cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Validating the Soil Vulnerability Index for a claypan watershed

Abstract Assessment studies of conservation efforts have shown that best management practices were not always implemented in the most vulnerable areas where they are most needed. While complex computer simulation models can be used to identify these areas, resources needed for using such models are beyond reach for most water resources managers. Soil and water conservationists need simple, spatially explicit tools such as the USDA-NRCS's Soil Vulnerability Index (SVI) to evaluate the inherent vulnerability of soils and the risk they pose to water quality when used for row crop agriculture. In this study, the SVI was evaluated in the Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed (GCEW), a claypan watershed in Missouri, using three methods: professional judgment, comparison to the Conductivity Claypan Index (CCI) developed specifically for claypan soils, and comparison to model results. Factors affecting the critical areas identified by each method were assessed and classified areas were compared. Slope and depth to claypan had the most variability in GCEW and were found to be influential in determining area classification by each index. While the original definition of SVI included the soil type representative slope from the USDA SSURGO database, slope values provided by a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) improved the index usefulness by classifying visibly degraded and non-degraded areas in different categories. High and moderately high vulnerability areas identified with SVI, CCI and model results with DEM slopes were consistent and matched professional judgment. Additional testing of SVI is recommended in areas characterized by soils of different permeability and under different climates.
Nutritional Indices of Second-instar Tobacco Budworm Larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Fed Different Cotton Strains

In 1982, second-instar tobacco budworm larvae, Heliothis virescens (F.), were fed leaves, bracts, and squares without bracts (buds) of each of four strains of cotton (‘ST213’, ‘DH121’, ‘RED’, and ‘DH66’) and bud parts (anthers, calyces, and petals) of ‘ST213’. Nutritional indices were measured. Relative growth rates (RGR) of larvae fed on buds of ‘DH121’ were reduced below those of larvae fed buds of the other strains, while RGR’s on leaves and bracts of the glanded strains (‘ST213’, ‘DH121’, and ‘RED’) were no different. Strains high in number of gossypol glands or cyanidin-3-β-glucoside level proved to be effective inhibitors of larval growth, while one high in tannin did not. Relative consumption rates and relative growth rates were highest on buds. Petals and calyces were nutritionally inferior to anthers.
Chapter 4:Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry of Intact Proteins

In this chapter we address the use of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in the analysis of intact proteins. We cover multiple approaches and applications including quantitation, identification and the derivation of structural information. Because of the difficulty of intact protein analysis and the variety of approaches necessary for proteins of different character, we set out a series of principles and provide extensive practical advice on method development, while also introducing a wide range of specific techniques and applications.
Information Modeling and Implementation of Vibration On-line Monitoring of Power Transformer Based on IEC 61850

The vibration on-line monitoring system of power transformer is an important part of power equipment on-line monitoring technology whose model should meet the requirements of IEC 61850.Based on an analysis of the systems data processing and function distribution,and by using logical nodes for power system equipment,status monitoring and sensors including TVBR and SVBR in accordance with the newest IEC 61850edition 2.0,the information model for vibration on-line monitoring system intelligent electronic devices(IEDs)is developed.The real-time communication mechanism is realized using the buffered report control block and file transfer model respectively for information transmission with alarm data,measurement data and vibration data waveform files.An on-line monitoring system based on the above modeling has been successfully applied on the spot.
Effect of Simulated Early Weight Bearing on Micromotion and Pullout Strength of Uncemented Distal Femoral Stems

The effect of simulated early weight bearing on both micromotion and pullout strength of uncemented distal femoral stems was evaluated in this study. The effect of stem endosteal contact and bone quality on implant pullout strength was also analyzed. A randomized matched-pair study was performed using 8 bilateral pairs of fresh human cadaveric femoral specimens. Each specimen pair was dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scanned, uniformly implanted, fluoroscopically imaged, and randomly assigned to the cycled or uncycled group. The cycled group received 5000 cycles of axial compressive loading (to 700 N) and the contralateral side was not cycled. Micromotion was monitored during cycling and compared with a failure threshold (150 µm), and all implants underwent direct axial distraction (pullout) testing. During cycling, minimal micromotion was observed with an asymptotic decrease in differential motion between the first and last 50 cycles. Both cycled and uncycled groups demonstrated no statistical difference in average pullout force (4888±2124 N vs 4367±1154 N; P=.43). The percentage of cortical contact for each implant was determined from panoramic fluoroscopy images using digital image analysis software. Contact area for the distal third of the stem showed the highest correlation with pullout force and with predicting pullout force. Bone quality did not correlate with pullout force (r(2)=0.367) or stem contact area (r(2)=0.394). In sum, press-fit uncemented femoral stems did not loosen or demonstrate decreased pullout strength with early weight bearing simulated by cyclical axial compressive loading.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Desire for Reversal of Sterilization Among U.S. Women.

