cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A circular dichroism study of Escherichia coli Initiation Factor-1 binding to polynucleotides

Binding of Escherichia coli Initiation Factor-1 protein to the nucleic acid lattice induces alterations in the secondary structures of a variety of purine and pyrimidine containing polynucleotides in both the single and double stranded conformations, as assessed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The helical hairpin form of poly(U), the single-stranded stacked form of poly(C), and the duplex poly(A) x poly(U) (in the presence of Mg2+) are stoichiometrically converted by Initiation Factor-1 (IF-1) to structures spectrally indistinguishable from their partially or completely thermally denatured forms. By contrast, the binding of IF-1 to double stranded poly(C), single- and double-stranded poly(A) elicited spectral responses which were interpreted in terms of diminished base-base interaction, not equivalent to that induced by thermal means. Stoichiometric endpoints of 3-5 nucleotide residues/IF-1 were determined for polynucleotide structures in those cases where light scattering artifacts at low nucleotide residue to protein ratios were absent. In the absence of Mg2+ IF-1 was unable to elicit a conformation alteration effect in poly(A) x poly(U), while for poly(U) much less of an effect was observed than in the presence of this divalent ion. The functional significance of these results is briefly considered.
Physical activity in epidemiology: moving from questionnaire to objective measurement

Physical activity can best be measured by a combination of activity monitors, questionnaires, and analytical techniques Accurately measuring physical activity in epidemiological research is, of course, central to the internal validity of the research. Ultimately, getting this component of the work right is a prerequisite for successfully discerning the relation between activity and health outcomes, for setting efficacious and reasonable guidelines, for discerning causal factors for activity choices, and for intervening to improve activity levels within our communities. However, measuring a behaviour as complex and multifaceted as activity is, at best, challenging. Physical activity epidemiology relies heavily on questionnaire methods, generally to characterise easy to recall structured movement during exercise, sport, and work. Self reporting activity through questionnaires is cognitively difficult for adults and much more so for children, the elderly, and other subgroups. Questionnaires are also prone to various degrees of measurement error depending on the facet of activity queried and the time period considered. Assumed error in self reports is (somewhat) countered with large sample sizes so, despite shortcomings and given the lack of feasible alternatives, the reliance on questionnaires remains the most common assessment technique in epidemiology.1 Recently, the methodological gap between accuracy and …
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition by a New Carcinostatic Agent, N-Isopropyl-α-(2-Methylhydrazino)-p-Toluamide (MIH)

SummaryN-isopropyl-α-(2-methylhydrazino)-p-toluamide (MIH), a methylhydrazine derivative, is a member of a new class of carcinostatic agents with significant therapeutic effect in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease. It was found to inhibit guinea pig liver monoamine oxidase to a significant degree with a prolonged effect after a single dose. The compound was not as potent as a known MAO inhibitor, pheniprazine (JB 516). The CNS effects of a tryptophan load following a single dose of MIH were minimal; however, following chronic treatment with MIH, such a tryptophan load produced lethal convulsions indicating significant inhibition of brain MAO. The clinical implications are discussed. Physicians using this compound in the treatment of malignancies should beware of unwanted side effects associated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors.
Detection Threshold Estimation for Digital Area Correlation

The ``pairing function'' concept applied to digital area correlation is described. One standard and three synthesized correlation functions are expressed in terms of the pairing functions Nij. The Nij are also random variables with easily calculated expected values Nij. The Nij are used to calculate ``background levels'' and detection thresholds, and using signal-to-noise ratios as the criteria, the three synthesized correlation functions yield better results than the standard one.
Regge Poles, Power Series, and a Crossing-Symmetric Watson-Sommerfeld Transformation

It is shown that there exists a close relationship between the analytic properties of the partial-wave amplitude as a function of complex-angular momentum $l$ and those of the coefficients of expansions, other than the partial-wave expansion, as functions of the corresponding summation index, $\ensuremath{\nu}$. The case of power series in $z$, and in the Mandelstam variables $t$ and $u$ is studied in detail. We show how the $l$-plane Regge poles for $\mathrm{Re}lg\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}$ determine all the $\ensuremath{\nu}$-plane poles for $\mathrm{Re}\ensuremath{\nu}g\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}$ and vice versa. For the relativistic amplitude we write a representation consisting of three double power series in $s, t, \mathrm{and} u$. We establish the analytic properties of the expansion coefficients in the two index variables which are implied by Regge analyticity in the $l$ plane of each channel. This enables us to apply the Watson-Sommerfeld transformation twice and obtain a crossing-symmetric Regge-type representation which simultaneously displays the contributions of the Regge poles in all three channels.
Macroprudential Policy and Labor Market Dynamics in Emerging Economies

Emerging economies have high shares of self-employed individuals running owner-only firms who, in contrast to many salaried firms, have little access to formal financing and therefore rely on informal financing (input credit) from other firms. We build a small open economy real business cycle model with labor and financial market frictions where formal credit markets, informal credit, and the structure of the labor market interact. The model successfully replicates the cyclical behavior of sectoral employment, formal credit, and the main macroeconomic aggregates in emerging economies. We show that a countercyclical macroprudential policy that reduces formal credit fluctuations has positive though quantitatively limited effects on consumption and output volatility, but generates larger unemployment fluctuations in response to productivity shocks; the same policy increases labor market and aggregate volatility in response to net worth shocks. The link between input credit and the labor market structure - key for capturing the cyclical dynamics of labor and credit markets in the data - plays a crucial role for these results.
For better or worse? Telomerase inhibition and cancer.

