cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plants and human health: delivery of vaccines via transgenic plants.

One of major challenges of biotechnology is to reduce clinical innovations to economically viable practices. Plant-derived edible vaccines were first conceived and are continued to be developed with this prime directive in mind: merging innovations in medical science and plant biology for the creation of efficacious and affordable pharmaceuticals. Since the emergence of the original idea about 10 years ago, it was embraced by a growing number of laboratories in academia and industry and doing justice to the subject matter requires a much more expansive review then can be afforded here (Daniell et al., 2001; Mor et al., 1998; Tacket and Mason, 1999).
The Ability of Carnitine to Act as a Type 1Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor May Explain the Favorable Impact of Carnitine Supplementation on Mitochondrial Biogenesis in the Elderly

A number of studies have shown that carnitine supplementation – alone or in conjunction with supplemental lipoic acid - promotes mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) in skeletal, muscle, and brain of aging rodents; no such effect is seen in younger animals. These findings parallel clinical studies in which supplemental carnitine improves physical and mental energy in elderly humans, while decreasing body fat and increasing lean mass – effects that have not been achieved with carnitine in younger people. The age dependence of these phenomena appears to reflect the fact that tissue carnitine levels, especially those in muscle, decline during aging; carnitine supplementation restores higher, more youthful tissues carnitine levels in aging animals, but has relatively little impact in this regard on younger ones. The effect of supplemental carnitine on MB in aging animals appears to be mediated, in whole or in part, by increased expression of PPARγ-coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), a key driver of MB. There is recent evidence that, in low millimolar intracellular concentrations such as those seen in skeletal muscle, carnitine functions as an inhibitor of type 1 histone deacetylases (HDACs). Moreover, it has been reported that drug inhibitors of these deacetylases boost mRNA and protein expression of PGC-1α, presumably by promoting transcription of the PGC-1a gene; these drugs also amplify MB. It is therefore proposed that intracellular carnitine provides a moderate tonic inhibition of type 1 HDACs that supports PGC1α transcription and that diminishes with age as tissue carnitine levels decline; hence, carnitine supplementation in the elderly restores youthful expression of PGC-1α and promotes MB. The complementary impact of lipoic acid on MB may reflect the fact that the promoter of the gene coding for nuclear respiratory factor-1 (NRF-1) contains antioxidant response elements; hence, NRF-1 transcription is promoted by phase 2 inducers such as lipoic acid. PGC-1α and NRF-1 collaborate in driving the expression of mitochondrial proteins. Additional nutraceutical measures which may likewise support MB – citrulline, taurine, N-acetylcysteine, high-dose biotin, and astaxanthin – are discussed. The adverse impact of metabolic syndrome on MB in skeletal muscle may be mediated by toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling stimulated by saturated fatty acids; antagonists of TLR4 signaling, possibly including ferulic acid and phycocyanobilin, may therefore promote MB in the context of metabolic syndrome. Restoration of youthful MB in the elderly may have favorable impacts on physical capacity and cognitive function, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and oxidative stress.
O(1) Steiner Point Removal in Series-Parallel Graphs.

We study how to vertex-sparsify a graph while preserving both the graph's metric and structure. Specifically, we study the Steiner point removal (SPR) problem where we are given a weighted graph $G=(V,E,w)$ and terminal set $V' \subseteq V$ and must compute a weighted minor $G'=(V',E', w')$ of $G$ which approximates $G$'s metric on $V'$. A major open question in the area of metric embeddings is the existence of $O(1)$ multiplicative distortion SPR solutions for every (non-trivial) minor-closed family of graphs. To this end prior work has studied SPR on trees, cactus and outerplanar graphs and showed that in these graphs such a minor exists with $O(1)$ distortion. We give $O(1)$ distortion SPR solutions for series-parallel graphs, extending the frontier of this line of work. The main engine of our approach is a new metric decomposition for series-parallel graphs which we call a hammock decomposition. Roughly, a hammock decomposition is a forest-like structure that preserves certain critical parts of the metric induced by a series-parallel graph.
‘Team Zebra’: An Exploration of Social Identity, Motivation, and Sport Officiating Persistence

The purpose of this study is three-pronged: (1) to expand the understanding of social identities and motivations of sport officials, (2) to explore the utilization of Sport Employee Identification ...
OCP Avoidance in Classical Chinese: Implications for Tonogenesis

Through a corpus of five pre-Qin (before 221 BCE) texts, this paper argues that the authors of both prose and poetry in Classical Chinese were sensitive to OCP violations at cross-word boundaries, and changed diction and used marked word order as a way to avoid the creation of pseudogeminates across words. The frequency of bigrams which result in pseudogeminates are compared to the predicted frequency of pseudogeminates across the corpus. This paper finds that pseudogeminates are significantly (p<0.00001) rarer than expected through randomization. Furthermore, by analyzing these texts with multiple possible phonological reconstructions, this paper suggests that post-codas, segments which were present in Old Chinese, but were elided during the process of tonogenesis between Old Chinese and Middle Chinese, were most likely present in the Chinese of the writers of the texts. Evidence comes from the consistency of OCP avoidance across all tones of Chinese assuming the presence of post-codas, and the lack of consistency thereof when post-codas are not assumed.
Perceptions of Health Care, Information, and Social Support Among Women Affected by Zika Virus Infection During Pregnancy in Two U.S. States.

