cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relaxation in liquids, polymers and plastic crystals — strong/fragile patterns and problems☆

Abstract An overview of relaxational phenomenology is given in a manner intended to highlight a number of the important problems which, notwithstanding much recent sophisticated investigation, continue to confront the field. The rapidly lengthening timescale for diffusional and/or reorientational motion, which provokes the glass transition, is examined within the framework of the ‘strong’ and ‘fragile’ classification of both liquids and plastic crystals. The behavior patterns observed are related to the topological features of the potential energy hypersurfaces which may characterize each extreme. In view of the implication that the observed glass transition is the kinetically obscured reflection of an underlying higher order thermodynamic transition which could be associated with a diverging length scale (at least for fragile systems), the problem of the basic diffusional length scale at the glass transition, using a probe molecule approach, is considered. Then, details of the kinetics of relaxation under isothermal conditions are reviewed to decide on the range of deviations from Debye behavior which may be encountered. A correlation with fragility is strongly indicated. The phenomena of serial decoupling of relaxational modes from the main structural relaxation as T g is approached is outlined and, finally, the additional phenomena that may be encountered in experiments that explore the state-dependence (or non-linearity) of relaxation are briefly examined.
Singlet fission in organic thin films of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran and cibalackrot (presentation video)

Efficient singlet fission has been reported in polycrystalline thin films of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran. Two conformational polymorphs have been characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. Thin films exhibit 200% triplet quantum yield at 77 K, as determined by ultrafast transient absorption measurements. Rapid excimer formation presents a significant energetic barrier to triplet formation.
Trust and the client–consultant relationship

This study seeks to improve the contributions of performance consultants, instructional design consultants, and training consultants by explaining the effect that several variables have on trust as a mediator to relationship commitment within the context of the client–consultant relationship. The participants were 228 college students from two 4-year universities. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight scenario-based questionnaires that measured the effect of three manipulated variables—perceived level of expertise, shared values, and sharing of meaningful information—on trust as a mediator to relationship commitment. The findings suggest that consultants can proactively manage the relationships with their clients by focusing on the key factors that influence trust and thus ultimately affect overall relationship commitment.
Cell surface immunoglobulin. II. Isolation and characterization of immunoglobulin from mouse splenic lymphocytes

The proteins on surfaces of living splenic lymphocytes from normal BALB/c mice were iodinated enzymatically. Such cells were fractionated into two sub-populations: one composed almost exclusively of small lymphocytes and the other mainly of large lymphocytes and plasma cells. Specific immunoprecipitation of radiolabeled surface Ig obtained from lysates of these cell populations indicated that approximately 2–3% of the acid-precipitable radioactivity from the cell surface is Ig. Moreover, 95% of the H chain radioactivity from the Ig of the small lymphocyte fraction and 90% from the large lymphocyte-plasma cell fraction was characterized as µ by precipitation with anti-µ sera as well as by molecular weight determination on polyacrylamide gels in sodium dodecyl sulfate. The Ig was recovered from the cell surface in the form of an IgM monomer. Control experiments suggested that the monomer did not result from depolymerization of 19S IgM by the methods used to radiolabel and isolate the molecule. 3H-tyrosine labeling of IgM produced by meyloma cells and radio-iodination of IgM in solution gave the same ratios of µL radioactivity as radiolabeling of IgM on cells, indicating that the tyrosine residues of L and µ-chains of cell surface IgM are available to the lactoperoxidase during the iodination. This is consistent with the hypothesis that cell surface IgM is entirely on the outside of the plasma membrane presumably attached to it by its Fc fragment. These results, together with previous reports by others, suggest that IgM, in its monomeric form, is the main antigen-specific receptor on lymphocytes of normal mice.
Adduction arytenopexy with medialization laryngoplasty and cricothyroid subluxation: A new approach to paralytic dysphonia

Laryngoplastic phonosurgery has evolved into a dominant treatment modality for paralytic dysphonia. Current surgical procedures have primarily addressed the position of the vocal fold in the axial and vertical planes. However, dynamic range capabilities and vocal flexibility have been limited secondary to the flaccid, dennervated vocal-fold tissue. Two new procedures were designed to optimally position the arytenoid and to restore tension in the dennervated vocal fold. The new adduction arytenopexy procedure more closely models the biomechanics underlying normal cricoarytenoid adduction than the classical arytenoid adduction does. This procedure allows for gliding, rocking, and rotating of the arytenoid on the cricoid facet, thereby simulating simultaneous agonist-antagonist function of the interarytenoid, lateral cricoarytenoid, and posterior cricoarytenoid muscles. Cricothyroid subluxation (C-T sub) was designed as a technique to increase the distance between the cricoarytenoid joint and the insertion of the anterior commissure ligament. This led to an increase in length and tension of the thyroarytenoid musculature so that there is improved dynamic frequency range of the voice. C-T sub enhanced the postoperative voice of patients, regardless of whether they required medialization laryngoplasty alone or with adduction arytenopexy.
Overuse and abuse of Swan-Ganz catheters.