The Greider and DePinho groups have succeeded, against considerable odds, in creating a very valuable mouse system for the study of the role of telomerase in tumorigenesis. What have we learned? The bottom line appears to be that the effect of telomere loss depends on which aspect of tumorigenesis is examined and on the checkpoint status of the tumor cells.One picture emerges when the early steps in tumorigenesis are considered. Cells with critically shortened telomeres may die due to activation of the p53 checkpoint pathway. However, in cells lacking these checkpoints, telomere loss can result in chromosome instability and this can promote some of the mutations required to achieve cellular transformation. Thus, in this setting, short telomeres can actually enhance early steps in tumor formation, as originally predicted by Hastie and Allshire 1989xHastie, N.D and Allshire, R.C. Trends Genet. 1989; 5: 326–331Abstract | Full Text PDF | PubMed | Scopus (189)See all ReferencesHastie and Allshire 1989, and now borne out by the higher transformation rate of mTR−/−;p53−/− MEFs and the increased incidence of spontaneous tumors in the mTR−/− mice. The message from these findings is that telomerase inhibition could be mutagenic in tumor cells, a lesson that should be held firmly in mind if antitelomerase treatment were being considered as a chemopreventative strategy or were to be used chronically.On the other hand, the effect of telomerase deficiency and ensuing telomere loss is clearly inhibitory to tumor outgrowth in the Ink4a knockout mouse. In this system, the rate of cellular transformation is presumed to be high and probably not limiting, thus focusing attention on later stages of tumorigenesis. Arguably, this situation more closely resembles events in the clinic, where treatment traditionally focuses on inhibiting the growth of established tumors rather than on tumor initiation. As such, these findings on the mTR knockout mouse bode well for future telomerase therapy. Moreover, even if telomerase inhibitors turn out to increase the mutation rate in human cancers, they would have this feature in common with the majority of the current cancer therapeutics, and the short-term advantages of the drugs may still outweigh the minor risk of creating a more aggressive tumor by inducing additional mutations. In the end, we must await the development and testing of telomerase inhibitors for use in human tumor cells. Only then will we know whether the mTR mutant mouse is pointing with its paws up or its paws down.
On the possibility of pyroelectric currents produced by nonlinear space‐charge distributions

The inhomogeneous electric field in an insulator containing fixed space charges leads to electrostriction. This electrostriction is temperature dependent and as a result a temperature change causes a distortion of the charge distribution which then leads to a pyroelectric current. This current is calculated in terms of the charge distribution and temperature coefficient of the quadratic electrostriction constant.
Dopamine-mediated behaviors: characteristics of modulation by estrogen.

Several behaviors produced by intrastriatal injection of dopamine (DA) and amphetamine (AMPHET) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats were each modulated by estradiol benzoate (EB) in different ways. Contralateral postural deviation and rotation, induced by unilateral injections of DA and AMPHET into the dorsal striatum, were differentially suppressed with EB treatment. Postural deviation was suppressed by ½ hour after a single treatment with EB (2 μ g). In contrast, suppression of contralateral rotation required two treatments with EB separated by an interval of 48 or 96 hours, and the suppression was observed at 24 hours after the last treatment with EB. However, treatment with the antiestrogen CI-628 blocked the suppressive effects of EB on either behavior. The enhanced locomotion produced by bilateral injections of AMPHET into the ventral striatum was not suppressed with EB. In fact, AMPHET-enhanced locomotor activity decreased after a 3-week absence of estradiol as a consequence of OVX, and was returned to early OVX levels by EB. Therefore, postural deviation, rotation, and locomotor activity are mediated by different underlying mechanisms in the striatum and are affected differently by estradiol.
Optimal detection using bilinear time-frequency and time-scale representations

Bilinear time-frequency representations (TFRs) and time-scale representations (TSRs) are potentially very useful for detecting a nonstationary signal in the presence of nonstationary noise or interference. As quadratic signal representations, they are promising for situations in which the optimal detector is a quadratic function of the observations. All existing time-frequency formulations of quadratic detection either implement classical optimal detectors equivalently in the time-frequency domain, without fully exploiting the structure of the TFR, or attempt to exploit the nonstationary structure of the signal in an ad hoc manner. We identify several important nonstationary composite hypothesis testing scenarios for which TFR/TSR-based detectors provide a "natural" framework; that is, in which TFR/TSR-based detectors are both optimal and exploit the many degrees of freedom available in the TFR/TSR. We also derive explicit expressions for the corresponding optimal TFR/TSR kernels. As practical examples, we show that the proposed TFR/TSR detectors are directly applicable to many important radar/sonar detection problems. Finally, we also derive optimal TFR/TSR-based detectors which exploit only partial information available about the nonstationary structure of the signal.
Galileo and the Pendulum: Latching on to Time

