cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Premature differentiation of nephron progenitor cell and dysregulation of gene pathways critical to kidney development in a model of preterm birth

Preterm birth is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity. Survivors have a greater risk for kidney dysfunction and hypertension. Little is known about the molecular changes that occur in the kidney of individuals born preterm. Here, we demonstrate that mice delivered two days prior to full term gestation undergo premature cessation of nephrogenesis, resulting in a lower glomerular density. Kidneys from preterm and term groups exhibited differences in gene expression profiles at 20- and 27-days post-conception, including significant differences in the expression of fat-soluble vitamin-related genes. Kidneys of the preterm mice exhibited decreased proportions of endothelial cells and a lower expression of genes promoting angiogenesis compared to the term group. Kidneys from the preterm mice also had altered nephron progenitor subpopulations, early Six2 depletion, and altered Jag1 expression in the nephrogenic zone, consistent with premature differentiation of nephron progenitor cells. In conclusion, preterm birth alone was sufficient to shorten the duration of nephrogenesis and cause premature differentiation of nephron progenitor cells. These candidate genes and pathways may provide targets to improve kidney health in preterm infants.
Mutual fund performance components: an application to asset allocation mutual funds

While most of the mutual fund performance literature focuses on returns only, a recent strand examines the activity level of portfolio managers and how this activity affects portfolio performance. ...
Using the New Media to Transform a University from a Teaching Organization to a Learning Organization

In the corporate world, with its global, competitive environment, many firms have become learning organizations in order to survive and thrive. Similarly, 21st century universities that succeed will be lean, flexible, and nimble; Peter Drucker once asserted that in the not-so-distant future “big universities will be relics” and will not survive. This paper explains how doctoral students as well as new faculty can use the new media technologies to enhance both their research and teaching abilities.
Controlling the energy band gap of aligned semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes for THz modulator

In this paper, a THz tunable modulator based on a bundle of aligned semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes is introduced. A semi analytical model describing the energy band gap reduction of semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) is presented. The general approach shows that by applying an electrical field perpendicularly to aligned s-SWCNTs, the energy band gap of the carbon nanotubes is reduced. I-V characteristics are carried out to verify experimentally the validity of the model by studying the enhancement of the conductance when an electrical field is applied across the aligned s-SWCNTs.
Lithium N‐Methylpiperazide

[105563-31-3] C5H11LiN2 (MW 106.12) InChI = 1S/C5H11N2.Li/c1-7-4-2-6-3-5-7;/h2-5H2,1H3;/q-1;+1 InChIKey = QVLUVDRMLBBAOV-UHFFFAOYSA-N (in situ protection of aryl aldehydes via α-amino alkoxide formation; α-amino alkoxides can direct or block ortho-lithiation1) Alternate Names: LNMP. Preparative Method: prepared in situ by adding n-Butyllithium to N-methylpiperazine in anhydrous solvents. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: highly flammable; should be kept under a nitrogen or argon atmosphere.
Rebooting Our Approach to Teaching Research: One Writing Program's Leap into the Computer Age

In the fall of 2005, Brooklyn Law School's Writing Program significantly changed its approach to legal research instruction and entered a new era. In order to make our research lessons more effective and relevant to our students, we opted for a fully integrated approach in which we emphasized the importance of combining books, fee based legal research sources, and free Internet sources into a comprehensive research strategy. These changes acknowledge the realities of the computer age, the work place, and our students' own research experiences which are steeped in the Internet and computers. Eventually, we hope to make our students more discerning consumers of legal research and, ultimately, better analytical thinkers. With this new approach we expect that students will fully embrace all available tools while taking maximum advantage of all that today's computer technology has to offer legal research instruction. In this article, I first describe the growth of computer research technology at Brooklyn, some of the efforts we took to try to engage the students in traditional book research, and why we needed to make this latest change to the way we teach legal research. I then describe the changes we made to our legal research curriculum. My conclusion is that integrated legal instruction which acknowledges the realities of today's technology and computer culture engages our students, enhances our credibility as teachers, and, most importantly, produces willing and capable researchers who will consider all available resources ranging from books, to fee based computer research tools, to the Internet and its vast collection of free resources. Ultimately, we will then be able to focus on what is most important - synthesis and critical analysis of the law - so that students will become better analytical thinkers.
Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Exploding Wires

