cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Catalytic Subunit of Drosophila Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase Is a Nucleocytoplasmic Shuttling Protein

GSH concentration is considerably lower in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm; however, it is significantly elevated during active cell proliferation. The main purpose of this study was to understand the mechanism underlying these variations in nuclear/cytoplasmic distribution of GSH. The rate-limiting step in the de novo GSH biosynthesis pathway is catalyzed by glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), a heterodimer, composed of a catalytic subunit (GCLc) and a modulatory subunit (GCLm). In Drosophila, GCLc, but not GCLm, contains a nuclear localization signal (NLS). Drosophila S2 cells, constitutively expressing regular GCLc protein or expressing GCLc protein with a mutated NLS motif, were generated by transfection. In quiescent S2 cells, GCLc is aggregated in the perinuclear cytosol and the nucleus, whereas GLCm resides solely in the cytosol. In actively proliferating S2 cells, expressing the normal NLS motif, GCLc migrates from the perinuclear cytoplasm into the nucleus, and the nuclear GSH level becomes elevated; in contrast, in proliferating cells, expressing the mutated NLS motif, neither does the GCLc migrate into the nucleus nor does the nuclear GSH amount rise. In S2 cells expressing wild type GCLc, perturbation of cellular redox state by exposure to cadmium resulted in the migration of GCLc into the nucleus but not in cells expressing GCLc with the mutated NLS motif. Overall, results indicated that GSH biosynthesis in the nucleus is associated with migration of only the GCLc subunit from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, and this migration requires the presence of an intact NLS.
Sulfhydryl-reactive, cleavable, and radioiodinatable benzophenone photoprobes for study of protein-protein interaction.

The major task in proteomics is to understand how proteins interact with their partners. The photo-cross-linking technique enables direct probing of protein−protein interaction. Here we report the development of three novel sulfhydryl-reactive benzophenone photoprobes of short “arm” length, each with a substitution of either amino, iodo, or nitro at the para-position, rendering the benzophenone moiety directly radioiodinatable. Their potential for study of protein−protein interaction was assessed using the inhibitory subunit of rod cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDEγ) and the activated transducin α subunit (Gαt-GTPγS) as a model system. These photoprobes proved to be stable at neutral pH and dithiothreitol-cleavable in addition. The PDEγ constructs derivatized at the C-terminal positions with these probes could be readily purified, had unaltered PDEγ functional activity, and were shown to photo-cross-link to Gαt-GTPγS with an efficiency as high as 40%. Additionally, the amino benzophenone probe was radioiodinate...
Quantitative imaging of disease signatures through radioactive decay signal conversion

In the era of personalized medicine, there is an urgent need for in vivo techniques able to sensitively detect and quantify molecular activities. Sensitive imaging of gamma rays is widely used; however, radioactive decay is a physical constant, and its signal is independent of biological interactions. Here, we introduce a framework of previously uncharacterized targeted and activatable probes that are excited by a nuclear decay-derived signal to identify and measure molecular signatures of disease. We accomplished this by using Cerenkov luminescence, the light produced by β-particle-emitting radionuclides such as clinical positron emission tomography (PET) tracers. Disease markers were detected using nanoparticles to produce secondary Cerenkov-induced fluorescence. This approach reduces background signal compared to conventional fluorescence imaging. In addition to tumor identification from a conventional PET scan, we demonstrate the medical utility of our approach by quantitatively determining prognostically relevant enzymatic activity. This technique can be applied to monitor other markers and represents a shift toward activatable nuclear medicine agents.
The Russian space programme: what lies ahead?

Abstract This article discusses the future of the Russian military, civil and commercial space programmes in the context of the country's industrial policy. While the uncertain outcome of economic reform, difficulty in adapting to new situations and a struggle for control over the programme between the civilian Russian Space Agency (RSA) and the military old guard may act as initial constraints on Russian space activities, new entrepreneurial tendencies, changed military requirements and foreign investment may all help to invigorate the programme.
The air-bubble method of locking central-vein catheters with acidified, concentrated sodium chloride as a bactericidal agent: in vitro studies.