Objectives To understand the information needs and experiences with health care and social support among women with confirmed or possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy. Methods We conducted in-depth interviews with 18 women whose pregnancies were part of surveillance efforts in two states, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Using a semi-structured guide available in English and Spanish, we asked women about their experiences. We conducted a thematic analysis using NVivo 11. Results Only one participant reported that her infant had been diagnosed with health problems related to congenital Zika virus infection. Most participants said they received the information they needed about Zika virus and their infant's medical care. Most participants primarily spoke Spanish and described satisfactory experiences communicating with providers, either using a mix of Spanish and English or using an interpreter. Coordination of care and clear communication among different providers was a key factor in participants' satisfaction with health care received. Participants noted high levels of stress around the uncertainty associated with Zika virus exposure during pregnancy. Conclusions for practice Although participants reported satisfaction with care, they also reported high levels of anxiety and challenges coping with the uncertainties along their journeys. Study findings support the need for guidance for providers about how to talk with women about Zika virus infection during pregnancy and specifically how to discuss the uncertainties about diagnosis and outcomes.
Mitigation of Singlet Oxygen ( 1 Δ g O 2 ) Damage in Biological Systems

Active oxygen species have been implicated in a wide variety of environmental and health effects, including aging, heart disease, and induction of cancers. One of these reactive species, singlet oxygen (1ΔgO2), the lowest energy electronically excited state of molecular oxygen, has evoked particular interest, because of its potential to react with a variety of biologically important substrates.and because it may be generated in living systems by the decomposition or interconversion of other active oxygen species, photosensitization reactions involving endogenous sensitizers, electron transport systems, and some enzyme systems (references cited in 1).
Evaluation of Electric Power Deregulation Using Network Models of Oligopolistic Spatial Markets

Proposals have been made to deregulate the power generation function of electric utilities. But unregulated generators would be spatial oligopolists, because transmission costs would insulate them from competition from distant producers. The purpose of this analysis is to estimate the degree to which unregulated power generators would be able to exercise market power. This is accomplished by calculating spatial price equilibria for a hypothetical deregulated power market in New York State. Two types of equilibria are calculated: Nash/Bertrand equilibria, representing a lower bound to unregulated prices, and limit pricing, defining an upper bound. Equilibria are obtained for the years 1980 and 2000.
The applicability of the piecewise linear current profile in the baroclinic instability problem

The applicability of the piecewise linear function in place of a similar smoothly-varying current profile is examined in the baroclinic context. Within the framework of small-perturbation linearization, the behavior of the vertical velocity and the horizontal divergence is analyzed at the discontinuity of the current shear. In the conventional geostrophic-type instability regime, the discontinuity in the horizontal divergence at the shear discontinuity is suppressed, and, therefore, the piecewise linear profile leads to a useful approximation to the true solution. In the symmetric-type instability regime, however, due to the magnified discontinuity in the horizontal divergence at the shear discontinuity, the solution thus obtained will show a major distortion, rendering the piecewise linear profile inadequate for modeling the smoothly-varying current profile. Using exemplary current profiles, numerical results are presented to demonstrate the behavior of the horizontal divergence near the discontinuity of current shear.
Aerosol Q fever infection of the nude mouse.

Abstract Athymic nude mice and euthymic littermate controls were exposed to 10(4) Coxiella burnetii organisms by small-particle aerosol. Antibody response with and without 2-mercaptoethanol treatment of serum was determined at various intervals after infection and serial kills were done to determine morphologic changes in both mouse phenotypes. Total antibody titers determined by the indirect fluorescent antibody technique to phase I and phase II C. burnetii were identical for both groups of mice. Microagglutinin titers determined on days 28 and 33 were abolished by 2-mercaptoethanol treatment of serum from both phenotypes, indicating that the antibody probably resided in the IgM fraction. Microscopically, the reaction to C. burnetii infection was similar in nude and euthymic mice on days 7 and 14. Later, the number and size of lesions attributable to Q fever diminished in euthymic mice. Infection was progressive in nude mice, with macrophage infiltration of most tissues, especially spleen and liver. Numerous rickettsiae were seen by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy in phagocytic vesicles of macrophages, many of which were dilated, giving the macrophage a vacuolated appearance. Results suggest that clearance of C. burnetii infection in mice is independent upon thymus-derived lymphocytes.
Advances in Numerical Simulations of Gaseous Nebulae

I outline recent advances in numerical simulations of gaseous nebulae. These fall into three major areas; the Opacity Project and its extensions, the role of grains within the ionized gas, and the effects of mechanical heat on the nebula. These advances, together with improvements in stellar atmosphere calculations, should lead to a new generation of more realistic simulations of conditions in planetary nebulae and predictions of their emitted spectra.
Group therapy techniques for sexually abused preteen girls.