A continuous-writing, image-streaking spectrograph-camera instrument was constructed and calibrated. Time-resolved spectral emulsions were obtained, in the visible spectrum, using exploding wire plasmas of five elements (Al, Au, Ni, Cu, Ag) as a light source. Wires were exploded both in vacuum and at ambient atmospheric conditions. The time-resolved spectrograph consisted of a f/6.3 plane grating spectrograph coupled with a 70-mm AVCO Model 300 camera. This combination featured a time resolution of ~0.26 μ sec and a reciprocal dispersion of approximately 35 A/mm, and was calibrated so that relative spectral intensities could be easily determined. The energy discharge system incorporated a 2-μF 50-kV capacitor, pressurized switch of the trigatron type, and an environmental chamber with electrical diagnostics. The ringing frequency of the system on a dead short was ~330 kHz. Preliminary estimates of the temperature were calculated using measured relative spectral intensities, and a theoretical description of the expected plasma radiation. Results indicated that at late times in the discharge the plasma was not optically thin as assumed, and that meaningful temperatures could not be calculated without recourse to a detailed investigation of the plasma opacity. At early times, the assumption that the plasma radiated as a black body was applicable, and reasonable temperatures (0.1 to 1.0 eV) were calculated.
Comparing Legal Factfinders: Real and Mock, Amateur and Professional

The excellent articles by Brian Bornstein and Sean McCabe1 and Jennifer Robbennolt2 in this Symposium document the current state of two longstanding debates in jury scholarship—one on the external validity of mock jury experiments, the other on the relative fact-finding ability of juries versus judges. Over a decade ago, I examined the state of evidence in each debate.3 With respect to what Bornstein and McCabe refer to as “consequentiality”—the question of whether decisions result in real outcomes4—in 1989 I noted that “[e]xperiments comparing mock jurors with subjects who thought they were actually trying a case have been inconclusive; different studies have found mock jurors’ verdicts to be more lenient, less lenient, and no different from those of ‘actual’ jurors.”5 Bornstein and McCabe note with some frustration that there is no new evidence to clarify these results6—indeed, no studies have examined the issue since 1986.7 In stark contrast, Robbennolt shows that there has been considerable empirical progress on the second issue since 1993,8 when I was able to identify only two direct experimental comparisons of judge and juror judgmental performance.9 Perhaps framing these questions as “debates” is misleading, since in neither case can we expect empirical research to provide an unequivocal, dichotomous verdict like “mock jury research is valid” or “judges are superior.” Both issues involve inevitable trade-offs among goals— epistemological goals in the first case and legal policy goals in the second.
Reviewing an Original Research Manuscript for the International Journal of Exercise Science: A Guide for Students and Professionals

Considerations for the review process of manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Exercise Science are presented. Initial steps to evaluation include reading the abstract to determine your ability as a reviewer, becoming familiar with the journal requirements, and formulating an initial impression of the manuscript. At this point an assessment is made to determine how the reviewer should treat the manuscript. If it is determined that the manuscript is acceptable with minor revisions, or may be acceptable with major changes, a full review should be performed. A full review of the manuscript requires a thorough examination of the major headings including the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The written review is composed of two parts, a section with the decision that is composed of comments only for the editor, and a section that provides feedback to the authors. Specific comments to the authors should include an honest critique that aids in improving the manuscript.
The use of urinary deuterium oxide concentrations in a simple method for measuring total body water.

Abstract 1.1. An accurate method for the recovery of urinary D 2 O is presented. 2.2. The total body waters of thirteen normal male subjects obtained from simultaneous blood serum and urinary D 2 O determinations are identical. 3.3. There is no difference in the values obtained from urine samples (obtained between three and five hours). 4.4. The D 2 O lost in the urine during the period of equilibration is negligible. 5.5. Equilibration times of D 2 O among the various body fluids in edematous subjects are long, and in such individuals the measurement of total body water required many hours with minimum fluid intake, and many samples for analysis.
Induction of Microsomal Drug Metabolizing Enzymes by Oral Contraceptives in Protein-Malnourished Rats

The effects of combined norethynodrel-mestranol (NM) in the diet on the microsomal drug metabolizing enzyme system was studied in weanling rats maintained on different protein-content diets. The animals received diets containing 3.5% (low protein; LP) 26% (normal protein; NP) or 42% (high protein; HP) casein for 224 days. NM was included for the last 182 days. Body weights were least in LP rats. NP and HP animals showed depressed weight gain and hypertrophy of the kidney and liver. Animals on LP diet had lowered concentrations of microsomal proteins and cytochrome P-450. However the latter decrease was not attributable to NM. NM significantly (p less than .05) decreased biphenyl-4-hydrolase activity in NP animals and reduced their activity in LP and HP rats although the decrease was not significant (p less than .05). p-Nitrobenzoate reductase activity was not affected by diet alone but NM enhanced its activity in NP rats. 4-methylumbelliferone glucuronyl transferase activity was diminished by LP diet and was also lowered by NM in NP and LP animals. From the data it is inferred that protein malnourished populations may not be as susceptible to the undesirable side effects of oral contraceptives arising from the modification of microsomal drug metabolizing enzymes as populations consuming protein adequate diets.
An ECM-Bound, PDGF-like Growth Factor and a TGF-α-like Growth Factor Are Required for Gastrulation and Spiculogenesis in theLytechinusEmbryo