Galileo changed the very concepts or categories by which natural philosophy could deal with matter and motion. Central to these changes was his introduction of time as a fundamental concept. He worked with the pendulum and with the inclined plane to discover his new concept of motion. Both of these showed him that acceleration and time were important for making motion intelligible.
Implementation of evidence-based design approaches in transportation decision making

Evidence-based design (EBD) originated in the healthcare industry as a combination of evidence-based medicine and evidence-based practice. EBD is a process for creating or improving healthcare buildings by using rigorous evidence to create benchmarks of current practices, achieve specific goals, and then monitor the success of the design to inform future decision making. EBD studies for the healthcare industry are compiled into an international database to provide design information to all users. This paper reviews applications of EBD in healthcare and other fields, assesses the potential value of applying EBD in the transportation field, and makes recommendations that can help with the adoption of EBD for transportation design and engineering. Emerging areas such as transportation asset management, health impact assessments and green design are particularly appropriate and promising for the development and application of EBD databases. This paper is a useful resource for transportation executives or researchers who are interested in developing evidence-based databases to guide their future decision making to be more strategic to take advantage of proven successful applications. When appropriately applied, EBD has the potential to reduce costs and risks while increasing innovation and encouraging new ideas for transportation and other projects.
Imaging accuracy and incidence of Wilms' and non-Wilms' renal tumors in children

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine the actual incidence, age distribution, and preoperative imaging accuracy of non-Wilms' tumors (nWT) in children with renal masses. Methods Pathologic reports from all tumor nephrectomies or open renal biopsies performed at a single institution from September 1999 to June 2005 were analyzed. Patient demographics, pathologic findings, specific imaging study descriptors, and differential diagnoses were tabulated. Accuracy of imaging studies in identifying specific tumors was calculated. Results Ninety-two patients were identified. Sixty-eight had Wilms' tumor (WT) and 24 had an nWT. The nWT group included congenital mesoblastic nephroma (5), clear cell sarcoma (4), neuroblastoma (4), renal cell carcinoma (4), lymphoma (2), angiomyolipoma (2), teratoma (1), hemangioma (1), and renal epithelial tumor (1). When grouped by ages, the incidence of nWT was between 0% and 83%. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for computed tomography (CT) determining a diagnosis of WT were 0.92, 0.55, 0.84, and 0.73, respectively. The CT reports explicitly stated a potential diagnosis in 89% of cases, with a diagnostic accuracy of 82%. Conclusions Non-Wilms' tumors may represent a significant proportion of renal tumors in children, especially in children aged less than 6 months or greater than 12 years. Preoperative imaging is of limited value in differentiating these tumors. These data have significant implications for parental counseling, surgical plan, and the choice of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and argue in favor of obtaining a tissue diagnosis before instituting therapy.
The study of history in post‐revolutionary Iran: nostalgia, illusion, or historical awareness?

Khaqani's opening verse in his famous qa$ida of Ivan-i Mada'in has a recognizable resonance in the works of many Persian writers, poets, and historians of pre-modern times who tried to make sense of the events and upheavals of the past.1 For them 'ibrat, which in this context may loosely be translated as a grievous sense of historical consciousness, was the essence of the past.2 It made them see in the ruins of the once mighty ernpire, or the records of kings of bygone times, the never-ending cycle of the rise and fall of worldly powers. The Sassanian arch of the palace of Ctesiphon in the above verse was a powerful metaphor for the believer and the skeptic alike.3
Viewpoint-based shape recovery from multiple views

This paper describes an algorithm for surface reconstruction from a set of scattered three-dimensional points extracted from an image sequence. In this process, additional information (such as location of the viewpoints and the points visible from a particular viewpoint) is available and can be exploited for accurately recovering the shape of the objects portrayed in the images. Initially, the set of points is subjected to a Delaunay triangulation that fills the convex hull of the set of points with disjoint tetrahedra. The key idea of the shape recovery algorithm is to eliminate triangles that obstruct the visibility of points from certain viewpoints, whose locations are known from the image acquisition process. The major contribution of this paper is that we have been able to design an algorithm for surface reconstruction that handles a wide variety of shapes, as opposed to currently existing techniques.
Designing a commercial ion-exchange carousel to treat DOE wastes using CST granules

A column carousel system was designed to treat nuclear waste at the Savannah River Site. A carousel model was used to simulate cesium removal in an ion-exchange carousel loaded with crystalline silicotitanate (CST) granules. The model accounts for axial dispersion and resistance to film and intraparticle diffusion. The effect of resistance to intraparticle diffusion on the required column volumes is significant. Values of the effective diffusivity of 0.25 to 0.6x10 -10 m 2 /s were estimated from bench-scale column experiments. This range of values resulted in a variation of column volumes by a factor of 3. The Zheng-Anthony-Miller equilibrium model was used to estimate Cs isotherms. The largest carousel volume did not result from waste with the lowest equilibrium loading. For wastes with low equilibrium loadings, the switching interval increased, which increases the volume of CST required to treat the same volume of waste.
A light microscopic study of denervation atrophy in serial sections.

