cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of the impact of PSI:Biology according to the annotations of the determined structures

Protein Structure Initiative:Biology (PSI:Biology) is the third phase of PSI where protein structures are determined in high-throughput to characterize their biological functions. The transition to the third phase entailed the formation of PSI:Biology Partnerships which are composed of structural genomics centers and biomedical science laboratories. We present a method to examine the impact of protein structures determined under the auspices of PSI:Biology by measuring their rates of annotations. The mean numbers of annotations per structure and per residue are examined. These are designed to provide measures of the amount of structure to function connections that can be leveraged from each structure. One result is that PSI:Biology structures are found to have a higher rate of annotations than structures determined during the first two phases of PSI. A second result is that the subset of PSI:Biology structures determined through PSI:Biology Partnerships have a higher rate of annotations than those determined exclusive of those partnerships. Both results hold when the annotation rates are examined either at the level of the entire protein or for annotations that are known to fall at specific residues within the portion of the protein that has a determined structure. We conclude that PSI:Biology determines structures that are estimated to have a higher degree of biomedical interest than those determined during the first two phases of PSI based on a broad array of biomedical annotations. For the PSI:Biology Partnerships, we see that there is an associated added value that represents part of the progress toward the goals of PSI:Biology. We interpret the added value to mean that team-based structural biology projects that utilize the expertise and technologies of structural genomics centers together with biological laboratories in the community are conducted in a synergistic manner. We show that the annotation rates can be used in conjunction with established metrics, i.e. the numbers of structures and impact of publication records, to monitor the progress of PSI:Biology towards its goals of examining structure to function connections of high biomedical relevance. The metric provides an objective means to quantify the overall impact of PSI:Biology as it uses biomedical annotations from external sources.
Scombroid fish poisoning syndrome

Two patients presented to the emergency department with features of a histamine-like reaction and were subsequently determined to have scombroid fish poisoning. It is important to recognize the syndrome as an intoxication rather than an allergic reaction in order that the source of the toxin can be identified and further cases prevented. A review of the features and pathogenesis of the syndrome is presented.
Equilibrium of a solute in an elastic continuum —A statistical approach

A theory of stress-assisted diffusion has been previously derived using continuum mechanics by E. C. Aifantis [1]. This theory has subsequently served as the basis for a model of material degradation by Unger and Aifantis [2]. In this model, an equilibrium solution of Aifantis' stress-assisted diffusion equation was used to determine the distribution of a solute in an elastic continuum. However, as continuum mechanics gives no direct correlation between material coefficients and other physical characteristics such as temperature, these models relied solely on experimental data to determine the phenomenological coefficients of the theory. This process naturally limits the predictive capabilities of the model. In this paper we rederive the equilbrium distribution of a solute in an elastic stress field. We show that the use of a statistical approach can provide additional information about the various coefficients appearing in the equilibrium solution of the phenomenological theory. An equilibrium distribution for a dilute gas in an ideal gas thermostat is derived using statistical mechanics. It takes the form of the equilibrium solution of Aifantis' stress-assisted diffusion theory in terms of the hydrostatic stress and diffusion coefficients. However, as a result of the statistical approach, additional information is gained for the coefficients in terms of the temperature and number of atoms in the thermostat.
Volcanic evolution of Volcán Aucanquilcha: a long-lived dacite volcano in the Central Andes of northern Chile

Volcan Aucanquilcha, northern Chile, has produced ∼37 km3 of dacite (63–66 wt% silica), mainly as lavas with ubiquitous magmatic inclusions (59–62 wt% silica) over the last ∼1 million years. A pyroclastic flow deposit related to dome collapse occurs on the western side of the edifice and a debris avalanche deposit occurs on the eastern side. The >6,000-m high edifice defines a 9-km E–W ridge and lies at the center of a cluster of more than 15 volcanoes, the Aucanquilcha Volcanic Cluster, that has been active for at least the past 11 million years. The E–W alignment of vents is nearly orthogonal to the arc axis. A majority of Volcan Aucanquilcha was constructed during the first 200,000 years of eruption, whereas the last 800,000 years have added little additional volume. The peak eruptive rate during the edifice-building phases was ∼0.16 km3/ka and the later eruptive rate was ∼0.02 km3/ka. Comparable dacite volcanoes elsewhere show a similar pattern of high volcanic productivity during the early stages and punctuated rather than continuous activity. Volcan Aucanquilcha lavas are dominated by phenocrysts of plagioclase, accompanied by two populations of amphibole, biotite, clinopyroxene, Fe–Ti oxides and (or) orthopyroxene. Accessory phases include zircon, apatite and rare quartz and sanidine. One amphibole population is pargasite and the other is hornblende. The homogeneity of dacite lava from Volcan Aucanquilcha contrasts with the heterogeneity (52–66 wt% silica) at nearby Volcan Ollague, which has been active over roughly the same period of time. We attribute this homogeneity at Aucanquilcha to the thermal development of the crust underneath the volcano resulting from protracted magmatism there, whereas Volcan Ollague lacks this magmatic legacy.
Bat-Associated Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a globally prevalent disease that affects humans, causing systemic illness that may lead to multi-organ involvement. Clinical signs include sudden fever, general malaise, muscular pain, conjunctival suffusion, and jaundice. Disease is caused by pathogenic bacteria including over 200 serologic variants. Most serologic variants have primary reservoirs in wild mammals, which continually infect and colonize domesticated animals. The organism has been recovered from rats, swine, dogs, cattle, and other animals, notably bats. Most studies have focused on domestic animals as reservoir hosts; however, because of their abundance, spatial distribution, and interrelationship with domestic animals, bats are becoming an epidemiologically significant source of leptospires. We present a case of serologically confirmed leptospirosis after bat exposure to add to the growing literature of bats as a possible source of transmission. Recognition of the common presentation of leptospirosis and Weil’s disease, and identification of animal vectors, including bats, allows for the selection of appropriate antibiotic management to aid in resolution of symptomotology.
Regional chemotherapy via the pulmonary artery for pulmonary metastases

