cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protein folding and assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum

The newly synthesized protein emerging through the ER membrane enters a unique environment for folding and assembly. Unlike the cytosol, the ER provides an oxidizing environment, has high levels of calcium, and contains enzymes for N-linked glycosylation. The growing nascent polypeptide chain is in many cases modified co-translationally with N-linked sugars and begins to fold while still attached to the ribosome. Disulfide bond formation stabilizes the tertiary structure of the protein. The in vivo folding and assembly of nascent proteins requires a delicate balance between allowing folding to occur and preventing incorrect interactions that would ultimately lead to improper folding and/or aggregation. In the past several years, two groups of proteins that interact transiently with incompletely folded and assembled proteins in the ER have been identified and characterized. The first group consists of enzymes that promote or stabilize protein folding. The second is composed of proteins termed “molecular chaperones” that bind transiently to nascent polypeptides and apparently prevent misfolding by masking those regions that could lead to incorrect interactions between protein domains or aggregation.
Morphometric Spaces, Shape Components and the Effects of Linear Transformations

The various types of mathematical spaces used in morphometrics are reviewed with emphasis given to the distinctions between the physical space of the organism, shape space and tangent spaces. The effects of linear transformations of the coordinates of the landmarks (on the specimens or the reference) on various statistical analyses and estimates of the uniform and nonaffine components of shape variation are presented. It is shown why statistical analyses of the estimates of the nonaffine components of shape variation are sensitive to affine transformations of the reference or the specimens (which may seem counterintuitive). Some implications of these results on the choices of methods for the study of shape are discussed.
Quantum-Cutting Ytterbium-Doped CsPb(Cl1–xBrx)3 Perovskite Thin Films with Photoluminescence Quantum Yields over 190%

A two-step solution-deposition method for preparing ytterbium-doped (Yb3+) CsPb(Cl1–xBrx)3 perovskite thin films is described. Yb3+-doped CsPb(Cl1–xBrx)3 films are made that exhibit intense near-infrared photoluminescence with extremely high quantum yields reaching over 190%, stemming from efficient quantum cutting that generates two emitted near-infrared photons for each absorbed visible photon. The near-infrared Yb3+ f–f photoluminescence is largely independent of the anion content (x) in CsPb(Cl1–xBrx)3 films with energy gaps above the quantum-cutting threshold of twice the Yb3+ f–f transition energy, but it decreases abruptly when the perovskite energy gap becomes too small to generate two Yb3+ excitations. Excitation power dependence measurements show facile saturation of the Yb3+ luminescence intensity, identifying a major challenge for future solar applications of these materials.
Sequential Cycloid Scanning for Time-resolved Atomic Force Microscopy

We report sequential atomic force microscope (AFM) imaging with a cycloid scan pattern where one lateral axis of the nanopositioner follows a sinusoid superimposed on a slow triangular signal. Due to the abrupt slope change in a triangular signal, large peaks appear in the tracking error. To smoothen the sharp turning points and reduce the error, an optimization technique is employed. To achieve a highperformance tracking, we utilized an internal model controller which includes a model of the reference signals while additional internal models are also added to the controller to deal with the system nonlinearities. The experiment is conducted on a two degrees of freedom microelectromechanical system nanopositioner within a scan area of $5 \ \mu\mathrm{m}\times 10 \ \mu\mathrm{m}$ and the pitch size of 44.2 nm as the scanning time is 80.6 msec. The peak of tracking error in x-axis is negligible due to the optimal trajectory while the root mean square value of tracking error is obtained as 4.9 nm and 4.4 nm for x- and y-axis, respectively. A sequence of contact mode constant height AFM images are acquired at 12.4 fps.
Encoding of Visual Speaker Attributes and Recognition Memory for Spoken Words

An experiment was designed to assess the extent to which visual articulatory information is encoded in memory. In a recent study, Palmeri, Goldinger, and Pisoni (1993) reported that listeners were more accurate at recognizing previously presented words when they were presented in the same voice at test than when they were presented in a different voice. This result suggests that detailed voice information is not stripped away by a normalization process during the early stages of spoken word recognition; instead information about the talker’s voice is encoded into long-term memory and may later facilitate recognition of spoken words. The present investigation was designed to determine whether detailed cross-modal linguistic information is also retained in long-term memory. Subjects were presented with two audio-visual speakers producing lists of isolated words. The words were presented at three signal-to-noise ratios ranging from + 5 dB to − 5 dB. In the low signal-to-noise conditions, listeners are forced to attend more carefully to the visual information presented in order to extract the linguistic content. It is proposed that this manipulation will cause dynamic visual information to be encoded along with the spoken words in memory. If it is the case that detailed visual information about the talkers articulation is retained in long term memory, then we would expect that listeners will be better at recognizing “old” words when they are presented with the same visual speaker at test. No significant effect of visual articulation was found on recognition memory, however a consistent trend was observed. The present results have implications for current theories of spoken word recognition and the nature of the representation of words stored in the mental lexicon.
Shaping the standard of care in ovarian cancer management: A review of Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG)/NRG oncology clinical trials of the past twenty years