Background: Soft, cuffed indwelling catheters are used for hemodialysis access and intravenous infusions. The majority of these catheters are removed as a result of infection caused by contamination of the catheter hub during the connection/disconnection procedures. To prevent clot formation in the lumen, these catheters are routinely “locked” with heparin or some other anticoagulant. None of the anticoagulants commonly used as locking solutions demonstrates any significant bactericidal properties. The primary goal of this study was the development of a catheter locking method that retains anticoagulant properties at the catheter tip and bactericidal properties at the catheter hub. The second goal was to find a solution that possesses excellent bactericidal properties but is not detrimental in the event of injection into the patient's blood stream. The bactericidal properties of acidified, concentrated saline (ACS) were compared to concentrated trisodium citrate and to commonly used bactericidal agents such as povidone iodine, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorhexidine. Methods: In preliminary studies, the rate of diffusion of solutes was measured in glass tubes. In another set of experiments, the mixing of two solutions (anticoagulant and bactericide) separated by an air bubble (“air-bubble method”) was observed in stationary and moving systems. The final series of studies compared the bactericidal properties of ACS to other bactericidal solutions mentioned above. Results: The solutions diffused swiftly in the glass tubes, and by the third day, both solutions were mixed. The air-bubble method prevented mixing in both stationary and moving systems. The bactericidal properties of ACS were superior to all other tested solutions. Conclusions: The proposed method of catheter locking with anticoagulant at the catheter tip and ACS at the catheter hub separated by an air bubble is a promising technique and clinical studies are warranted.
Chemically induced reduction : A viable process for synthesizing γ-TiAl based intermetallic matrix composite powders containing nanocrystalline TiC

A chemically induced reduction process has been developed for synthesizing intermetallic matrix composites (IMCs) consisting of titanium aluminide and titanium carbide. The process involves the reduction of metal chlorides (TiCl4 and AlCl3) with metallic lithium in polar organic solvents such as acetonitrile (MeCN) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) to form a colloidal precursor. The as-prepared precursors have been either directly heat treated in ultra-high-purity argon (UHP-Ar) or pretreated in hydrogen (H2) followed by further heat treatment in UHP-Ar. The powders have been characterized primarily using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Results of the structural analyses conducted on the heat-treated precursors derived using MeCN as a solvent indicate the formation of either single-phase titanium carbide (TiC) or a composite mixture of γ-TiAl and nanocrystalline TiC, depending on the heat-treatment conditions. The formation of TiC is related to the strong interaction between TiCl4 and the polar organic solvents, resulting in the formation of adducts which contain primary Ti-C linkages. Pretreatment of the precursors derived using MeCN as a solvent in H2 promotes the removal of carbon and results in the formation of the composite mixture of γ-TiAl and TiC after subsequent Ar treatment at 1200 °C. At this stage, washing the pretreated powders in water helps to minimize and even eliminate any impurity phases to a large extent, leaving behind phase-pure composites containing γ-TiAl and TiC after the final Ar treatment. However, extended pretreatment in H2 appears to be ineffective toward removal of additional carbon and leads to formation of hydride-phase impurities. On the other hand, the reductive reaction conducted using THF as a solvent results in minimizing the amount of carbon while inducing the formation of γ-TiAl during direct Ar treatment of the precursors. This is because of the weaker interaction between TiCl4 and THF. Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the size distribution of the constituent phases. The analysis shows that the composite synthesized using these chemical approaches consist of discrete nanocrystalline TiC particles (<20 nm) that are uniformly distributed intermixed with submicron sized γ-TiAl (0.1 to 0.2 µm). Thus, the new chemical process proposed in this study demonstrates the potential for synthesizing in situ composites containing fine distribution of γ-TiAl and nanocrystalline TiC. Such composites could potentially exhibit unique mechanical properties and deformation behavior useful for high-temperature structural applications.
Types and orders of vowel assimilatory processes in the ancient Tibetan language

Abstract According to the investigation of 12,096 given words in the eight different Tibetan dialects, the process of vowel assimilation has continued throughout the development of the Tibetan language. The purpose of this study is to carefully examine all the data and give a preliminary analysis of the processes of vowel assimilation in the Tibetan language based on a comparison of ancient and modern Tibetan dialects. The results of the study indicate: ( 1 ) The vowel assimilation in the development of ancient Tibetan to modern Tibetan represents at least two different major types. One is conditioned by the vowel of the final syllable, the other is triggered by the vowel of the first syllable. Since Tibetan words most frequently maintain only two syllables, the conditioning effect of the vowel in one syllable is therefore understood as the effect on the immediate neighboring syllable. (2) Depending on the direction of the assimilation, these two types of assimilation can be further distinguished as raisi...
An experimental study of benzene oxidation at fuel-lean and stoichiometric equivalence ratio conditions

Abstract Benzene oxidation at two equivalence ratios (φ = 0.19 and 1.02) was studied in a well-mixed reactor with a 50 ms mean residence time at 350 torr and 900–1300K. The temperature for 20% benzene conversion is shifted to approximately 90K higher temperatures for the stoichiometric condition as compared to the lean condition. Acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) was the major hydrocarbon intermediate for both stoichiometries. Phenol (C 6 H 6 OH) and acrolein (C 3 H 4 O) reach significant concentrations for the lean condition, while at the stoichiometric condition C 4 H 4 is more than twice as abundant compared to the lean case, and phenol and acrolein are minor intermediates. The predominant radical species for both conditions is cyclopentadienyl (C 5 H 5 ). Cyclopentadienonyl (C 5 H 5 O) and phenoxy (C 6 H 5 O) are the next most abundant radical species detected in the lean condition.
Charge sharing model using inductive power transfer to increase feasibility of electric vehicle taxi fleets