The widespread use of the Swan-Ganz catheter is a result of a general misconception. It is widely accepted that the collection of data is a way of practicing scientific medicine. That is simply not true. The data must on balance contribute to a better outcome for patients as established by a scientific trial. The present widescale use of the catheter provides a striking example of the misuse or even mindless use of technology (11). Because of a tenuous risk-benefit balance, it is not at all certain that the general use of the Swan-Ganz catheter is justifiable and its use at best is semi-scientific.
A Comparison of The Toxicity Of Para-Dichlorobenzene And Naphthalene To The Confused Flour Beetle (Tribolium Confusum Duv.) (Coleoptera)

Large numbers of Tribolium Confusum were treated under controlled conditions with naphthalene and para-dichlorobenzene. The apparatus consisted chiefly of a closed system in which air was drawn over sulfuric acid to give the desired humidity and then through the compound before going through the exposure bottles. The entire system was confined in a constant temperature chamber maintained at 30°C. Saturated para-dichlorobenzene acts as a strong anesthetic to Tribolium Confusum . On the basis of the time required to kill 50% of the insects, naphthalene was found to be from ten to fourteen times as toxic to Tribolium Confusum as para-dichlorobenzene at the same concentration.
Neutron scattering lineshapes for hydrogen trapped near impurities in metals

Abstract The dynamics of a hydrogen atom confined to a pair of sites and interacting with a heat bath is considered using a stochastic Liouville equation (SLE). A modification of the standard degenerate-pair SLE is introduced to accommodate a non-degeneracy in the site energies, as is believed to occur in NbOxHy. Neutron scattering lineshapes are obtained explicitly, based on the modified SLE. A non-degeneracy in the site energies is shown to result in a coexistence of lineshape structures which may be associated with coherent and incoherent transport mechanisms. It is pointed out how this structure, which is characteristic of non-degenerate systems, may appear as a consequence of strong coupling of the hydrogen motion to phonons, even in impurity systems for which the electronic site states are nominally degenerate.
Hypermutability of a UV-sensitive aphidicolin-resistant mutant of Chinese hamster fibroblasts

An ultraviolet light (UV)-sensitive thymidine auxotroph of Chinese hamster V79 cells that exhibits pleiotropic effects such as a high level of deoxycytidine triphosphate, slow growth, sensitivity to cytidine, and high frequencies of site-specific bromodeoxyuridine-dependent chromosomal aberrations was selected by its resistance to aphidicolin. The UV-induced mutability of this mutant and one of its revertants, which retains some of the phenotypes listed above, was studied in 3 mutation assay systems. The results showed that the mutant was hypermutable for ouabain and diphtheria-toxin-resistant mutations compared to wild-type V79 cells at the same UV dose or the same survival level. The mutant exhibits a delayed expression of maximal frequency of induced 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants. When maximal frequencies are compared at the same UV dose, the mutant also has higher mutation frequencies at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus. The revertant was similar to the wild-type in UV sensitivity and mutability. Our results showed that UV sensitivity and hypermutability are correlated and controlled by a single gene. Thymidine auxotrophy or nucleotide pool imbalance apparently did not contribute to the UV sensitivity and mutability of the mutant.
Faulty old ideas about translational regulation paved the way for current confusion about how microRNAs function

Despite a recent surge of reports about how microRNAs might regulate translation, the question has not been answered. The proposed mechanisms contradict one another, and none is supported by strong evidence. This review explains some deficiencies in the experiments with microRNAs. Some of the problems are traceable to bad habits carried over from older studies of translational regulation, here illustrated by discussing two models involving mRNA binding proteins. One widely-accepted model, called into doubt by recent findings, is the maskin hypothesis for translational repression of cyclin B1 in Xenopus oocytes. The second dubious model postulates repression of translation of ceruloplasmin by mRNA binding proteins. A big fault in the latter case is reconstructing the imagined mechanism before looking carefully at the real thing--a criticism that applies also to studies with microRNAs. Experiments with microRNAs often employ internal ribosome entry sequences (IRESs) as tools, necessitating brief discussion of that topic. A sensitive new assay reveals that many putative IRESs promote expression of downstream cistrons via splicing rather than internal initiation of translation. Recent claims about the biological importance of IRES-binding proteins--including suggestions that these proteins might serve as targets for cancer therapy--are not supported by any meaningful evidence. The bottom line is that older studies of mRNA binding proteins and putative IRESs have created a confusing picture of translational regulation which is not helpful when trying to understand how microRNAs might work. The obvious biological importance of microRNAs makes it essential to understand how they do what they do. Fresh ways of thinking and looking are needed.
Effects of quantitative shifts in a visual reinforcer on the instrumental response of infants.