Regional chemotherapy with Adriamycin via the pulmonary artery produces significantly higher tissue levels in the infused canine lobe than systemic administration. Seven patients with soft tissue sarcomas who had received the maximum dose of Adriamycin and had shown metastatic tumor recurrence to the lungs, received small doses of 10 to 20 mg of Adriamycin in the lobar arteries supplying areas with tumor via a Swan-Ganz catheter, temporarily occluding with its inflated balloon the infused artery. One partial objective regression was noted. A total of 56 injections of Adriamycin was given through individual lobar arteries in the seven patients. This preliminary experience indicates the feasibility and relative safety of the use of the pulmonary artery for regional chemotherapy of pulmonary malignant tumors and suggests fuflher cautious exploration of this method.
Phenomenological theory of a charged polymer molecule in a nanosized gap between two fluidic reservoirs

We use a simple Born ion continuum model to analyse the effect of solvation energy change on the translocation of a charged linear polymer molecule through a nanosized vapor gap between two fluid reservoirs. As the effective radius of the discretely spaced charges increases, our model predicts a transition from trapping to diffusion of the molecule in the vapor gap. We discuss the applicability of our model to single-stranded DNA translocations in gaps, suggest experiments to validate our prediction and propose immediate applications of this new trapping mechanism for slowing down DNA motion for electronic DNA sequencing.
Improved Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors After Implementation of TeamSTEPPS Training in an Academic Emergency Department: A Pilot Report

TeamSTEPPS is a validated, formal patient safety curriculum created by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) for the development of high-functioning multidisciplinary teams. TeamSTEPPS was implemented in an academic emergency department (ED), including all ED hospital staff as well as physicians and residents. It was hypothesized that extensive interprofessional education combined with implementation of specific tools would increase knowledge of TeamSTEPPS principles, attitudes, and behaviors. The TeamSTEPPS knowledge test and the AHRQ Hospital Survey attitude test were administered at 0, 45, and 90 days after training. Behaviors were evaluated using an observation tool that was developed to document huddle occurrence. Knowledge and attitudes significantly improved 45 days from baseline (P < .05) and were sustained by day 90. In this pilot study, the implementation of TeamSTEPPS training in a multidisciplinary team in an academic ED led to increased knowledge and improved communication attitudes. Adoption of a specific behavior, the huddle, also was observed.
Synthesis and Characterization of Biodegradable Poly(ester amide)s with Pendant Amine Functional Groups and In Vitro Cellular Response

The purpose of this study was to use a convenient synthetic strategy to prepare a new family of biodegradable amino acid-based poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) with pendant amine groups along the polymer backbone, and investigate the applications of the new polymers in the biomedical area. Two amino acids, l-phenylalanine (Phe) and l-lysine (Lys), were used as the model amino acid compounds to illustrate the synthesis, characterization, and biological property of this new family of functional PEAs. These new PEAs were obtained by two-step reactions, the ring-opening reaction of e-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-l-lysine N-carboxyanhydride (Z-LysNCA) with l-phenylalanine hexane-1,6-diol diester p-toluenesulfonate (Phe-6), and subsequently solution polycondensation with di-p-nitrophenyl sebacoyl (NS). The benzyloxycarbonyl (Z) protective groups of the resulting polymer (PEA-Z-Lys) were completely removed to produce the new functional PEAs having free pendant amine groups (PEA-Lys-NH2). The level of the pendant amine groups on...
Magnetic observatory data on CD‐ROM

The National Geomagnetic Information Center (NGIC) of the U.S. Geological Survey recently produced a pair of CD-ROMs, using the ISO 9660 standard, that contain 1-minute values of the Earth's magnetic field from the USGS network of thirteen magnetic observatories. One CD-ROM contains data for the years 1985–1989, and the other contains 1990 data. A third CD-ROM containing 1991 data is expected to be available soon. One-year CDROMs will be produced annually until 5 years of data have been accumulated, at which time a separate CD-ROM containing these 5 years of data will also be produced. Digital geomagnetic data for some of these USGS observatories extends back into the mid-1970's and are currently being processed for distribution on CD-ROMs as well. Figure 1 shows the locations of the U.S.magnetic observatories.
Long-term survival and patterns of failure after postoperative radiation therapy for subtotally resected rectal adenocarcinoma