Electric vehicles (EVs) are gaining popularity amongst everyday commuters, but are still having a hard time penetrating the fleet vehicle market. In this paper, we investigate a model which does not require changes to current street infrastructure using charge sharing through inductive power transfer to determine if we can extend the driving range of EVs enough such that taxicab fleets can become EVs. Using fisheye state routing to coordinate rendezvous points, and a simple heuristic where cars exchange charge when there is excess available, we show that we can effectively increase the EV driving distance without needing to recharge. We use real data from the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission to model taxicab usage behavior and the United States Department of Transportation Omnibus Survey to model commuter vehicle usage. Using this data, we demonstrate that an electric taxicab fleet could function with minimal disturbance (failure < 5%).
Planetary boundaries: Consider all consequences

Ocean acidification has impacts other than simple changes in pH, and these may need boundaries too.
Lipid and apolipoprotein levels during therapy with pinacidil combined with hydrochlorothiazide

This study determined the effect of pinacidil on the concentration of plasma lipids and apolipoproteins in male patients previously equilibrated with 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide twice daily. Pinacidil therapy given to 52 hypertensives at 25 to 100 mg daily for 8 weeks resulted in a reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure concurrently to reductions in plasma cholesterol and triglycerides with no change in low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). There was an associated decrease in apolipoproteins (Apo)B, C-III and E and elevation in ApoA-I. A parallel placebo group of 44 patients experienced reduction in diastolic blood pressure and an elevation in ApoA-I. These changes indicate that pinacidil will be a useful antihypertensive agent having properties on lipoprotein metabolism which would favor decreased risks of atherosclerosis.
A Comparative Study of Cost Effective Multiplexing Approaches for Online Permutation Embedding and Scheduling in Optical Networks

In this paper, we describe a framework for exploring various multiplexing approaches in optical networks and for evaluating their cost-effectiveness. A comparative study of two representative approaches, known as path multiplexing (PM) and link multiplexing (LM) 1, 2], is conducted with respect to online permutation embedding and scheduling. It is found that in many networks, PM can be nearly as effective as LM in that they require (1) about the same multiplexing degree (e.g., the number of wavelengths or time slots) to make a network wide-sense nonblocking and (2) about the same number of rounds on average to schedule a permutation in a blocking network. It is also found that the performance advantage of LM over PM is more obvious in the online case than in the offline case 2]. In addition, such an advantage is proportional to the average connection distance in a network and may be maximized or minimized at some multiplexing degrees. Finally, in either LM or PM, the average schedule length of a permutation is almost the same when the values of the multiplexing degree fall into certain ranges, suggesting that the lowest multiplexing degree within such a range may be used for improved cost-effectiveness.
Amygdaloid unit activity during classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane response in rabbit

Single and multiple unit activity was recorded from the amygdaloid nuclei in awake unanesthestized rabbits during classical conditioning of the nictitating membrane (NM) response. Over half o the unit recordings from the amygdaloid complex demonstrated changes in firing rate following the presentation of the tone conditioned stimulus (CS) or corneal air-puff unconditioned stimulus (US). Of the unit records that were responsive to the training stimuli, 58% showed responses to the CS and 73% showed responses to the US. Amygdaloid responses to either the CS or the US tended to be a long latency (greater than 70 msec), long duration (greater than 250 msec), modest increase (less than 2 fold) in unit firing. There were no statistically significant differences between the spontaneous firing rates, response latencies, response magnitudes, or response type distributions seen during unpaired (control) and paired stimulus presentations. However, four of 18 single and multiple unit groups that were tested during both unpaired and paired training developed new or enhanced responses following the onset of paired training. All four of these records were from the basolateral or lateral amygdaloid nuclei. Although these few records did develop response alterations after CS-US pairing, the majority of the records indicated that essentially the same amygdaloid response patterns occur during unpaired training as during paired training. it is therefore unlikely that the critical neuronal changes that underlying NM conditioning occur within the amygdaloid complex. Other possible roles for the amygdaloid complex during conditioning are considered.
Longevity of SLE-prone mice increased by dietary 2-mercaptoethanol via a mechanism imprinted within the first 28 days of life.