Abstract Two studies examined the effects of quantitative (“complexity”) differences in a visual reinforcer and subsequent reward shifts, on operant response rates. Footkicks and visual attention of 3-month-old infants were measured across daily sessions with conjugate reinforcement provided by an overhead mobile containing either two, six or ten identical components. In Experiment 1, initial rates to the three mobiles differed. The relation between components and kicking was not linear, but was an inverted U-shaped function of component numerosity. The infant responses as a function of numerosity from Experiment 1 were used to define “complexity” in Experiment 2, and all subjects were switched to an intermediate complexity level (two components) after achieving a criterion of stable responding. Although the number of mobile components did not differentially affect acquisition rates, infants who received a shift from six to two components exhibited a reliable and immediate response increase whereas those experiencing a ten- to two-component shift exhibited negative behaviors. These results imply that infants respond relationally, actively manipulating their visual environments as a function of their previous contextual experiences.
Cell signalling diversity of the Gqα family of heterotrimeric G proteins

Many receptors for neurotransmitters and hormones rely upon members of the Gqalpha family of heterotrimeric G proteins to exert their actions on target cells. Galpha subunits of the Gq class of G proteins (Gqalpha, G11alpha, G14alpha and G15/16alpha) directly link receptors to activation of PLC-beta isoforms which, in turn, stimulate inositol lipid (i.e. calcium/PKC) signalling. Although Gqalpha family members share a capacity to activate PLC-beta, they also differ markedly in their biochemical properties and tissue distribution which predicts functional diversity. Nevertheless, established models suggest that Gqalpha family members are functionally redundant and that their cellular responses are a result of PLC-beta activation and downstream calcium/PKC signalling. Growing evidence, however, indicates that Gqalpha, G11alpha, G14alpha and G15/16alpha are functionally diverse and that many of their cellular actions are independent of inositol lipid signalling. Recent findings show that Gqalpha family members differ with regard to their linked receptors and downstream binding partners. Reported binding partners distinct from PLC-beta include novel candidate effector proteins, various regulatory proteins, and a growing list of scaffolding/adaptor proteins. Downstream of these signalling proteins, Gqalpha family members exhibit unexpected differences in the signalling pathways and the gene expression profiles they regulate. Finally, genetic studies using whole animal models demonstrate the importance of certain Gqalpha family members in cardiac, lung, brain and platelet functions among other physiological processes. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that Gqalpha, G11alpha, G14alpha and G15/16alpha regulate both overlapping and distinct signalling pathways, indicating that they are more functionally diverse than previously thought.
Temperature-Dependent Growth of Self-Assembled Hematite (α-Fe2O3) Nanotube Arrays: Rapid Electrochemical Synthesis and Photoelectrochemical Properties

We report on the self-assembled fabrication and photoelectrochemical properties of α-Fe2O3 (hematite) nanotube arrays, prepared by potentiostatic anodization of iron foil in an ethylene glycol electrolyte containing NH4F and deionized water. Vertically oriented nanotube arrays provide a highly ordered material architecture of high surface area that is nearly ideal for efficient transport and separation of photogenerated charges. We have achieved iron oxide nanotube arrays over a potential range of 30−60 V, using an electrolyte comprised of 0.2−0.5 wt % NH4F, and 2−4% DI water. The resulting nanotube arrays have a pore diameter ranging between 30 and 80 nm, with a minimum wall thickness of ∼10 nm. Nanotube formation is strongly dependent on the anodization bath temperature and fluoride concentration, with higher temperatures leading to increased rates of nanotube array growth, and with lower temperatures required in order to obtain identifiable nanotubes arrays for increased F− ion concentration. Crystalli...
The carbohydrate composition of immunoglobulins G.

Abstract Immunoglobulin G from human, horse, sheep, pig, cow, chicken, rabbit and dog blood serum was analyzed for its carbohydrate composition by gas chromatography, using alditol acetate derivatives of sugars released by acid hydrolysis. Fucose, mannose, galactose, glucosamine and sialic acid were present in IgG of all species studied. Most of the carbohydrate was found in the H chains. Only small fractional molar quantities of the carbohydrates were present in L chains of all species except chicken. Chicken IgG was also distinctive in that it contained 4.5% total carbohydrate as compared with only about 2% in the other species studied. The presence of less than one residue of fucose, galactose and sialic acid per H chain indicates heterogeneity of carbohydrate composition.
Throughput maximization in serial production lines with worksharing

Abstract In the traditional serial line model, tasks are assigned to unique workstations. We consider the case of partially cross-trained workers where some tasks may be performed at either of a pair of adjacent workstations. We investigate dynamic decision rules for guiding the operators’ decision regarding when to complete the shared tasks and when to pass a unit along to the next workstation. The objective is to maximize throughput in constant work-in-process systems with low levels of work in process. A simple rule based on a buffer threshold level is shown to be nearly optimal for the two-stage line. Extensions to longer lines are provided and we show that myopic strategies that only consider adjacent workstations continue to perform well.
Recent advances in parallel spectral element simulation of unsteady incompressible flows