Abstract Purpose: Racial and ethnic disparities in rates of female sterilization, a prominent method of contraception, have been consistently observed for decades. Such disparities are also evident...
A flexible route to bioactive 6-alkyl-α-pyrones

Abstract Both 6-chloro-α-pyrones and 3-chlorobenzopyran-1-ones react with malonates followed by a double decarboalkoxylation to give the corresponding alkyl and alkenyl products.
OXFORD STREET, ACCRA: City Life and the Itineraries of Transnationalism

In Oxford Street, Accra, Ato Quayson makes a bold effort to interpret the city of Accra under capitalist expansion in cultural terms. As an urbanist working from a social science epistemology, I looked forward to reading this often-ignored interpretation of the African city, especially because I listened to an earlier presentation of the core of this book by Quayson at the British Council Hall in Accra in early 2008. Quayson breaks the book into two parts. The first deals with the history of the Ga people and the impact of colonialism and its planning on Accra Central. In addition, he traces the transcultural activities that shaped Accra Central through activities of the Danes and colonialism on Osu, Accra. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Judge Navanethem Pillay: An Unapologetic Feminist and Human Rights Activist

This profile examines Judge Navanethem Pillay's legal and judicial philosophy prior to her appointment on the bench in South Africa. Judge Pillay was the first woman to start a law practice in Natal Province and the first black woman to serve in the High Court in South Africa. Prior to her appointment as judge she defended many opponents of apartheid and has written on and practiced international criminal law, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly on crimes of sexual violence in conflicts. She had an illustrious career on the South African bench and was elected by the United Nations General Assembly to be a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, where she is credited with turning the Tribunal towards a more positive course.
New treatments for serious conditions: ethical implications

Approval of Spinraza (nusinersen) for treatment of spinal muscular atrophy prompts consideration of a number of ethical issues that arise whenever a new treatment is proposed for a serious condition, especially one that is rare and can devastatingly affect children. Patients, families, clinicians, researchers, institutions and policymakers all must take account of the ways that newly available treatments affect informed and shared decision-making about therapeutic and research options. The issues to consider include: addressing what is still uncertain and unknown; the possibility that potential benefits will be exaggerated and potential harms underemphasized in the media, by advocacy organizations, and in consent forms and processes; the high cost of many novel drugs and biologics; the effects of including conditions of variable phenotype in state-mandated newborn screening panels; and how new treatments can change the standard of care, altering what is and is not known about a disorder and posing challenges for decision-making at both individual and policy levels. The good news that Spinraza brings thus requires additional attention to its ethical and policy implications, to improve counseling and shared decision-making about treatment and research options for patients and all involved in their care.
Design Rules for Tailoring Antireflection Properties of Hierarchical Optical Structures

Hierarchical structures consisting of small sub-wavelength features stacked atop larger structures have been demonstrated as an effective means of reducing the reflectance of surfaces. However, optical devices require different antireflective properties depending on the application, and general unifying guidelines on hierarchical structures' design to attain a desired antireflection spectral response are still lacking. The type of reflectivity (diffuse, specular, or total/hemispherical) and its angular- and spectral-dependence are all dictated by the structural parameters. Through computational and experimental studies, guidelines have been devised to modify these various aspects of reflectivity across the solar spectrum by proper selection of the features of hierarchical structures. In this wavelength regime, micrometer-scale substructures dictate the long-wavelength spectral response and effectively reduce specular reflectance, whereas nanometer-scale substructures dictate primarily the visible wavelength spectral response and reduce diffuse reflectance. Coupling structures having these two length scales into hierarchical arrays impressively reduces surfaces' hemispherical reflectance across a broad spectrum of wavelengths and angles. Such hierarchical structures in silicon are demonstrated having an average total reflectance across the solar spectrum of 1.1% (average weighted reflectance of 1% in the 280–2500 nm range of the AM 1.5 G spectrum) and specular reflectance <1% even at angles of incidence as high as 67°.
Are Disinhibited Social Behaviors Among Internationally Adopted Children Mediated by the Attachment Environment or by Children's Difficulties with Inhibitory Control?

Internationally adopted children show higher rates of disinhibited social behavior (DSB). Two competing explanations for DSB include difficulties in attachment specifically and deficits in inhibito...
Variable signaling activity by FOP ACVR1 mutations

Most patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP), a rare genetic disorder of heterotopic ossification, have the same causative mutation in ACVR1, R206H. However, additional mutations within the ACVR1 BMP type I receptor have been identified in a small number of FOP cases, often in patients with disease of lesser or greater severity than occurs with R206H mutations. Genotype-phenotype correlations have been suggested in patients, resulting in classification of FOP mutations based on location within different receptor domains and structural modeling. However while each of the mutations induces increased signaling through the BMP-pSmad1/5/8 pathway, the molecular mechanisms underlying functional differences of these FOP variant receptors remained undetermined. We now demonstrate that FOP mutations within the ACVR1 receptor kinase domain are more sensitive to low levels of BMP than mutations in the ACVR1 GS domain. Our data additionally confirm responsiveness of cells with FOP ACVR1 mutations to both BMP and Activin A ligands. We also have determined that constructs with FOP ACVR1 mutations that are engineered without the ligand-binding domain retain increased BMP-pSmad1/5/8 pathway activation relative to wild-type ACVR1, supporting that the mutant receptors can function through ligand-independent mechanisms either directly through mutant ACVR1 or through indirect mechanisms.
Perspective: Highly stable vapor-deposited glasses