Between 1977 and 1984, 17 patients received external beam irradiation after subtotal resection of rectal carcinoma. Ten patients had microscopic residual disease and 7 had gross residual disease. In the group with microscopic residual disease, 4 had tumor cut through with pathologically involved margins, 5 had adjacent unresected structures that were biopsy positive, and 1 had tumor spillage into the pelvis. The patients with gross residual disease were noted by the surgeon to have visible tumor after maximal debulking. Nine of 17 cases had involved pelvic lymph nodes. Radiation was administered to the pelvis with 4, 6, or 10 MV photons. Doses ranged from 40 to 60 Gy, with a median dose of 50 Gy given at 1.8 to 2.0 Gy per fraction, 5 days per week. Three patients received bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), 2 received 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and 1 received hycanthone. Thirteen of the 17 patients (76%) experienced local failure and, of these, 10 also developed distant disease. No patients developed distant metastasis in the absence of local failure. Local control was achieved in 3 of 10 patients (30%) with microscopic residual and 1 of 7 (14%) with gross residual. Four of the 17 patients (24%) have remained free of disease for greater than 5 years. External beam irradiation is capable of producing long-term survival and local control in a minority of patients with rectal cancer after subtotal resection. Investigation of more aggressive forms of therapy such as the addition of intraoperative irradiation, brachytherapy, radiation dose modifiers, and chemotherapy is warranted.
MICoA, a Novel Metastasis-associated Protein 1 (MTA1) Interacting Protein Coactivator, Regulates Estrogen Receptor-α Transactivation Functions

The transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-alpha) is modified by coactivators, corepressors, and chromatin remodeling complexes. We have previously shown that the metastasis-associated protein-1 (MTA1), a component of histone deacetylase and nucleosome remodeling complexes, represses ER-driven transcription by recruiting histone deacetylases to the estrogen receptor element (ERE)-containing target gene chromatin in breast cancer cells. Using a yeast two-hybrid screening to clone MTA1-interacting proteins, we identified a previously uncharacterized molecule, which we named as MTA1-interacting coactivator (MICoA). Our findings suggest that estrogen signaling promotes nuclear translocation of MICoA and that MICoA interacts with MTA1 both in vitro and in vivo. MICoA binds to the C-terminal region of MTA1, whereas MTA1 binds to the N-terminal MICoA containing one nuclear receptor interaction LSRLL motif. We showed that MICoA is an ER coactivator, cooperates with other ER coactivators, stimulates ER-transactivation functions, and associates with the endogenous ER and its target gene promoter chromatin. MTA1 also repressed MICoA-mediated stimulation of ERE-mediated transcription in the presence of ER and ER variants with naturally occurring mutations, such as D351Y and K303R, and that it interfered with the association of MICoA with the ER-target gene chromatin. Because chromatin is a highly dynamic structure and because MTA1 and MICoA could be detected within the same complex, these findings suggest that MTA1 and MICoA might transmodulate functions of each other and any potential deregulation of MTA1 is likely to contribute to the functional inactivation of the ER pathway, presumably by derecruitment of MICoA from ER target promoter chromatin.
Impact of 2-dimensional echocardiography on the management of distressed newborns in whom cardiac disease is suspected

The course and management of 40 consecutive newborns (aged less than 2 weeks) who presented with signs and symptoms of congenital heart disease were reviewed to determine the impact of 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography on their subsequent management. Of the 40 patients with congenital heart disease, 60% did not undergo cardiac catheterization. Forty-two percent of the patients who were treated surgically went directly to operation without preoperative cardiac catheterization. Only 40% of the patients with congenital heart disease required cardiac catheterization in the newborn period, and 43% of these procedures were primarily therapeutic (that is, balloon atrial septostomy). In each patient 2-D echocardiography correctly identified the major cardiac malformation and there was good agreement with angiographic, surgical, and autopsy findings. The most commonly overlooked defect was a patent ductus arteriosus. Thus, 2-D echocardiography not only allows diagnosis of congenital heart disease in the newborn but can expedite clinical management. No longer is cardiac catheterization necessarily the primary means for an anatomic diagnosis of congenital cardiac malformations in the newborn.
Synthesis of [14C]pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) in E. coli using genes for PQQ synthesis from K. pneumoniae

