cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of oxygen partial pressure on structural, optical and electrical properties of titanium-doped CdO thin films

Abstract Titanium-doped CdO thin films were deposited on quartz by pulsed laser deposition. The effect of oxygen partial pressure on optoelectrical properties of these films was studied. It is observed that surface roughness of the films depends on oxygen partial pressure. The root mean square values of surface roughness for the films grown under different oxygen pressure were found to vary from 0.55 to 2.95 nm. Highly conducting (4.41 × 104 S/cm), and transparent (∼78%) film with high mobility (120 cm2 V−1 s−1) is observed for the film grown under oxygen pressure of 1.0 × 10−3 mbar. The optical band gap is found varying between 2.45 and 2.67 eV for various oxygen pressure.
Use of cyanine dyes with evanescent wave fiber optic biosensors

Cyanine fluorescent dyes which can be coupled to proteins have recently become available. They are excited in the 500-700 nm range and have large extinction coefficients which make them good candidates for sensitive immunosensor applications. We evaluated three of these dyes (Cy3, Cy5, and Cy5.5) in a direct fluoroimmunoassay on evanescent wave fiber optic biosensors. The biosensors differed in laser excitation sources and emission filters in order to accommodate dye requirements. The assay consisted of rabbit anti-goat IgG immobilized fiber probes being exposed to fluorophorelabeled goat IgG (gIgG). Upon binding of the dye-conjugated protein to the fiber, a signal was generated. When using the 514 nm laser device, Cy3-gIgG gave a substantially larger signal than TRITC-gIgG. On the 650 nm laser device, Cy5-gIgG provided very good signal, while that for Cy5.5 was moderate. Cy5.5 produced an excellent response on the 670 nm laser device. Use of these dyes provides a mechanism for improving the fiber optic biosensor by changing the excitation/emission region to an area of low background for clinical and environmental samples.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
On the Derivation of Boundary Conditions for Plate Theory

Previous work on the derivation of plate theory by parametric expansions in three-dimensional elasticity includes expansion of the interior solution (Goodier 1938) and simultaneous expansions of interior and edge-zone solutions (Friedrichs 1950; Friedrichs & Dressler 1961). The work of Goodier is concerned with the derivation of two-dimensional differential equations while the work of Friedrichs & Dressler is concerned with the derivation of differential equations as well as boundary conditions, through the joint consideration of interior and edge-zone expansions. The principal object of the present paper is the derivation of boundary conditions for the successive terms of the interior solution expansion, without consideration of the edge-zone solution expansion. The method of derivation makes use of a variational formulation of three-dimensional elasticity theory.
Threshold wind velocities for sand movement in the Mescalero Sands of southeastern New Mexico

Abstract Saltation activity and threshold velocities were measured at two Chihuahuan Desert sites located in the Mescalero Sands to the east of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Sand movement was detected with piezoelectric saltation sensors, and these data were used to calculate saltation activity and threshold wind speeds for the two sites. Significant blowing events were observed on nine days of this 112-day study, and it was only during these active periods that threshold values could be calculated. During periods of sand transport, threshold values were calculated every 5 min. Average threshold values typically exceeded 10.5 m/s at both sites; these are about twice those measured previously at a less vegetated dune site in West Texas. Less saltation activity occurred at the Gnome site compared with the Near Field site, especially during April; and while this can be partially attributed to differences in wind speed, additional studies are needed to evaluate other important factors such as the influence of undulating terrain and complex vegetation. Nevertheless, the results demonstrate the feasibility of long-term unattended monitoring of wind erosion activity in remote locations and that reliable and consistent estimates of threshold velocity can be obtained in complex desert environments using the time-fraction-equivalence principle.
Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Infant Information Processing Ability.

403 black, inner-city infants born to women recruited prenatally on the basis of their alcohol consumption during pregnancy were assessed on a battery focusing on information processing and complexity of play. Prenatal alcohol exposure was not related to visual recognition memory or cross-modal transfer of information but was associated with longer fixation duration, a measure indicative of slower, less efficient information processing; lower scores on elicited play; and longer periods of toy exploration, possibly also due to slower cognitive processing. The effects on processing speed and elicited play were dose-dependent and not attributable to maternal depression, parental intellectual stimulation, other prenatal drug exposure, or postpartum maternal drinking. The processing speed deficit is consistent with deficits in older children prenatally exposed to alcohol; the present study is the first to identify slower cognitive processing in infancy and in tasks not dependent on motoric proficiency.
Iatrogenic damage to the pediatric airway Mechanisms and scar development

Iatrogenic damage to the pediatric airway occurs rather often. Most injuries will heal without any sequelae because larynx and trachea of children tolerate considerable trauma. However, sometimes the injury is penetrating the mucosa and scar formation can lead to an obstruction of the airway which is followed by a tracheostomy and long term surgery. A great problem is the early detection of trauma since noisy breathing develops often late when scar formation has occluded more than 50% of the airway. A selection of photo documents of airway endoscopy out of more than 5000 photos from the years 1987-2007 were used to explain the development of injuries from minor lesions to large areas of necrosis of the mucosa of larynx and trachea of infants and children. The visualization of airway lesions might help to prevent iatrogenic damage.
Amylases in developing barley seeds.