In the preceding report, moderately lived-mice fed dietary 2-mercaptoethanol (2-Me) had their life extended, whereas long-lived mice were found to have the quality of life improved, but not extended, and did not develop high fat-diet obesity. In the present report, alteration of longevity of mice prone to develop spontaneous, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) by dietary 2-Me was determined. NZB, NZW, (NZW x NZB) F1-hybrid, BXSB/MpJ, BXSB-Yaa+/J, MRL/MpJ and MRL/MpJ-Faslpr mice received drinking water, without or with 2-Me at concentrations of 10-3 or 10-2 M. Therapeutic benefit was assessed by changes in longevity. The median survival of MRL/MpJ males was increased from 443 to 615 days and those of (NZW x NZB) F1 and NZB males and females were increased approximately 2-fold. The most unexpected finding was that longevity of F1 males was significantly extended irrespective of whether dietary exposure to 2-Me was initiated at 28 days of age, at 50 days of age, or initiated during gestation (and then termin...
A Bayesian approach to the assessment of inhibitor risk in studies of factor VIII concentrates

Summary. The assessment of inhibitor risk is a crucial component in the clinical development of new and modified factor VIII (FVIII) preparations. There has been a recent discussion about the design of studies and the assessment of inhibitors and inhibitor risk in such studies at a recent FDA-sponsored FVIII Inhibitor Workshop, and new requirements for the success of these trials have been proposed to evaluate inhibitor data based on the use of an upper 95% confidence bound. We review the consequences of these requirements and demonstrate that for any product to succeed, it must have an extremely low underlying risk of inhibitor development. Furthermore, several existing commercially available FVIII products with an excellent safety record would not necessarily pass these endpoints. As a result, we propose an alternative set of acceptance criteria based on a Bayesian statistical paradigm. This approach is based on the determination of a probability that the product in question actually has an inhibitor risk below some pre-set limit, a concept that we believe is more intuitive than the traditional confidence interval method. We show that all existing products would pass this approach, but a product (Bisinact) with known inhibitor risk would not.
Choice behavior and reward structure: Differential payoff☆

Abstract Two linear models and a finite Markov model were tested against data obtained from a noncontingent two-choice experiment with differential payoff matrices. The relative merits of the three models were considered as was the problem of parameter identification, the relationship between the parameters of the model and those of the experimental situation. Identifying the parameters of each model with the regret associared with trial outcomes resulted in good data fits.
Teaching Business Communication in an Accelerated Program

In 1995, Elmhurst College began developing a new major in Human Services Administration to serve the needs of a burgeoning adult student population. It is an accelerated, interdisciplinary program in which a small cohort of stu dents matriculates as an interdependent group throughout their college work. Students begin the program with a five-week communication module that pre pares them to communicate information, coordinate activities, and make deci sions. The module includes five components: intercultural communication, the process and contexts of communication, relationship development and self- disclosure, group communication and team building, and oral communica tion. These components were selected as the most important topics to be covered in a short time frame. Teachers serve largely as coaches or guides, lead ing students through exercises in active and cooperative learning, especially those exercises that build listening skills, the fundamental skills for all commu nication.
A History of the Farmington Plan

This is a comprehensive and readable account of the creation, operations, achievements and shortcomings of the Farmington Plan, a cooperative program designed to acquire at least one copy of each b...
A generalized cutaneous reaction induced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor

Abstract Background: The increasing use of recombinant forms of granulocyte and granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factors (GCSF and GMCSF) for neutropenic conditions has resulted in reports of a variety of cutaneous reactions. Objective: We studied the clinical and histologic findings in three patients who underwent bone marrow transplantation and subsequently had a cutaneous eruption associated with the use of GCSF. Methods: Biopsy specimens taken at the height of the eruption were studied histologically and immunohistochemically. Results: The patients had indurated, well-demarcated, occasionally annular, erythematous papules and plaques on the extremities that became generalized and cleared with fine desquamation after withdrawal of the medication. Distinctive histologic features consisted of mild epidermal spongiosis overlying a dermal infiltrate of enlarged, plump macrophages. Increased expression of the vascular adhesion molecules ELAM-1 and VCAM-1, as well as the keratinocyte-produced ICAM-1, was noted. Conclusion: The clinical and histologic findings of the cutaneous reaction to GCSF are characteristic and allow its distinction from other eruptions that occur in bone marrow transplant recipients.
International tax reform: its effect on repatriation decisions of multinational corporations

Abstract The purpose of this research is to identify the ways in which post-1986 international tax reform is expected to affect the repatriation decisions of multinational corporations (MNCs) and to develop expectations about the degree to which future tax reform initiatives will result in the full convergence in rates across international boundaries. The research presents comparative income tax rate data for 14 developed countries and the 11 European Monetary Union (EMU) member states for the 1985–1997 period. All countries reduced their top corporate income tax rate during that period, and the inter-country variation in rates decreased. The reduction in the variation in rates across countries should provide MNCs with more flexibility in dividend repatriation decisions as the difference in tax cost between repatriating foreign earnings and reinvesting them abroad is diminished. Although the research shows a trend toward more similar rates during the 1985–1997 period, it also identifies and discusses political pressures that mitigate against the full convergence in rates.
Performance Metrics for Designing an Algae-powered Eco Urban District: A Geodesign Perspective