This article describes recent progress in understanding highly stable glasses prepared by physical vapor deposition and provides perspective on further research directions for the field. For a given molecule, vapor-deposited glasses can have higher density and lower enthalpy than any glass that can be prepared by the more traditional route of cooling a liquid, and such glasses also exhibit greatly enhanced kinetic stability. Because vapor-deposited glasses can approach the bottom of the amorphous part of the potential energy landscape, they provide insights into the properties expected for the “ideal glass.” Connections between vapor-deposited glasses, liquid-cooled glasses, and deeply supercooled liquids are explored. The generality of stable glass formation for organic molecules is discussed along with the prospects for stable glasses of other types of materials.
Wole Soyinka: The Pan-African Literary Practice

The debate over the canon did not fully resolve the debate about the masterpiece. The term “masterpiece” seems to have survived the fraying of the canon, especially in art criticism, and more so in editorial criticism, perhaps because unlike canon, masterpiece retains the considerable appeal of being a concept of pure aesthetic judgment, referring to works that demonstrate real mastery of a craft through the production of new standards. In the age of mass production, however, the term is sometimes used to imply bestseller, which falsely suggests a correspondence of artistic and market value. Both canon and masterpiece are signals of a more durable status than bestseller; they resonate all the way up and down the ladder of culture. It is this status of consecration, authority, and hegemony, the sacralization of a group of texts and authors, whose fixity or closure is guaranteed by the reproduction of their enabling values that would come into crisis in the 1980s. The crisis was a product of the erosion of consensus within the culture, which is the fundamental basis for the formation of the canon. The literary culture writ large is underpinned by the patterns of consumption that have been threaded by established models. The critical query in this chapter is not a reprise of the old question of how great models are constituted, but a study of the reverse impact they have, once they are constituted, on literary production and the agenda of publishers and editors. It is my argument in this chapter that the object of editorial criticism, of its preferences, judgments, and choices about the manuscript, is the replication of the cultural work and standards of great models. While T. S. Eliot in “Tradition and the Individual Talent” was more interested in how the ideal order that existing great models constitute is incrementally extended and simultaneously modified, I am more interested in the practical application of the notion of great models or “the masterpiece” in the decisions of editors and readers. I argue that masterpieces dominate the culture in their moment, and also cast a long shadow forwards on what is produced or producible in their aftermath. The dominance they project over culture is, paradoxically, not entirely their own. What makes them succeed is that they answer a need already present in the culture, which though in a sense is external to them, they yet fulfill in advance. The potential of masterpieces to shape the field of production is subject to the precise requirement that preselects and exalts them.
Nonmucositis Mouth Lesions in Patients Being Treated for Cancer

Patients receiving cancer treatment, especially myelosuppressive chemotherapy, are at risk of developing oral lesions exclusive of mucositis. The most common are those associated with opportunistic mucosal infections and, in the case of allogeneic HSCT recipients, oral lesions of graft-versushost disease (GVHD). Lesion location, presentation and course are the key elements in making a correct diagnosis.
Heidegger’s Lehrjahre

By July of 1915 the young Dr. Martin Heidegger was ready to apply for a license to teach at Freiburg University.1 Two years earlier, in the summer of 1913, he had obtained the doctorate in philosophy with his inaugural dissertation, The Doctrine of Judgment in Psychologism. He had then set to work on his qualifying dissertation (Habilitationsschrift), but events had conspired to interrupt him. On August 1, 1914 the First World War broke out, and between August and October Heidegger was in and out of active military service twice, both times with Infantry Reserve Battalion 113, once as a volunteer (ca. August 2–10, 1914) and once as a draftee (October 9–20, 1914). In both cases he was dismissed for reasons of health.2
The Reassigned Spectrogram

This chapter introduces a relatively new modified form of the spectrogram which has variously been described by the term reassigned, or by the phrase time-corrected instantaneous frequency. While the latter is more descriptive of the scheme, the former is shorter and seems to have gained supremacy in the (still rather sparse) literature on the subject. The reassignment process yields a modification of a spectrogram which effectively “sharpens” it, concentrating the smeared out spectrographic points around tighter lines in both the frequency and time dimensions. This approach relies on the understanding of the spectrogram as showing instantaneous frequencies of line components, and sharpens that view of things while doing away with the idea of showing how energy is distributed in the time–frequency plane.
Roll-to-Roll Surface Modification of Cellulose Paper via Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition

Tuning surface properties of flexible materials enhances the versatility of existing materials, giving them new functions for applications in textiles, filtration, flexible electronics, and sensors. However, traditional surface modification methods are typically solvent-based, which limits the range of substrates that can be coated. In this work, we demonstrate the ability to use roll-to-roll processing to continuously modify the surface properties of large areas of flexible substrates using initiated chemical vapor deposition, which is an all-dry process. We designed and built a roll-to-roll module that can be used to uniformly coat 1500 cm2 of chromatography paper in a single deposition. Rolls of paper were coated with a fluoropolymer and an ionizable polymer, and the coated paper was used for origami, nonstick surfaces, and paper-based microfluidic devices.
Effect of classroom language diversity on head start ELL and non-ELL children’s social-emotional development

This study used the FACES 2009 cohort to examine the effect of classroom language diversity on the social-emotional development (defined as social skills, approaches to learning, and behavior probl...
Antivascular photo-mediated ultrasound therapy and its application in the eye

Antivascular therapy can improve the prognosis of a variety of pathological conditions, including cancer and many eye diseases. By synergistically applying laser pulses and ultrasound bursts, we developed a photo-mediated ultrasound therapy (PUT) technique as a localized antivascular method. PUT takes advantage of the high native optical contrast among biological tissues and has the unique capability to self-target microvessels without damaging surrounding tissue. The technique utilizes an integrated therapeutic ultrasound and laser system. The laser system emits 5-ns, 10-Hz pulses, which is synchronized with 10-ms, 10-Hz ultrasound bursts. Experiments were carried out on chicken yolk sac membrane and rabbit eyes. With radiant exposures around 5 mJ/cm2at 532 nm and ultrasound pressures around 0.4 MPa at 1 MHz or 0.5 MHz, microvessels were able to be removed. Furthermore, ex vivo tests with human blood demonstrated that cavitation was induced when laser and ultrasound were utilized synergistically. On the rabbit eye model, the blood flow in microvessels could be greatly reduced after PUT, and the occlusion of microvessels could last up to 4 weeks. In conclusion, PUT holds significant promises as a non-invasive method to precisely remove microvessels in neurovascular eye diseases by more selectively treating vasculature with minimized side-effects.
Chemical accuracy in modeling halide ion hydration from many-body representations

Despite the key role that ionic solutions play in several natural and industrial processes, a unified, molecular-level understanding of how ions affect the structure and dynamics of water across di...
Protocol efficiently measuring the swelling rate of hydrogels

Hydrogels are polymeric materials which can swell in water and retain a significant fraction of water within their structure without dissolving in water. Swelling rate is one of the most important properties of hydrogels. To measure the swelling rate, the profile of swelling capacity versus time of a hydrogel sample is obtained by performing free-absorbency capacity measurements at consecutive time intervals. Traditionally, either the tea-bag method, the sieve method, or the filtration method is used for the free-absorbency capacity measurements depending on the amount of the available sample and the desired precision. However, each method has its own systematic drawbacks. In this paper, a novel method called sieve filtration method is proposed for the measurement of the swelling rate of hydrogels. A protocol for this method is described in detail. The measurement results obtained from the proposed method and the traditional methods are compared. The proposed method has the following advantages over the traditional methods: •It is more efficient than the traditional methods due to full contact of the hydrogel powders with water or aqueous solution as well as fast and complete removal of excessive fluid from the water-absorbed gel.•It enables repeatable and reproducible measurement of the swelling rate of hydrogels.•It is easy to implement, suitable for various types of hydrogels and aqueous solutions; and it requires small amounts of sample, minimal technical skill, and inexpensive equipment.
Renal Denervation Therapy and Baroreceptor Activation Therapy: Emerging Tools for Treating Resistant Hypertension

Despite the availability of over 125 approved different antihypertensive medications, a sizeable 36 million (48 %) of the 75 million people with hypertension in the USA are not achieving guideline blood pressure goals known to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and kidney disease progression. Between 3 and 6 % of these 75 million, hypertensives are estimated to have resistant hypertension. A major contributing factor for poor blood pressure control is failure of antihypertensive agents to inhibit the sympathetic nervous system adequately. Consequently, alternative approaches using devices have been developed. Recent technical advances targeting the renal sympathetic nerves, i.e., renal denervation therapy (RDT), and the baroreceptors in the carotid sinuses, i.e., baroreflex activation therapy (BAT), have been the focus of more invasive therapies to treat resistant hypertension. Encouraging results from the Symplicity HTN-2 and Rheos Pivotal trials on efficacy and safety of RDT and BAT indicate these therapies can safely reduce blood pressure in patients with resistant hypertension. These approaches, while some are approved in other parts of the world, i.e., RDT, are still experimental in the USA and the results of these ongoing clinical trials will determine their approval.
9 – Vehicle armor