Radiochemical forms of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) are of utility in studies to determine the metabolic role and fate of PQQ in biological systems. Accordingly, we have synthesized [(14)C]PQQ using a tyrosine auxotrophic strain of Escherichia coli (AT2471). A construct containing the six genes required for PQQ synthesis from Klebsiella pneumoniae was used to transform the auxotrophic strain of E. coli. E. coli were then grown in minimal M9 medium containing 3.7x10(9) Bq/mmol [(14)C]tyrosine. At confluence, the medium was collected and applied to a DEAE A-25 anionic exchange column; [(14)C]PQQ was eluted using a KCl gradient (0-2 M in 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer, pH 7.0). Radioactivity co-eluting as PQQ was next pooled, acidified and passed through a C-18 column; [(14)C]PQQ was eluted with a phosphate buffer (0.1 M, pH 7.0). Reverse phase HPLC (C-18) using either the ion-pairing agent trifluoroacetic acid (0. 1%) and an acetonitrile gradient or phosphoric acid and a methanol gradient were used to isolate [(14)C]PQQ. Fractions were collected and analyzed by liquid scintillation counting. (14)C-labelled compounds isolated from the medium eluted corresponding to the elution of various tyrosine-derived products or PQQ. The radioactive compound corresponding to PQQ was also reacted with acetone to form 5-acetonyl-PQQ, which co-eluted with a 5-acetonyl-PQQ standard, as a validation of [(14)C]PQQ synthesis. The specific activity of synthesized [(14)C]PQQ was 3.7x10(9) Bq/mmol [(14)C]PQQ, equal to that of [U-(14)C]tyrosine initially added to the medium.
Maternal inheritance in Parkinson's disease

To evaluate possible matrilineal factors in the inheritance of Parkinson's disease, we prospectively identified families in which a parent and multiple siblings had Parkinson's disease. In each of the 5 families identified, the affected parent was the mother (p < 0.03). The age at onset in the offspring generation in these 5 families was younger than the age at onset in the parental generation (p < 0.001). In addition, the age at onset in all patients with an affected mother (n = 18) was younger than the age at onset in the affected mothers (p < 0.001). No difference was found between the age at onset in patients with an affected father (n = 14) and the age at onset in the affected fathers. These results are consistent with a role for inherited abnormalities of mitochondrial DNA in the pathogenesis of at least some cases of Parkinson's disease.
Exploring the potential in practice for opportunistic networks amongst smart mobile devices

Wireless network providers are under tremendous pressure to deliver unprecedented amounts of data to a variety of mobile devices. A powerful concept that has only gained limited traction in practice has been the concept of opportunistic networks whereby nodes opportunistically communicate with each other when in range to augment or overcome existing wireless systems. One of the key impediments towards the adoption of opportunistic communications has been the inability to demonstrate viability at scale, namely showing that sufficient opportunities exist and more importantly exist when needed to offer significant network performance gains. We demonstrate through a large-scale, longitudinal study of smartphone users that significant opportunities are indeed prevalent, are indeed stable, and end up being reasonably reciprocal both on short and long-term timescales. In this paper, we propose a framework dubbed PSR (Prevalence, Stability, Reciprocity) to capture key aspects that characterize the net potential for opportunistic networks which we feel merit significantly increased attention.
Transcriptional activation of the porcine P450 11A insulin-like growth factor response element in MCF-7 breast cancer cells

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) stimulates the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This study determined the transcriptional activity of an IGF-I-responsive region (IGFRE) of porcine P450 11A (P450scc) after transfection into MCF-7 cells. IGF-I induced transcriptional activity of a porcine P450scc core promoter luciferase construct containing the IGFRE transfected in MCF-7 cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay with nuclear protein extract from MCF-7 cells showed two transcription factors binding to the IGFRE. Supershift assay determined that one transcription factor was Sp1. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and transfection experiments with selected mutations to the IGFRE found that binding of both transcription factors was necessary to confer an IGF-I response. The binding activity of both transcription factors was increased with IGF-I treatment. In conclusion, MCF-7 cells contain Sp1 and another unknown transcription factor, P2, that bind to a known IGFRE (porcine P450scc) and induce reporter gene transcriptional activity with IGF-I treatment. Because Sp1 is a ubiquitous transcription factor, determining the identity of P2 may lead to cell-specific methods to impair breast cancer cell growth as mediated by IGF-I.
Role of nutrition in women's health: Diet and breast cancer

Breast cancer, which is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women today, remains a major threat. As the incidence increases at 1% to 2% annually, breast cancer strikes about 182,000 US women each year and kills 46,000. Known risk factors, such as age, early menarche, late age of first pregnancy, late menopause, family history, and obesity, account for only 40% to 50% of breast cancer cases. Consequently, the etiology of 50% to 60% of cases is unknown. Perhaps no area is more controversial than the link between nutrition and cancer, in particular the association between dietary fat and the development of breast cancer. Findings from animal research and international correlation studies indicate a causal relationship between fat intake and breast cancer. A recent analysis of 12 case-control studies among postmenopausal women also showed a 50% increase in relative risk among women ingesting high intakes of saturated fat. Furthermore, analyses of postmenopausal women in Hawaii estimated that 10% to 20% of breast cancer could be prevented by notably decreasing saturated fat intake. Nevertheless, epidemiologic studies (case-control and cohort) give conflicting results regarding the causal relationship between fat intake and breast cancer. The fact that these studies have failed to consistently show a significant association between dietary fat and breast cancer risk may be attributable to the difficulty of collecting accurate dietary information and other methodologic limitations. Findings are also limited by the lack of data on the influence of a high-fat diet during childhood.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A personalized mitral valve closure simulator