Abstract The paper is conducted during the midterm stage of a NSF-funded project based on a test case of urban neighborhood environment [1] . It explores how a geographic-based information system can be applied to designing an algae-powered housing environment at the level of an urban neighborhood, in which the algae system is taken as a design intervention to promote energy performance and carbon reduction of the urban system. A Geodesign model is suggested for managing the coupled system that integrates algae cultivation and urban systems as “design for change”. By extending the system boundary from a closed algae cultivation system to an open neighborhood-scale urban environment, the design of a new close-loop network configuration contributes to the increase of energy performance and biofuel production and the reduction of fossil fuel consumption, waste stream flow and the carbon emissions of the urban system. The proposed Geodesign framework informs six stages of process for the coupled system: the objective model to set the goal as the “Net-zero” neighborhood; the representational model to collect and organize data; the performance model to measure the energy, biomass, waste stream and water flows; the scenario model to propose possible future paths at different spatial scales; the evaluation model to reexamine the performance of the newly designed coupled system; and the decision making model to make choices. The six stages are then applied to a preliminary test case of four sites along an urban-rural gradient in Atlanta. This paper concludes with design and planning parameters for designing an ecological urban district in accordance with the scientific knowledge and technical criteria for algal biofuel production and sustainable urban living.
Factors influencing involvement in research and career choice: a survey of graduating physical medicine and rehabilitation residents.

Abstract Segal NA, Wilson Garvan C, Basford JR. Factors influencing involvement in research and career choice: a survey of graduating physical medicine and rehabilitation residents. Objective To assess the extent to which physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) residents' involvement in research and selection of postgraduate practice may be related to residency program research requirements and support for presentations. Design Internet-based survey. Setting Anonymous access to Web form. Participants PM&R residents graduating in June 2004 and 2005. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Involvement in research, postgraduate practice setting and planned research effort, residency research requirement, and support for scientific presentations. Results One hundred sixty (24%) of the 657 graduating residents, representing 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, responded. Eighty-five percent indicated research involvement, with 74% reporting a research requirement and 85% residency program financial support for presentations. On average, respondents planned to devote 7% (95% confidence interval, 5%−9%) of their time to research once in practice. There was a statistically significant association between the existence of a research requirement and involvement in research ( P Conclusions A requirement for PM&R residents to be involved in research may influence research activity during residency but may not be associated with selection of an academic or research-oriented practice.
Air Travel: Safety Through the Market

Recurrent if intermittent crashes of passenger airliners usually provoke calls for wider and more stringent government regulation to ensure safety in the air. Andrew Chalk, Assistant Professor of Finance at the Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, compares the poor record of state-imposed standards with the corrective influence of the movements in share prices which follow a crash.
Experience with clinical and operative staging of Hodgkin's disease in children.

Abstract Accurate staging is critical for the proper treatment of Hodgkin's disease. In the past 5 yr, 60 children with Hodgkin's disease were staged by celiotomy which included splenectomy and biopsy of liver, retroperitoneal lymph nodes, and bone. Fifty children underwent staging celiotomy at initial diagnosis (Group I). Ten others were staged surgically because of suspected reactivation of disease diagnosed and treated before current staging methods were employed (Group II). Forty-one of 50 children in Group I had Stage I or II disease, seven Stage III, and two Stage IV. As a result of operation, therapy was altered in seven children. Three had a higher stage and four a lower stage than that suspected by clinical evaluation, including two with liver involvement. Of the two patients in Group II, celiotomy revealed unsuspected splenic disease in seven, including one with liver involvement. Celiotomy and splenectomy were well tolerated and no long-term complications have been noted (average follow-up 2 yr). Forty-nine of 50 children in Group I and six of ten in Group II are alive without disease. No cases of sepsis attributable to splenectomy have been observed.
Emotions underlying obesity

The purpose of this experiment was to compare the degree of anxiety and depression in obese overeaters with that of non-obese normal eaters to determine whether these emotions affect obesity. There were 20 female subjects, 10 obese individuals and 10 non-obese. Subjects were matched on two variables, age and gender. Anxiety was measured by the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale (Taylor, 1953), and depression was measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck, 1961). The results indicated significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression in the obese than in the non-obese. The results support the hypothesis that anxiety and depression are each a cause of obesity. The results indicate a need for further research into psychological variables controlling overeating.
Large-eddy simulations of convective boundary layers using nonoscillatory differencing