This article describes an open-ended, structured, highly intensive therapy group for sexually abused preteen girls that was the primary mode of treatment for 11 girls from multiproblem, low-income, rural, white families. The active support of Child Protective Service workers was important in maintaining the girls in treatment in the face of strong parental opposition. Unique features of the group included simultaneous group goals and individualized goals. A case description illustrates the makeup and functioning of the program. Language: en
Physical layer scalability demonstration of a WDM packet interconnection network

The physical layer scalability of a WDM optical packet interconnection network is demonstrated in a re-circulating loop test-bed that mimics propagation through multiple cascaded SOA-based switching nodes. Optical packets carrying an 8-channel 10 Gb/s-per-channel payload distributed across the C-band are shown to successfully propagate through 58 node hops while maintaining a BER of less than 10/sup -9/. With the demonstrated physical diameter of 58 nodes, the data vortex network architecture could scale to interconnect nearly 10000 ports.
Representing Knowledge in Learning Systems by Pseudo Boolean Functions

Concepts that can be expressed as solutions to multilinear pseudo boolean equations with a bounded degree are shown to be learnable in polynomial time from positive examples. This implies the learnability from positive examples of many families of boolean formulae by a unified algorithm. Some of these formulae were not previously known to be learnable, and some were known to be learnable by different algorithms.
Mental Health First Aid USA in a Rural Community: Perceived Impact on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior

This study investigated the perceived impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) on individuals who took the class through a community mental health center in rural Kansas. One hundred and seventy-six MHFA graduates completed an online survey assessing their perception of the impact of completing the MHFA course. Findings corresponded with previous Australian MHFA studies that found outcomes including improved mental health literacy and changed attitudes and behaviors, but the study sample limits generalizability. Suggestions are given for additional research across more diverse settings in the United States to validate the use of MHFA, and to better understand change processes that occur as a result of MHFA.
Stability of Three Oral Liquid Drug Products Repackaged in Unit Dose Containers

Stability of oral liquid forms of cimetidine hydrochloride, furosemide, and theophylline repackaged in polypropylene oral syringes and glass vials was assessed. Commercial preparations of each product were used; 2-ml quantities were placed in both types of container and stored at 4, 25, 44, 60, and 76 degrees C. Six samples from each container type at each temperature were tested at various times. Stability was defined as no greater than 10% loss of labeled potency. Assay was by high-performance liquid chromatography. All three drugs retained more than 90% of label claim in both types of containers after 180 days at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. For cimetidine hydrochloride and furosemide at these temperatures, there was no significant difference in concentration by container type; at the higher storage temperatures, the degradation rate in polypropylene syringes was significantly faster. For theophylline, loss of volume of 10% or greater occurred after 60 days at temperatures greater than 25 degrees C for both container types. Drug loss at higher temperatures was attributed to precipitation of theophylline out of the elixir rather than chemical degradation. Oral liquid cimetidine hydrochloride, furosemide, and theophylline repackaged in either polypropylene oral syringes or glass vials can be stored at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C for 180 days with less than 10% loss of potency.
Posterior piriform and perirhinal cortex relay seizures evoked from the area tempestas: role of excitatory and inhibitory amino acid receptors.

Abstract The functional relationship between the area tempestas (AT), an epileptogenic site within the deep prepiriform cortex, and the regions in the posterior piriform cortex which are innervated by AT, were studied in the rat. The GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol (390 pmol) was microinjected unilaterally into the posterior piriform cortex and adjacent regions in the same hemisphere from which seizures were evoked by focal application of bicuculline into AT. Pretreatment with muscimol into either the ventral posterior piriform cortex or perirhinal cortex, protected against the bilateral clonic seizures evoked from the ipsilateral AT. No seizure protection was obtained when muscimol was placed into adjacent areas of amygdala, entorhinal cortex, neocortex and ventral hippocampus. Seizure protection was also obtained when kynurenic acid, but not 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid, was microinjected into the ventral posterior piriform cortex, suggesting that glutamate transmission mediated via non-N-methyl- d -aspartate (non-NMDA) receptors is required for the relay of seizure discharge through this region. Our data indicate that a specific region of the temporal cortex, the posterior piriform and perirhinal area, functions as a critical link in the propagation of limbic seizures evoked from AT.
Coal-water slurry operation in an EMD diesel engine