We describe a method for performing modeling and simulation to predict the closure of the Mitral Valve (MV) using patient specific anatomical information derived from 3D Transesophageal Echocardiography (3D TEE). The ability to predict the MV closure behavior is an important step along the way of developing personalized simulation tools that would allow a surgeon to perform preoperative planning and decide between various MV repair options. While the MV is an important use case because of its relevance and prevalence among reconstructive cardiac interventions, the study described here can provide a blueprint to perform pre-operative planning for other cardiac surgical interventions. The method reported here exploits the Saint Venant-Kirchhoff elasticity model that is tuned to match empirical observations of the MV strainstress behavior. Using intraoperative 3D TEE data, the proposed simulator was evaluated over 10 test cases and resulted in mean prediction absolute error values of 1.81 mm.
Intrinsic Ancillary Ligand Effects in Cationic Zirconium Polymerization Catalysts: Gas-Phase Reactions of [L2ZrCH3]+ Cations with Alkenes

Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was used to study ion/molecule reactions of six cationic methyl metallocenes: [Cp2ZrCH3]+ (1; Cp = η5-cyclopentadienyl), [(Ind)(Cp)ZrCH3]+ (2; Ind = η5-indenyl), [Ind2ZrCH3]+ (3), [ansa-(CH3)2Si(η5-C5H4)2ZrCH3]+ (4), [(Flu)2ZrCH3]+ (5; Flu = η5-fluorenyl), and [ansa-(CH3)2Si(η5-C5Me4)(N-t-C4H9)ZrCH3]+ (6). Rate constants and product distributions for reactions with dihydrogen and various deuterium-labeled and unlabeled alkenes were determined. The electrophilicity of [L2Zr−CH3]+ ions in the gas phase is strongly dependent on the nature of the ancillary ligands L, with electrophilicity decreasing in the order Cp2 > Cp,Ind> Ind2 > Flu2 for reactions with dihydrogen and 1-alkenes. Silyl-bridging of Cp ligands as in 4 appears to increase the electrophilicity somewhat, and the 10-electron ion 6 also has higher electrophilicity than 1. In each reaction used to assess electrophilicity, the probable rate determining transition state involves a 4-center/...
Testing the use of passive sampling systems for understanding air mercury concentrations and dry deposition across Florida, USA.

Abstract This paper describes the use of passive sampling systems and surrogate surfaces for monitoring atmospheric mercury (Hg) concentrations and dry deposition, respectively, in Florida,USA. Although this area has been reported to have low air concentrations, wet deposition values, reported by the Mercury Deposition Network, are some of the highest in the United States, and little is known about the magnitude of dry deposition to the region. To address this uncertainty, dry deposition of gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) was estimated based on data collected using surrogate surfaces and through the application of a dry deposition model that utilized Tekran® Mercury Analyzer data for three sites (Davie near Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Pensacola) over a year (July 2009-July 2010). Passive sampler systems for monitoring GOM and total gaseous mercury (TGM) concentrations were also deployed. In general, higher surrogate surface deposition, and GOM and TGM passive sampler uptake were observed at the DVE location. Across all sites, empirically derived dry deposition was higher than that determined using modeled values. Tekran® Instrument derived GOM concentrations, as well as modeled deposition rates, followed the same seasonal and spatial patterns as that measured by the samplers, however there were some spatial and temporal trends captured by the samplers that were not seen in the Tekran® derived data. Results indicate that these samplers may be applied to identify spatial and temporal trends in air Hg concentrations and potential deposition at sites with low and fairly constant GOM concentrations as reported by the Tekran® system (2–8 pg m- 3). When viewed collectively, trends in sampler and Tekran® derived data also suggest the potential for different forms of GOM in air. Using empirical and modeled values, dry deposition in Florida during the year of this study could account for 1.5 to 14% of total annual Hg deposition (wet + dry).
In vitro Adsorption of Sodium Pentobarbital by Superchar, USP and Darco G-60 Activated Charcoals

AbstractThis study was designed to examine the in vitro adsorption of sodium pentobarbital by three activated charcoals. Solutions of sodium pentobarbital (20 mM) were prepared in distilled water and in 70% sorbitol (w/v). Radiolabeled (14C) sodium pentobarbital was added to each solution to serve as a concentration marker. Two ml of each drug solution was added to test tubes containing 40 mg of either Darco G-60, USP, or SuperChar activated charcoal. The drug-charcoal mixtures were incubated at 37 degrees C for 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10 min. Equilibrium, indicated by a constant percentage of drug bound for two consecutive time periods, was established immediately for the aqueous mixtures and for Darco G-60 in sorbitol. The time to equilibrium was prolonged for USP (2.5 min) and SuperChar (5 min) in the presence of sorbitol. In the second series of experiments, solutions of sodium pentobarbital (1.25 to 160 mM) were prepared in either distilled water or sorbitol. Amount of drug bound by 10 to 320 mg of activat...
Forward-bias conduction of Schottky diodes on polysilicon thin films