Abstract Growth factors and the extracellular matrix have been shown to fulfill vital developmental roles in many embryonic systems. Our hypothesis is that a developmental role played by the extracellular matrix in sea urchins may be the binding of a PDGF-like growth factor to promote signaling activity. We report here that anti-human PDGF-B antibodies and anti-human TGF-α antibodies immunoprecipitated specific proteins isolated from Lytechinus embryos. Addition of these antibodies to Lytechinus embryos inhibited gastrulation and spiculogenesis. The embryos are sensitive to the antibodies from the four-cell through the hatching blastula stages, which suggests that the TGF-α-like and PDGF-like ligands are required for the early differentiation of the gut and spicules. We present evidence that the PDGF-like growth factor depends on the extracellular matrix for signaling activity. Synthetic peptides representing the heparan sulfate proteoglycan binding sequence on human PDGF-B were added to Lytechinus embryo cultures to compete for binding sites with the endogenous PDGF-like growth factor. The experimental peptide inhibited gastrulation and caused radially arranged multiple spicules to form. Development was unaffected by a control peptide. These studies support our hypothesis and suggest that TGF-α-like and PDGF-like growth factors induce signaling events required for sea urchin gastrulation and spiculogenesis and suggest that an extracellular matrix-associated PDGF-like growth factor is involved in differentiation along the oral–aboral axis.
Response of superconducting characteristics of Hg-based high-Tc thin films to photolithographic processes

The stability of the properties of Hg-based superconducting thin films has been studied during conventional photolithographic patterning processes. The patterning process was divided into individual steps such as photoresist baking, developing and etching in order to observe the effect of each step separately on the superconducting properties of the samples. After baking of the photoresist, a considerable degradation in the superconducting properties was observed, while samples did not show any visible degradation after they were etched with acid solution.
Processing of polypropylene–clay nanocomposites: Single‐screw extrusion with in‐line supercritical carbon dioxide feed versus twin‐screw extrusion

This work investigates two different melt-blending strategies for preparing compatibilized polypropylene-clay nanocomposites, specifically: (1) conventional twin-screw extrusion, and (2) single-screw extrusion capable of direct supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) feed to the extruder barrel. Proportional amounts (3 : 1) of maleic anhydride functionalized polypropylene compatibilizer and organically modified montmorillonite clay at clay loadings of 1, 3, and 5 wt % are melt-blended with a polypropylene homopolymer using the two approaches. The basal spacing, degree of exfoliation, and dispersion of organoclay is assessed using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and rheology. In terms of the latter, both steady shear and small-amplitude oscillatory shear provide information about the apparent yield stress and solid-like terminal behavior respectively. Finally, nanoindentation is performed to determine the room temperature modulus of each melt-blended nanocomposite. The results reveal unequivocally that the high shear of the twin-screw process is vastly superior to the single-screw with in-line scCO2 addition in generating well-exfoliated, percolated polypropylene-clay nanocomposites. It is likely that increased contact time between clay and scCO2 is necessary for scCO2 to positively affect exfoliation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 884–892, 2007
NMR-spectroscopic analysis of mixtures: from structure to function

NMR spectroscopy as a particularly information-rich method offers unique opportunities for improving the structural and functional characterization of metabolomes, which will be essential for advancing the understanding of many biological processes. Whereas traditionally NMR spectroscopy was mostly relegated to the characterization of pure compounds, the past few years have seen a surge of interest in using NMR-spectroscopic techniques for characterizing complex metabolite mixtures. Development of new methods was motivated partly by the realization that using NMR for the analysis of metabolite mixtures can help identify otherwise inaccessible small molecules, for example compounds that are prone to chemical decomposition and thus cannot be isolated. Furthermore, comparative metabolomics and statistical analyses of NMR spectra have proven highly effective at identifying novel and known metabolites that correlate with changes in genotype or phenotype. In this review, we provide an overview of the range of NMR-spectroscopic techniques recently developed for characterizing metabolite mixtures, including methods used in discovery-oriented natural product chemistry, in the study of metabolite biosynthesis and function, or for comparative analyses of entire metabolomes.
Isopiestic studies of NaHSO4(aq) at elevated temperatures. Thermodynamic properties

Molalities of H 2 SO 4 (aq) and NaCl(aq) in isopiestic equilibrium have been measured over the temperature range 383.45 K to 473.21 K. Molalities of the reference salt (NaCl) ranged from about 0.5 mol·kg −1 to greater than 6 mol·kg −1 . The ion-interaction model gave an excellent fit of the experimental results when the partial ionization of the bisulfate ion was included in the calculations. Coupling available low-temperature results with the present work provided the basis for a relatively simple model for the osmotic and activity coefficients of aqueous sulfuric acid over the temperature range 298.15 K to 473.15 K. The model predicts that at high temperatures and moderate molalities the bisulfate ion is less than 1 per cent ionized. However, at the higher molalities ionization increases with increasing molality (re-ionization).
Dilute aperture diffraction imagery and object reconstruction: II. Deterministic aberrations