The amylases of developing barley seeds (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Himalaya) were investigated by colorimetric and electrophoretic methods. Maxima of amylolytic activity appeared in the aleurone layers and starchy endosperm at 5 and 20 days after anthesis. Amylase from 5-day-old aleurone layers could be separated into four rapidly moving bands with α-amylase activity. By 20 days the four bands had been replaced by seven bands of medium mobility. These seven bands of amylase were electrophoretically identical to those observed when mature aleurone layers are treated with gibberellic acid. Immature aleurone layers failed to respond to exogenous gibberellic acid. In the starchy endosperm the seven bands of medium mobility were also present. Calcium-dependent alterations in the electrophoretic mobility and activity of particular bands occurred during the maturation of the starchy endosperm. Treatment of the immature starchy endosperm with papain yielded four forms of β-amylase.
Templating of Multiple Ligand Metal Ion Complexation Sites in 8-Hydroxyquinoline-Modified Silica Sol−Gel Materials Investigated by in Situ Raman Spectroscopy

Metal ion templating in a sol−gel synthesis is used to develop multiligand 8-hydroxyquinoline binding sites in porous silica structures. The acid−base equilibria and the metal ion binding equilibria and stoichiometry of these materials are investigated by in situ Raman spectroscopy. This technique is capable of resolving spectral responses of the free ligand and its acid−base forms along the monomeric and dimeric ligand complexes with Cu2+. The proton-transfer equilibrium constants and first ligand binding equilibrium constant to Cu2+ for the metal ion-templated silica are equivalent to surface-immobilized 8HQ on silica gel. The second ligand binding constant to Cu2+, however, is comparable to the first ligand binding constant, which differs from free-solution behavior, where an order of magnitude smaller value is expected. The free energy available for binding the second ligand within the templated material is comparable to the first ligand, probably due to the nearly optimal location of the second ligan...
Senior center participation : findings from a multidimensional analysis

Data on three dimensions of senior center participation (number of activities, duration, and frequency of attendance) are analyzed for a sample of 235 participants drawn from eight senior centers m western New York Measures traditionally used in comparisons of center participants versus nonparticipants (sociodemographic characteristics, health, moral, accessibility, and social contact) are not found to relate to the three participation dimensions consistently. These findings suggest that the common research practice of conceptualizing senior center participation simply as a yes or no condition is conceptually and empirically suspect.
Evidence that neuromedin U may regulate gut motility in reptiles but not in mammals

Neuromedin U-8 induced a monophasic and concentration-dependent contraction of intact small intestine from the turtle, Pseudemys scripta, whereas the peptide had no effect upon the motility of rat and guinea pig gut. The maximum response produced by neuromedin U-8 was 56% of that produced by acetylcholine and 62% of that produced by potassium chloride. The potency and maximum response to neuromedin U-8 were unaffected by tetrodotoxin and atropine. The data suggest that neuromedin U may play a role in regulation of gut motility in lower vertebrates but not in mammals.
Alkali-processed sweetpotato French fries

A combination of alkali (sodium phosphate or calcium chloride) infiltration and blanching and their order of application were studied for their effect on the sensory and physico-chemical (moisture, fat, sugars, and shear force) quality of sweetpotato French fries (SPFF) made from sweetpotatoes (SP) stored for 3 months or 1 year. Sensory quality (taste, texture, and overall acceptability) were evaluated using a nine-point hedonic scale. Treatment of SP strips with sodium phosphate solutions prior to blanching caused an increase in firmness as compared with untreated strips. For SPFF produced from SP stored 3 months, sensory quality of treated SPFF was indistinguishable from untreated SPFF. However, for SP processed at 1 year of storage, the sensory texture of treated samples was more acceptable than the sensory texture of untreated samples. Shear force data indicated that the firmest samples did not have the most acceptable sensory texture, indicating that there is an optimal level of shear force that gives the “right” amount of resistance to chewing to result in a more acceptable product. This process can be used in the manufacture SPFF from SP stored up to 1 year.
DIURETIC DOSE AND OUTCOMES AMONG HOSPITALIZED HEART FAILURE PATIENTS: INSIGHTS FROM THE EVEREST TRIAL

Loop diuretic use is related to the severity of cardiac and renal dysfunction in chronic heart failure (HF). The association of discharge diuretic dose and outcomes in hospitalized HF (HHF) patients is less well studied. The Efficacy of Vasopressin Antagonism in Heart Failure Outcome Study with
Streptococcal Infections (Groups A and B)

Group C And G streptococci are known for causing disease in domestic animals. Most human infections caused by these organisms can be severe and are usually traced to an animal source.
Enzyme activity in sleep and sleep deprivation