Abstract We explore the ability of nonoscillatory advection schemes to represent the effects of the unresolved scales of motion in numerical simulation of turbulent flows. We demonstrate that a nonoscillatory fluid solver can accurately reproduce the dynamics of an atmospheric convective boundary layer. When an explicit turbulence model is implemented, the solver does not add any significant numerical diffusion. Of greater interest, when no explicit turbulence is employed the solver itself appears to include an effective subgrid scale model. Other researchers have reported similar success, simulating turbulent flows in a variety of regimes while using only nonoscillatory advection schemes to model subgrid effects. At this point there is no theory justifying this success, but we offer some speculations.
Block copolymer micelle solutions: 1. Concentration dependence of polystyrene-poly(ethylene propylene) in heptane

Abstract The concentration dependence of micelle formation by a diblock copolymer of polystyrene-poly(ethylene propylene) (PSPEP) in n-heptane is examined by turbidity, viscosity and photon correlation spectroscopy (p.c.s.). The critical micelle concentration (c.m.c.) as determined by p.c.s. is estimated to be 0.002 wt%. At c = 0.003%, an unusually large hydrodynamic radius is found, in agreement with the anomalous increase in hydrodynamic size near the c.m.c. previously reported by Tuzar et al. in 1985. The average micellar weight obtained from turbidity measurements and the hydrodynamic radius for non-interacting micelles as measured by p.c.s. were relatively constant for c = 0.01–0.5%. A comparison of the second virial coefficients from the turbidity and viscosity measurements suggests that the relatively large Huggins constant of k H = 2.4, obtained from viscosity measurements, may be explained in terms of an excluded-shell model. At a critical concentration above 0.5%, an increasing amount of freely dispersed polymers is present in the solution. The driving force for this change in the free chain-micelle equilibrium is believed to arise from the concentration gradient of PEP segments between the micelle corona and the dispersed phase. The amount of free chains relative to micelles is found to increase from 0.7% up to 2% based on p.c.s. results. It is not clear, however, if the equilibrium is further shifted in favour of the free chains from 3 to 5%, since the weight fractions of free chains and micelles cannot be deduced from p.c.s. data at such high concentrations. However, turbidity and viscosity data seem to suggest that the relative amount of free chains at 3% is lower than that at 2%. At even higher concentrations (4–5%), the viscosity of the micelle solutions increases drastically, presumably because of the formation of a macrolattice.
Characterization of phase-type distributions

A distribution with rational Laplace-Stieltjes transform is of phase type if and only if it is either the point mass at zero, or it has a continuous positive density on the positive reals and its Laplace-Stieltjes transform has a unique pole of maximal real part (which is therefore real). This result is proved, and the corresponding characterization of discrete phase-type distributions is stated and proved. Our methods are based on a geometric property of the set of phase-type distributions associated with a Markov chain.
Specification and verification of data-driven Web applications

We study data-driven Web applications provided by Web sites interacting with users or applications. The Web site can access an underlying database, as well as state information updated as the interaction progresses, and receives user input. The structure and contents of Web pages, as well as the actions to be taken, are determined dynamically by querying the underlying database as well as the state and inputs. The properties to be verified concern the sequences of events (inputs, states, and actions) resulting from the interaction, and are expressed in linear or branching-time temporal logics. The results establish under what conditions automatic verification of such properties is possible and provide the complexity of verification. This brings into play a mix of techniques from logic and model checking.
Peasant mobility, local migration and premodern urbanization

AbstractThe scale of human movement at the local and regional levels in agrarian states, called ‘local migration’ by Charles Tilly, can be quite extensive. I review several characteristics of such movement, culled from a range of disciplines and historical contexts. Three spatial patterns are examined: village nucleation; rural-to-urban migration; and intra-urban movements. The movement of people into settlements – whether villages or cities – should not be viewed as an extraordinary occurrence requiring special explanation; instead, it is the normal concomitant of broader patterns of local and regional spatial mobility. The likelihood that individuals and households would move was determined largely by the effect of economic hardship at the household and local levels.
Planar Patch-Clamp Electrodes for Single Cell and Neural Network Studies

The traditional glass pipette patch-clamp technique has contributed greatly to fundamental and pharmacological ion channel studies. The success of this serial technique has driven an effort to create wafer-based patch-clamp platforms using materials with inferior dielectric properties than glass and/or using exotic processing techniques to avoid the difficulties inherent to parallel processing of glass. We have developed a material processing scheme that generates ultrasmooth, high aspect ratio pores in fused quartz wafers. These devices are demonstrated here to be superior planar patch-clamp electrodes achieving gigaohm seals in nearly 80% of trials with a mammalian cell line, with the majority of seals over 10 GΩ and as high as 80 GΩ, competing with the best pipette-based patch-clamp measurements. Our method, amenable to batch fabrication technologies, will enable the acquisition of low noise, ion channel measurements in high throughput.We are currently merging the abovementioned devices with voltage sensitive dye (VSD) imaging and multi-electrode array (MEA) recordings in order to study multisensory integration in the medicinal leech. Initially, the planar pores will function to provide precise placement of neurons in the leech ganglion over the MEA's. The excellent spatial resolution of the VSD's combined with the temporal resolution of MEA's will provide much information of all the neurons that respond to visual stimuli in the ganglion. Further studies may employ the planar pores as intracellular electrodes, allowing voltage control and intracellular recordings of individual neurons in the ganglion.
An Examination of the Social Networks and Social Isolation in Older and Younger Adults Living with HIV/AIDS.