Replacement of a large continuum by a set of appropriately placed small subapertures offers a number of advantages if the object being viewed can be reconstructed reasonably accurately from the subaperture diffraction imagery. A previous paper was devoted to this problem and numerical calculations were carried out for the aberration-free situation. In the present paper, we extend the numerical calculations to determine the influence of deterministic wavefront aberration on the efficiency of object reconstruction in the presence of measurement noise. Our calculations seem to indicate that moderate amounts of wavefront aberrations do not appear to affect the inversion.
New Media and an Ethics Analysis Model for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

We and our patients are immersed in a mediascape that is unparalleled in history. It is a force of monumental proportion that for many youth competes with and has replaced parental, social, and cultural influences on their development. The ethical questions regarding this dynamic are frequently answered by little else than the application of vague and dated moral dictums based on "old media." To engender a comprehensive understanding of how "new media" interacts with our patients, we suggest a new perspective on the differentiation of old media from new media. Then, using our conceptual model of new media, we break down the ethical questions into the several overlapping ethical areas, these being media, professional, and bioethical. To aid in the application of the system of thought we provide a structured system of ethical analysis. Through these, we hope that this issue can be looked at with increased clarity and guidance within a framework for future thought.
Dislocation Pile-ups in Anisotropic Crystals

The positions of the n dislocations in a piled-up group under a constant applied stress have been determined using the analysis of Eshelby, Frank and Nabarro [1]. The positions are related to the zeros of the first derivative of the n-th Laguerre polynomial which have been computed for n = 2 to 100. The relation between the zeros of the polynomials and the positions of the dislocations involves an effective elastic constant μeff which is a function of the anisotropic elastic constants and the orientation of the dislocations. μeff has been calculated for glide dislocations lying along a number of symmetry directions in various hexagonal, face-centred cubic and body-centred cubic crystals. In some b.c.c. crystals it has been noted that screw or mostly screw dislocations repel each other more strongly than dislocations with more edge character, contrary to the predictions of isotropic elasticity. Analysis of the stress-fields around a pile-up has shown the total stress (applied plus internal) is negative in small regions behind each individual dislocation. These negative stress regions are associated with individual dislocations, rather than the group as a whole, and they do not extend very far in a direction normal to the slip plane. It is concluded that isolated dislocation pile-ups are unlikely to be very effective in impeding other dislocations on parallel slip planes. Die Position der n zu einer Gruppe angehauften Versetzungen wurden bei konstanter angelegter Spannung nach der Methode von Eshelby, Frank und Nabarro [1] bestimmt. Die Positionen stehen in Beziehung zu den Nullstellen der ersten Abteilung des n-ten Laguerreschen Polynoms, die fur n = 2 bis 100 berechnet wurden. Die Beziehung zwischen den Nullstellen der Polynome und den Positionen der Versetzungen enthalt eine effektive elastische Konstante μeff, die eine Funktion der anisotropen elastischen Konstanten und der Orientierung der Versetzungen ist. μeff wurde fur Gleitversetzungen, die entlang einer Anzahl von Symmetrierichtungen in verschiedenen hexagonalen, kubisch-flachenzentrierten und kubisch-raumzentrierten Kristallen liegen, berechnet. In einigen k.r.z. Kristallen ergab sich, das Schraubenversetzungen oder Versetzungen mit uberwiegendem Schrauben-charakter einander starker abstosen als Versetzungen mit mehr Stufencharakter, was im Gegensatz zu den Voraussagen der isotropen Elastizitatstheorie stebt. Die Analyse der Spannungsfelder um eine Anhaufung zeigte, das die Gesamtspannung (angelegte plus innere) in kleinen Bereichen hinter jeder Einzelversetzung negativ ist. Diese Bereiche negativer Spannung sind mit den Einzelversetzungen mehr als mit der Gruppe als Ganzem verbunden und sie dehnen sich nicht mehr weit in einer Richtung normal zur Gleitebene aus. Es wird geschlossen, das die isolierten Versetzungsgruppen wahrscheinlich nicht sehr wirksam bei der Behinderung anderer Versetzungen auf parallelen Gleitebenen sind.
Evaluation of C18 solid‐phase extraction cartridges for the isolation of select pesticides and metabolites

Abstract Nine different C18 solid‐phase extraction (SPE) cartridges were evaluated for their efficiency at extracting nine pesticides and two s‐triazine metabolites from spiked deionized water samples. The SPE cartridges were found to contain nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P) contaminants and varied in their extraction efficiency for certain pesticides and metabolites. Four of the nine SPE cartridges gave acceptable (70 to 120%) pesticide and metabolite recovery percentages, while five cartridges had marginal (50 to 70%) to poor (< 50%) recoveries. Statistical analyses showed that the poor to marginal recoveries found for three compounds could not be explained by considering several indigenous chemical and physical traits of the cartridge. It is suggested that proper SPE cartridge selection for pesticide recovery should be evaluated using several different cartridges.
In their own words: A preliminary report on the value of the internet and the library in graduate student research

Purpose – The paper aims to give a presentation of a rich dataset to illuminate graduate students' rating of their satisfaction with library collections and services. Design/methodology/approach – The study is a qualitative investigation based on focus groups. Findings – The paper finds that, although rich detail is provided, the study is part way through and data need more analysis for trends to emerge. Research limitations/implications – The study is a research project which is ongoing. Practical implications – Rich data collected are indicating areas for improvement in service, which will be synthesized as the research progresses. Originality/value – It is rare for data of this richness to be offered to readers. It will help others by confirming or illuminating their own investigations.
Regulatory considerations for determining postmarketing study commitments.