Liver tyrosine transaminase activity is low during the day when the rats are mostly asleep and high during the night when they are awake. When wakefulness was imposed for 8 hr during daylight on the day of the experiment and the rats were allowed to sleep for the following 3 hr during darkness, the tyrosine transaminase activity became high during the day and low at night. That this reversal in enzyme activity is not mediated by the pituitary-adrenal axis is demonstrated by the fact that in adrenalectomized rats tyrosine transaminase activity increased during the day in the sleep deprived rats. However, in these rats the enzyme activity did not become low in the sleep-deprived-sleeping condition. Changes in tryptophan pyrrolase activity during sleep deprivation were demonstrated to be mediated by the pituitary-adrenal axis.
Lymphocyte recognition of psoriatic endothelium: evidence for a tissue-specific receptor/ligand interaction.

Epidermotropic lymphocytes are an essential cellular component of the skin-associated lymphoid tissues (SALT). Dermal lymphocytic infiltrates are also characteristics of inflammatory dermatoses, such as psoriasis, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease, although the mechanisms by which lymphocytes are recruited into these sites are not known. We have used an in vitro lymphocyte adherence assay to test the hypothesis that specialized endothelial cells are present in inflamed skin, and are capable of supporting lymphocyte adherence and promoting lymphocyte emigration. In this assay, we assessed the binding of lymphocytes overlaid onto frozen sections of normal and psoriatic skin. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients, from healthy volunteers, and from rat thoracic duct bound specifically to dermal endothelia in psoriatic plaques, in steroid-resistant areas of plaques, but not in uninvolved skin or skin from healthy individuals. Analysis of the binding properties of lymphocyte subsets revealed preferential adherence by CD4 + T cells as compared with CD8 + T cells and to B cells. Interestingly, PBMC from patients undergoing ultraviolet light therapy failed to adhere to autologous skin or to lesion-containing skin sections from untreated patients. Additional studies indicate that the lymphocyte – endothelial interaction is an energy- and calcium-dependent process and involves surface glycoprotein and carbohydrate moieties, requirements similar to those found in specific lymphocyte interactions with high endothelial venules in lymph nodes during the homing process. Pretreatment of lymphocytes with antibodies directed against homing receptors mediating migration into lymph nodes and into gut-associated lymphoid tissues, however, did not interfere with lymphocyte adherence to psoriatic endothelium. In contrast, anti-lymphocyte function associated antigen (LFA)-l antibody partially inhibited lymphocyte binding to chronic plaques. We conclude that a tissue-specific receptor/ligand interaction independent of LFA-1 directs lymphocyte emigration from the dermal microvasculature into the psoriatic dermis and that LFA-1 plays only an accessory role in the adhesion process. J Invest Dermatol 93:82S–87S, 1989
Vascular dysplasia in a child with tuberous sclerosis

Tuberous sclerosis is characterized by the development of hamartomas in many organs, particularly the brain, skin, heart, and kidney. We report a child with typical features of this disease who also had a severe generalized vascular dysplasia of both muscular arteries and veins and an abdominal aortic aneurysm in association with obliterative dysplasia of the aortic vasa vasorum. This is the first report of such a widespread vascular abnormality in association with tuberous sclerosis. This case along with several reports of more isolated vascular abnormalities in these patients indicates that vascular dysplasia represents another manifestation of the generalized tendency to hamartoma formation seen in this disorder.
Intersubband transitions and IR hot-electron transistors

We present a systematic theoretical and experimental study on wavelength tuning and absorption lineshape of single bound state quantum well infrared photodetectors. We found that the absorption energy is determined by the energy level structure above the barriers as well as the shape of the quantum well ground state wave function. We calculated the absorption lineshape and show that it depends sensitively on the position of the final state relative to the global band structure of the detector. Using a quantum barrier as an electron energy high pass filter to discriminate against the lower energy dark current, we are able to increase the detectivity of the detector. The new device is referred as an IR hot-electron transistor. Its potential advantages in focal plane array applications will be discussed.
Panic disorder in the primary care setting: comorbidity, disability, service utilization, and treatment.