Abstract A high-efficiency medium-grained parallel spectral (high-order finite) element method for numerical solution of the unsteady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in general time-dependent domains is presented. The method is implemented on the (fast) Intel vector hypercube, and the performance and optimality of the algorithm-architecture coupling is evaluated in a technical and economic framework that demonstrates the true advantages of parallel solution of fluid flow problems.
Multiscale Simulations of Brittle Fracture and the Quantum-Mechanical Nature of Bonding in Silicon

We simulate the microscopic details of brittle fracture in silicon by dynamically coupling empirical-potential molecular dynamics of a strained sample to a quantum-mechanical description of interatomic bonding at the crack tip. Our simulations show brittle fracture at loads comparable to experiment, in contrast with empirical potential simulations that show only ductile crack propagation at much higher loading. While the ductility of the empirical potentials can be attributed to their short range, it is unclear whether the increased range of the tight-binding description is sufficient to explain its brittle behavior. Using the multiscale method we show that at a temperature of 1100 K, but not at 900 K, a dislocation is sometimes nucleated when the crack tip impinges on a vacancy. While this result is too limited in length and time scales to directly correspond to experimental observations, it is suggestive of the experimentally observed brittle to ductile transition.
Viral-mediated delivery of the late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis gene, TPP-I to the mouse central nervous system.

Classical late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (LINCL) is caused by mutations in tripeptidyl peptidase I (TPP-I), a pepstatin-insensitive lysosomal protease, resulting in neurodegeneration, acute seizures, visual and motor dysfunction. In vitro studies suggest that TPP-I is secreted from cells and subsequently taken up by neighboring cells, similar to other lysosomal enzymes. As such, TPP-I is an attractive candidate for enzyme replacement or gene therapy. In the present studies, we examined the feasibility of gene transfer into mouse brain using recombinant adenovirus (Ad), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors expressing TPP-I, after single injections into the striatum or cerebellum. A dual TPP-I- and β-galactosidase-expressing adenovirus vector (AdTTP-I/nlsβgal) was used to distinguish transduced (β-galactosidase positive) cells from cells that endocytosed secreted TTP-I. Ten days after striatal injection of AdTTP-I/nlsβgal, β-galactosidase-positive cells were concentrated around the injection site, corpus callosum, ependyma and choroid plexus. In cerebellar injections, β-galactosidase expression was confined to the region of injection and in isolated neurons of the brainstem. Immunohistochemistry for TPP-I expression showed that TPP-I extended beyond areas of β-galactosidase activity. Immunohistochemistry for TTP-I after FIVTTP-I and AAV5TTP-I injections demonstrated TPP-I in neurons of the striatum, hippocampus and Purkinje cells. For all three vectors, TPP-I activity in brain homogenates was 3–7-fold higher than endogenous levels in the injected hemispheres. Our results indicate the feasibility of vector-mediated gene transfer of TPP-I to the CNS as a potential therapy for LINCL.
High-Phase-Angle Observations of Uranus at 2650 Å: Haze Structure and Particle Properties

Abstract Spatially resolved photometric observations of Uranus at 2650 A obtained with the Voyager 2 Photopolarimeter Subsystem (PPS) are presented and analyzed with model atmospheres. A vertically homogenous atmospheric model with Rayleigh scattering and absorption fits Uranus well at 2650 A at phase angles from 16° to 157°; no strong forward scattering typical of abundant large particles is observed. A microphysical model developed for Uranus to fit Voyager imaging system data (K. Rages, J. B. Pollack, M. G. Tomasko, and L. R. Doose, 1991, Icarus 89, 359–376) predicts the vertical distribution and properties of stratospheric haze aerosols at 22.5° and 65°S. This microphysical model also fits the 2650-A PPS data at low latitudes. Increasing the aerosol sizes in the Rages et al. size distribution by a factor of 1.2 creates an unobserved forward scattering peak and can be excluded. The low-latitude upper stratospheric aerosols on Uranus are smaller (
PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A DETERMINATION OF THE NEWTONIAN CONSTANT OF GRAVITATION : A TEST OF THE KURODA HYPOTHESIS

Two preliminary determinations of the Newtonian constant of gravitation have been performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory employing low-Q torsion pendulums and using the time-of-swing method. Recently, Kuroda has predicted that such determinations have an upward bias inversely proportional to the oscillation Q, and our results support this conjecture. If this conjecture is correct, our best value for the constant is $(6.6740\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0007)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}{\mathrm{m}}^{3}{\mathrm{kg}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$.
Decomposition-by-normalization (DBN): leveraging approximate functional dependencies for efficient CP and tucker decompositions