Postmarketing Study Commitments (PMCs) are, most commonly, agreements made by pharmaceutical companies at the time of an FDA approval to perform a study or studies to elucidate further characteristics of the drug under consideration. The role of PMCs in drug regulation has come under considerable scrutiny in recent years, particularly as discussions of drug safety have intensified. Although these agreed-upon PMCs are described in FDA regulations,1 such PMCs are not sought by FDA with every approval, and completion of the agreed-upon studies is not a requirement for the drug's sponsor (there are required PMCs under certain regulatory provisions and these are discussed below). Requests by FDA at the time of regulatory approval for studies under PMCs have been a common practice for many years. When made, PMCs are described in the approval letters and are therefore publicly available. Concerns over whether PMCs were being duly performed, reported, and reviewed by FDA were addressed in the FDA Modernization Act of 1997, which required more detailed reporting by manufacturers on their progress in meeting the PMCs and required FDA to report certain information publicly.2 Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2007) 82 228–230. doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100238; published online 30 May 2007
Effect of Suspended Sediment on Vulnerability of Young Razorback Suckers to Predation

Abstract The decline of native fishes in North America is principally a result of altered habitats, and the impact of mainstream dams has accounted for many of the habitat changes. Diminished turbidity, and introduced nonnative predators were investigated as possible reasons for the decline of endangered razorback suckers Xyrauchen texanus in the Colorado River. In laboratory tests, young razorback suckers selected clear water over two water samples with higher concentrations of suspended sediment. In clear water, however, young razorback suckers were extremely susceptible to predation; native Colorado squawfish Ptychocheilus lucius consumed 90% of test razorback suckers, and nonnative green sunfish Lepomis cyanellus consumed 99.6%. As turbidity increased, razorback sucker predator avoidance improved and differences in predator success disappeared. Winter–spring spawning by razorback suckers in Lake Mohave, along with the extreme susceptibility of larvae to predation in clear water, may account for total ...
The rebirth of Isabelle.

She was born at home like the first child, but her eyes looked different, slightly glazed. At first, everything seemed normal. But all was not right.
cis-acting elements at opposite ends of the Citrus tristeza virus genome differ in initiation and termination of subgenomic RNAs

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV), a member of the Closteroviridae with a plus-stranded genomic RNA of approximately 20 kb, produces 10 3'-coterminal subgenomic (sg) RNAs that serve as messenger (m)RNAs for its internal genes. In addition, a population of 5'-terminal sgRNAs of approximately 700 nts are highly abundant in infected cells. Previous analysis demonstrated that the controller elements (CE) are responsible for the 3'-terminal mRNAs and the small 5'-terminal sgRNAs differ in the number of additional sgRNAs produced. A feature of both types of CE is production of 5'- and 3'-terminal positive-stranded sgRNAs, but the 3' CEs additionally produce a negative-stranded complement of the 3'-terminal mRNAs. Here, we found that the termination (for 5'-terminal sgRNAs) and initiation (for 3'-terminal sgRNAs) sites of the 5' vs. the 3' CEs occur at opposite ends of the respective minimal active CEs. The initiation site for the 3' CE of the major coat protein gene, and probably those of the p20 and p23 genes, was outside (3' in terms of the genomic RNA) the minimal unit, whereas the termination sites were located within the minimal CE, 30-50 nts upstream of the initiation site (referring to the positive-strand sequence). In contrast, the initiation site for the 5' CE was in the 5' region of the minimal unit, with the termination sites 20-35 nts downstream (referring to the positive-strand sequence). Furthermore, the CEs differ in initiation nucleotide and response to mutagenesis of that nucleotide. The 3' CE initiates sgRNA synthesis from a uridylate, whereas the 5' CE initiates from a cytidylate. We previously found that the 3' CEs were unusually tolerant to mutagenesis of the initiation sites, with initiation proceeding from alternative sites. Mutagenesis of the initiation site of the 5' CE prevented synthesis of either the 5'- or 3'-terminal sgRNAs. Thus, the cis-acting elements at opposite ends of the genome are remarkably different, perhaps having arisen from different origins and or with different functions in the life cycle of this virus.
Iterating Semantic Automata