The purpose of this chapter is to provide the reader with an introduction to vehicle armor and the materials used for military and civilian vehicles. The chapter reviews metallic and composite materials used in both stand-alone and hybrid designs and includes advantages and disadvantages of each. Glass, aramid, and ultrahigh-molecular-weight thermoplastic and thermoset resin systems are discussed as well as ceramics and the high-performing metallic materials. The chapter provides an overview of the threats and ballistic protocols used by the vehicle armor community including those for the emerging improvised explosive device blast and ballistic threats. It explains the purpose and use of the spall liner both to save lives from overmatching threats and within a hybrid armor system consisting of a hard strike face, metallic hull, and spall liner backing used to achieve the most lightweight ground vehicle. An example of the armor design process is provided that includes the identification and development of the requirements through to the design and development of an installed armor system.
The Unfolding of Control Mechanisms inside Organizations: Pathways of Customization and Transmutation

Organizational control is a fundamental function of all organizations. Drawing on ethnographic data from one hospital implementing a new behavioral control mechanism across multiple internal units,...
A discursive framework of B2B brand legitimacy

Abstract In a hyperconnected world, branding is moving away from single, organization-driven ownership to shared ownership. Motivated by the continuous advancements in digital technologies for B2B brands, this research uses a rhetorical and discursive approach to build a framework of B2B brands legitimacy. This conceptual framework integrates multiple levels of social discourse, from brand texts to stories and narratives, to illustrate how the connections between these and brand legitimacy are made through language. We describe how B2B brands can use the rhetorical elements of logos, pathos, and ethos to achieve an advantageous position within their field's discourse. We identify B2B brand reputation, awareness, and credibility among the benefits of having a brand legitimacy within a network of actors and provide propositions and empirical guides to substantiate the proposed framework.
Perspectives on Citizen Science Data Quality

Information about data quality helps potential data users to determine whether and how data can be used and enables the analysis and interpretation of such data. Providing data quality information improves opportunities for data reuse by increasing the trustworthiness of the data. Recognizing the need for improving the quality of citizen science data, we describe quality assessment and quality control (QA/QC) issues for these data and offer perspectives on aspects of improving or ensuring citizen science data quality and for conducting research on related issues.
Managua en revuelta: la capital en la oleada de protestas de 2018

Una oleada de protestas en Nicaragua entre abril y septiembre de 2018 asesto un golpe a la capacidad coercitiva del Frente Sandinista, crecientemente consolidada desde el retorno al poder del presi...
Military and Veteran help-seeking behaviors: Role of mental health stigma and leadership

Mental health stigma has been identified as a barrier to help-seeking in the United States. This may be particularly salient for military personnel who tend to report higher mental health stigma th...
From Chads to Blackpills, a Discursive Analysis of the Incel’s Gendered Spectrum of Political Agency

The term “incel” is a portmanteau of the words “involuntary” and “celibate,” and incels as a group represent a new emergent Internet subculture. Often, they’ve been connected to viewpoints and lang...
The Economic Future of Nuclear Power

From the global viewpoint and urgent need to support rising demand for electricity, many countries recognize the substantial role which nuclear power has played in satisfying various policy objectives, including energy security of supply, reducing import dependence, and reducing greenhouse gas or polluting emissions. Nevertheless, as such considerations are far from being fully accounted for in liberalized power markets, nuclear plants must demonstrate their viability on normal commercial criteria as well as their life cycle advantages.
Dimensions of service satisfaction with clinic visits in a group practice HMO: The service cycle model

Abstract In a study of patient satisfaction for a group practice HMO, a clinic visit satisfaction survey questionnaire, based on the service cycle, was analyzed. The study investigated clinic visits, in which patients (n = 1680) rated the entire cycle of service during the visit, for applicability of the service cycle model. Four dimensions of a visit were extracted: provider interaction, access, ancillaries, and exit. While the provider interaction, access, and ancillaries dimensions had been identified in other similar research, the exit dimension was a new and unique factor that combines pharmacy and cashier functions. These dimensions corresponded very well to the chronology of a visit and gave support to the service cycle model as a construct. The presence of the four dimensions possibly implied that encounters within the dimensions could be colocated. All four factor scales were significant predictors of visit satisfaction (p
Mood disturbance in community cancer support groups. The role of emotional suppression and fighting spirit.

Abstract Objective In this cross-sectional study, we tested whether the coping styles of emotional suppression and fighting spirit were associated with mood disturbance in cancer patients participating in professionally led community-based support groups even when demographic, medical, and group support variables were taken into account. Methods A heterogeneous sample of 121 cancer patients (71% female, 29% male) completed the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS), the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC), a measure of perceived group support, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Results Consistent with hypotheses, lower emotional suppression and greater adoption of a fighting spirit, in addition to older age and higher income, were associated with lower mood disturbance. Gender, time since diagnosis, presence of metastatic disease, time in the support group, perceived group support, cognitive avoidance, and fatalism were unrelated to mood disturbance. Conclusion Expression of negative affect and an attitude of realistic optimism may enhance adjustment and reduce distress for cancer patients in support groups.
Characterization of two active site mutations of thioredoxin reductase from Escherichia coli.