For many multi-dimensional data applications, tensor operations as well as relational operations both need to be supported throughout the data lifecycle. Tensor based representations (including two widely used tensor decompositions, CP and Tucker decompositions) are proven to be effective in multi-aspect data analysis and tensor decomposition is an important tool for capturing high-order structures in multi-dimensional data. Although tensor decomposition is shown to be effective for multi-dimensional data analysis, the cost of tensor decomposition is often very high. Since the number of modes of the tensor data is one of the main factors contributing to the costs of the tensor operations, in this paper, we focus on reducing the modality of the input tensors to tackle the computational cost of the tensor decomposition process. We propose a novel decomposition-by-normalization scheme that first normalizes the given relation into smaller tensors based on the functional dependencies of the relation, decomposes these smaller tensors, and then recombines the sub-results to obtain the overall decomposition. The decomposition and recombination steps of the decomposition-by-normalization scheme fit naturally in settings with multiple cores. This leads to a highly efficient, effective, and parallelized decomposition-by-normalization algorithm for both dense and sparse tensors for CP and Tucker decompositions. Experimental results confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed decomposition-by-normalization scheme compared to the conventional nonnegative CP decomposition and Tucker decomposition approaches.
Scanning electron microscopy of the eggs of three human schistosomes.

Abstract Ford J. W. and Blankespoor H. D. 1979. Scanning electron microscopy of the eggs of three human schistosomes. International Journal for Parasitology 9 : 141–145. The surface of the eggs of Schistosoma haematobium, S. japonicum and S. mansoni , examined by scanning electron microscopy, are covered with microspines. The spines of S. mansoni and S. haematobium are essentially similar; however, in S. japonicum they are smaller and more densely distributed. A fibrous matrix, present on the surface of the eggs, is not host derived. This matrix may account for the stickiness of the eggs and the micospines may function to hold the matrix in place.
Utah juniper and two-needle piñon reduction alters fuel loads

Juniper (Juniperus spp.) and pinon (Pinus spp.) trees have encroached millions of hectares of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.)–bunchgrass communities. Juniper–pinon trees are treated to reduce canopy fuel loads and crown fire potential. We measured the effects of juniper–pinon infilling and fuel-reduction treatments on fuel load characteristics at four locations in Utah. At each location, treatment areas were burned, left untreated, or trees were cut or masticated in a randomised complete-block design. We measured standing and downed fuels by size and type along 30-m transects on 15 subplots (30 × 33 m) per location before and 1–3 years after treatment. Increased tree cover was associated with decreased shrub and herbaceous fuel loads (P < 0.01). By 2 years post-treatment, herbaceous fuel loads were greater than pretreatment in all treated areas (P < 0.01). Cut and mastication treatments increased surface woody 10- and 100-h fuel loads and wood/bark cover (P < 0.01). Masticated-tree depth was a good estimator of fuel loads (R2 = 92). The conversion of canopy fuels to surface fuels reduced fuels that enable crown fire and extreme fire intensity. Cool-season prescribed fire may need to follow mechanical treatments to reduce surface fuel and the potential for wildfire damage to perennial understorey vegetation.
A vertical outlier detection algorithm with clusters as by-product

Outlier detection can lead to discovering unexpected and interesting knowledge, which is critically important to some areas such as monitoring of criminal activities in electronic commerce, credit card fraud, and the like. In This work, we propose an efficient outlier detection method with clusters as by-product, which works efficiently for large datasets. Our contributions are: a) We introduce a local connective factor (LCF); b) Based on LCF, we propose an outlier detection method which can efficiently detect outliers and group data into clusters in a one-time process. Our method does not require the beforehand clustering process, which is the first step in other state-of-the-art clustering-based outlier detection methods; c) The performance of our method is further improved by means of a vertical data representation, P-trees. We tested our method with real dataset. Our method shows around five-time speed improvements compared to the other contemporary clustering-based outlier-detection approaches.
Sensitivity analysis of three-dimensional salinity simulations in North San Francisco Bay using the unstructured-grid SUNTANS model

Abstract The unstructured-grid SUNTANS model is applied to San Francisco Bay using a grid with an average resolution of 50 m. This accurately resolves tidal hydrodynamics in a domain that extends from the Pacific Ocean to the western portion of the Delta region, the flow through which is approximated with two rectangular boxes as a “false delta”. A detailed calibration is performed, and we show that the model accurately predicts tidal heights, currents, and salinity at several locations throughout the Bay. We perform a sensitivity study to understand the effects of grid resolution, the turbulence model, and the scalar transport scheme. Three levels of grid refinement are performed, and the results of a second-order accurate, TVD scalar transport scheme are compared to those with first-order upwinding. We find that the best convergence rate with respect to grid refinement occurs when the TVD scheme is employed. This accuracy degrades when the turbulence model is not employed due to a lack of feedback between vertical turbulent mixing and stratification. Significant horizontal diffusion associated with first-order upwinding eliminates the necessary horizontal salinity gradients required to induce baroclinic circulation, and renders the results less sensitive to the turbulence model or grid refinement.
The role of histidine residues in modulation of the rat P2X2 purinoceptor by zinc and pH