The semantic automata framework, developed originally in the 1980s, provides computational interpretations of generalized quantifiers. While recent experimental results have associated structural features of these automata with neuroanatomical demands in processing sentences with quantifiers, the theoretical framework has remained largely unexplored. In this paper, after presenting some classic results on semantic automata in a modern style, we present the first application of semantic automata to polyadic quantification, exhibiting automata for iterated quantifiers. We also discuss the role of semantic automata in linguistic theory and offer new empirical predictions for sentence processing with embedded quantifiers.
The gas-grain interaction in the interstellar medium - Thermal accommodation and trapping

The paper develops a numerical model for calculating thermal accommodation coefficients alpha sub T and trapping functions f sub t for gases incident on solid surfaces. The method is especially designed for astrophysical applications in that it treats economically and with moderate accuracy (+ or - 20%) the dependences of alpha sub T and f sub t on finite and different surface and gas temperatures for a large number of gas-surface combinations. In particular, the method is applied to the astrophysical combinations of hydrogen and helium gases incident on graphite, silicon, and ice surfaces. Graphs are presented of the dependence of alpha sub T and f sub t on interstellar gas temperatures in the range of 10 to 10,000 K and grain temperatures in the range 10 to 1000 K, assuming the current estimates of the gas-surface physical parameters such as the composition and the Debye temperature of the grain material, the repulsive range of the surface potential, and the gas-grain adsorption energy.
Reduced endothelial function in the skin in Southeast Asians compared to Caucasians

Results: When occlusion was applied at a skin temperature of 31°C, the BF response to occlusion was significantly lower in the SAI cohort compared to C (peak BF C=617±88.2 flux, SAE=284±73 flux). The same effect was seen at skin temperatures of 42°C. The circulatory response to heat was also significantly less in SAI compared to C at each temperature examined (p<0.05)(for temperatures of 38, 40 and 42°C, peak blood flow for C was 374.7±81.2, 551.9±91.3 and 725.9±107 flux respec tively and 248.5±86.2, 361.4±104.3 and 455.3±109.7 flux respectively for SAI. (p<0.05). Conclusions: Thus there seems to be big differences in these 2 populations in endothelial response to these stressors. The difference may be due to genetic variations between the 2 groups of subjects.
Spironolactone and cytochrome P-450: impairment of steroid 21-hydroxylation in the adrenal cortex.

Abstract The effect of spironolactone administration on the activities of adrenal 21-hydroxylases was examined in male cortisol- and corticosterone-producing animals. Decreases in the activities of the 21-hydroxylases after spironolactone treatment occur only in those animals that predominantly produce cortisol rather than corticosterone and that have a high activity of adrenal steroid 17α-hydroxylase. The administration of spironolactone to cortisol-producing animals, namely, the guinea pig and the dog, caused a 50–75% loss in the activities of adrenal 21-hydroxylases with a concomitant decrease in the content of microsomal cytochrome P -450 and microsomal heme and in the activity of microsomal 17α-hydroxylase. Spironolactone treatment was also found to decrease the content of adrenal mitochondrial cytochrome P -450 in male guinea pigs but not male dogs. In contrast to its effect in cortisol-producing animals, the administration of spironolactone caused an increase in the activities of the microsomal 21-hydroxylases in the adrenals of corticosterone-producing animals such as the rat and the rabbit.
The chemical structure of the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria.

In the past, the role of organic chemistry has been to establish the structure of natural products, to duplicate these products, and synthesize infinite variations of them for the amelioration of our standard of living. Recently, however, organic chemistry, together with its derived disciplines biochemistry and molecular biology, has broadened in scope and has started to give us basic knowledge about biological processes. This knowledge is valid, however, only when it is based on chemical structures, the identification of which has been made by rigorous methods and eventually supported by synthetic proofs. This knowledge is valid, in other words, only when it is based on the same foundation as the chemistry of natural products has been based in the past. Most developments in the field of molecular biology have concerned proteins and nucleic acids. There are, however, biological phenomena (for example, the immunological protection of the cell, the duplication of the bacterial cell, and its penetration by viruses) in which carbohydrate structures play a major role. When we come to know the chemical structure of the rigid and insoluble component that gives form and protection to bacteria, we will better understand some important biological phenomena at the molecular level. To take two particularly interesting examples, we will be able to explain in chemical terms the penetration of viruses into the bacterial cell and also the action of antibiotics, such as penicillin, which block the formation of the cell wall. Only recently, moreover, has the spatial structure of egg-white lysozyme, one of the enzymes that cause the lysis of bacteria, been elucidated'. When we know completely the chemical structure of the lysozyme substrate, we will be in a position to explain the mechanism of enzyme action. In recent years, methods have been developed for the preparation of cell wall material devoid of cytoplasmic or membrane material, so that chemical methods may be applied to the purified material. Cell walls of grampositive bacteria were found to have, in general, a simpler composition than do cell walls of gram-negative bacteria, which have complex protein— lipopolysaccharidic antigens. We have to thank Salton, Work, Cummings, and Westphal, among others, for the pioneering work which determined the composition of bacterial cell walls. One of the first cell-wall structures to be studied was that of Micrococcus lysodeilcticus, which is the substrate traditionally used for the study of egg-white lysozyme. Taking advantage of the solubilization of the cell wall by the
New potential silane coupling agents