The U.S. Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center has assumed a leadership role in the development of coal-burning diesel engines. The motivation for this work is obvious when one considers the magnitude of the domestic reserves of coal and the wide-spread use of diesel engines. The work reported in this paper represents the preliminary engine experiments leading to the development of a coal-burning, medium-speed diesel engine. The basis of this development effort is a two-stroke, 900 rpm, 216-mm (8.5-inch) bore engine manufactured by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corporation. The engine, in a minimally modified form, has been operated for several hours on a slurry of 50 percent (by mass) coal in water. Engine operation was achieved in this configuration using a pilot injection of diesel fuel to ignite the main charge of slurry. A standard unit injector, slightly modified by increasing diametrical clearances in the injector pump and nozzle tip, was used to inject the slurry. Under the engine operating conditions evaluated, the combustion efficiency of the coal and the NO/sub x/ emissions were lower than, and the particulate emissions were higher than, corresponding diesel fuel results. These initial results, achieved without optimizing the system on the coalmore » slurry, demonstrate the potential for utilizing coal slurry fuels.« less
Biological conversion of forage sorghum biomass to ethanol by steam explosion pretreatment and simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation at high solid content

In this work, forage sorghum biomass was studied as feedstock for ethanol production by a biological conversion process comprising the steps of hydrothermal steam explosion pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes, and fermentation with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Steam explosion conditions were optimized using a response surface methodology considering temperature (180–230°C) and time (2–10 min). Sugar recovery in the pretreatment and the enzymatic digestibility of the pretreated solid were used to determine the optimum conditions, i.e., 220°C and 7 min. At these conditions, saccharification efficiency attained 89 % of the theoretical and the recovery of xylose in the prehydrolyzate accounted for 35 % of the amount of xylose present in raw material. Then, a simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation (SSF) process was tested at laboratory scale on the solid fraction of forage sorghum pretreated at optimum condition, in order to evaluate ethanol production. The effect of the enzyme dose and the supplementation with xylanase enzyme of the cellulolytic enzyme cocktail was studied at increasing solid concentration up to 18 % (w/w) in SSF media. Results show good performance of SSF in all consistencies tested with a significant effect of increasing enzyme load in SSF yield and final ethanol concentration. Xylanase supplementation allows increasing solid concentration up to 18 % (w/w) with good SSF performance and final ethanol content of 55 g/l after 4–5 days. Based on this result, about 190 l of ethanol could be obtained from 1 t of untreated forage sorghum, which means a transformation yield of 85 % of the glucose contained in the feedstock.
Acceleration of selenium volatilization in seleniferous agricultural drainage sediments amended with methionine and casein

Phytoremediation is potentially effective for managing excessive selenium (Se) in drainage sediment residing in the San Luis Drain in central California. This 2-year field study examined the feasibility of amending drainage sediment (containing 4.78microgSeg(-1)) with methionine and casein to enhance volatilization without or with vegetation of Sporobolus airoides. Results show that without organic amendments, rates of Se volatilization were less than 25microgm(-2)d(-1) in all plots. After amending the sediment with 71.4mgmethioninekg(-1) soil, Se volatilization rates were 434+/-107microgm(-2)d(-1) in vegetated plots and 289+/-117microgm(-2)d(-1) in irrigated bare plots. With the amendment of 572mgcaseinkg(-1) soil, rates increased to 346+/-103microgm(-2)d(-1) in irrigated bare plots and to 114+/-55microgm(-2)d(-1) in vegetated plots. Both methionine and casein promoted biological remediation of Se via volatilization most effectively during the warmest months.
Reclaiming a Du Boisian Perspective on Racial Attitudes

This article asserts that Du Boisian sociology included a strong role for racial prejudice in analyzing the conditions and dynamics of African American social life. The article examines Du Bois's empirical social scientific legacy with a special focus on The Philadelphia Negro and how he treated racial prejudice in this seminal work. It then examines the turn away from a concern with racial prejudice in modern sociological analysis and identifies the necessity of returning to the theoretical holism exemplified by Du Bois if sociological theory on race and racism are to advance.
Field Induced Spin Density Waves

The Field Induced Spin Density Waves (FISDWs) found in organic conductors represent a unique series of transitions which meld the one-dimensional physics of the Peierls instability with the two-dimensional physics of the Quantum Hall Effect. This paper presents a pedagogical introduction to the FISDW's in the Bechgaard salts, along with recent experimental results on related high magnetic field phenomena.
New Method of Simulating Rainfall in High-Voltage Testing

A method is described for simulating rainfall during tests of high-voltage equipment. The system as described delivers controllable rain rates ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 in/h with water drops 4.5 mm in diameter over an outdoor area of 3 by 200 feet. A new method for simulating rain had to be developed for an investigation of the corona performance of conductors for high-voltage transmission lines, because conventional rain sprays cannot provide the intensities and drop sizes that occur in natural rain. The effect of wind on the uniformity of rain rate during outdoor testing is analyzed. The information presented should be useful in adapting this system for tests on other equipment.
Differential Effects of Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors on Hypoxic Pulmonary Vasoconstriction and Pulmonary Artery Cytokine Expression