Abstract The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), now part of the NRG Oncology network since the re-alignment of the National Clinical Trials Network in 2014, has played a fundamental role in creating the standard of care for women with ovarian cancer. GOG/NRG Oncology has had a series of achievements that have contributed to how we treat this disease; the approval of bevacizumab in frontline therapy, defining the role of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, optimal chemotherapy for early stage disease and the role of surgery in primary and recurrent disease management. Going forward, GOG/NRG Oncology is positioned to meet the ever changing knowledge that we have about the molecular background of this disease and the expanding repertoire of drugs/interventions in development.
The War Against Al Qaeda: Religion, Policy, and Counter-Narratives: by Nahed Artoul Zehr, Washington, DC, Georgetown University Press, 2017, 232 pp., $64.95 (cloth), ISBN: 9781626164277; $32.95 (paper), ISBN: 9781626164284; 32.95 $ (ebook), ISBN: 9781626164291

Nahed Artoul Zehr illuminated the dark matter that has heretofore shadowed much military and journalistic works on Islamic militancy, Al Qaeda and perhaps even some of the puritanical movements of ...
The Effect of Bone Physiology on Bone Anatomy

Physiologic bone formation consists of calcium phosphate deposition onto an osteoid matrix. Osteoclasts resorb bone mineral and matrix, while osteoblasts form a new matrix. The new bone forms in response to mechanical loading, while resorption occurs with disuse of the bone. Bone marrow composition becomes less hematopoietically active as one ages so that in adults, most appendicular skeleton is filled with only yellow marrow, while red marrow is found only in the axial skeleton. Chronic anemia may lead to bone marrow reconversion, where yellow marrow is reconverted back to red marrow. Marrow can be infiltrated by cancer cells, such as those of metastases, multiple myeloma, and leukemia. Radiation and chemotherapy can lead to myeloid depletion or myelofibrosis.
The Role of Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7 (BMP-7) in Inflammation in Heart Diseases

Bone morphogenetic protein-7 is (BMP-7) is a potent anti-inflammatory growth factor belonging to the Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) superfamily. It plays an important role in various biological processes, including embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, neurogenesis and skeletal morphogenesis. BMP-7 stimulates the target cells by binding to specific membrane-bound receptor BMPR 2 and transduces signals through mothers against decapentaplegic (Smads) and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. To date, rhBMP-7 has been used clinically to induce the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells bordering the bone fracture site into chondrocytes, osteoclasts, the formation of new bone via calcium deposition and to stimulate the repair of bone fracture. However, its use in cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and diabetic cardiomyopathy is currently being explored. More importantly, these cardiovascular diseases are associated with inflammation and infiltrated monocytes where BMP-7 has been demonstrated to be a key player in the differentiation of pro-inflammatory monocytes, or M1 macrophages, into anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages, which reduces developed cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, this review focuses on the molecular mechanisms of BMP-7 treatment in cardiovascular disease and its role as an anti-fibrotic, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory growth factor, which emphasizes its potential therapeutic significance in heart diseases.
Towards Monitoring Blood Flow During Fifth Metatarsal Fracture Healing with Speckle Contrast Optical Tomography

A speckle contrast optical tomography (SCOT) system was developed for longitudinal monitoring of bone fractures. This system was then validated using optical phantoms with heterogenous flow and in-vivo arm and leg cuff occlusion experiments.
Scientific Collaboration across Time and Space: Bibliometric Analysis of the American Journal of Neuroradiology, 1980-2018.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Scientific collaboration is traditionally acknowledged through coauthorship. Studies on this topic are few in the neuroimaging literature. This study is a bibliometric analysis of the American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR) between 1980 and 2018, with the primary aim of evaluating changes in article collaboration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Full bibliographic records from 1980 to 2018 were retrieved. Yearly metrics calculated included the number of articles published, the average number of authors, and the average number of affiliations per article. The levels of evidence of 160 random articles were determined. Geographic characteristics of author affiliations were analyzed. Changes across time were evaluated using linear regression, while Spearman rank-order correlation was used to determine relationships between level of evidence and time, number of authors, and number of affiliations. RESULTS: There was a steady linear growth in the number of articles (R2 = 0.70, P CONCLUSIONS: From 1980 to 2018, as the quantity of articles published in the AJNR increased, their level of evidence improved, while an increasing number of authors with different affiliations and from different geographic locales collaborated on these articles.
Urinary tract infection: Current management strategies