Background: Increased medical service utilization in patients with panic disorder has been described in epidemiologic studies, although service use in primary care panic patients relative to other primary care patients is less well characterized. Inadequate recognition of panic has been shown in several primary care studies, although the nature of usual care for panic in this setting has not been well documented. This study aimed to document increased service use in panic patients relative to other primary care patients and to characterize the nature of their usual care for panic and their outcome. Method: Using a waiting room screening questionnaire and follow-up telephone interview with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, we identified a convenience sample of 81 patients with panic disorder (DSM-IV) and a control group of 183 psychiatrically healthy patients in 3 primary care settings on the West Coast and determined psychiatric diagnostic comorbidity, panic characteristics, disability, and medical and mental health service use, including medications. A subsample (N = 41) of panic patients was reinterviewed 4-10 months later to determine the persistence of panic and the adequacy of intervening treatment received using the Harvard/Brown Anxiety Disorders Research Program study criteria for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and an algorithm developed by the authors for medications. Results: Seventy percent of panic patients had a comorbid psychiatric diagnosis. Patients had more disability in the last month (days missed or cut down activities) (p <.01), more utilization of emergency room and medical provider visits (p <.01), and more mental health visits (p <.05). Despite the latter, only 42% received psychotropic medication, 36% psychotherapy, and 64% any treatment. On follow-up, 85% still met diagnostic criteria for panic, and only 22% had received adequate medication (type and/or dose) and 12% adequate (i.e., CBT) psychotherapy. Conclusion: These findings suggest a need for improved treatment interventions for panic disorder in the primary care setting to decrease disability and potentially inappropriate medical service utilization.
Hepatic artery chemoembolization

Chemoembolization is a technique that can deliver high concentrations of therapeutic agents directly to the liver for prolonged periods. Considerable experience has been gained in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma, where it appears to be a safe procedure that provides survival advantage over conservative therapy. There is much less experience in the treatment of hepatic metastases. Patients with carcinoid, pancreatic islet cell tumor, and sarcoma metastatic to the liver do appear to benefit from chemoembolization. Efficacy in other groups, such as patients with colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver, is less well established, but a recently initiated multicenter trial may resolve this issue. Semin Oncol 29:145-151. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Lattice dynamics of Kr films on the graphite (0001) surface by inelastic helium-atom scattering.

Lattice dynamics of the Kr monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer physisorbed on graphite (0001) surface were studied by inelastic He-atom scattering (${\mathit{k}}_{\mathit{i}}$=5.77 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$). The out-of-plane vibrational mode of the monolayer along both the \ensuremath{\Gamma}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} M${\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}}_{\mathit{R}}$ and \ensuremath{\Gamma}\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} K${\mathrm{\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{}}}_{\mathit{R}}$ symmetry directions is essentially dispersionless with vibrational energy of 4.1 meV for Q\ensuremath{\ge}0.3 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. For Q\ensuremath{\le}0.3 A${\mathrm{\r{}}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$, a strong interaction between adsorbate and substrate was indicated by the observation of an avoided-crossing behavior in the disperison curve and anomalous intensity distributions in the time-of-flight spectra. The disperison curves of the bilayer and trilayer, which are much lower in energy than that of the monolayer, appear to be the same and are not perturbed significantly by the substrate.
Glial cell lineage in the cerebral cortex: A review and synthesis

The present review is focused on the cell lineage relationships underlying gliogenesis in the cerebral cortex. Studies conducted both in vivo and in vitro suggest that the process of cortical gliogenesis involves a hierarchy of progressively restricted progenitor cell pools. In the cerebral cortex, as well as other areas of the central nervous system, glial cells differentiate from one another through a series of steps that can be defined at molecular, structural, and functional levels. Although the precise timing, sequence, and diversity of the steps involved in cortical gliogenesis are still not fully defined, the emerging picture suggests that both cell lineage and cell-cell interactions play a synergetic role in the determination and maintenance of the proper blend of glial cells in the cerebrum.
High resolution imaged laser speckle strain gauge for vascular applications.

An imaged laser speckle strain gauge that yields strain rates directly is described for vascular applications. The strain gauge does not rely upon cross correlations between a reference image and subsequent strain-modulated images as most current speckle interferometric methods do. Instead, it relies upon a two-dimensional frequency transform of ‘‘stacked speckle histories’’ which are time series of one-dimensional views of the speckle patterns arranged into a spatio-temporal array such that space is along the abscissa and time is along the ordinate. The tilt of the stacked speckle histories is related to the time rate of speckle pattern shift. The strain gauge is sensitive only to in-plane strains. Strain rates of 30.1±3.2 and 24.83±2.1µ?/s were evaluated in vitro on a fresh human tibial artery and rat inferior vena cava, respectively. The total strains measured were 21.6 and 19.86 µ?, respectively. This is at least one order of magnitude more sensitive than other current soft-tissue strain measurement techniques.
Reinterpretations of Christian and Indigenous Belief in a Nigerian Nativist Church