Background Perioperative pulmonary hypertension is a challenging clinical problem with numerous etiologies including hypoxia, adrenergic stimulation, and local inflammation. New oral phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction may have beneficial effects on the pulmonary vasculature owing to the abundance of PDE-5 receptors in the lung. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil in preventing acute hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) expression. Methods Isolated rat pulmonary arteries suspended in physiologic organ baths for measurement of isometric force transduction were treated with vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide), sildenafil, vardenafil, or tadalafil to assess (1) pulmonary artery relaxation; (2) inhibition of phenylephrine-induced pulmonary artery contraction; (3) inhibition of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (pO 2 = 30-35 mm Hg); and (4) hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery TNF-α and IL-1β expression (reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction). Results Sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil resulted in dose-dependent pulmonary artery relaxation and inhibited phenylephrine-induced pulmonary artery contraction, but only tadalafil significantly inhibited hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction (52.08% ± 7.65% tadalafil versus 88.63% ± 8.96% vehicle; 98.61% ± 10.04% sildenafil; 68.46% ± 15.84% vardenafil). Hypoxia-induced upregulation of TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA in pulmonary artery was significantly decreased by tadalafil, but not sildenafil or vardenafil pretreatment. Conclusions We conclude that sildenafil, vardenafil, and tadalafil were equally efficacious in causing pulmonary artery relaxation, but only tadalafil inhibited hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and attenuated hypoxia-induced pulmonary artery TNF-α and IL-1β expression.
Chemical bonding and stability of multilayer graphene oxide layers

The chemistry of graphene oxide (GO) and its response to external stimuli such as temperature and light are not well understood and only approximately controlled. This understanding is however crucial to enable future applications of the material that typically are subject to environmental conditions. The nature of the initial GO is also highly dependent on the preparation and the form of the initial carbon material. Here, we consider both standard GO made from oxidizing graphite and layered GO made from oxidizing epitaxial graphene on SiC, and examine their evolution under different stimuli. The effect of the solvent on the thermal evolution of standard GO in vacuum is first investigated. In situ infrared absorption measurements clearly show that the nature of the last solvent in contact with GO prior to deposition on a substrate for vacuum annealing studies substantially affect the chemical evolution of the material as GO is reduced. Second, the stability of GO derived from epitaxial graphene (on SiC) is examined as a function of time. We show that hydrogen, in the form of CH, is present after the Hummers process, and that hydrogen favors the reduction of epoxide groups and the formation of water molecules. Importantly, this transformation can take place at room temperature, albeit slowly (~ one month). Finally, the chemical interaction (e.g. bonding) between GO layers in multilayer samples is examined with diffraction (XRD) methods, spectroscopic (IR, XPS, Raman) techniques, imaging (APF) and first principles modeling.
New algorithm for transient suppression for images due to incomplete or partial boundary data

Any n-dimensional signal processing problem involves manipulation with the input data set with the region of support bounded at some (or all) edges. The resulting output sequence is the convolution of the geometrically bounded input data set and an impulse response of some filter, which not necessarily has the same region of support as the input data set. Thus the ambiguity due to unknown values of the input data set beyond its region of support results in indeterminacy of all (or some) of the output sequence values. The paper presents an approach for resolving the problem of indeterminacy by employing the technique of minimum response variation for reconstructing the values of the input data set beyond its original region of support.
Enzyme control of small-molecule coordination in FosA as revealed by 31P pulsed ENDOR and ESE-EPR

FosA is a manganese metalloglutathione transferase that confers resistance to the broad-spectrum antibiotic fosfomycin, which contains a phosphonate group. The active site of this enzyme consists of a high-spin Mn(2+) ion coordinated by endogenous ligands (a glutamate and two histidine residues) and by exogenous ligands, such as substrate fosfomycin. To study the Mn(2+) coordination environment of FosA in the presence of substrate and the inhibitors phosphonoformate and phosphate, we have used (31)P pulsed electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) at 35 GHz to obtain metrical information from (31)P-Mn(2+) interactions. We have found that continuous wave (CW) (31)P ENDOR is not successful in the study of phosphates and phosphonates coordinated to Mn(2+). Parallel studies of phosph(on)ate binding to the Mn(2+) of FosA and to aqueous Mn(2+) ion disclose how the enzyme modifies the coordination of these molecules to the active site Mn(2+). Through analysis of (31)P hyperfine parameters derived from simulations of the ENDOR spectra we have determined the binding modes of the phosph(on)ates in each sample and discerned details of the geometric and electronic structure of the metal center. The (31)P ENDOR studies of the protein samples agree with, or improve on, the Mn-P distances determined from crystal structures and provide Mn-phosph(on)ate bonding information not available from these studies. Electron spin echo electron paramagnetic resonance (ESE-EPR) spectra have also been recorded. Simulation of these spectra yield the axial and rhombic components of the Mn(2+) (S = (5)/(2)) zero-field splitting (zfs) tensor. Comparison of structural inferences based on these zfs parameters both with the known enzyme structures and the (31)P ENDOR results establishes that the time-honored procedure of analyzing Mn(2+) zfs parameters to describe the coordination environment of the metal ion is not valid or productive.
Magnetic reorientation transition of Gd(0001)/W(110) films.