Urinary tract infection is one of the most common infectious diseases in the United States. The term encompasses a wide range of infections, from mild bacteriuria to more severe, complicated upper tract infection. Bacterial virulence factors, host defense mechanisms, and various predisposing factors affect the course and severity of disease. Recent advances in treatment have focused on improved management strategies for specific types of infection (eg, re-current cystitis in women, catheter-related infection). In some cases, the causative organisms are highly predictable and empirical therapy without pretreatment culture is recommended. Other infections (eg, pyelonephritis) require at least 10 days of antimicrobial therapy, and if complications are present, hospitalization may be warranted.
Quail Cove Farms (a): One Night and a Big Decision

Nearly every dollar Bill and Elaine Jardine had earned over the previous decade had been invested in their farm and warehouse. They had spent more than $150,000 in land and equipment. And they had sunk into their business, Quail Cove Farms, immeasurable amounts of what Bill Jardine considered to be their biggest asset: their labor. They had lost nearly everything. Now, the couple had some soul-searching to do. The Jardines gave hard thought to which direction they wanted to go—if, for that matter, they even had a choice. What was the value, now, of the sweat equity they had gained from pursuing a dream of organic farming? Excerpt UVA-ENT-0168 Rev. May 1, 2019 Quail Cove Farms (A): One Night and a Big Decision Introduction Bill Jardine and his wife, Elaine, looked at one another across the kitchen table in their Machipongo, Virginia, farmhouse. It was late and they had been talking for most of the night. Soon, the sun would rise. Bill and Elaine would put on their work boots and start the daily chores. A farm needed maintenance no matter what frame of mind you were in. But at that moment, neither felt up to the tasks ahead. That was ironic because Bill had always joked, “When I retire, I want to farm; and when I get to the point where I can't farm, I want to garden.” . . .
Ultralow Thermal Conductivity in Diamondoid Structures and High Thermoelectric Performance in (Cu1–xAgx)(In1–yGay)Te2

Owing to the diversity of composition and excellent transport properties, the ternary I–III–VI2 type diamond-like chalcopyrite compounds are attractive functional semiconductors, including as therm...
Tips and tricks in the management of inflatable penile prosthesis infection: A review.

Objective To review the management of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) infection.Methods: The 'gold-standard' treatment for medication-refractory erectile dysfunction is the IPP, wherein the most dreaded complication is infection. To prevent and manage an infected IPP requires a strict protocol during the pre-, intra-, and postoperative course. A variety of techniques and antibiotics are used in conjunction with IPP implantation to prevent contamination. This modified Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) review of the literature examines the current practices by leading urologists in the management of IPP infection, as well as provides insights for improved patient outcomes. Results : Patient selection is important to reduce IPP infections, and those with risk factors need to be optimised prior to surgery. Proper antibiotic prophylaxis includes pre-, intra-, and postoperative administration. As most infections derive from normal skin flora, every measure must be taken to sterilise the skin and avoid direct device skin contact. Up to 3% of virgin IPPs develop infections and this number increases to 18% in revision cases. Antibiotic coverage depends on the presenting microbe, which can vary significantly between patients. Conclusions : A greater success in IPP implantation can be attributed to appropriate prophylaxis, field sterilisation, and surgical technique. For those implants that do become infected, often erectile function can be preserved by immediate antibiotic coverage combined with salvage procedures.
Ultrasonic elastography for nondestructive evaluation of dissimilar material joints

Abstract Dissimilar material joints or multilayered metals have become inevitable in the manufacturing industry due to the increasing demand for multifunctional materials with variable mechanical, thermal, or electrical characteristics in a single assembly. Lattice mismatch of materials at the interface of dissimilar materials leads to inferior mechanical characteristics. In particular, the mismatch in elastic properties indicated by a large initial elastic deformation is critical to determine the extent of variation in stress. However, nanoindentation, the most common and accepted technique to measure elastic modulus, is destructive, time-consuming, and can only examine mechanical properties within a limited area. A non-invasive elastographic mapping technique evaluates the mechanical properties using ultrasonic elastography to study incompressibility. The dissimilar joint between steel and copper was obtained via friction stir welding. The variation of the stress developed at the welded joint of the two different metals was evaluated from the dynamic bulk modulus map. A tensile test of the involved workpiece confirmed a good agreement with our analysis based on the dynamic bulk modulus elastographic mapping results. This study provides a rapid and non-invasive technique for the bulk metallurgic elastic modulus inspection to overcome the limitations of conventional methods.
Supporting sexual assault survivors with disabilities: Tracing disclosure and referral pathways to postassault health care services