An analysis of forward I-V characteristics for Al Schottky contacts to polycrystalline thin films is presented. Experimental results for lateral structures with various n/sup -/ doping levels show the expected twofold exponential characteristics representing a transition from electrode-limited to bulk-limited conduction. At higher doping levels the bulk-limited characteristic is not a perfect exponential. The thermionic emission theory has been modified to include crystallite resistivity between grain boundaries and successfully matches experimental data. >
Murine natural killer cell progenitors and their requirements for development

Molecules that are essential to natural killer (NK) cell development have been identified mostly through characterizing knock-out mice that exhibit NK deficiencies. Such studies have shown that the interaction of membrane lymphotoxin (LT) on NK cells with its receptor on stromal elements is necessary for inducing a permissive microenvironment for NK development. Also, transcription factors such as Id2, interferon regulatory factors-1 (IRF-1), IRF-2, and Ets-1 are indispensable while PU.1 has a somewhat selective role. In addition, recent studies have identified T/NK progenitors (T/NKPs) in the fetal liver that precede migration to the fetal thymus as well as the earliest committed NK precursors in the bone marrow.
Strength properties of soldered joints for a gold-palladium alloy and a palladium alloy

Abstract Strength of a soldered palladium alloy, PGC (Engelhard Corp.), and a soldered medium gold alloy, PGX (Engelhard Corp.), was examined. The results obtained were as follows: 1. Highest strength was observed with postsoldered specimens of PGC alloy. 2. Microstructural examination of postsoldered specimens revealed nearly pore-free solder joints with PGC and PGX alloys, and fracture appeared at the solder-alloy interface with PGC and PGX alloys. 3. Microstructural examination of presoldered and presoldered/thermocycled specimens revealed that presoldered specimens of PGC and PGX alloys exhibited intrasolder fracture; PGX solder joints had considerably less porosity, which may explain the equivalent bond strengths of all the soldered specimens and the yield point of the controls; PGC solder joints exhibited large quantities of pores, which may explain the lower strength; pores observed in PGC alloy may be the result of the high fusing temperature of the solder; and these results indicate a need to develop a new presolder for PGC. 4. The best result was obtained with postsoldered specimens of the PGC alloy. However, for PGX alloy, either postsolder or presolder techniques can be used.
The Role of Specialty Mental Health Care in Predicting Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Out-of-Home Placements:

Objective: This longitudinal, prospective study examines the role of specialty mental health care as provided by community-based, usual-care practice settings in predicting out-of-home placements among children served by a child welfare and juvenile justice system. Method: The mental health needs of 1,249 children from 22 counties in Tennessee were assessed when the children were referred for child welfare and juvenile justice, in-home, case management services. The outpatient specialty mental health care received by the children in the 6-month period following the referral was recorded using the Service Assessment for Children and Adolescents and reimbursement records of TennCare. Children were then followed for 1.5 years to identify those who were subsequently placed in out-of-home care. Results: A majority of the children needed specialty mental health care, but most of these children did not receive it. This is important because their need was the best predictor of subsequent out-of-home placement. Th...
Spatially resolved force spectroscopy of biological surfaces using the atomic force microscope

The spatial distribution of intermolecular forces governs macromolecular interactions. The atomic force microscope, a relatively new tool for investigating interaction forces between nanometer-scale objects, can be used to produce spatially resolved maps of the surface or material properties of a sample; these include charge density, adhesion and stiffness, as well as the force required to break specific ligand-receptor bonds. Maps such as these will provide fundamental insights into biological structure and will become an important tool for characterizing technologically important biological systems.
Fun with Higgsless theories

Motivated by recent works on ``Higgsless theories,'' I discuss an $SU(2{)}_{0}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}SU(2{)}^{N}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)$ gauge theory with arbitrary bifundamental (or custodial $SU(2)$ preserving) symmetry breaking between the gauge subgroups and with ordinary matter transforming only under the $U(1)$ and $SU(2{)}_{0}$. When the couplings, ${g}_{j}$, of the other $SU(2)$s are very large, this reproduces the standard model at the tree level. I calculate the $W$ and $Z$ masses and other electroweak parameters in a perturbative expansion in $1/{g}_{j}^{2}$, and give physical interpretations of the results in a mechanical analog built out of masses and springs. In the mechanical analog, it is clear that even for arbitrary patterns of symmetry breaking, it is not possible (in the perturbative regime) to raise the Higgs mass by a large factor while keeping the $S$ parameter small.
Influence of the heterostructure design on noise figure of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