Type I and type II muscle fibers from rat extensor digitorum longus muscle were sequentially followed in serial sections after various time intervals following denervation. The type II fibers exhibited the greatest degree of atrophy as well as showing a systematic diameter variability along its length.
Transient silencing of PTEN in human CD34(+) cells enhances their proliferative potential and ability to engraft immunodeficient mice.

The ability to expand hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vitro will enhance the success of a wide range of transplant-related therapies. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10) has been implicated as a regulator of murine HSPC self-renewal, but little is understood about the role of PTEN in human HSPC regulation. We tested the impact of transient small interfering RNA (siRNA)–induced inhibition of PTEN expression in human CD34 + cells on their cell cycle profile, their susceptibility to retroviral transduction, and their ability to self-renew and repopulate nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency disease with interleukin-2 receptor γ-chain deficiency mice. Reduced PTEN messenger RNA and protein levels were confirmed in PTEN siRNA-treated CD34 + cells compared with control siRNA-treated CD34 + cells. Transient silencing of PTEN in CD34 + cells promoted their entry into cell cycle, and increased their expansion in vitro compared with control siRNA-treated CD34 + cells. When these cells were transduced with retroviral vectors, transduction efficiencies in the bulk CD34 + cells transfected with PTEN siRNA were significantly higher compared with CD34 + cells transfected with a control siRNA. Transient PTEN suppression in CD34 + cells also increased their proliferation and engraftment potential in nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency disease with interleukin-2 receptor γ-chain deficiency mice, and maintained their multilineage differentiation capacity in vivo. No mice developed myeloproliferative disorders or leukemias. Similar to findings with murine HSPC, PTEN may also promote quiescence of human HSPC. With optimization of technologies for transfer of siRNA in primary CD34 + cells, this approach may facilitate investigations into the mechanisms underlying HSPC self-renewal, and could find clinical applications in gene therapy protocols.
Acute and follow-up intravascular ultrasound findings after balloon dilation of coarctation of the aorta.

BACKGROUND The study objective was to examine the vascular wall changes caused by balloon dilation of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) acutely and at short-term follow-up using intravascular ultrasound imaging. Intravascular ultrasound has been valuable in assessing the vessel wall changes in coronary and peripheral arteries after balloon dilation, often with more detail than angiography. METHODS AND RESULTS Intravascular ultrasound imaging, using 4.8F, 20-MHz or 6.2F, 12.5-MHz catheters on either Diasonics or HP scanners, was performed in 17 patients during balloon angioplasty for native (n = 12) and recurrent (n = 5) CoAs. Nine patients were also studied at the time of follow-up cardiac catheterization 28.1 +/- 18.0 months after angioplasty. Immediately after dilation, the mean pressure gradient across the CoA decreased from 42.9 +/- 16.4 to 9.0 +/- 5.4 mm Hg (P CONCLUSIONS There is a high incidence of intimal tears and dissections immediately after balloon angioplasty for native and recurrent CoAs. Intravascular ultrasound is more sensitive than angiography in detecting the vascular wall changes. Even significant intimal tears are not necessarily associated with aneurysm formation, and many decrease in size or disappear at short-term follow-up.
Performance analyses of VHTR plants with direct and indirect closed Brayton cycles and different working fluids

Abstract This paper investigated the performance of Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) power plants with helium working fluid and direct and indirect Closed Brayton Cycles (CBCs), and with binary mixture working fluids of He–Xe and He–N2 (molecular weight of 15 g/mole) and indirect CBCs. Also investigated are the effects of using low- and high-pressure compressors with intercooling, versus a single compressor, using bleed cooling the reactor pressure vessel in direct CBC helium plants, and varying the reactor exit temperature from 700 °C to 950 °C on the plant thermal efficiency, cycle pressure ratio and the size of and number of stages in the turbine and compressor. Analyses are performed for a shaft rotation speed of 3000 rpm, reactor thermal power of 600 MW and a temperature pinch of 50 °C in the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) for the indirect CBCs.
Using digital versus analog ECG data in clinical trials.