The temperature-dependent magnetic properties of Gd(0001)/W(110) films were investigated using the magneto-optical Kerr effect. Measurements of hysteresis loops, remanent magnetization, and susceptibility were performed as a function of temperature and film thickness (d=10--130 nm). Well annealed films of sufficient thickness (d\ensuremath{\ge}40 nm) show an anomalous temperature dependence of the coercive field ${\mathit{H}}_{\mathit{c}}$(T) and the remanent magnetization ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathit{r}}$(T). In addition, a second peak in the in-plane as well as out-of-plane susceptibility was observed for these films. All experimental results for thick films can consistently be explained by a reorientation transition between a low-temperature phase with uniform in-plane magnetization and a high-temperature phase with a nonvanishing out-of-plane magnetization component. The thickness dependence of the transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{r}}$, as well as the absence of a remanent out-of-plane magnetization implies that the reorientation transition is associated with the formation of a domain structure.
The effect of spirituality and gender on the quality of life of spousal caregivers of cancer survivors

Background: Research has indicated spirituality buffers the adverse effect of stress, but few studies have examined the role of spirituality in the context of providing cancer care.Purpose: This study examines the moderating effects of spirituality on the relation between caregiving stress and spousal caregivers’ mental and physical health. In addition, gender differences in the target moderating effects are explored.Methods: A caregiver survey was mailed to familial caregivers nominated by their respective cancer survivors including measures of spirituality (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spirituality), caregiving stress (Pearlin Stress Scale), and mental and physical health (MOS Short Form-36). Four hundred and three spousal caregivers provided valid information on these measures.Results: Hierarchical regression analyses supported the hypothesized moderating effects of spirituality but in different patterns. Caregiving stress was associated with poorer mental functioning, which was less prominent among caregivers with a high level of spirituality (stress-buffering effect). Caregiving stress was also associated with poorer physical functioning but was only significant among caregivers with a high level of spirituality (stress-aggravating effect). The same stress-buffering or aggravating effects were found for both sexes.Conclusions: The findings suggest maintaining faith and finding meaning in cancer caregiving buffer the adverse effect of caregiving stress on mental health. Highly spiritual caregivers should also be encouraged to pay more attention to their physical health while providing cancer care.
Packaging issues for free-space optically interconnected multiprocessors

The technical feasibility and the performance of packaged systems with free space optical interconnections for parallel computing are analyzed. System issues such as volume power consumption optical properties of interconnection elements yield problems and noise limitations are considered and their dependence on the existing and future technological constraints are outlined.
Stable limit cycles in a two‐component bimolecular reaction system

It is shown that stable limit cycles can exist in a two‐species open system in which only one bimolecular reaction that follows mass action kinetics occurs. The fluxes of the active species between the system and bath are uncoupled and depend linearly on the chemical potential differences. This appears to be the simplest system known that exhibits periodic solutions and multiple steady states.
Petrographic/geochemical studies of primary and alteration–weathering minerals in garnetiferous ultramafic xenoliths–basanite, Tartous Province, NW Syria

Abstract Kimberlitic–pyropic peridotite–xenolites, probably of Jurassic–Cretaceous age, were found mixed with a younger Upper Tertiary basanitic diabase, as flow texture of plagioclase laths and ilmenite rods around those xenoliths indicated. Mafic–ultramafic rocks were crushed, sheared, and cropped along a creek about 15–18 km NE of the town of Dreikeesh, NW Syria. 40K–40Ar isotopic dating of a pure fresh black cpx sample, collected from the peridotite xenoliths, yielded an age of about 70 Ma. This age is concurrent to the time when Africa, Eurasia, and America were part of the super continent Pangaea. It also suggests that kimberlite–pyropic peridotitic rocks were located within a cratonic pipe prior to their 2000-km eastward journey (starting from the Mid-Atlantic Rift). Sampled outcrops were located within a ring of about 40 km diameter, considered to be a dome consisting of one or more clusters of kimberlitic pipes. The dome structure, mostly covered with Upper Jurassic–Cretaceous carbonate beds, was tilted westward, and rifted and sheared along its eastern edge. Tilting and crushing were accomplished after the opening of the Red Sea in the Miocene, and the counterclockwise movements of the Arabian plate, which folded the carbonate beds to form the N–S-trending Alawite mountain range along the Syrian coast. Olivine, cpx, and pyrope were the major phases in peridotite. Pyrope, including its Cr–Ni-contents, was found to be the best indicator to decipher the temperature–pressure (T–P) conditions for the system. The inferred temperature was found to be about 1460 °C, at a pressure of 62 kb (around 207 km-depth). Petrographic studies revealed many zoned, resorbed, octahedral and non-metasomatized tiny grains, associated with partly to wholly metasomatized and iddingsitized olivines.
Projections from visual areas of the middle suprasylvian sulcus onto the lateral posterior complex and adjacent thalamic nuclei in cat.