National epidemiological data indicate that nearly 4 in 10 victims of recent sexual assaults have physical, cognitive/developmental, or mental health disabilities, which can make navigating postassault help seeking more challenging. To streamline services, many communities have created sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE) programs for comprehensive health care, crisis intervention, medical forensic evidence collection, victim advocacy, and legal referrals. SANE programs are recommended as the national best practice for postassault care, but there is virtually no U.S.-based research on whether survivors with disabilities seek these services. The present study sought to identify the disclosure and referral pathways that successfully connected sexual assault survivors with disabilities to SANE programs for postassault care. Forensic nurses in one midwestern state recorded information about all adult sexual assault patients (N = 755) who sought care during a 9-month window of data collection. Survivors with disabilities were significantly less likely than those who did not have disabilities to disclose to informal support providers (e.g., family, friends) and those individuals were unlikely to suggest to survivors with disabilities that they seek postassault health care. Survivors with disabilities were significantly more likely than survivors who did not have disabilities to disclose to formal help sources and to be referred to SANE programs by other formal community services, typically the police. A strong referral network from law enforcement to SANE programs is important, but survivors who do not wish to pursue criminal investigation need reliable pathways to postassault health care. Strategies for promoting community awareness of SANE services are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Physarum polycephalum: Establishing an Assay for Testing Decision-making Under Shifting Somatic Boundaries

Prior studies of decision-making generally assume a fixed agent which maximizes utility among its various options. Physarum polycephalum is a popular model for basal cognition that can be cut into pieces that may or may not re-join. We exploited this capacity to develop a novel assay in which radical changes to the agent itself are among the options of the decision-making process. Specifically, we transected a Physarum culture in the presence of a food reward that was located closer to the new smaller piece. In this scenario, the newly created branch must choose between exploiting the reward itself, or first re-connecting with the original mass (and sharing the nutrient reward across a large body). We report a pilot study establishing a protocol in which the number of agents is part of the decision-making process. We observed that despite the presence of food, new branches strongly prefer to merge back to the syncytium before exploiting the reward. Many improvements to the protocol are possible, to extend this effort to understand the interplay between behavioral options and the structure and boundary of the individual making choices in its environment
Engaging in race-conscious research and applying racial equity in human resource development: a collective autoethnography

In an effort to unpack barriers to race-conscious research and practice in the field of human resource development (HRD), we offer our collective auto-ethnography from the viewpoint of Black early ...
Sound (Phonetic) Symbolism

Sound symbolism, also known as phonosemantics, proposes that vocalizations have inherent meaning beyond the definitions ascribed to them. This is said to apply even to phonemes, the smallest elements of sound in a language. Keywords: language
Neutral sphingomyelinase from human urine: purification and preparation of monospecific antibodies

Abstract A neutral sphingomyelinase which cleaves phosphorylcholine from sphingomyelin at a pH optima of 7.4 was purified 440-fold to apparent homogeneity from normal human urine concentrate employing Sephadex G-75 column chromatography, preparative isoelectric focusing, and sphingosylphospholcholine CH-Sepharose column chromatography. The enzyme is composed of a single polypeptide whose apparent molecular weight is 92,000. Analytical isoelectric focusing revealed that the pI of this enzyme is 6.5. Purified neutral sphingomyelinase was devoid of beta-galactosidase and beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity originally present in the urine concentrate. The purified neutral sphingomyelinase (N-SMase) had low levels of phospholipase A1 and A2 activity when phosphatidylcholine was used as a substrate and detergents were included in the assay mixture. However, it had no phospholipase activity toward phosphatidylglycerol and sphingomyelin at pH 4.5 irrespective of the presence or absence of detergents. Monospecific polyclonal antibodies raised against N-SMase immunoprecipitated approximately 70% of N-SMase activity from urine, human kidney proximal tubular cells, and partially purified membrane-bound N-SMase from these cells. Western immunoblot assays revealed that the monospecific polyclonal antibody against urinary N-SMase recognized both the urinary N-SMase and the membrane-bound N-SMase. Because this enzyme is distinct biochemically and immunologically as compared to acid sphingomyelinase (EC 3.1.4.12), we would like to assign it an enzyme catalog number of EC 3.1.4.13. The availability of N-SMase and corresponding antibody will be useful in studying various aspects of this enzyme in biological systems.
Evaluating the Discriminant Accuracy of a Grammatical Measure with Spanish-Speaking Children.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the discriminant accuracy of a grammatical measure for the identification of language impairment in Latino Spanish-speaking children. The authors h...
Who Are the People in Your Family

Abstract This article examines how stepmothers think about kinship within their stepfamilies. Based on interviews with 104 stepmothers, five different views of kinship were identified: a Nuclear model, an Extended model, a Couple model, a Biological model, and a No Family model. These diverse ideas about family were connected to, one, how the stepmothers defined their roles; two, the kinds of relationships to which they aspired in the stepfamily; and three, some of the conflicts they experienced as stepmothers. The stepmothers' views of kinship appeared to be shaped by a number of considerations, such as personal need, experience in their families of origin, and expectations from others.
MyD88 and TRIF synergistic interaction is required for TH1‐cell polarization with a synthetic TLR4 agonist adjuvant