Abstract Thioredoxin reductase (TRR), a member of the pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductase family of flavoenzymes, undergoes two sequential thiol-disulfide interchange reactions with thioredoxin during catalysis. In order to assess the catalytic role of each nascent thiol of the active site disulfide of thioredoxin reductase, the 2 cysteines (Cys-136 and Cys-139) forming this disulfide have been individually changed to serines by site-directed mutageneses of the cloned trxB gene of Escherichia coli. Spectral analyses of TRR(Ser-136,Cys-139) as a function of pH and ionic strength have revealed two pKa values associated with the epsilon 456, one of which increases from 7.0 to 8.3 as the ionic strength is increased, and a second at 4.4 which is seen only at high ionic strength. epsilon 458 of wild type TRR(Cys-136,Cys-139) and epsilon 453 of TRR(Cys-136,Ser-139) are pH-independent. A charge transfer complex (epsilon 530 = 1300 M-1 cm-1), unique to TRR(Ser-136,Cys-139), has been observed under conditions of high ammonium cation concentration (apparent Kd = 54 microM) at pH 7.6. These results suggest the assignment of Cys-139 as the FAD-interacting thiol in the reduction of thioredoxin by NADPH via thioredoxin reductase. If, as with other members of this enzyme family, the two distinct catalytic functions are each carried out by a different nascent thiol, then Cys-136 would perform the initial thiol-disulfide interchange with thioredoxin. Steady state kinetic analyses of the proteins have revealed turnover numbers of 10 and 50% of the value of the wild type enzyme for TRR(Ser-136,Cys-139) and TRR(Cys-136,Ser-139), respectively, and no changes in the apparent Km values of TR(S2) or NADPH. The finding of activity in the mutants indicates that the remaining thiol can carry out interchange with the disulfide of thioredoxin, and the resulting mixed disulfide can be reduced by NADPH via the flavin.
Characterization of resist and topcoat properties for immersion lithography

For this paper, we have performed a fundamental characterization of various resists and topcoats supplied by different vendors. The resists and topcoats were selected based on the inherent properties of these chemicals (elemental composition, contact angle, etc.). The goal of this study is to better understand the resist and topcoat interaction under various process conditions. We have characterized these materials using a number of analytical techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We have also provided data on the effect of the constitution of the resist and topcoat materials on the resist profile, under both dry and immersion exposure.
Prototype design of a personal static VAr compensator

A prototype personal static VAr compensator (PSVC) has been designed and implemented for load power factor correction for both residential and commercial applications. The PSVC demonstrates the two key benefits of power factor correction, which include decreased power costs and increased system capacity. The PSVC also demonstrates conventional static VAr compensator (SVC) principles that are routinely applied by power utilities. The designed PSVC prototype consists of two main branches-a TSC (thyristor switched capacitor) branch and a TCR (thyristor controlled reactor) branch. A microcontroller is responsible for calculating the displacement power factor and for executing the fuzzy logic control scheme for the two branches. The PSVC is being evaluated using an inductive load and an AC motor. Test results are presented in this paper.
An Update on Translating Stem Cell Therapy for Stroke from Bench to Bedside

With a constellation of stem cell sources available, researchers hope to utilize their potential for cellular repair as a therapeutic target for disease. However, many lab-to-clinic translational considerations must be given in determining their efficacy, variables such as the host response, effects on native tissue, and potential for generating tumors. This review will discuss the current knowledge of stem cell research in neurological disease, mainly stroke, with a focus on the benefits, limitations, and clinical potential.
Combined short-term immunotherapy for experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis.

A therapeutic strategy was designed to eliminate the humoral immune response to acetylcholine receptor (AChR) in ongoing experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Rats with EAMG were treated with a protocol consisting of three components: (1) A single high dose of cyclophosphamide (200 mg/kg) was used to produce a rapid and sustained fall in the anti-AChR antibody levels by preferential destruction of antibody-producing B-lymphocytes. ''Memory'' lymphocytes were not eliminated by cyclophosphamide. (2) Irradiation (600 rads) was used to eliminate the ''memory'' cells. It eliminated the anamnestic response to a challenge with the antigen AChR. (3) Bone marrow transplantation was used to repopulate the hematopoietic system after the otherwise lethal dose of cyclophosphamide. We used bone marrow from syngeneic rats with active EAMG to simulate an autologous transplant. Rats with EAMG treated with this combined protocol showed a prompt and sustained fall in the anti-AChR antibody levels and had no anamnestic response to a challenge with AChR. Thus, an affected animal's own marrow could be stored and used later for repopulation after cyclophosphamide-irradiation treatment. This treatment eliminates the animal's ongoing immune responses and reconstitutes the immune system in its original state. The success of this approach suggests that, if their safety couldmore » be established, similar ''curative'' strategies might be developed for the treatment of patients with severe antibody-mediated autoimmune disorders, such as myasthenia gravis.« less
Caveolin-1 regulation of store-operated Ca(2+) influx in human airway smooth muscle