Abstract In 54 patients, we measured 3 different electrocardiogram (ECG) parameters required in the Symphony I trial and compared various combinations of pairs of measurements from 4 different sets of analog data and I set of digital data. Particularly for measurements of the durations of R waves in lead aVF, we found poor intraobserver and interobserver reliability and poor agreement between analog and digital data. There was much better agreement in measurements of the amplitudes of S waves in lead V 3 . The poorer agreement involving durations appears to be due to difficulties in accurately identifying the offsets of portions of the QRS complex, especially in lead AVF. We conclude that, particularly in measurements of duration, digital and analog data are not equivalent.
The influence of alkyl end‐groups on the miscibility of hyperbranched polymers with polyolefins

Polyetherimide (PEI) hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) with alkyl terminated end-groups were blended with linear low density polyethylenes (LLDPEs) and extruded as thin films. The effects of length and concentration of the alkyl groups on the miscibility of the extruded films were examined using confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Surface properties of the blends were further characterized using contact angle measurements in de-ionized water. Results indicate that migration of PEI HBPs to the film surfaces is predominantly driven by the surface energy differences of HBPs and polyolefins. Moreover, the addition of PEI HBPs to LLDPEs has a negligible effect on the processing properties of LLDPEs.
Homoepitaxial Ostwald ripening

This paper reports level set simulations of the Ostwald ripening of two-dimensional homoepitaxial islands. The simulation accurately accounts for both adatom diffusion between the islands and adatom attachment/detachment processes at the island edges. We compute the time evolution of the average island size and the full island size distribution function. The results provide support for a previously proposed self-consistent mean field theory.
Pharmacokinetics of Morphine and its Surrogates VIII: Naloxone and Naloxone Conjugate Pharmacokinetics in Dogs as a Function of Dose and as Affected by Simultaneously Administered Morphine

Reversed-phase HPLC assays with electrochemical detection, developed to quantify naloxone, 6β-naloxol, and their hydrolyzed conjugates in biological fluids provided assay sensitivities of 10 to 20 ng/mL in plasma, urine, and bile. These fluids were monitored in dogs after iv bolus administrations of 0.47 and 4.7 mg/kg of naloxone. Plasma concentration-time data were well fitted by the sums of two exponentials with two sequential half-lives of 11 ± 1 (SEM) and 56 ± 3 min. Pharmacokinetics were dose-independent; total and renal clearances were 1334 ± 133 mL/min and 42 ± 9 mL/min, respectively, with a renal clearance of 65 ± 5 mL/min for the conjugate. The percentage of the dose excreted in the urine as naloxone was 4.4 ± 1.0%. There was a possible dose-dependent excretion of conjugate with 46 ± 1 and 22 ± 5% of the dose renally excreted at the high and low doses, respectively. In incomplete biliary cannulation, 13 and 18% were collected as conjugate in the bile of two bile-cannulated dogs. There was negligible biliary secretion of unchanged naloxone. Neither 6β-naloxol nor its conjugates were metabolites of naloxone in dogs. The simultaneous administration of naloxone does not reverse the dose-dependent pharmacokinetic perturbations of morphine. Morphine significantly lessened its own body, renal, and biliary clearances, as well as those of naloxone, and also lowered their apparent overall volumes of distribution. Plasma levels of naloxone and its conjugate were elevated with simultaneous morphine administration. Urinary flow rates were also greatly lessened and initial renal shut-down was implied at the higher morphine dose. Thus, the established competitive antagonistic action of naloxone on morphine does not extend to the reversal of the biological feedback effects of morphine on the metabolism and excretion of itself and simultaneously administered naloxone.
Spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton pigment distributions in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean

Abstract During the 1992 U.S. JGOFS Equatorial Pacific (EqPac) study, we participated in survey (12°N-12°S, along 135°–140°W) and time-series (0°, 140°W) cruises to identify the factors that control spatial and temporal variations in phytoplankton pigment biomass, taxonomic composition and size structure. To achieve this goal, we determined pigment marker distributions in conjunction with collaborative measurements performed by EqPac investigators. Distributions of phytoplankton pigments measured during early 1992 (El Nino conditions) were different from those measured during late 1992 (“normal” conditions). Most notably, the accessory pigment distributions revealed that the 1991–1992 El Nino event produced a significant reduction in eukaryotic phytoplankton biomass, especially that contributed by prymnesiophytes, pelagophytes and diatoms. This variability was most likely caused by a combination of physical (Kelvin waves, tropical instability waves and advection), chemical (iron limitation) and biological (growth-grazing imbalances) processes. The results of this pigment study underscore the need for sampling biological properties on the appropriate time and space scales, and the necessity of physical measurements for interpreting their distributions.
Influence of load biaxiality on the fracture load of center cracked sheets

Analysis of the problem of a plane infinite elastic body with a centrally located crack subject to uniform biaxial load along the remote outer boundaries, indicates that loads applied parallel to the crack influence the value of the critical (fracture) tensile load applied perpendicular to it, with the Poisson ratio of the material determining the characteristics of this influence. Experimental information from specially designed biaxial test programs, obtained by the authors and also from the published data of other investigators, shows that, while tensile loads parallel to the crack raise the critical value of perpendicular load for an aluminum alloy, they have a reverse effect on the critical load for plexiglass (polymethylmethacrylate or PMMA), in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the analysis.
Generalized double-exchange model for magnetic semiconductors with angular momentum j