In this work, we cover four topics. Three studies are presented on the effect of different epilayer structures on the noise figure of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs in the 4-12 GHz frequency range. The material studies include varying aluminum composition in the barrier, sapphire vs. SiC substrates, and, for the first time, the influence of a thin AlN layer on the noise parameters; all three against frequency and drain current. In addition is a comparison of two equivalent circuit models at 5 GHz.
The Wanglie case from an Uruguayan perspective

My experience concerning cases similar to the Wanglie case indicates that there was virtually no possibility of a solution for the conflict between the different expectations of the Wanglie family and those of the physicians caring for Helga Wanglie. A persistent vegetative state precludes a return to consciousness unless an extraordinary phenomenon takes place. Therefore, the physicians expected to be relieved of the duty of continuing to give Mrs. Wanglie respiratory care. However, her family thought it their duty to provide their loved one with the best possible treatment. The family based their position on the claim that life is God's gift and that only He has the right to terminate it. Such spiritual convictions are perceived as reflective of a higher “truth” and are not predisposed to negotiation or change according to the situation.
An unusual morphine fatality

A case is presented of a 90-year-old white female who apparently died of natural causes in a nursing home. Subsequent investigation indicated that the decedent had been administered an unauthorized bolus of morphine just prior to her death. The embalmed body was exhumed, an autopsy performed, and specimens were collected for toxicologic analysis. The liver contained 1.5 mg/kg of free morphine as measured by radioimmunoassay. The presence of morphine was confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A review of the literature as well as in-house data collected from narcotic deaths clearly suggest that the morphine measured in this case was consistent with a lethal concentration. The manner of death was homicide.
Endostatin uncouples NO and Ca2+ response to bradykinin through enhanced O2*- production in the intact coronary endothelium.

The present study tested the hypothesis that endostatin stimulates superoxide (O2−·) production through a ceramide-mediating signaling pathway and thereby results in an uncoupling of bradykinin (BK...
Extending the reach of our collective cultural heritage: the IMLS DCC Flickr feasibility study

The Flickr Feasibility Study investigated the roles and processes required for a digital collection aggregator to facilitate participation of cultural heritage institutions in Web 2.0 communities. The results demonstrate that providing this service for museums, libraries, and archives can be a natural extension of aggregation activities. While the role is complicated by the varying requirements of different kinds of institutions, analysis of user interactions can guide both collection development and building of communities of interest around cultural heritage collections.
Cognitive Emotion Layer Architecture for Intelligent UAV Planning, Behavior and Control

Remote planetary exploration by autonomous vehicles in uncertain environments requires dynamic and highly adaptive decision making, behavior, and control mechanisms to maximize the chances of successful mission completion. We present in this paper an adaptive architecture for cognition, behavior and control of an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Mars explorer called the Cognitive Emotion Layer (CEL) architecture that uses dynamical emotional response mechanisms to model explorer's response to continuous stimuli and provides adaptive decision making and control capabilities for the exploration platform
Epitaxial Growth of (111) TbFe2 by Sputter Deposition

The effect of in-plane strain in (111)-oriented epitaxial TbFe2 films on the magnetization orientations was studied. Magnetocrystalline anisotropy, shape anisotropy, and magnetoelastic energy were calculated to determine the magnetization orientation in the presence of various in-plane strains. Theoretical considerations indicate that a compressive strain smaller than -0.065% can induce an out-of-plane magnetization. DC magnetron sputtering from Tb and Fe elemental targets was used to grow 50, 100, 200, and 400 A thick epitaxial TbFe2(111) films at 600°C on (110)-oriented sapphire substrates with 1000 A thick epitaxial Mo(110) buffer layers. The growth rate of the TbFe2(111) films was 1.44 A/sec. X-ray diffractometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and vibrating sample magnetometry were used to characterize the crystal structure, epitaxial orientation, composition, stress and strain state, and magnetic properties of the TbFe2 films. The TbFe2(111) films were epitaxial with twins rotated by 60° and were in tensile strain states with the resulting in-plane magnetization.
Encounter test OPMISR/sup +/ on-chip compression

As technology progresses, chips push on all automated test equipment (ATE) cost variables: speed, pin count, and test buffer size. In response to the challenges of testing these ever-larger chips, all of the major ATPG vendors have come out with products that compress test data volume and reduce test time - OPMISR: simple, effective output compression. While OPMISR can provide a substantial data volume reduction, it is limited to about 50% reduction in test application time. An alternative implementation of OPMISR, OPMISR+, was being employed at the Cadence Encounter Test product. OPMISR+ can easily provide greater than 100 times test data volume reduction in addition to 40 times or more scan test time reduction. This paper gives an example of its scan configuration
A survey of optical flow techniques for UAV navigation applications

Optical flow has been widely used by insects and birds to support navigation functions. Such information has appealing capabilities for application to small or micro unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), especially for navigation and collision avoidance in urban or indoor areas. The purpose of this paper is to provide a survey of existing optical flow techniques for UAV navigation applications. Detailed comparisons are made among different optical-flow-aided navigation solutions with emphasis on the sensor hardware as well as optical flow motion models. A summary of current research status and future research directions are further discussed.
Sudden Cardiac Death With Apparently Normal Heart