This study examined social networks and social isolation in older (50 years or more) and younger (ages 20 to 39) adults with HIV/AIDS. The author conducted interviews with 88 individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Pacific Northwest. Both groups' social networks had similar patterns; however, older adults were more likely to live alone. More than 38 percent of older adults and 54 percent of older adults of color were at risk of social isolation compared with 25 percent of those 20 to 39 years of age. Older men and older adults of color had significantly lower scores on the social network scale than others. Having a confidant and receiving instrumental support were significantly correlated with reduced HIV stigma. Implications for social work practitioners are discussed.
An analysis of changes in voter perception of candidates' positions

A panel study of families during the 1976 presidential campaign supports the generalization that the family provides a firm anchor for voting preferences but has no apparent influence on the patterns of change in individuals’ perceptions of their own and candidates’ positions. The patterns of change for different individuals suggest different maintenance mechanisms.
Electrically Conductive Carbon Nanotube Adhesives on Lead Free Printed Circuit Board Surface Finishes

Electrically conductive adhesives are attractive alternatives to solder and die attach materials in electronic assemblies particularly in the lead free era. Compared to metal filled conductive adhesives, multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) filled adhesives are lightweight, corrosion resistant, high strength and resistant to metal migration. Previous studies of MWCNT filled epoxies on bare copper printed circuit boards identified contact resistance as a challenge for surface mount components where pressure was required during curing to lower the average contact resistance. Currently, we are repeating contact resistance, volume resistivity, lap shear and die shear testing of CNT filled epoxy on printed circuit boards with various surface finishes on the copper pads. The surface finishes under investigation are immersion tin, immersion silver and electroless nickel-immersion gold (ENIG).
Lipid composition of Azotobacter vinelandii in which the internal membrane network is induced or repressed

Abstract A vast internal membranous network in addition to the cytoplasmic membrane is induced in Azotobacter vinelandii simultaneously with the induction of the N 2 - fixing enzyme.this membrane network is absent in Azobactor growing with a nitrogen source, e.g. , ammonia. This report compares the lipid composition of Azotobacter grown under internal membrane-induced and -repressed conditions. Although the total lipid content of the two types of cells is identical, cells possessing internal membranes contain (1) 30% more total phospholipid, (2) 50% more coenzyme Q, (3) 80% less neutral lipid and (4) 50% less anionic phospholipid ( e.g. phosphatidylglycerol). The increased phospholipid (mostly amphoteric phosphatidyl-ethanolamine) and coenzyme Q content of nitrogenase-induced cells correlate with greater respiratory activity, which may serve to protect O 2 -labile nitrogenases.
Quantitative Determination of Morphine in Paregoric USP by High-pressure Liquid Chromatography

The quantitative determination of morphine in paregoric by reversed-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography is described. The method is simple, accurate, and fast compared to the USP method. Benzoic acid in paregoric also can be determined quantitatively with the same column. The method was applied to two commercial samples with excellent results.
Combining type-analysis with points-to analysis for analyzing Java library source-code

The predominant work in static program analysis is focused on whole program analysis assuming that the whole program is present at analysis time and the only unknowns are program inputs. However, for library designers it is of paramount importance to perform semantic checks via static program analysis tools without the presence of an application. The literature offers only little research on partial program analysis for object-oriented programming languages including Java. Analyzing libraries statically requires novel abstractions for all possible applications that are not known a-priori. In this work, we present a static program analysis technique that reasons about the state of the library by approximating the behaviour of all possible applications. The key contribution is (1) the combination of type-analysis with points-to analysis and (2) the development of a most-general application (MGA) as a type, which represents the interaction of the library with all possible applications.
Play and cognition: Studies of pretence play and conservation of quantity