Abstract To facilitate the search for new magnetic semiconductors with high transition temperatures T C , we use dynamical mean-field theory to evaluate T C for a double-exchange system with general angular momentum j = 1 / 2 , 3 / 2 , 5 / 2 , … . For simplicity, we assume that there is one local moment per site and that the Hund's coupling J c between the local moments and the charge carriers (with undoped bandwidth W ) is large. The maximum Curie temperature T C max ( m j , j ) for a given m j and j occurs when the m j sub-band is half-filled. For a fixed j, T C max ( m j , j ) is the largest in the lowest or the highest sub-band with m j = ± j , where the carriers are most optimally coupled to the local moments. When j ⪢ 1 , T C max ( ± j , j ) scales like W / 2 j + 1 , which is the bandwidth of each m j sub-band. For j = 1 / 2 , T C max ( ± 1 / 2 , 1 / 2 ) is suppressed by fluctuations of the carrier spin. Surprisingly, T C max ( ± j , j ) reaches a maximum for j = 3 / 2 , the same angular momentum as the charge carriers in p-band semiconductors like GaAs and Ge.
A taxonomy and database for capturing human reliability and human performance data

This paper introduces a taxonomy and accompanying database designed to bridge previous efforts at human reliability analysis (HRA) and human factors design. Previous HRA database efforts have focused primarily on incident analyses related to the safe operation of nuclear power plants. Previous human factors design standards have largely omitted a thorough investigation of the root causes of human error and their prevention through optimal design. The taxonomy introduced in this paper redresses these shortcomings in three ways: (1) It targets a domain outside the traditional realm of nuclear power plant operations. Specifically, it focuses on information that would be informative to human performance in extreme environments. (2) The taxonomy includes specific fields for incorporating completed HRAs, incident reports, and psychological research using human subjects or simulation. (3) The information captured through the taxonomy is applicable to both HRA and system design. The information format incorporates quantitative information appropriate to HRA such as human error probabilities and qualitative information appropriate to system design such as overall "lessons learned." Language: en
On Hamiltonian-connected graphs

One of the most fundamental results concerning paths in graphs is due to Ore: In a graph G, if deg x + deg y ≧ |V(G)| + 1 for all pairs of nonadjacent vertices x, y ≅ V(G), then G is hamiltonian-connected. We generalize this result using set degrees. That is, for S ⊂ V(G), let deg S = |x≅SN(x)|, where N(x) = {v|xv ≅ E(G)} is the neighborhood of x. In particular we show: In a 3-connected graph G, if deg S1 + deg S2 ≧ |V(G)| + 1 for each pair of distinct 2-sets of vertices S1, S2 ⊂ V(G), then G is hamiltonian-connected. Several corollaries and related results are also discussed.
Distinct regions of the Swi5 and Ace2 transcription factors are required for specific gene activation.

Swi5 and Ace2 are cell cycle-regulated transcription factors that activate expression of early G1-specific genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Swi5 and Ace2 have zinc finger DNA-binding domains that are highly conserved, and the two proteins bind to the same DNA sequences in vitro. Despite this similarity in DNA binding, Swi5 and Ace2 activate different genes in vivo, with Swi5 activating the HO gene and Ace2 activating CTS1 expression. In this report we have used chimeric fusions between Swi5 and Ace2 to determine what regions of these proteins are necessary for promoter-specific activation of HO and CTS1. We have identified specific regions of Swi5 and Ace2 that are required for activation of HO and CTS1, respectively. The Swi5 protein binds HO promoter DNA cooperatively with the Pho2 homeodomain protein, and the HO specificity region of Swi5 identified in the chimeric analysis coincides with the region of Swi5 previously identified that interacts with Pho2 in vitro. Swi5 and Ace2 also activate expression of a number of other genes expressed in G1 phase of the cell cycle, including ASH1, CDC6, EGT2, PCL2, PCL9, RME1, and SIC1. Analysis of the Swi5/Ace2 chimeras shows that distinct regions of Swi5 and Ace2 contribute to the transcriptional activation of some of these other G1-regulated genes.
Comments concerning “On the isobaric vapour-liquid equilibrium of the cyclohexanol-phenylmethanol binary at 101.325 ± 0.067 kPa”

Abstract Acree Jr. W.E., 1992. Comments concerning “On the isobaric vapour-liquid equilibrium of the cyclohexanol-phenylmethanol binary at 101.325 ±0.067 kPa”. Fluid Phase Equilibria 81: 343–345. The semi-empirical molecular activity coefficient (SEMAC) model is examined using standard thermodynamic relationships. Through partial differentiation of the SEMAC activity coefficient expressions, it is shown that the model fails to obey the Gibbs-Duhem equation.
Relationship Estimation from Whole-Genome Sequence Data