The distribution of corticothalamic projections from lateral suprasylvian areas AMLS, PMLS, ALLS, and PLLS was investigated with the autoradiographic method. Areas AMLS and PMLS were both found to project retinotopically upon the medial interlaminar nucleus and the lateral and pulvinar zones of the lateral posterior complex, as well as to the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, intralaminar nuclei, and thalamic reticular complex. Retinotopic projections to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus were demonstrated from PMLS but not AMLS, and projections to zona incerta were demonstrated from AMLS but not PMLS. Areas PLLS and ALLS were both found to project retinotopically upon the interjacent zone of the lateral posterior complex, as well as to the intermediate and suprageniculate divisions of the posterior nuclear group, the magnocellular division of the medial geniculate complex, the thalamic reticular complex, and central lateral nucleus. Area ALLS was also found to project onto the dorsal division of the medial geniculate complex and lateral division of the posterior nuclear group. Differences between the four cortical areas in the pattern and density of their thalamic projections supports the parcellation of these areas as proposed by Palmer et al. ('78). The projection patterns of areas PMLS, AMLS, PLLS, and ALLS were found to respect the boundaries of the zones of the lateral posterior complex, which had been identified and defined previously (Updyke, ′77), and the results thus support the hypothesis that these zones are the functional units of organization for visual traffic between the cat's extrastriate visual areas.
Derivatives Use: Valuation and hedging of contingent claims on power with spikes: A non-Markovian approach

A new approach to modelling spikes in power prices proposed in earlier papers by the author is presented and further developed. By contrast with the standard approaches, power prices with spikes are modelled as a non-Markovian stochastic process that allows for modelling spikes directly as self-reversing jumps. It is also shown how this approach can be used to value and hedge European contingent claims on power with spikes.
Lipid peroxidation contributes to age-related membrane rigidity

The aim of this work was to assess the relative contributions of lipid peroxidation and cholesterol content to the increase in membrane rigidity observed during senescence. Membrane fluidity was manipulated through exposure to peroxidized or cholesterol-loaded liposomes. Small unilamella liposomes were prepared and either peroxidized by Fe(++)-ADP-ascorbic acid or loaded with cholesterol. After incorporation of the liposomes into rat liver microsomal membranes, membrane fluidity was quantitated by measuring changes in polarization. Membranes exhibited a greater sensitivity to peroxidation than cholesterol in that incorporation of peroxidized liposomes induced microsomal membrane rigidity substantially more than did cholesterol-loaded liposomes. Thus it is proposed, based on data from the present and earlier studies, that membrane fluidity can be modulated readily by lipid peroxidation of membrane phospholipids, irrespective of the influences of cholesterol. These results support the proposal that alterations of lipid structure are more potent and effective than compositional changes in cholesterol in inducing age-related increases in membrane rigidity.
Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA): the role of centrally acting vasodilators. Case series and review of literature.

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is Raynaud's phenomenon of the brain. Changes in neurological function are dependent upon which areas of the brain are deprived of normal blood flow. Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLA) is a common cause of Raynaud's phenomenon that can occur anywhere in the body, including the brain. Management of CNS vasospasm generally involves the use of centrally acting calcium channel blockers, which have been shown to relieve the associated headaches and transient neurological symptoms associated with it. Three patients with APLA and RCVS from our clinics are illustrated. It is demonstrated that the use of centrally acting calcium channel-blocking drugs, such as nimodipine, which prevent and reverse CNS vasospasm, led to clinical improvement in our patients over the course of 5–9 years. All of them had MRIs done at the initiation of therapy and 5–9 years after being on therapy. MRI measures of T2 lesion volumes (LVs) and number were obtained. All three patients had a good response in controlling clinical symptoms related to CNS vasospasm, Raynaud's phenomenon, visual disturbances, confusion, headaches, and hearing loss. There was also a resolution in the MRI findings of these patients. This case series of three patients shows a clinical improvement and decrease in T2 LV and number in patients with APLA and Raynaud's syndrome on centrally acting calcium channel blockers. RCVS is much more common than that currently appreciated. APLA is the common cause of RCVS. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal methods to diagnose RCVS and optimal therapies to treat it.
The Emerging Molecular Genetics of Sarcoma Translocations