THE Anang are located in Ikot Ekpene and Abak Counties of Calabar Province and comprise the second largest of the six Ibibio-speaking groups of southeastern Nigeria. Numbering approximately 375,000 persons, they possess no centralized political organization but are divided into twentyeight village groups (iman), inappropriately termed "clans" by the British. While the iman is the broadest political entity, the village (obio) is the most important one, and within the obio the patrilineage (ekpuk) is the largest kinship unit, containing both nuclear and extended families. The village group is distinguished by the territory it occupies, as well as by dialectical and other distinctive cultural traits and a consciousness of unity expressed by its members. Although within fifty miles of the Gulf of Guinea, where trade with Europeans and Americans had been carried on for over four hundred years, the Anang were insulated from direct contact with the White man by coastal peoples who acted as middlemen in the lively trade in slaves and palm oil (Dike 1956:37-41). The Anang were first contacted by the British in 1902, when one of the columns of the military expedition sent to subdue the Aro (Burns 1955: 209-210) penetrated what is now Ikot Ekpene County. Two years later the British set up an administrative district in the area with jurisdiction over most of the Anang and neighboring Ibibio and Enyong peoples. Despite early pacification of these groups, intensive acculturation did not commence until the establishment of the first trading post and Christian mission in the region at Ikot Ekpene village a decade and a half later. Between that time and 1952, eight Christian denominations were installed among the Anang: the Wesleyan Methodist in 1919, the interdenominational Kwa Ibo the following year, the Roman Catholic Holy Ghost Order in 1925, the Missouri Synod Lutheran in 1936, the nativist African Apostolic the same year, the nativist Christ Army in 1940, the Assemblies of God in 1946, and the Seventh Day Adventist in 1948. The largest and most active bodies are the Roman Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, and Christ Army, and more than half of the Anang now profess one of the new faiths. It is the Christ Army denomination of Ikot Ekpene County that was studied in 1952, as part of a larger study of religious acculturation (Messenger 1957), and is the central concern of this paper. The Anang have reacted to religious acculturation differentially according to sex and age groups (Messenger 1959a: 286-299). Women as a whole have embraced Christianity, whereas only young men and boys among the males
Customer satisfaction driven quality improvement target planning for product development in automotive industry

Abstract Customer satisfaction targets for vehicle attributes are set at the corporate level with limited consideration of the engineering feasibility and interactions between different product features. This paper presents a comprehensive framework for target planning for customer satisfaction driven quality improvement efforts in the product development process. The proposed framework facilitates a link between corporate decision making and engineering decision making by integrating best practices and structuring technical activities. Potential vehicle attributes are classified and prioritized for further improvement using Kano model and quality function deployment. Customer satisfaction targets are established based on rigorous business analysis and trade-off studies. These targets are converted into objective engineering metrics using regression models. Transfer function equations are developed to provide a link between higher-level product characteristics and lower-level design variables. The mathematical models are formulated as optimization problems to cascade down top-level targets to lower-level elements within given constraints. A case example is presented to demonstrate the proposed methodology.
The decay of Se75

BS>Using the DuMond bent-crystal gamma-ray spectrometer, the DuMond iron- free ring-focusing beta-ray spectrometer and an iron free low-field semi-circular spectrometer, the energies and relative intensities of the gamma radiations and of the conversion electrons following the decay of Se/sup 75/ into As/sup 75/ were measured. The conversion coefficients and transition multipolarities deduced from this information are given and discussed Comparisons are made with measurements by other investigators. Inconsistencies between reported values of the mixing parameter of the 279.57 kev Ml + E2 transition are reconciled and the best value determined is 0.50 plus or minus 0.06. (auth)
Dry Etching of Copper at High Rates

Three new methods for dry etching of copper at temperatures below 200°C have been developed. The first relies on the formation of volatile CICu(PR3)2 species via reaction of PR3 with CuCI where R = ethyl, and butyl. The second relies on the reaction of Cu(hfac)2 and neutral ligands L such as butyne, pentyne or bistrimethylsilylacetylene to form (hfac)CuL. The last approach involves reaction of CuO with hexafluoroacetylacetone (hfacH) to form Cu(hfac)2 and water. These approaches have provided etch rates as high as 1 μm/min at 150°C.
E-government: do audits aid the netologically disadvantaged

Electronic government, or e-government, involves online internet or world wide web constituent interactions with government agencies. This paper discusses the term's development and investigates security and auditing aspects of sustained e-government growth. The original theory behind e-government involved standardised operations that reduced costs. Netologically disadvantaged agencies start with 'information-only' one-way websites. User demands and government mandates force 'transaction based' bi-directional interactions. Government organisations pass through four internet utilisation phases of increasing web-site sophistication and network security. In later phases, transaction authentication, privacy, and electronic signatures gain importance. Furthermore, government mandates require particular development whereby audits become necessary to ensure compliance.
Poisson Integrals for Homogeneous, Rank 1 Koszul Manifolds

Abstract Let X be a complex manifold which is homogeneous under the real analytic Lie group G where G is solvable with codimension one nilradical. Suppose that X has a G-invariant measure m = K dx where dx is Lebesgue measure. The Koszul form H is del-delbar of K. (If X is bounded, then H becomes the Bergmann metric.) We say that X is a Koszul domain if H is non-degenerate. This makes X into a pseudo-Riemannian manifold. In this work we study the eigenvalue problem for the corresponding Laplace-Beltrami operator. Despite the highly non-elliptic nature of the problem, we succeed in constructing boundary values and Poisson transformations. With suitable restrictions, the boundary map is one to one. Our techniques involve a fascinating relationship between the Laplace-Beltrami operator of X and the Casimir operator for Sl(2, R ). Our techniques are motivated by those of Kashiwara et al.
141 DEVELOPMENT OF rLENTIVIRAL VECTORS FOR MALE GERMLINE-SPECIFIC Cre RECOMBINASE EXPRESSION IN LIVESTOCK