The determination of the relationship between a pair of individuals is a fundamental application of genetics. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that identity-by-descent (IBD) information generated from high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data can greatly improve the power and accuracy of genetic relationship detection. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) marks the final step in increasing genetic marker density by assaying all single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), and thus has the potential to further improve relationship detection by enabling more accurate detection of IBD segments and more precise resolution of IBD segment boundaries. However, WGS introduces new complexities that must be addressed in order to achieve these improvements in relationship detection. To evaluate these complexities, we estimated genetic relationships from WGS data for 1490 known pairwise relationships among 258 individuals in 30 families along with 46 population samples as controls. We identified several genomic regions with excess pairwise IBD in both the pedigree and control datasets using three established IBD methods: GERMLINE, fastIBD, and ISCA. These spurious IBD segments produced a 10-fold increase in the rate of detected false-positive relationships among controls compared to high-density microarray datasets. To address this issue, we developed a new method to identify and mask genomic regions with excess IBD. This method, implemented in ERSA 2.0, fully resolved the inflated cryptic relationship detection rates while improving relationship estimation accuracy. ERSA 2.0 detected all 1st through 6th degree relationships, and 55% of 9th through 11th degree relationships in the 30 families. We estimate that WGS data provides a 5% to 15% increase in relationship detection power relative to high-density microarray data for distant relationships. Our results identify regions of the genome that are highly problematic for IBD mapping and introduce new software to accurately detect 1st through 9th degree relationships from whole-genome sequence data.
Chemical Reaction Kinetics and Reactor Modeling of NOx Removal in a Pulsed Streamer Corona Discharge Reactor

The removal of nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2) from dry nitrogen gas and dry air with and without ethylene using a pulsed streamer corona discharge reactor (PSCDR) was investigated. A kinetic model wa...
The Galerkin method as applied to problems in viscoelasticity

Abstract This paper establishes the convergence of the continuous-time Galerkin technique as applied to quasi-static, linear viscoelasticity.
Hydrothermal synthesis and structures of the novel niobium phosphates [NbOF(PO4)](N2C5H7) and [(Nb0.9V1.1)O2(PO4)2(H2PO4)](N2C2H10)

Abstract Two new niobium phosphates were synthesized and their crystal structures determined from single-crystal X-ray data. [NbOF(PO 4 )](N 2 C 5 H 7 ) ( 1 ) (monoclinic, space group P 2 1 / c , a =11.442(1), b =9.1983(7), c =9.1696(8) A, β = 109.94(1) ° ) has a layered structure and is the first example of a negatively charged NbOF(PO 4 ) layer analogous to the M O(H 2 O)PO 4 ( M =V, Nb) layers. The layer charge is compensated by interlayer 4-aminopyridnium cations that adopt an unusual arrangement as a consequence of H-bonding and π – π interactions. The interlayer aminopyridnium cations can be exchanged with alkylammonium ions which form bilayers inclined at ∼65° to the NbOF(PO 4 ) layer. [(Nb 0.9 V 1.1 )O 2 (PO 4 ) 2 (H 2 PO 4 )] (N 2 C 2 H 10 ) ( 2 ) (orthorhombic, space group Pbca , a =15.821(2), b =9.0295(9), c =18.301(2) A) has a disordered three-dimensional structure based on NbO(PO 4 ) layers cross-linked by phosphate tetrahedra, and has a similar structure to the known vanadium analog [V 2 O 2 (PO 4 ) 2 (H 2 PO 4 )] (N 2 C 2 H 10 ).
Evaluating the effect of the joining platform on seismic data acquired by geophones mounted to rigid media

High-resolution shallow seismic data can be acquired efficiently by using rigid media to rapidly deploy geophones. Minor changes occur to the recorded wavefield when geophones and spikes are rigidly attached to a bar of square steel tubing. We show through forward modeling and frequency-domain inverse filtering that the bar acts as a linear filter on the data acquired. This filter contains both a phase shift and an amplitude scalar and is a function of spike-to-receiver offset on the bar. Filter characteristics are independent of phase-moveout direction or spike and receiver placement. By combining the phase-shift and the amplitude scalar, frequency-domain filter generation proved more computationally efficient than previously employed time-domain algorithms. While statistical methods show the amplitude scalar in the filter to vary from shot to shot, the phase shift appears to remain constant. This research shows that rigidly mounted geophones have the ability to record the seismic wavefield with high fidelity, thus making the acquisition of ultra-shallow seismic data more efficient.
Tritium-related surface effects in tokamaks

Abstract The effects of tritium adsorbed on internal torus and near-torus components in tokamaks are discussed. For in-torus locations, which normally experience plasma particle fluxes, the effects of adsorbed tritium are entirely negligible because of the weakness of the tritium β-decay. Tritium adsorbed on surfaces, however, can dramatically degrade diagnostic devices by causing particle counting backgrounds due to the decay electrons. Experimental data on channel electron multipliers (CEMs) which have been tritium-exposed illustrate this degradation and point out the necessity of determining tritium effects for all particle detector types which will be exposed to tritium in tokamaks.
Sodium phenylbutyrate enhances astrocytic neurotrophin synthesis via protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated activation of cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB): implications for Alzheimer disease therapy.

Neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), are believed to be genuine molecular mediators of neuronal growth and homeostatic synapse activity. However, levels of these neurotrophic factors decrease in different brain regions of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD). Induction of astrocytic neurotrophin synthesis is a poorly understood phenomenon but represents a plausible therapeutic target because neuronal neurotrophin production is aberrant in AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we delineate that sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB), a Food and Drug Administration-approved oral medication for hyperammonemia, induces astrocytic BDNF and NT-3 expression via the protein kinase C (PKC)-cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway. NaPB treatment increased the direct association between PKC and CREB followed by phosphorylation of CREB (Ser133) and induction of DNA binding and transcriptional activation of CREB. Up-regulation of markers for synaptic function and plasticity in cultured hippocampal neurons by NaPB-treated astroglial supernatants and its abrogation by anti-TrkB blocking antibody suggest that NaPB-induced astroglial neurotrophins are functionally active. Moreover, oral administration of NaPB increased the levels of BDNF and NT-3 in the CNS and improved spatial learning and memory in a mouse model of AD. Our results highlight a novel neurotrophic property of NaPB that may be used to augment neurotrophins in the CNS and improve synaptic function in disease states such as AD.
Current practice patterns in cervical cancer screening in Indiana

Objective The purpose of this study is to describe current health care provider cervical cancer screening practice patterns for average-risk women in the state of Indiana in comparison to the 2012 guidelines as well as earlier guidelines. We also aim to describe what factors are associated with increased adherence to guidelines, and what factors may impede adherence. Study Design We conducted a vignette-based survey among a convenience sample of obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants attending the Indiana American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Section meeting in January 2013. Results Questionnaires were returned by 51% (112/218) of attendants. Of the 111 providers with completed surveys, 42 (38%) follow current guidelines. Of providers, 86% start screening at age 21 years. Of providers, 33% screen women aged 21-29 years every 3 years. Of providers, 33% follow recommendations for cotesting every 5 years for patients 30-65 years of age. The majority of providers follow guidelines to stop screening after a benign hysterectomy or age 65 years (75% and 51%, respectively). Conclusion The majority of providers follow the 2012 guidelines for the initiation and cessation of cervical screening; however, most providers screen more frequently than currently recommended for patients between ages 21-65 years.
A forward mutation assay in phage T4: Application to gene 42 mutations

Abstract A forward mutation assay was developed to study mutagenic specificity induced by temperature-sensitive alleles of bacteriophage T4 gene 42, which encodes a thermolabile deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase. Thymidine kinase (tk) mutations induced by T4 ts B3 at a semi-permissive temperature (34°C) were selected under near-ultraviolet light on synthetic agar plates containing bromodeoxyuridine, and sequenced after PCR amplification of the tk gene. 21 of 23 tk− mutations identified were C → T transitions, while the ramainder were C → A transversions. Analyses of the DNA sequence around each mutant site suggest that the mispairing of thymine with guanine in the template is suppressed when the next nucleotide is dGTP. The 5′ neighbor nucleotide of the mismatch may influence mutation frequency as well; no mutations with dAMP residues on the upstream side were seen. Our observations with the forward mutation assay here at consistent with previous results from an rII reversion assay, supporting our model that the mutator phenotype displayed by tsLB3 is a consequence of perturbation of dNTP supplies to replication sites due to partial impairment of thermolabile deoxytidylate hydroxymethylase at a semi-permissive temperature. The forward mutation assay described here is readily adapted for other studies of mutagenesis in T4 phage.
Assessing Efficacy of a New Research-Oriented Peer Mentoring Program: YOU’RE@CU

At the University of Colorado, Boulder, a new program designed to link graduate students with 1st and 2nd year undergraduate students through engineering research projects and mentoring relationships was initiated in Spring 2011. Your Own Undergraduate Research Experience at the University of Colorado (YOU’RE@CU) has three main goals: (1) increase retention of undergraduate students in engineering, particularly women and underrepresented minorities (URMs); (2) excite undergraduate student interest in research projects and future careers in academia or industry; (3) provide graduate students with training and hands-on mentoring experience with the expectation that this will positively influence graduate student choices to seek a career in academia. This paper illustrates the details of the YOU’RE@CU program during its pilot implementation in Spring 2011. The assessment strategy and methods are also explained, with presentation of qualitative data and discussion of the overall data analysis process.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
‘Mill girls’ and ‘mine boys’: The cultural meanings of migrant labour

(1996). ‘Mill girls’ and ‘mine boys’: The cultural meanings of migrant labour. Social History: Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 160-179.
Understanding the role of cessation fatigue in the smoking cessation process

Background To understand the dynamic process of cessation fatigue (i.e., the tiredness of trying to quit smoking) with respect to its average trend, effect on relapse, time-varying relations with craving and negative affect, and differences among genders and treatment groups.