Glucopyranosyl lipid adjuvant-stable emulsion (GLA-SE) is a synthetic adjuvant TLR4 agonist that promotes potent poly-functional T(H)1 responses. Different TLR4 agonists may preferentially signal via MyD88 or TIR-domain-containing adapter inducing IFN-beta (TRIF) to exert adjuvant effects; however, the contribution of MyD88 and TRIF signaling to the induction of polyclonal T(H)1 responses by TLR4 agonist adjuvants has not been studied in vivo. To determine whether GLA-SE preferentially signals through MyD88 or TRIF, we evaluated the immune response against a candidate tuberculosis (TB) vaccine Ag following immunization of mice lacking either signaling adapter compared with that of wild-type mice. We find that both MyD88 and TRIF are necessary for GLA-SE to induce a poly-functional T(H)1 immune response characterized by CD4(+) T cells producing IFN-γ, TNF, and IL-2, as well as IgG2c class switching, when paired with the TB vaccine Ag ID93. Accordingly, the protective efficacy of ID93/GLA-SE immunization against aerosolized Mycobacterium tuberculosis was lost when either signaling molecule was ablated. We demonstrate that MyD88 and TRIF must be expressed in the same cell for the in vivo T(H)1-skewing adjuvant activity, indicating that these two signaling pathways cooperate on an intracellular level. Thus engagement of both the MyD88 and TRIF signaling pathways are essential for the effective adjuvant activity of this TLR4 agonist.
Solidification in direct metal deposition by LENS processing

Thermal imaging and metallographic analysis were used to study Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS™) processing of 316 stainless steel and H13 tool steel. The cooling rates at the solid-liquid interface were measured over a range of conduction conditions. The length scale of the molten zone controls cooling rates during solidification in direct metal deposition. In LENS processing, the molten zone ranges from 0.5 mm in length to 1.5 mm, resulting in cooling rates at the solid-liquid interface ranging from 200–6,000 Ks−1.
Sugar Binding and Protein Conformational Changes in Lactose Permease

Lactose permease is an integral membrane protein that uses the cell membrane's proton gradient for import of lactose. Based on extensive biochemical data and a substrate-bound crystal structure, intermediates involved in lactose/H(+) co-transport have been suggested. Yet, the transport mechanism, especially the coupling of protonation states of essential residues and protein conformational changes involved in the transport, is not understood. Here we report molecular-dynamics simulations of membrane-embedded lactose permease in different protonation states, both in the presence and in the absence of lactose. The results analyzed in terms of pore diameter, salt-bridge formation, and substrate motion, strongly implicate Glu(269) as one of the main proton translocation sites, whose protonation state controls several key steps of the transport process. A critical ion pair (Glu(269) and Arg(144)) was found to keep the cytoplasmic entrance open, but via a different mechanism than the currently accepted model. After protonation of Glu(269), the salt bridge between Glu(269) and Arg(144) was found to break, and Arg(144) to move away from Glu(269), establishing a new salt bridge with Glu(126); furthermore, neutralization of Glu(269) and the displacement of Arg(144) and consequently of water molecules from the interdomain region was seen to initiate the closing of the cytoplasmic half channel (2.6-4.0 A reduction in diameter in the cytoplasmic constriction region in 10 ns) by allowing hydrophobic surfaces of the N- and C-domains to fuse. Charged Glu(269) was found to strongly bind the lactose permeant, indicating that proton transfer from water or another residue to Glu(269) is a prerequisite for unbinding of lactose from the binding pocket.
Hot Self-Similar Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Flows

We consider axisymmetric relativistic jets with a toroidal magnetic field and an ultrarelativistic equation of state, to study the lateral structure of jets whose pressure is matched to the pressure of the surrounding medium. We find all self-similar steady state solutions of the relativistic MHD equations for this setup. One of the solutions is a parabolic jet being accelerated by the pressure gradient as it propagates through a medium with pressure declining as p(z) ∝ z−2. As the jet material expands due to internal pressure gradients, it runs into the ambient medium resulting in a pileup of material along the jet boundary, while the magnetic field acts to produce a magnetic pinch along the axis of the jet. Such jets can be in a lateral pressure equilibrium only if their opening angle θj at distance z is smaller than about 1/γ , where γ is the characteristic bulk Lorentz factor at this distance; otherwise, different parts of the jet cannot maintain causal contact. We construct maps of optically thin synchrotron emission from our self-similar models. We suggest that the boundary pileup may be the reason for the limb-brightening of the subparsec jet of M87. We find that if the synchrotron emissivity falls with the distance from the jet axis, the polarization fraction rises toward the edge, as seen in 3C273 and Mrk501. Projection effects and the emissivity pattern of the jet have a strong effect on the observed polarization signal, so the interpretation of the polarization data in terms of the geometry of magnetic fields is rather uncertain. For example, jets with toroidal magnetic fields display the "spine-sheath" polarization angle pattern seen in some BL Lac objects.
Flexural Creep Deformation of ZrB2/SiC Ceramics in Oxidizing Atmosphere