Transgenic livestock have been used as biomedical models and have the potential to increase production characteristics. Unfortunately, some of the tools used to confirm genetic modification (transgenesis) are unacceptable in terms of public image. One key component is a fluorescent marker confirming foreign gene insert. The fluorescent protein benefits the researchers producing and selecting transgenic animals but is not required for the enhancement of the animal. Removal of the fluorescent marker can be accomplished by employing the Cre-lox recombination system. By using this system one can produce male genetically modified animals that express the enhanced trait in addition to the fluorescent marker, but their sperm only contain the portion of the transgene that represents the enhanced production trait. As a result, offspring derived from these animals exhibit the desired production trait but not the fluorescent marker. The goal of this research was to develop rlentiviral vectors that use the gamete-specific promoter stimulated by retinoic acid 8 (Stra8) to drive expression of Cre recombinase. The base rlentiviral vector we chose to use was pLB. It is ideal for this research because it has a U6 promoter to drive expression of a short hairpin RNA for an enhanced production trait, as well as Lox P sites flanking a cytomegalovirus-green fluorescent protein (CMV-GFP) expression cassette. Initially we identified and PCR amplified a 400-bp mouse Stra8 promoter and a 1.5-kb promoter region of the pig. The Stra8 promoters were integrated into the pLB vector directly upstream of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). These intermediate vectors should have germline-specific expression of GFP and are the first vectors using a pig Stra8 promoter. Next, we PCR amplified and inserted the coding sequence for Cre recombinase into these vectors for germline-specific Cre expression resulting in the first pig Stra8-Cre expression vector. The Lox P sites of this vector are flanking the GFP expression cassette as well as the Str8-Cre expression cassette. To confirm the functionality of the Cre-lox recombination system, the pLB vectors were transfected into human embryonic kindey 293T cells and fluorescence was measured. After Day 2, a Cre expression plasmid was transfected and 3 days post-Cre transfection, fluorescence was measured again. A decrease in fluorescence and GFP positive cell numbers was observed, thus confirming the functionality of the Cre-lox recombination event for these vectors. These vectors will be used to produce transgenic animals by lentiviral transgenesis. Our laboratory has been successful in using this method to produce transgenic livestock. The transgenic animals will be analysed to confirm male germ-cell-specific expression of Cre as well as removal of the GFP fluorescence. If successful, these will be the first transgenic animals using a pig Stra8 promoter for Cre expression for a novel single rlentiviral vector Cre-lox recombination system.
Plasma renin activity and aldosterone response to furosemide after chronic growth hormone administration to deficient subjects

Abstract The plasma renin activity (PRA) and aldosterone responses to furosemide-induced diuresis were measured in seven children with growth hormone deficiency prior to, during and after the admistration of clinical grade human growth hormone (hGH). The furosemide-stimulated increases in PRA were unchanged from baseline values after one and eight months of hGH administration, but the plasma aldosterone concentrations were significantly increased over control values after eight months of hGH administration. Plasma cortisol concentrations as determined by competitive protein binding assay were measured with the 30-minute cosyntropin (Cortrosyn) test. A normal response as defined by a final level of at least 20 ug/100 ml was found in all children. Resting cortisol concentrations were unchanged during treatment with hGH but the mean increment and final levels were significantly diminished after 8 months of hGH administration. These data have not elucidated the mechanism by which clinical grade hGH improves diuretic-induced aldosterone responsiveness but diminishes cosyntropin stimulation of the adrenal in childhood.
Addendum to the paper ‘ On the pole assignment in linear systems with fixed order compensators ’

(1976). Addendum to the paper ‘ On the pole assignment in linear systems with fixed order compensators ’. International Journal of Control: Vol. 23, No. 6, pp. 887-888.
Preemption Based Backfill

Recent advances in DNA analysis, global climate modeling and computational fluid dynamics have increased the demand for supercomputing resources. Through increasing the efficiency and throughput of existing supercomputing centers, additional computational power can be provided for these applications. Backfill has been shown to increase the efficiency of supercomputer schedulers for large, homogenous machines[1]. Utilizations can still be as low as 60% for machines with heterogeneous resources and strict administrative requirements. Preemption based backfill allows the scheduler to be more aggressive in filling up the schedule for a supercomputer[2]. Utilization can be increased and administrative requirements relaxed if it is possible to preempt a running job to allow a higher priority task to run.
Practical Considerations in the Measurement of Culture Fluorescence