P2X2 receptor currents are potentiated by acidic pH and zinc. To identify residues necessary for proton and zinc modulation, alanines were singly substituted for each of the nine histidines in the extracellular domain of the rat P2X2 receptor. Wild-type and mutant receptors were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and analysed with two-electrode voltage clamp. All mutations caused less than a 2-fold change in the EC50 of the ATP concentration-response relation. Decreasing the extracellular pH from 7.5 to 6.5 potentiated the responses to 10 μm ATP of wild-type P2X2 and eight mutant receptors more than 4-fold, but the response of the mutant receptor H319A was potentiated only 1.4-fold. The H319A mutation greatly attenuated the maximal potentiation that could be produced by a drop in pH, shifted the pKa (-log of dissociation constant) of the potentiation to a more basic pH as compared with P2X2 and revealed a substantial pH-dependent decrease in the maximum response with a pKa near 6.0. Substituting a lysine for H319 reduced the EC50 for ATP 40-fold. Zinc (20 μm) potentiated the responses to 10 μm ATP of wild-type P2X2 and seven histidine mutants by ∼8-fold but had virtually no effect on the responses of two mutants, H120A and H213A. Neither H120A nor H213A removed the voltage-independent inhibition caused by high concentrations of zinc. The observation that different mutations selectively eliminated pH or zinc potentiation implies that there are two independent sites of action, even though the mechanisms of pH and zinc potentiation appear similar.
The absorption edge of protein-bound mercury and a double-edge strategy for HgMAD data acquisition.

The LIII absorption edge of protein-bound mercury (Hg) has been experimentally determined using X-ray data collection from a crystal. This absorption edge is 12 291 eV, 4 eV higher than the theoretical value of elemental Hg. Considering the possible shift of the Hg absorption edge with the chemical environment in different protein crystals, a double-edge strategy for multiwavelength anomalous diffraction (MAD) data collection has been developed. The approach provides a convenient way to optimize the dispersive signal between a remote wavelength and two edge wavelengths separated from each other by 4 eV. The dispersive signals derived from both edges are used, along with anomalous signals, in MAD phasing and phase refinement. This approach has been used in the crystal structure determination of three proteins containing one Hg atom per 186–196 amino-acid residues at 2.0, 2.6 and 2.7 A resolution. A set of four wavelengths is recommended for HgMAD data acquisition: 1.0087 A (12 291 eV, edge1), 1.0084 A (12 295 eV, edge2), 1.0064 A (12 320 eV, peak) and 0.9918 A (12 500 eV, remote). Although it is no longer necessary to determine the LIII absorption edge of protein-bound Hg experimentally, an initial fluorescence scan on the crystal for data collection is still necessary to verify the existence of Hg in the crystal.
Using virtual environments to support electrical safety awareness in construction

Safety is important to the construction industry. Every year lives are lost due to accidents that could have been prevented with proper training and awareness of workplace hazards. Electrical safety hazards are the cause of about a quarter of all deaths within the construction industry. Enhanced training methods that are active and interactive can augment electrical safety training for all construction workers and reduce accidents and fatalities caused by electrical shock. Virtual Environment (VE's) simulations have been used with success for safety training within the construction industry. VE simulation offers an active form of training that allows the user to interact with a modeled environment. This active training allows for a development of cognitive abilities and awareness that typically improve the users' comprehension of training material. This paper discusses issues concerning electrical safety within the construction industry. It then discusses the benefits of using an active training approach such as VE simulation and its effects on the cognitive abilities of users. Lastly, a proposed safety training program is discussed that can help augment electrical safety training practices in the construction industry. Within the proposed safety training program a VE simulation prototype is planned. The initial development of the prototype simulation is also presented.
Left atrial dissection: an almost unknown entity

Left atrial dissection is an exceedingly rare but potentially fatal complication of cardiac surgery. It is most commonly associated with mitral valve surgery, including both replacement and repair, with a reported incidence rate of 0.16%. However, other cardiac surgical or catheter-based interventional procedures are also known as potential predisposing factors. The time of presentation from the cause of dissection varies extremely, ranging from immediate occurrence up to 20 years later. The dissection forms a large cavity between the endocardium and epicardium of the left atrium, causing obliteration of the left atrial cavity and resultant haemodynamic compromise, which almost always requires immediate surgical intervention. In contrast, left atrial dissection without haemodynamic instability can often be managed non-operatively with satisfactory outcomes. This article reviews this rare but relevant clinical entity to further elucidate the incidence, pathogenesis, clinical course, management and outcome of left atrial dissection.
Special Issue on psychopathology in Asians and the DSM-5: Culture matters

This special issue focuses on Asians and the arrival of the DSM-5. We begin with a brief historical review of the development of the DSMs, from the DSM-I to the DSM-5. We then note some concerns about the general lack of cultural integration in past and current versions of the DSM, as it continues to emphasize a Western framework for understanding mental disorders. Following a common conclusion voiced by the authors of the articles included in this special issue, we underscore the ongoing need to achieve a more nuanced understanding of mental disorders in Asians.
Preschool Pretend Play Behaviors and Early Adolescent Creativity