Caveolae, plasma membrane invaginations with constitutive caveolin proteins, harbour proteins involved in intracellular calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)) regulation. In human airway smooth muscle (ASM), store-operated Ca(2+) entry (SOCE) is a key component of [Ca(2+)](i) regulation, and contributes to increased [Ca(2+)](i) in inflammation. SOCE involves proteins Orai1 and stromal interaction molecule (STIM)1. We investigated the link between caveolae, SOCE and inflammation in ASM. [Ca(2+)](i) was measured in human ASM cells using fura-2. Small interference RNA (siRNA) or overexpression vectors were used to alter expression of caveolin-1 (Cav-1), Orai1 or STIM1. Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α was used as a representative pro-inflammatory cytokine. TNF-α increased SOCE following sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) depletion, and increased whole-cell and caveolar Orai1 (but only intracellular STIM1). Cav-1 siRNA decreased caveolar and whole-cell Orai1 (but not STIM1) expression, and blunted SOCE, even in the presence of TNF-α. STIM1 overexpression substantially enhanced SOCE: an effect only partially reversed by Cav-1 siRNA. In contrast, Orai1 siRNA substantially blunted SOCE even in the presence of TNF-α. Cav-1 overexpression significantly increased Orai1 expression and SOCE, especially in the presence of TNF-α. These results demonstrate that caveolar expression and regulation of proteins such as Orai1 are important for [Ca(2+)](i) regulation in human ASM cells and its modulation during inflammation.
Analysis of Tool-wear and Cutting Force Components in Dry, Preheated, and Cryogenic Machining of NiTi Shape Memory Alloys☆

Abstract The present study focuses on tool-wear behaviour and cutting forces in machining of NiTi shape memory alloys (SMAs) under various machining conditions, namely dry, preheated, and cryogenic cooling at three different cutting speeds. Obtained results show that cryogenic cooling plays a significant role on reducing notch wear at higher cutting speeds in comparison with machining under dry and preheated conditions. It is also found that cryogenic cooling substantially decreases the cutting force requirement compared with machining under dry and preheated conditions. Chip thickness is not significantly affected by machining conditions. Based on these experimental findings, cryogenic machining is considered a promising approach for improving machining performance of NiTi shape memory alloys.
THE HOLOCAUST IS OVER

Alon Confino has issued a desideratum to other historians that they should bring questions and insights from cultural history to bear on the study of the Holocaust. Taking the work of Saul Friedlander as his point of departure, Confino nonetheless sets out on a path different from Friedlander's. He turns away from the goal of “integrated history” and instead seeks to investigate the realm of German culture, understood as encompassing much more than just Nazi ideology. By analyzing how the Holocaust has come to be perceived as unprecedented, as a rupture in human history, and furthermore by treating Jewish victims' sense of disbelief as an artifact of the past, one that has continued to inform unduly the historical understanding of the Holocaust up to the present day, historians will be able to account anew for what made the persecution and extermination of Jews imaginable and thus possible. With Confino's approach, a major historiographical question resurfaces, however: namely, what place an analysis of non-Germans should occupy in the history of the Holocaust, and in particular what place should be accorded to Jewish voices? This essay argues that we cannot make sense of why Germans supported and carried out the Holocaust without also considering Jewish contemporaneous perspectives and imaginings.
Formation of an iridium σ-cyclopropane complex by the intramolecular activation of a cyclopropylphosphine: Rearrangement to a chelating σ-vinyl complex

Abstract When (t-Bu)2PCH2CHCH2CH2 is combined with [IrCl(C8H14)2]2 in toluene, the σ-bound cyclopropane complexes (P(t-Bu)2CH2 CHCH 2 C H2) (1a, 1b) are formed. Complexes 1a,1b react readily with H2 to form IrClH2P(t-Bu)2CH2 CHCH 2 C H2)2 (2). In polar solvents 1a,1b isomerize to the σ-vinyl chelated complex IrClH(P(t-Bu) 2 CH 2 C(CH 3 )C H)(P(t-Bu)2CH2 CHCH 2 C H2) (3). The structure of this 5-coordinate, 16-electron IrIII complex was deduced from spectroscopic data, reaction chemistry, and from the crystal structure of its CO adduct (4). Compound 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2h5-P21/n (a 15.610(14), b 15.763(16), c 11.973(13) A, and β 104.74(5)°) with 4 molecules per unit cell. The final agreement indices for 2326 reflections having Fo2 > 3σ(Fo2) are R(F) = 0.089 and Rw(F) = 0.095 (271 variables) while R(F2) is 0.148 for the 3423 unique data. Bond lengths in the 5-atom chelate ring IrPCCC are IrP 2.341(4), PC 1.857(26), CC 1.520(30), CC 1.341(25), and CIr 1.994(21) A. The IrCl distance is 2.479(5) A.
Isospectral theory of Euler equations

Isospectral problem of both 2D and 3D Euler equations of inviscid fluids, is investigated. Connections with the Clay problem are described. Spectral theorem of the Lax pair is studied.
Experimental studies on a mutant gene (e) preventing the differentiation of eye and normal hypothalamus primordia in the axolotl.