The synthesis of two new potential silane coupling agents is described and commented on. These agents are HOSiPcOSi(CH3)2CH2CH2C6H4CH2I-m and p and HOSiPcOSi(CH3)2CH2CH2C6H4CH2NHCH2CH2NH2-m and p (Pc = phthalocyaninato ligand). In addition, a discussion of agents of the general class to which these two agents belong is given. In this discussion some of the special features of agents of this class are pointed out, e.g., the octahedral coordination of the silicon atoms in the agents having the potential to oxygen-bridge to glass surfaces. Special features of the glass-polymer linkages which these agents have the potential to form are also pointed out. Finally, the synthesis of the model isomer mixture HOSiPcOSi(CH3)2CH2CH2C6H4CH2N(CH2CH3)2-m and p is described, and a very brief discussion of this model mixture is given. 11 references.
Electronic properties of the liquid alloys AlCa and AlBa

Abstract The electrical resistivity, ϱ, its temperature dependence, α (≠ (1/ϱ)/(dϱ/dT)), and thethermopower, S , of the liquid alloys AlCa and AlBa were measured over the full composition range. Large values of ϱ and negative α over rather wide ranges of composition are found, implying that these unusual alloys of simple metals are non-free-electron in character. Comparisons between ϱ( c ) and α( c ), where c is the atomic fraction of either Ca or Ba, make it unlikely that the Mooij rule is affective here. Rather sharp minima in α( c ) and S( c ) at the approximate compositions Al 2 Ca and Al 2 Ba, coupled with simple calculations, imply that some chemical short-range ordering at these stoichiometries occurs in the liquids. This conclusion is consistent with more complete calculations as well.
Chlorophylls c1 and c2

Abstract Chlorophyll c has been separated into its components by chromatography on polyethylene, and the structures of the components established by proton magnetic resonance. The less sorbed chlorophyll c 1 is magnesium tetradehydropheoporphyrin a 5 monomethyl ester, and the more sorbed chlorophyll c 2 is magnesium hexadehydropheoporphyrin a 5 monomethyl ester. The relative amounts of the two components in preparations of c from diatoms and from several species of brown algae have been determined by chromatography and from the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. The ratio, c 1 / c 2 , is about 0·6 in the various chlorophyll c preparations.
Characterization of sound radiation by unresolved scales of motion in computational aeroacoustics

Evaluation of the sound sources in a high Reynolds number turbulent flow requires time-accurate resolution of an extremely large number of scales of motion. Direct numerical simulations will therefore remain infeasible for the forseeable future: although current large eddy simulation methods can resolve the largest scales of motion accurately the, they must leave some scales of motion unresolved. A priori studies show that acoustic power can be underestimated significantly if the contribution of these unresolved scales is simply neglected. In this paper, the problem of evaluating the sound radiation properties of the unresolved, subgrid-scale motions is approached in the spirit of the simplest subgrid stress models: the unresolved velocity field is treated as isotropic turbulence with statistical descriptors, evaluated from the resolved field. The theory of isotropic turbulence is applied to derive formulas for the total power and the power spectral density of the sound radiated by a filtered velocity field. These quantities are compared with the corresponding quantities for the unfiltered field for a range of filter widths and Reynolds numbers.
Citizen Science in the Age of Neogeography: Utilizing Volunteered Geographic Information for Environmental Monitoring

The interface between neogeography and citizen science has great potential for environmental monitoring, but this nexus has been explored less often than each subject individually. In this article we review the emerging role of volunteered geographic information in citizen science and present a case study of an integrated tool set that engages multiple types of users (from targeted citizen-based observation networks, expert-driven focused monitoring, and opportunistic crowdsourcing efforts) in monitoring a forest disease in the western United States. We first introduce the overall challenge of data collection in environmental monitoring projects and then discuss the literature surrounding an emergent integration of citizen science and volunteered geographical information. We next explore how these methods characterize and underpin knowledge discovery and how multimodal interaction is supported so that a large spectrum of contributors can be included. These concepts are summarized in a conceptual model tha...
Genotype-based changes in serum uric acid affect blood pressure.