We have examined practical considerations associated with the use of a commercially available fluorescence probe for in situ measurements in bioreactors. The optical path length of the measurement was first determined and a flow cell subsequently designed. The environment (agitation/aeration rates) of the probe was found to have a significant influence on the measurement. These effects were eliminated by placing the probe in a recycle loop using the flow cell. Fluorescence measurement in the recycle loop was verified to be representative of the cell sample and to not affect cell metabolism.
Asymptomatic cystic fibrosis diagnosed in an adult evaluated for hematuria

Abstract We report a case of cystic fibrosis in an asymptomatic man evaluated for hematuria with infertility. The ever-broadening spectrum of atypical adult presentations of cystic fibrosis should prompt physicians to have a lower threshold for ordering genetic screening for cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator ( CFTR ) gene mutations. © 2002 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.
Efficiency in pure blackboard systems

The blackboard model is a versatile framework for implementing expert systems. In recent years the speed of blackboard access has been improved but the execution cycle, which manages knowledge source activation and execution, still needs substantial improvement. A method of condensing knowledge sources is presented, and it is shown how to efficiently activate and execute a class of blackboard application systems using the condensed representation. It is shown that the time complexity of the execution cycle of a condensed system is faster than that of the conventional approach by the ratio of the time required for blackboard retrievals to the time required for vector element retrievals. In practice, this ratio is approximately four order of magnitude. >
Uterine Artery Embolization for Fibroids: Understanding the Technical Causes of Failure

THE growing evidence of the effectiveness of uterine artery embolization (UAE) has led to its acceptance as a treatment for fibroids in many centers around the world. It has created considerable interest among women and in the mainstream press. Gynecologists are becoming aware of the procedure and many are regularly referring patients for evaluation and treatment. The published case series are uniformly positive in their assessment of outcome (1–10). In this issue of JVIR, Pelage and coworkers (11) report their experience with a newer embolic agent, tris-acryl gelatin microspheres (Embospheres; Biosphere Medical, Rockland, MA), with results similar to those of earlier reports. Their work also fuels an ongoing debate: which is the preferred embolic agent for UAE? What is the appropriate endpoint of embolization with each of the products in current use? These questions point to a more central issue. What factors are associated with failure in UAE and how might a failed procedure be avoided? As our knowledge of this procedure increases, we need to focus on optimizing our technique to yield the best possible clinical outcome.
Bounds on the time to detect failures using bounded-capacity message links

The authors consider a system of distributed processors that communicate by passing messages and that have inexact information about time. Specifically, a processor knows that a single message is delayed by at most time d and the time between any two of its consecutive steps is at least e/sub 1/ and at most e/sub 2/; it has no other way of estimating elapsed time. The author extends this model by making a realistic assumption about how the delay of messages is affected by the rate at which they are sent. He defines a model of message links with bounded capacity, which are guaranteed to deliver messages at only a given rate. If a processor sends messages at a greater rate, they may incur greater delay. The effect of this bounded capacity on the time necessary to detect processor failures, is quantified. The author considers a system of two processors connected by a bidirectional message link of a given (integral) capacity. >
The Effect of Angle of Attack on Boundary-Layer Transition on Cones

Boundary-layer transition on 5- and 15-deg half-angle cones was studied as a function of angle of attack (ranging from 0 to 20 deg) in a 3.5 ft hypersonic wind tunnel at a freestream Mach number of 7.4. It is shown that the influence of the angle of attack on the transition Reynolds number is a function of the meridian angle. On the windward ray of the 15-deg cone, transition Reynolds numbers show an initial slight increase and then a decrease with increasing angle of attack; leeward-ray Reynolds numbers for this cone decrease rapidly with angle of attack. Windward-ray transition Reynolds numbers increase monotonically with angle of attack on the 5-deg cone, but the effect of the angle of attack on the leeward ray is the same as for the 15-deg cone.
User-tailored plan generation

The output of advice-giving systems can be regarded as plans to be executed by the user. Such plans are fairly useless if the user is not capable of executing some of the involved plan steps, or if he does not know them. We propose a two-phase process of user-tailored plan generation and plan presentation to produce advice that enables a user to reach his goals. This paper reports the first phase, the generation of a plan under the constraints of the user’s capabilities. The capabilities are represented as a hierarchy of plan concepts. System assumptions about user capabilities form a part of the user model, but are separate from assumptions about the user’s knowledge, goals etc. With this representation, we can re-use the techniques for collecting assumptions about the user’s conceptual knowledge for inferring his capabilities as well. We show an example of plan generation for users with different capabilities.
Pronounced chemical response of Subarctic lakes to climate‐driven losses in surface area