Abstract The phenotype of axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) homozygous for the mutant gene e (“eyeless”) is different from normal in that (1) no optic vesicles develop in e e embryos, (2) e e larvae from posthatching onward are darker than normal white larvae, and (3) fully grown e e animals are sterile. Experiments reported here show that eyelessness in e e embryos results from a direct effect of the gene on presumptive forebrain ectoderm; not on the mesoderm that induces the ectoderm to form eyes. Homotopic grafts of normal presumptive ectoderm on e e blastula hosts differentiated complete eyes, but reciprocally grafted embryos were always eyeless. Similarly, grafts of either e e or normal presumptive prechordal mesoderm into normal hosts gave normal eyes, but in the mutant hosts no eyes developed. Thus the e gene affects only the ectodermal component of the inductive system for eye formation. Genetically eyeless (pigmented) cells, when interspersed prior to gastrulation among genetically eyed (albino) cells in the eye preprimordium, are induced to form clones of pigmented retinal epithelium in the albino host eye. The sterility of e e larvae appears also to be due to a direct effect of the e gene on the ectodermal (neural plate) primordium of the hypothalamus. Grafts of normal cells which included the hypothalamic, but not the optic or anterior pituitary primordia, always restored fertility to e e recipients. The mutant pigmentation phenotype was demonstrated to be a consequence of eyelessness and, therefore, an indirect effect of the gene. The pigment pattern of normal embryos from which both optic vesicles were removed resembles that of the mutants. In addition, implantation of a single full-sized, functional eye was able to restore the normal pigmentation, but not fertility, to e e recipients.
Purification of the human placental NAD-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase.

Abstract An NAD-linked 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase has been purified 13, 100-fold from human placental tissue. The specific activity of the purified enzyme ranges from 6900 to 8300 mU/mg protein depending on the method used to determine the protein concentration. On discontinous electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate more than 95% of the protein migrates as a single band; its estimated molecular weight is 25.5–26.0 kDa. This is half the value obtained when the molecular weight is estimated under non-denaturing conditions and suggests that the enzyme is composed of two identical or nearly identical subunits.
On the convergence of one-dimensional simplex search

Abstract In this paper, we first give a counterexample showing the falsehood of the convergence theorem of Choo and Kim. We then prove a convergence theorem for their algorithm.
Radiosensitization of E. coli by purine and pyrimidine analogues incorporated in deoxyribonucleic acid.

Radiosensitization Of E. Coli by Purine and Pyrimidine Analogues Incorporated in Deoxyribonucleic Acid
Automated Part Centering With Impulse Actuation

Centering a part on a spindle for precision machining is a tedious, time-consuming task. Currently, a skilled operator must measure the run-out of a part using a displacement gauge, then tap the part into place using a plastic or rubber hammer. This paper describes a method to automatically center a part on a vacuum chuck with initial run-out as large as 2.5 mm. The method involves measuring the magnitude and direction of the radial run-out and then actuating the part until the part and spindle centerlines are within 5 μm of each other. The run-out can be measured with either a touch probe mounted to a machine axis or an electronic gauge. The part is tapped into place with a linear actuator driven by a voice coil motor This paper includes an analysis of run-out measurement uncertainty as well as the design, performance modeling, and testing of the alignment actuator. This actuator was employed for part realignment and successfully positioned a hemispherical part with an initial run-out of 1-2.5 mm to within 5 μm of the spindle centerline. This capability shows that the run-out of a part manually placed on flat vacuum chuck can be automatically corrected.
Mechanistic interplay among the M184I HIV-1 reverse transcriptase mutant, the central polypurine tract, cellular dNTP concentrations and drug sensitivity

We recently reported that the M184I 3TC resistant mutation reduces RT binding affinity to dNTP substrates. First, the HIV-1 M184I mutant vector displays reduced transduction efficiency compared to wild type (WT) RT vector, which could be rescued by both elevating the cellular dNTP concentration and incorporating WT RT molecules into the M184I vector particles. Second, the central polypurine tract (cPPT) mutation and M184I mutation additively reduced the vector transduction to almost undetectable levels, particularly in nondividing cells. Third, the M184I (-) cPPT vector became significantly more sensitive to 3TC than the M184I (+) cPPT vector, but not to AZT or Nevirapine in the dividing cells. Finally, this 3TC sensitizing effect of the cPPT inactivation of the M184I vector was reversed by elevating the dCTP level, but not by the other three dNTPs. These data support a mechanistic interaction between cPPT and M184I RT with respect to viral replication and sensitivity to 3TC.