Abstract Study 1 examined the relative effectiveness of four different training conditions on the attainment of conversation of quantity. Subjects were 75 nonconserving preschoolers, ranging in age from 3.10 to 5.0 years. Treatment consisted of pretense play training, direct conservation training, a combination of pretense play and conservation training, mere exposure to the conservation tasks without the benefits of instruction, and a control condition which provided only conservation pre- and post-tests. The results of the two conservation post-tests indicated that a combination of pretense play and conservation training was the most effective condition, followed by the conservation training and then by the pretense play training. The data also suggested that the effects of the conservation-only training condition might be less stable than those attained with pretense play training. Study 2 compared the effectiveness of child initiated pretense play training with adult initiated play. Subjects were 47 nonconserving children ranging in age from 4.0 to 5.8. Treatment consisted of child initiated pretense play, adult initiated play, a condition which combined both treatments, and a control group. The results of the two conservation post-tests indicated that the child initiated pretense play training was most effective, followed by the combined condition and by the adult initiated training. The three pretense play training conditions induced significantly more conserving responses in previously nonconserving children than the control group.
Reply to Shanmugam and Maharajh

are risky, stents are not recommended and surgery has a reintervention rate of 0, why do patients in Group B have catheter intervention at all? From Table 2, it is obvious that this study has one of the shortest follow-ups, especially in Group C, where most of the patients had stent implantations. The incidence of recoaractation and reintervention could be significantly under-reported. The conclusions of the study have no direct correlation with the data presented. This is essentially an audit of one centre’s practice and throws no new light on the management of coarctation.
Group work with homeless youngsters and their mothers

Abstract This article describes a group-counseling intervention that was used among homeless youngsters and their mothers. The intervention was specifically designed to reduce familial conflicts by enhancing the participants' interpersonal problem-solving skills. In designing this group intervention, the authors considered the ways in which numerous factors (e.g., school, family, and residential factors) affected the participants' overall psychological health and sense of personal well-being. Evaluative comments that were generated by the group participants are also reported in this article. This data confirmed the effectiveness of the intervention.
Rapid development of severe coronary stenosis in a vessel with minimal angiographic irregularities

diagnosis. Angiographic definition of the aneurysm depends on the appearance of contrast material in the left atrium during the levophase of a pulmonary arteriogram. Left atria1 aneurysms have been associated with other cardiovascular congenital abnormalities. These include atria1 septal defects,4 persistent left superior vena cava,5 and a renal artery anomaly.6 None of the above anomalies are confirmed by the cardiac catheterization. Instead, partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage from the left lung into the right atrium is detected from selective pulmonary arterial injection of green dye. However, we cannot selectively cannulate the anomalous return. The combination of left atria1 appendage aneurysm and anomalous pulmonary venous drainage is so rare that this is believed to be the first documented case. Most authors3,7 have recommended surgical resection of left atria1 aneurysms because of the propensity for embolic complications. Although we agree with this general approach, we did not follow this course with the present patient. Our reasons for following this conservative approach included consideration of the age of the patient, no thrombus seen in two-dimensional echocardiographic examination, the long period of symptomatic arrhythmias without embolic events, and the patient’s lack of symptoms when taking verapamil. We did, however, institute anticoagulation with warfarin. The need for preoperative catheterization has been questioned by some.6 However, we believe-given the findings of associated congenital abnormalities such as ours and those congenital anomalies described by othersthat cardiac catheterization should be performed in all patients in whom surgical resection of the aneurysm is planned. In summary, true congenital aneurysms of the left atria1 appendage and left atria1 wall are rare but clinically important lesions. The complications associated with this abnormality can be devastating, especially thromboembolism and cardiac arrhythmia; for these reasons, surgical resection is recommended in most cases. There may also be other important cardiovascular congenital anomalies present in these patients that may need further evaluation. Two-dimensional echocardiography is a safe and reliable means of diagnosing this entity.
The female-specific Doublesex isoform regulates pleiotropic transcription factors to pattern genital development in Drosophila

Regulatory networks driving morphogenesis of animal genitalia must integrate sexual identity and positional information. Although the genetic hierarchy that controls somatic sexual identity in the fly Drosophila melanogaster is well understood, there are very few cases in which the mechanism by which it controls tissue-specific gene activity is known. In flies, the sex-determination hierarchy terminates in the doublesex (dsx) gene, which produces sex-specific transcription factors via alternative splicing of its transcripts. To identify sex-specifically expressed genes downstream of dsx that drive the sexually dimorphic development of the genitalia, we performed genome-wide transcriptional profiling of dissected genital imaginal discs of each sex at three time points during early morphogenesis. Using a stringent statistical threshold, we identified 23 genes that have sex-differential transcript levels at all three time points, of which 13 encode transcription factors, a significant enrichment. We focus here on three sex-specifically expressed transcription factors encoded by lozenge (lz), Drop (Dr) and AP-2. We show that, in female genital discs, Dsx activates lz and represses Dr and AP-2. We further show that the regulation of Dr by Dsx mediates the previously identified expression of the fibroblast growth factor Branchless in male genital discs. The phenotypes we observe upon loss of lz or Dr function in genital discs explain the presence or absence of particular structures in dsx mutant flies and thereby clarify previously puzzling observations. Our time course of expression data also lays the foundation for elucidating the regulatory networks downstream of the sex-specifically deployed transcription factors.