Many types of sarcomas are characterized by specific chromosomal translocations which are likely to be of etiologic significance. The recent elucidation of the molecular structure of the several of these translocations has revealed some striking similarities. Nearly all appear to result in the production of novel, tumor-specific chimeric transcription factors. Furthermore, six of the translocations, namely the t(11;22), t(21;22), and t(7;22) of Ewing's sarcoma, the t(12;22) of clear cell sarcoma, the t(12;16) of myxoid liposarcoma, and the t(11;22) of desmoplastic small round cell tumor, achieve this following a peculiar pattern, consisting in the fusion of a gene with an RNA-binding domain (EWS or TLS) with a transcription factor gene (FLI1, ERG, ETV1, ATF-1, CHOP, or WT1). The observation that the different translocation partners of the EWS gene are specifically associated with several distinct types of primitive sarcomas suggests a model in which the translocation partner supplying the DNA-binding domain confers the target specificity of the transcriptional activation mediated by these chimeric proteins, whereas the partner supplying the N-terminal domain and promoter region determines their transactivation potential and expression level. Further analysis of the normal functions and expression patterns of these genes should yield insights into the histogenesis of these different tumor types and into normal tissue development and differentiation. Clinically, our new understanding of the molecular structure of these translocations opens new avenues for molecular diagnosis and investigative therapeutics.
QUANTUM INSPIRED REINFORCEMENT LEARNING IN CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

Inspired by quantum theory and reinforcement learning, a new framework of learning in unknown probabilistic environment is proposed. Several simulated experiments are given; the results demonstrate the robustness of the new algorithm for some complex problems. Also we generalized the Grover algorithm to improve the rate of converging to an optimal path. In other words, the new generalized algorithm helps to increase the probability of selecting good actions with better weights' adjustments.
Observations on the long-period variability of the Gulf Stream downstream of Cape Hatteras

To examine the long-period variability of the Gulf Stream, sea level residuals relative to a 2-year mean sea level in the Gulf Stream downstream of Cape Hatteras (between 75 deg W and 60 deg W longitude) are used. Residuals, as derived from Geosat altimetry between November 1986 and December 1988, were gridded in space and time at a temporal resolution of 10 days and spatial resolution of 1/4 deg. Complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) analysis was applied to the data set to extract the spatially correlated signal with the original data subsampled to 1/2 deg. In addition to determining the space-time scales and propagation characterisitics of the different modes, wavenumber-frequency spectral techniques were used to separate the variability into propagating and stationary components. The CEOF technique applied to the data set indicated that the first four CEOF modes accounted for 60% of the variability and were found to be above the noise leve 99% of the time. CEOF 1 was associated with westward propagation at 5 km/d at a wavelength of 2000 km and eastward propagation at 1-2 km/d centered at a 500-km wavelength. This first CEOF is in good agreement with thin-jet equivalent barotropic models which predict westward propagation for wavelengths greater than 1130 km. A deflection of the wavelike pattern at 65 deg W also indicates a possible topographic effect. A simple scaling of the effect of topography indicates that for length scales longer than the internal Rossby radius of deformation, the topographic term is at least of the same order of magnitude as the beta effect. The second CEOF was more broadbanded in wavenumber space, with eastward propagation occurring in a wavenumber-frequency band between 300 and 1400 km and 0.5 and 2.0 cycles/yr. The third CEOF is similar in structure to the first, but with less energy. CEOF 4 was clearly identifiable with higher frequencies than the first three with westward propagation at 4 km/d. The spatial location of this mode along with the westward propagation indicates possible influences from eddy-stream interactions. Thus topography, Rossby wave dynamics and eddy-stream interactions all appear to have a significant role in determining the space-time scales and propagation properties of the long-period response of sea level in the Gulf Stream.
Heidegger reading Plato: On the way to the future of philosophy

(1997). Heidegger reading Plato: On the way to the future of philosophy. The European Legacy: Vol. 2, Fourth International Conference of the International Society for the Study of European Ideas, pp. 332-337.
Quenching of UF6 (A state) by halomethanes

Abstract UF 6 (A state) was produced by laser irradiation of UF 6 at 393.5 nm. Rate constants at room temperature have been determined for the removal of UF 6 (A state) by various halomethanes. The following rate constants (units of 10 11 l mol −1 s −1 ) were determined: CF 4 , 0.016; CCl 4 , 3.4; CFCl 3 , 2.0; CF 2 Cl 2 , 0.64; CF 3 Cl, 0.088; CFCl 2 H, 2.6; CF 2 ClH, 0.69; CF 2 Br 2 , 3.2; CF 3 Br, 2.5. The observed quenching rate constants appear to be consistent with a mechanism that involves an inversion of the halomethane configuration, ejection of a bromine or chlorine atom and the formation of UF 5 and the new halomethane.
Which Party Elites Choose to Lead the Nomination Process

Even though political parties maintain control of presidential nominations, little is known about what leads individual party members to participate in the process. Party elites have a collective incentive to nominate an electorally viable and ideologically unifying candidate, and they also have personal, strategic incentives that may foster or prevent their participation in the nominating process. Using endorsement data on a subset of party elites—members of the U.S. House of Representatives—this article finds that individual members of the extended party are strategic with their decision to participate in or abstain from the nomination process.