Flexural creep of ZrB 2 /0-50 vol% SiC ceramics was characterized in oxidizing atmosphere as a function of temperature (1200°-1500°C), stress (30-180 MPa), and SiC particle size (2 and 10 μm). Creep behavior showed strong dependence on SiC content and particle size, temperature and stress. The rate of creep increased with increasing SiC content, temperature, and stress and with decreasing SiC particle size, especially, at temperatures above 1300°C. The activation energy of creep showed linear dependence on the SiC content increasing from about 130 to 511 kJ/mol for ceramics containing 0 and 50 vol% 2-μm SiC, respectively. The stress exponent was about 2 for ZrB 2 containing 50 vol% SiC regardless of SiC particle size, which is an indication that the leading mechanism of creep for this composition is sliding of grain boundaries. Compared with that, the stress exponent is about 1 for ZrB 2 containing 0-25vol% SiC, which is an indication that diffusional creep has a significant contribution to the mechanism of creep for these compositions. Cracking and grain shifting were observed on the tensile side of the samples containing 25 and 50 vol% SiC. Cracks propagate through the SiC phase confirming the assumption that grain-boundary sliding of the SiC grains is the controlling creep mechanism in the ceramics containing 50 vol% SiC. The presence of stress, both compressive and tensile, in the samples enhanced oxidation.
PGI2 production by rat blood vessels: Diminished prostacyclin formation in veins compared to arteries

Abstract Homogenates of eleven different blood vessels from normal Sprague-Dawley rats varied in their ability to produce PGI 2 (i.e., 6-keto-PGF 1α ) from [1− 14 C]PGH 2 . The most notable difference was seen between arteries and veins. Arterial tissues produced more 6-keto-PGF 1α from exogenous PGH 2 than veins at all enzyme (i.e., protein) concentrations tested. Similar results were obtained utilizing different homogenization techniques or arterial and venous rings, indicating this difference was real and not due to homogenization artifacts. In addition, the thoracic segment of the inferior vena cava was more active in converting added [1− 14 C]PGH 2 to 6-keto-PGF 1α than the abdominal segment of added inferior vena cava suggestive of a possible segmental distribution of the enzyme activity in blood vessels. These results may be interpreted as indicating that PGI 2 may have a vasomotor function for blood vessels in addition to its proposed antithrombotic role.
Emerging strategies for drug development in motor neuron disease

Until recently, attempts to identify disease-modifying treatments in motor neuron disease have largely failed. This was due to a lack of understanding of the disease pathogenesis and poor clinical trial design. Recent advances in the genetics of motor neuron disease and the maturation of tissue culture techniques have increased our understanding of the mechanisms of cell death in motor neuron disease. This has in turn led to better in vitro and transgenic animal models, allowing for a more systematic study of the disease process and analysis of potential therapeutic agents. With the advent of these models, motor neuron disease drug research has entered a new era. It is now possible to pursue mass screening of compounds in the in vitro models. Successful compounds in vitro can be advanced to the transgenic animal models. Once toxicity and potential therapeutic effects in animals are known, agents which remain promising can be taken to Phase I, II and III clinical trials. This will increase the likelihood of success and is more desirable than methods previously utilised. A hierarchical approach such as this will be even more important as multi-drug regimens are to be studied. The number of combinations for these multi-drug regimens becomes prohibitive without a screening method.
Carbon sequestration and uneven-aged management of loblolly pine stands in the Southern USA: A joint optimization approach

Abstract Forest carbon sequestration is regarded as a viable and cost effective option for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Several studies have analyzed the effects of joint management of carbon and timber under different even-aged forest management scenarios. However, research specifically focused on the inclusion of carbon sequestration benefits into uneven-aged management has received little attention. Using the USDA Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS)-Southern Variant to generate growth and yield data, this study assessed management and financial effects of carbon benefits on the optimum uneven-aged management of loblolly pine stands. We applied the generalized Faustmann formula for uneven-aged management to calculate the land expectation value (LEV) at various levels of residual basal area and cutting cycle. Considering a biologically maximum stocking of 80 ft2/acre immediately before the harvest, this study determined the optimum management regimes of uneven-aged loblolly pine stands. This study also carried out sensitivity analyses to assess the effects of changes in interest rate, stumpage prices, and future land value and site productivity. In the joint management scenarios of timber production and carbon sequestration, carbon benefits could not alter the optimum management regimes of uneven-aged loblolly pine stands significantly. The stumpage prices and future land values were found to be less influential to the optimum joint management regimes. The percentage increase in financial returns was relatively more prominent in less productive sites.
Claiming Space, Claiming Water: Contested Legal Geographies of Water in South Texas