Background—Mechanisms of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in subjects with apparently normal hearts are poorly understood. In survivors, clinical investigations may not establish normal cardiac structure with certainty. Large autopsy series may provide a unique opportunity to confirm structural normalcy of the heart before reviewing a patient’s clinical history. Methods and Results—We identified and reexamined structurally normal hearts from a 13-year series of archived hearts of patients who had sudden cardiac death. Subsequently, for each patient with a structurally normal heart, a detailed review of the circumstances of death as well as clinical history was performed. Of 270 archived SCD hearts identified, 190 were male and 80 female (mean age 42 years); 256 (95%) had evidence of structural abnormalities and 14 (5%) were structurally normal. In the group with structurally normal hearts (mean age 35 years), SCD was the first manifestation of disease in 7 (50%) of the 14 cases. In 6 cases, substances were iden...
Elementary and Middle School Student Participation in Gifted Programs: Are Gifted Students Underserved?.

Most researchers agree that special educational programming is advisable for academically gifted students, although the best type of programming is a matter of controversy. Evidence suggests that effective programs combine ability grouping with curricular modification, but little research has addressed the extent to which high-ability students receive special services in their schools. Here, third through sixth graders scoring at or above the 95th percentile on standardized achievement tests reported on their educational experiences. The most common experience was the pull-out program, but many students stated that they were involved in no special programming. Separate analyses for mathematics instruction yielded similar results. Gender, grade level, type of school (public vs. private/parochial), and above-level EXPLORE scores explained little of the variance in special accommodations. The lack of services reported by many participants is particularly surprising given that members of the sample were both ...
The wandering carpel mutation of Zea mays (Gramineae) causes misorientation and loss of zygomorphy in flowers and two-seeded kernels

We have isolated a new mutation, wandering carpel (wcr), which affects polarity of the maize flower, altering its orientation or converting it from zygomorphy to radial symmetry. These changes result in the development of embryos on locations other than the normal, acropetal side of the kernel. More than two carpels can develop into silks. More rarely, two ovules develop in a single ovary, giving rise to kernels with two seeds. The wcr mutation is a maternal-sporophyte-effect, semidominant mutation whose expression is background dependent. As spikelets with abnormal flowers are almost always paired with a normal spikelet, we hypothesize that WCR1 is required for establishing polarity in spikelet meristems during inflorescence development.
Evaluation of a Management System for a Mixed Walleye Spearing and Angling Fishery in Northern Wisconsin

Abstract In response to Chippewa tribal harvest declarations, the state of Wisconsin lowers daily angling bag limits for walleye Stizostedion vitreum in an attempt to avoid a maximum adult walleye exploitation of 35% on more than 1 in 40 occasions. We asked whether uncertainty in estimates of total allowable catch (TAC) and the sliding bag limit system used to manage anglers allowed the state to meet the overharvest risk level. During 1990–1998, 20–25 lakes were randomly sampled each year to estimate adult walleye stock and walleye harvest by angling and spearing. Adult walleye exploitation was calculated as the sum of angling and spearing exploitation rates. Adult walleye exploitation rates averaged 11.83% and did not vary significantly among years during 1990–1998. Angling exploitation averaged 8.38%, and spearing exploitation averaged 3.45%. Out of 210 lakes sampled during 1990–1998, only 4 (1.9%) had total exploitation rates that exceeded 35%. Since the exploitation rates were measured with error, we ...
Cotton Quality and Fiber Properties Part IV. The Relation Between Single Fiber Properties and the Behavior of Bundles, Slivers, and Yarns1

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the use of single-fiber testing methods for the determination of cotton fiber properties and for the prediction of yarn quality. Samples of unprocessed cotton, finisher drawing sliver, and 36's carded yarn were ob tained for 21 domestic cotton varieties representing extremes in length, fineness, and strength. Single fibers from all three processing stations were tested for their fineness and mechanical properties: crimp, Hookean slope, breaking load, elongation, elastic modulus, breaking stress, and energy to rupture. Ranges for each of these properties were established. The results were compared with the mechanical properties of the fiber bundles, slivers, and yarns.Correlation studies of the results show that all of the mechanical properties measured on fibers are related to fiber fineness and, among the varieties, to fiber length. Bundle strengths and elongations at clamp spacings greater than 1.5 mm. relate well to fiber breaking strengths and elongations. ...
Econometric Methods for Agricultural Supply under Uncertainty: Fertilizer Use and Crop Response

The paper develops general econometric methods for the treatment of modelling decision-making under conditions of uncertainty and risk. The problem of modelling fertilizer use and crop response in the context of irrigated and/or rainfed water supply when there is uncertainty and risk with respect to weather conditions over the crop-cycle and the subsequent price at marketing suggested the present approach. As a by-product, the stochastic duality theory associated with the present primal problem is also derived.