Losses in lake area have been observed for several Arctic and Subarctic regions in recent decades, with unknown consequences for lake ecosystems. These reductions are primarily attributed to two climate-sensitive mechanisms, both of which may also cause changes in water chemistry: (i) increased imbalance of evaporation relative to inflow, whereby increased evaporation and decreased inflow act to concentrate solutes into smaller volumes; and (ii) accelerated permafrost degradation, which enhances sublacustrine drainage while simultaneously leaching previously frozen solutes into lakes. We documented changes in nutrients [total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP)] and ions (calcium, chloride, magnesium, sodium) over a 25 year interval in shrinking, stable, and expanding Subarctic lakes of the Yukon Flats, Alaska. Concentrations of all six solutes increased in shrinking lakes from 1985-1989 to 2010-2012, while simultaneously undergoing little change in stable or expanding lakes. This created a present-day pattern, much weaker or absent in the 1980s, in which shrinking lakes had higher solute concentrations than their stable or expanding counterparts. An imbalanced evaporation-to-inflow ratio (E/I) was the most likely mechanism behind such changes; all four ions, which behave semiconservatively and are prone to evapoconcentration, increased in shrinking lakes and, along with TN and TP, were positively related to isotopically derived E/I estimates. Moreover, the most conservative ion, chloride, increased >500% in shrinking lakes. Conversely, only TP concentration was related to probability of permafrost presence, being highest at intermediate probabilities. Overall, the substantial increases of nutrients (TN >200%, TP >100%) and ions (>100%) may shift shrinking lakes towards overly eutrophic or saline states, with potentially severe consequences for ecosystems of northern lakes.
Analysis of single phase induction motors using the IODEKICE LOCUS

The paper proposes a simplified method for use in the analysis of single phase induction motors under running conditions using the IODEKICE LOCUS-a unity-diameter impedance circle derived from the Steinmetz Model. The impedance components of the forward and backward circular loci of the motor are represented mathematically by simple rational algebraic equations rather than by the usual products and quotients of complex quantities; the same impedance terms may be represented graphically by readily-visualized orthogonal components of those same circular loci, The result is a unified approach that may be used for a mathematical or graphical analysis of single phase machines. >
Von Willebrand Disease: diagnosis and management

Abstract Von Willebrand Disease is a common cause of excessive bruising and bleeding in children. Its diagnosis can be challenging, not only because of the various subtypes of the disorder but because of the considerable overlap between VWD and normal individuals. Laboratory diagnosis requires a range of quantitative and qualitative tests of the VWF protein, with targeted gene analysis increasingly used to confirm the diagnosis of type 2 and type 3 VWD. Bleeding Assessment Tools may be helpful in directed laboratory testing but are often less so in young children who have had limited haemostatic challenges. The diagnosis and management of affected children is best undertaken by specialist Haemophilia Centres and, as with all bleeding disorders, will often require a multidisciplinary approach. Treatment for VWD may require the use of antifibrinolytic drugs, vasopressin or VWF-containing plasma concentrates: treatment is often on-demand for individual bleeding episodes but there are specific indications for the use of prophylactic treatment in some children. Given its prevalence and presenting symptoms, VWD should always be considered in the assessment of children suspected of non-accidental injury.
International Integration and National Corruption

We argue that greater degrees of international integration lead to lower levels of corruption, which we define as the misuse of public office for private gain. We theorize that international factors affect a country's level of corruption through two principal channels. One acts through economic incentives, altering for various actors the costs and benefits of engaging in corrupt acts. The second mode is norma- tive. Prevailing norms in international society delegitimate and stigmatize corrup- tion. Countries that are more integrated into international society are more exposed to economic and normative pressures against corruption. We therefore test the fol- lowing hypothesis: the more a country is tied into international networks of ex- change, communication, and organization, the lower its level of corruption is likely to be. The analysis of data from approximately 150 countries strongly confirms our expectation.
Omni-directional treadmill system

Our problem definition for a locomotion haptic treadmill is a device that allows a user to walk normally in place in any direction by insuring that the reaction force that is felt remains consistent in all planar directions. A novel omni-directional treadmill is presented in this paper which focuses on modulating the compliance in the plane. Powered offset casters are used as the transmission system to adjust the compliance between the user and the treadmill. The control system is developed using a rapid embedded programming method. A large cloth material or board can be used as the walking surface for the treadmill. A prototype system has been constructed.
Dry spinning polymeric nano/microfiber arrays using glass micropipettes with controlled porosities and fiber diameters

We present a method for dry spinning polymeric nano/microfiber arrays. In this technique polymer solution is continuously ejected from a stationary glass micropipette and the fibers are deposited as continuous arrays in parallel and complex geometrical configurations on a rotating substrate mounted on to a translation stage. As the polymer solution exits the glass micropipette, ambient air is used to evaporate the solvent, thus solidifying the fiber which is then deposited on the rotating substrate. For a given polymer, altering the processing and material parameters allows depositing fiber arrays with highly tunable porosities and uniform fiber diameters. The fiber array porosity is observed to decrease with increasing angular velocity of the rotating substrate at a constant translational stage velocity. Fiber array breaking strength experiments as a function of porosity show higher loads required to break low porosity arrays, which is critical in designing stronger materials. Additionally, single and double layered biological scaffolds fabricated using this technique are seeded with mouse C2C12 cells and cellular dynamics of adhesion, migration and proliferation is investigated.