Current scholarship on poverty in the U.S. borderlands argues that limited low-income housing and unenforced land development regulations cause poor domestic water access in south Texas's predominantly Mexican-American rural and periurban low-income communities (colonias). In this article, I argue that water politics, not only poverty or failed public policy, determined the trajectory of inadequate water access. Drawing from legislative archives, legal documents, and court records, I examine two companion legal cases (Jimenez v. Hidalgo WCID 2 et al. [1971] and Fonseca v. Hidalgo WCID 2 et al. [1971]) that challenged the ability of farmer-controlled water control and improvement districts (WCIDs) to dominate regional water governance by excluding colonias from district territory. This territorial exclusion denied colonias residents the right to vote for WCID board candidates and, thus, denied residents the political standing to change the district's operation from irrigation to domestic water supply. Draw...
Development of sensitive immunoassays for detection of antibodies against hepatitis B surface antigen

Abstract Three micro solid phase immunoassays (a micro-SPRIA and two ELISA techniques) were developed and tested for the detection of anti-HBs antibodies. Two different crosslinkers (glutaraldehyde and N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate) were used to couple a goat anti-mouse IgG reagent to alkaline phosphatase for use as enzyme-labeled probes in the two ELISA tests. With the latter crosslinker, a defined conjugate with a 1 : 1 antibody-enzyme molar ratio was obtained. The sensitivities of micro-SPRIA and the two types of ELISA were compared to that of the commercial solid phase radioimmunoassay AUSAB test. All three microtests were significantly more sensitive than theAUSAB test. The ELISA using the glutaraldehyde cross-linked conjugate was 3—5 times less sensitive than micro-SPRIA, while the ELISA using the disulfide-linked conjugate was 2.6–4.0 times more sensitive than micro-SPRIA.
Concentration effects and ion properties controlling the fractionation of halides during aerosol formation.

During the aerosolization process at the sea surface, halides are incorporated into aerosol droplets, where they may play an important role in tropospheric ozone chemistry. Although this process may significantly contribute to the formation of reactive gas phase molecular halogens, little is known about the environmental factors that control how halides selectively accumulate at the air–water interface. In this study, the production of sea spray aerosol is simulated using electrospray ionization (ESI) of 100 nM equimolar solutions of NaCl, NaBr, NaI, NaNO2, NaNO3, NaClO4, and NaIO4. The microdroplets generated are analyzed by mass spectrometry to study the comparative enrichment of anions (fX–) and their correlation with ion properties. Although no correlation exists between fX– and the limiting equivalent ionic conductivity, the correlation coefficient of the linear fit with the size of the anions RX–, dehydration free-energy ΔGdehyd, and polarizability α, follows the order: RX––2 > RX––1 > RX– > ΔGdehyd...
Studies in Cognitive Processing During Worry

Three experiments were conducted to examine the cognitive processing biases during worry or positive imagery. Participants were classified as worriers or non-worriers on the basis of normative data for the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Experiment 1 was a directed forgetting task using threat and non-threat words. Experiment 2 was a Stroop task, and Experiment 3 was a dot-probe task, also using threat and non-threat words as targets. Across all three experiments, worriers exhibited lower cognitive bias during positive imagery compared to during worry, whereas non-worriers did not show a difference in memory or response latency for all three experiments. A fourth experiment was conducted to determine whether there was a differential rate of catastrophic thinking or positive imagery in association with worry level. It was found that worriers catastrophized more rapidly when instructed, and more slowly engaged in positive imagery. Collectively, these results suggest that positive imagery reduces cognitive bias among worriers, and additional research is warranted to determine how this may contribute to treatment of worry-based conditions.
Laser printing of single cells: statistical analysis, cell viability, and stress.

Methods to print patterns of mammalian cells to various substrates with high resolution offer unique possibilities to contribute to a wide range of fields including tissue engineering, cell separation, and functional genomics. This manuscript details experiments demonstrating that BioLP TM Biological Laser Printing, can be used to rapidly and accurately print patterns of single cells in a noncontact manner. Human osteosarcoma cells were deposited into a biopolymer matrix, and after 6 days of incubation, the printed cells are shown to be 100% viable. Printing low numbers of cells per spot by BioLPTM is shown to follow a Poisson distribution, indicating that the reproducibility for the number of cells per spot is therefore determined not by the variance in printed volume per drop but by random sampling statistics. Potential cell damage during the laser printing process is also investigated via immunocytochemical studies that demonstrate minimal expression of heat shock proteins by printed cells. Overall, we find that BioLPTM is able to print patterns of osteosarcoma cells with high viability, little to no heat or shear damage to the cells, and at the ultimate single cell resolution.
StarvingforPerfect.com: A Theoretically Based Content Analysis of Pro-Eating Disorder Web Sites