Individual differences in creativity across the lifespan have been identified, but little research has focused on the development of creativity during early adolescence. This project examined individual differences on two measures of creativity in early adolescence as well as the predictability of adolescent creativity from pretend play behaviors during the preschool years. Realistic role-play behavior was assessed at age 5 for 127 children who later completed two creative thinking tasks (TCT-DP and the Alternative Uses Measure) when the children were 10–15 years of age. Realistic role-play when the children were age 5 significantly predicted their scores during early adolescence on the Alternative Uses Measure but not the TCT-DP. Significant sex differences were found for amount of time engaged in realistic role-play at age 5 and performance on the TCT-DP, with girls engaging in more role-play at age 5 and scoring higher on the TCT-DP during early adolescence than boys. No sex differences were observed for the Alternative Uses Measure. These results suggest that preschool role-play behaviors represent early creativity and are tapping aspects of creativity development that are manifested in early adolescence.
The role of translators and interpreters in hybrid English–Spanish contexts in the USA

This article presents the findings of a study of English–Spanish mediation in hospital and court settings in the USA. The study is based on two main issues: the linguistic and cultural diversity of Hispanics, and the specialized nature of the health and judicial systems. When encountering new or different health care and judicial systems in the USA, Hispanics often code-switch or borrow terms from English that are more practical for the context, and transfer them to their dominant language. This process creates a unique, non-standard or hybrid form of Spanish that challenges translators and interpreters, whose aim is to facilitate communication between L1 and L2. As qualified individuals trained to use language professionally, they must decide whether to use non-standard language in the pursuit of their communicative goal. The data from observation and interviews with interpreters, as well as the analysis of translations containing speech forms prone to non-standard use, point in the direction of a respon...
Mortality of inbred and non-inbred chickens on range.

(1965). Mortality of inbred and non‐inbred chickens on range. British Poultry Science: Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 89-91.
Total Chemical Synthesis of Biologically Active Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor

A 204 residue covalent-dimer vascular endothelial growth factor, with full mitogenic activity, was made by one-pot native chemical ligation from three unprotected peptide segments. The covalent structure of synthetic VEGF was confirmed by precise mass measurement, and the three dimensional structure of the synthetic protein molecule was determined by high resolution X-ray crystallography. Robust, practical synthetic access to biologically active VEGF will aid in the development of novel anti-angiogenic therapeutics.
A PIPELINE TRANSPORT CORRELATION FOR SLURRIES WITH SMALL BUT DENSE PARTICLES

Most correlations/models for minimum transport or critical velocity of slurry were developed for slurries composed of particles greater than ∼100–200 µm diameter with narrow particle-size distributions which is typical of the minerals industry. Many other process industries handle smaller particles. In particular waste slurries at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site have broad size distributions and significant fractions of smaller particles. Despite the size of these wastes, recent studies at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory indicate that the small particles might be of sufficient density to pose a significant risk for pipeline deposition and plugging. To allow predictive assessment of deposition of fine dense particles for waste slurry transport at the U.S. DOE Hanford site, a pipeline-transport correlation for critical velocity was developed using a simple power-law between two dimensionless numbers important for slurry transport, the deposition Froude and Archimedes numbers. The correlation accords well with experimental data for slurries with Archimedes numbers <80 and is an adequate pipeline design guide for processing Hanford waste slurry. La plupart des correlations/modeles pour le transport minimum ou la vitesse critique des boues liquides ont ete developpes pour des boues liquides composees de particules de diametre superieur a ∼100–200 µm avec des distributions etroites des tailles des particules qui sont typiques de l'industrie miniere. De nombreuses autres industries de transformation gerent les particules plus petites. En particulier, les boues liquides des dechets du site de Hanford du Departement americain de l'Energie (DOE) presentent de larges distributions de taille et des fractions significatives de particules plus petites. En depit de la taille de ces dechets, des etudes recentes du Pacific Northwest National Laboratory indiquent que les petites particules pourraient etre de densite suffisante pour poser un risque significatif de blocage et de depot des canalisations. Pour permettre une evaluation predictive des depots de petites particules denses pour le transport des boues liquides des dechets au site de Hanford du DOE americain, une correlation pipeline-transport pour la vitesse critique a ete developpee en utilisant une simple relation exponentielle entre deux nombres adimensionnels importants le transport des boues liquides, le depot Froude et les nombres d'Archimede. La correlation correspond bien avec les donnees experimentales pour les boues liquides presentant des nombres d'Archimede <80 et constitue un guide de conception adequat des canalisations pour le traitement des boues liquides des dechets de Hanford.
Cutaneous DNA Vaccination Against Ebola Virus by Particle Bombardment: Histopathology and Alteration of CD3-positive Dendritic Epidermal Cells