Elevated serum levels of uric acid consistently correlate with hypertension, but the directionality of the association remains debated. To help define this relationship, we used a controlled setting within a homogeneous Amish community and the Mendelian randomization of a nonsynonymous coding single-nucleotide polymorphism, rs16890979 (Val253Ile), in the SLC2A9 gene. This gene expresses the GLUT9 transporter that also transports uric acid and is associated with lower serum uric acid levels. We studied the unconfounded association between genotype and blood pressure in 516 Amish adults, each placed for 6 days on standardized diets, first with high sodium, followed by low sodium, with an intervening washout period. Blood pressure, measured using 24-h ambulatory monitoring, during both diet periods was used as the primary outcome. All participants were free of diuretic or other antihypertensive medications and the relationships between GLUT9 genotype and both serum uric acid and blood pressure were assessed. Each copy of the GLUT9 minor Ile allele was found to confer a significant 0.44mg/dl reduction in serum uric acid and was associated with a significant mean decrease in the systolic blood pressure of 2.2 and 1.5mmHg on the high- and low-sodium diet, respectively. Thus, a Mendelian randomization analysis using variants in the GLUT9 gene indicates that a decrease in serum uric acid has a causal effect of lowering blood pressure.
Improving nursing students' knowledge using online education and simulation to help smokers quit.

Summary The purpose of this study was to examine an evidence-based smoking cessation education program effect on nursing students' perceptions and self-confidence to help smokers quit smoking. Method Upon completion of an on-line educational program students were provided opportunities to practice through simulation. Data were collected by pre and post assessment tools for the online-education and by a post assessment tool for the simulation. Results 110 senior nursing students participated in this study. Students' confidence in their overall ability to assist smokers to quit smoking was statistically significant compared to baseline (t = 4.09, p Conclusion Integration of evidence-based didactic and practical smoking cessation program into curricula improves nursing students' clinical skills in helping smokers to quit.
DISSOCIATION OF FORMIC ACID AND DEUTEROFORMIC ACIDS BY ION-MOLECULE COLLISION

The dissociation of 5.1 kev HCOOH+, DCOOH+, and HCOOD+ ions by ion‐molecule collision with H2, D2, He, N2, A, and Kr has been investigated in a mass spectrometer. Approximate values for the cross sections for the resultant fragment ions have been calculated. Positive ion fragments CHO+ and CHO2+. are produced by loss of hydrogen from both of the possible positions. However, rupture of the C–H bond is a factor of two more probable than cleavage of the O–H bond in the formation of CHO2+. The CHO+ ion fragment is formed mainly by removal of the hydroxyl group.
DNA Lesions: A Thermodynamic Perspective

The studies described in this paper are part of an overall program project entitled {open_quotes}The Chemistry and Biology of Exocyclic DNA Adducts and Oxidative DNA Damage.{close_quotes}. Initially, all the project leaders discuss and agree on biologically interesting lesions to target for study. Then begins the process of developing the chemistry required to synthesize modified nucleosides that either correspond to or model the damage sites of interest. Such modified nucleotides then are incorporated into oligonucleotides that are hybridized to their complements, thereby forming lesion-containing duplex structures. In any given duplex, the identity of the lesion-opposing nucleoside on the complementary strand is systematically altered, thereby allowing us to evaluate the impact on duplex properties of the identity of the base opposite the lesion. For comparative purposes, the undamaged parent Watson-Crick duplex also is synthesized. Such families of DNA duplexes are then sent for independent physiochemical characterizations. Armed with an extensive body of biophysical data, one then searches for correlations between the physiochemical influences of the lesions on duplex properties and the biological consequences of each lesion. At this stage, our approach is highly empirical. Ultimately, we hope that our studies will reveal correlations between physiochemical properties and biological consequences such that wemore » will develop predictive powers and gain insight into the mechanisms of recognition, repair, and mutagenesis.« less
Ultrahigh-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields for Weed Control: Phytotoxicity and Selectivity

An ultrahigh-frequency electromagnetic field (2450+/-20 megahertz) is lethal to plants and seeds of several species after relatively short exposure times. Some species are highly susceptible; others are relatively resistant to a given field intensity. Phytotoxicity is increased in imbibed seeds and young plants. It is decreased in dry seeds and sometimes decreased in mature plants. Soil partially attenuates the field but is not opaque to it.
Mirror self‐image reactions before age two

The behavior of 88 children between 3 and 24 months was observed before a mirror, using an objective technique to examine the child's awareness of the image as his own. The results indicate the following age-related sequence of behavior before the mirror: the first prolonged and repeated reaction of an infant to his mirror image is that of a sociable “playmate” from about 6 through 12 months of age. In the second year of life wariness and withdrawal appeared; self-admiring and embarrassed behavior accompanied those avoidance behaviors starting at 14 months, and was shown by 75% of the subjects after 20 months of age. During the last part of the second year of life, from 20 to 24 months of age, 65% of the subjects demonstrated recognition of their mirror images.
Study of Estrogen Production in Women with Hydatidiform Mole

Following the intravenous administration of a tracer dose of 6,7-3Hestradiol-17β to 3 women with hydatidiform mole, urine was collected for 6 days. Estrone, estradiol and estriol were isolated from each 6-day urine collection and their specific activities were determined. The specific activity of estriol was slightly lower (13–32 %) than that of estrone or estradiol. Based on the dilution of the injected tracer according to the cumulative specific activity of urinary estradiol, the production rate of estradiol in these 3 subjects was 6.7, 7.4 and 11.0 mg/day.