Like traditional media, information on the World Wide Web may encourage both healthy and unhealthy behaviors. This study reports on the content analysis of a particular genre of Web site that promotes unhealthy behaviors: pro-eating disorder Web sites. Framed in message design theory, the results of this study indicate that messages on pro-eating disorder Web sites promote response efficacy in continuing disordered behaviors, but messages promoting severity and susceptibility to weight gain and self-efficacy were not common. Given the importance of combining response and self-efficacy messages for maximal effectiveness of messages, the pro-eating disorder sites may have limited effectiveness in effecting behavioral change among site visitors.
Relations of School Children's Comforting Behavior to Empathy‐Related Reactions and Shyness

The purpose of this study was to examine empathy-related and personal correlates of children's comforting reactions. Quantity and quality of third to sixth graders' comforting of a crying infant were assessed and their relations with situational and dispositional empathy-related responding, shyness, and vagal tone were examined. Quantity and quality of boys' comforting were related to reports of sympathetic/empathic responding to an empathy-inducing film, whereas quantity of girls' comforting was associated with low facial and heart rate markers of vicarious distress in another context. Quality of comforting was associated with markers of girls' vicarious distress. Comforting was negatively related to younger children's shyness and marginally, positive correlated with girls' vagal tone. Suppression of vagal tone was associated with quantity of comforting.
Continuous atmospheric sulfur gas measurements aboard an aircraft: A comparison between the flame photometric and fluorescence methods

Abstract Analyzers that use the flame photometric and pulsed fluorescence techniques measured trace concentrations of S gas aboard an instrumented aircraft. Concentrations in the range of 1–20 ppbv were found at various locations over the U.S. East Coast and near Bermuda at altitudes up to 4000 m (650 mb). The response of both instruments changes significantly with ambient air pressure. In the case of the fluorescence method, a simple correction is applied to both the zero and span values. For the flame photometric instrument, the correction is more complicated, less accurate and valid only for ambient air pressures above 750 mb. A comparison between the two methods, based on several thousand 1-min averages, shows that the flame photometer produced consistently larger concentrations (27%) than the fluorescence device. Additional comparisons between the continuous monitors aboard the NOAA King Air and similar instruments aboard other aircraft sampling in parallel produced reasonable agreement.The use of two different techniques for measuring S gas establishes a range in the S gas concentration. This range is meaningful, since it delineates the contributions of the various interferences.
Endoscopically Monitored Percutaneous Dilational Tracheotomy in a Residency Program

Objectives/Hypothesis Endoscopically guided percutaneous dilational tracheotomy (PDT) has become a well-established alternative to the more traditional open tracheotomy, yet its use by otolaryngologists is limited. As airway management specialists, otolaryngologists should be familiar with a wide range of definitive procedures, including PDT. Few otolaryngology programs teach the technique. The objective of the present study was to determine the complication rate and outcome of PDT after its introduction in a residency teaching program. We also wished to evaluate whether the time savings reported by experienced surgeons could be repeated in our setting. Setting Tertiary referral teaching hospital. Methods We prospectively reviewed our first 54 consecutive PDTs and compared them to 29 consecutive standard open tracheotomies, which were reviewed retrospectively. Results Complications (13% vs. 33%, P = .030), operative time (12 vs. 24 min, P < .0001) and total procedure time (37 vs. 80 min, P < .001) were significantly reduced in the PDT group as compared with standard tracheotomy. Initial outcome data were equal in both groups . Conclusions We found that PDT can be safely and effectively taught as part of an otolaryngology residency training program.
Familification: Family, Neighborhood Change, and Housing Policy

This paper proposes the term familification to describe one type of gentrification: the process of neighborhood change by families moving into a neighborhood. This study, drawing upon in-depth interviews, document analysis, and ethnographic observations, focuses on an urban familification program—one city's attempt to benefit families by restricting participation in its downtown housing programs. The paper first describes the programs and then explores how leaders, program participants, and neighbors understand the programs' intentions and effects. While family is not prominent in the programs' grant proposals, leaders indicated that promoting traditional families was a central objective. Implementing these programs revealed difficulties in defining family and in managing the programs' outcomes. Implications for fair housing laws are considered, and it is argued that fostering diversity in family life course stages may be a compelling government interest to promote neighborhood stability, and an inclusive...
The Mechanism of Partial Rejection by Ultrafiltration Membranes

Abstract For molecules only slightly smaller than the pores of a membrane, the fraction rejected depends on product flow rate, molecular shape and diffusivity, and membrane structure. A significant factor for dilute solutions is the reduced flow of solution in pores containing a solute molecule compared to the flow of solvent in adjacent empty pores.
The Relation of Prices to Marginal Costs in an Optimum System

In the July issue of Econometrica1 I gave a new proof, taking account of the interrelations of commodities by methods not available in the times of Dupuit and Marshall, that in a specified sense maximum welfare requires that the quantity of each good consumed or produced by an individual shall be that corresponding to all sales being at marginal cost. This proposition has revolutionary implications, for example in electric-power and railway economics, in showing that society would do well to cut rates drastically and replace the revenue thus lost by subsidies derived largely from income and inheritance taxes and the site value of land.