We analyzed the localization of gold particles, expression of immunogenic protein, and histo- pathologic changes after vaccinating guinea pigs and mice with a DNA vaccine to the Ebola virus glycoprotein administered by cutaneous particle bombardment. Gold particles were deposited in all layers of the epidermis and in the dermis. Those in the epidermis were lost as the damaged layers sloughed, while those in the dermis were phagocytized by macrophages. Glycoprotein was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry primarily in keratinocytes in the epidermis and hair follicle epithelium and less frequently in dermal macrophages, fibro- blasts, sebocytes, and cells that appeared to be Langerhans cells. The number of cells that expressed glycoprotein increased between 4 and 8 hours postvaccination, then decreased to near zero by 48 hours. The vaccine sites were histologically divisible into three zones. The central portion, zone 1, contained the most gold particles in the dermis and epidermis and had extensive tissue damage, including full-thickness epidermal necrosis. Zone 2 contained fewer gold particles in the epidermis and dermis and had less extensive necrosis. The majority of cells in which glycoprotein was expressed were in zone 2. Zone 3 contained gold particles only in the epidermis and had necrosis of only a few scattered cells. Regeneration of the epidermis in damaged areas was evident at 24 hours postvaccination and was essentially complete by day 5 in the mice and day 10 in the guinea pigs. Inflammatory changes were characterized by hemorrhage, edema, and infiltrates of neutrophils initially and by infiltrates of lymphocytes and macrophages at later times. In zone 1, inflammation affected both the epidermis and dermis. Peripherally, inflammation was relatively limited to the epidermis. CD3-positive dendritic epidermal cells were demonstrated in the epidermis and superficial hair follicles of unvaccinated immunocompetent mice and beige mice but not of SCID mice. These cells disappeared from all but the most peripheral portions of the vaccine sites of vaccinated mice within 24 hours. They reappeared slowly, failing to reach numbers comparable with unvaccinated mice by 35 days postvaccination. The epidermis of control guinea pigs also had CD3-positive cells, but they did not have dendrites. These findings should contribute to a better understanding of the mech- anisms operating in response to DNA vaccination by particle bombardment.
The Practical Use of Simplicity in Developing Ground Water Models

The advantages of starting with simple models and building complexity slowly can be significant in the development of ground water models. In many circumstances, simpler models are characterized by fewer defined parameters and shorter execution times. In this work, the number of parameters is used as the primary measure of simplicity and complexity; the advantages of shorter execution times also are considered. The ideas are presented in the context of constructing ground water models but are applicable to many fields. Simplicity first is put in perspective as part of the entire modeling process using 14 guidelines for effective model calibration. It is noted that neither very simple nor very complex models generally produce the most accurate predictions and that determining the appropriate level of complexity is an ill-defined process. It is suggested that a thorough evaluation of observation errors is essential to model development. Finally, specific ways are discussed to design useful ground water models that have fewer parameters and shorter execution times.
Maximization of constant velocity scan range of electrothermally-actuated micromirror by pulse width modulated drive

Actuation of thermal bimorph-based electrothermal micromirrors by pulse width modulated (PWM) voltage is reported. PWM actuation provides more flexibility over continuous voltage waveforms especially in the case of micromirror arrays.
Analysis of phase relationship in ECoG using Hilbert transform and information theoretic measures

We apply Hilbert transforms to the analysis of phase relationship in elecrocoticogram (ECoG) signals in order to explore a set of meaningful information theoretic measures. This analysis leads to a methodology to derive meaning from experimentally observed brain dynamics under various states induced by sensory stimuli. We explore the possibility to represent periods of habituation and learning based on instantaneous frequency signals and introducing a new set of parameters, based on the concept of pragmatic information.
Commitment in business-to-business relationships

Abstract This article examines commitment in business-to-business (B2B) relationships from the purchasing manager's perspective. It proposes that purchasing managers will form stronger bonds with suppliers who are better able to satisfy both the buying firm's organizational needs as well as the purchasing manager's personal needs. It also proposes that purchasing managers will be more influenced by personal rather than organizational need fulfillment. The results from a survey of purchasing managers support all hypotheses. The findings suggest that marketers will be able to develop stronger bonds with purchasing managers by offering benefit bundles that address both organizational and personal needs.
The Politics of Judicial Procedures: The Role of Public Oral Hearings in the German Constitutional Court

Modern liberal democracies typically depend on courts with the power of constitutional review to ensure that elected officials do not breach their constitutional obligations. The efficacy of this review, however, can depend on the public observing such breaches. One resource available to many of the world's constitutional courts to influence the public's ability to do so is public oral hearings. Drawing on the comparative judicial literature on separation of powers, public awareness, and noncompliance, I develop a formal model of public oral hearings. The model provides empirical implications for when a court will hold public oral hearings and how hearings correspond to a court's willingness to rule against elected officials. An empirical analysis of hearings at the German Constitutional Court supports the model's prediction that courts use hearings as a resource to address potential noncompliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]