponding decrease in smooth muscle intracellular [Ca2+]. AITC-induced dilation was attenuated by disruption of the endothelium and when the TRPA1 channel blocker HC-0...
The Effect of Policy Reforms on Agricultural Incentives in Sub-Saharan Africa

In 1981 the World Bank's report on SubSaharan Africa cited trade and exchange-rate biases against exports, poor macroeconomic and public sector management, and a price bias against agriculture as contributing to the region's poor performance and slow growth (World Bank 1981, 1986b). Since then, average per capita income in the region has continued to fall; overall agricultural production has grown more slowly than population; declining food production per capita has led to rising food imports; and, for many of the primary agricultural exports, Africa's share of world trade has fallen steadily from 1970 to 1983. Many African governments now agree on the central role of agriculture and the need to strengthen incentives in the sector (United Nations). This paper assesses how reforms in macroeconomic and sector policies have affected agricultural incentives. Government policies can be broadly classified into three groups: macroeconomic policies that affect incentives in all sectors generally, agricultural sector policies that affect farm profitability directly by changing commodity and input prices, and general and sector-specific policies that may affect farm profitability indirectly by changing factor prices and influencing productivity (e.g., public expenditures on research, extension, and infrastructure). This paper analyzes the impact on agricultural incentives of the first two groups of policies. The analysis of producer prices presented below is based on data for about twothirds of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, which account for more than three-fourths of agricultural gross domestic product (GDP). (Country coverage varies by indicator depending in part on whether comprehensive data are available.)' Simple averages are used to summarize policy performance across countries (in contrast to weighted averages commonly used to assess aggregate economic effects). The analysis of producer prices covers one to four principal export crops per country.2
Library Resource Sharing in the Early Age of Google

Library information resource sharing has traditionally been organized around the physical transfer of loans and copies from one location to another. Such interlibrary loan activities have become successively easier and more efficient because of the use of various technologies. Some of the latest and most successful of these include various web-based information services, such as Google, which help to facilitate both physical delivery and online access to information resources. The challenge now facing ILL librarians is to evaluate how to best incorporate these services into their existing operations and to determine whether these constitute additional ways to help patrons access information or whether they represent a paradigmatic alternative to traditional library-based information resource sharing.
Effects of natural habitat fragmentation on an endemic scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi): an historical perspective based on a mitochondrial DNA gene genealogy

The Florida scrub lizard, Sceloporus woodi , is endemic to scrub habitat patches along the central portion of the Florida peninsula and xeric coastal regions. Scrub ecosystems are the patchily distributed remnants of previously widespread habitats formed during the Pleiocene and early Pleistocene. Scrub lizards appear to have limited dispersal capabilities due to high habitat specificity and low mobility. To assess the population structure and phylogeography of S. woodi , 135 samples were collected from 16 patches on five major ridges in Florida, USA. Analysis of 273 bp of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b reveals a very strong geographic distribution of genetic diversity. Haplotype frequencies are significantly different in 63 of 66 comparisons between patches. With one exception, samples from the five major ridges are characterized by fixed differences in haplotype distribution and deep evolutionary separations (3‐10%). Fixed genetic differences were also observed between northern and southern segments of several ridges. Analysis of molecular variance ( amova ) shows an estimated 10.4% total genetic variation within patches, 17.5% among patches (within ridges), and 72.1% among ridges. This strong population structure among patches within ridges indicates that the distribution of S. woodi is tightly linked to sandy scrub habitat and that the discontinuous distribution of scrub habitats significantly inhibits dispersal and gene flow. Phylogeographic analyses indicate a pattern of dispersal down the Florida peninsula during the late Pliocene‐early Pleistocene, followed by habitat fragmentation and vicariant isolation events. Therefore, the deep genetic structuring among scrub lizard populations on separate ridges is attributed to ancient isolation events induced by a shift from dry (xeric) to wet (mesic) conditions on the Florida peninsula. These findings indicate that some scrub lizard populations have persisted in isolation for time frames in excess of 1 Myr, providing a case history on the genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation.
Conjunctival microvascular haemodynamics in sickle cell retinopathy.

Purpose To determine alterations in bulbar conjunctival microvascular haemodynamics in sickle cell retinopathy (SCR) subjects with focal macular thinning (FMT). Methods Conjunctival microcirculation imaging and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were performed in 22 subjects (eyes) diagnosed with SCR. Based on evaluation of SD-OCT retinal thickness maps, eyes were assigned to one of the two groups: with or without FMT. Conjunctival venular diameter and axial blood velocity were measured in multiple venules in each eye by customized image analysis algorithms. Measurements were then categorized into two vessel size groups (vessel size 1 and 2) and compared between FMT groups. A Pearson correlation coefficient was computed to assess the relationship between retinal thickness and axial blood velocity. Results Mean age, haematocrit, sickle cell haemoglobin type and median retinopathy score were not significantly different between the two groups (p ≥ 0.1). Retinal thickness in parafoveal and perifoveal temporal subfields was significantly lower in eyes with FMT as compared to eyes without FMT (p ≤ 0.04). There was a significant effect of FMT on axial blood velocity (p = 0.04), while the effect of vessel size was not significant (p = 0.4). In vessel size 1, axial blood velocity was lower in eyes with FMT than in eyes without FMT (p = 0.03), while in vessel size 2, there was no statistically significant difference between FMT groups (p = 0.1). In vessel size 1, there was a significant positive correlation between axial blood velocity and retinal thickness in the perifoveal (r = 0.48, p = 0.02) and parafoveal (r = 0.43, p = 0.04) temporal subfields. Conclusion Conjunctival axial blood velocity in small venules is reduced in SCR subjects with focal macular thinning.
The National Institutes of Health Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function: A Tool for Developmental Science

In this article, we describe the development of the Cognition Battery (CB) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function. The goal of the NIH Toolbox initiative was to provide a brief, comprehensive tool to assess cognitive, emotional, motor, and sensory function in various settings, emphasizing outcomes in clinical trials and functional status in large-scale epidemiological and longitudinal studies. The CB assesses six key subdomains of cognition from 3 to 85 years, assesses typical function, is brief and easy to administer, is available without charge, and can be modified to reflect scientific and technological advances. It is also child friendly, making it a useful tool for developmental science.
A New Look at Spatially Competitive Facility Location Models

This paper presents some new formulations of models for locating a firm’s production facilities while simultaneously determining production levels at these facilities so as to maximize the firm’s profit. Existing firms, as well as the new entrant, are assumed to act in accordance with an appropriate model of spatial equilibrium. A heuristic algorithm is proposed.
Threading Dislocation Densities in Mismatched Heteroepitaxial (001) Semiconductors

In this paper we propose a theory which accounts for the thickness dependence of threading dislocation densities in mismatched heteroepitaxial (001) semiconductors. This theory predicts that, for thick, planar, highly-mismatched heteroepitaxial layers with equilibrium strain, the threading dislocation density should be proportional to f/h, where f is thelattice mismatch and h is the film thickness. These predictions are in good agreement with experimental resultsin the GaAs on Si(001) system.