cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scattering of the evanescent components in the angular spectrum of a tightly focused electromagnetic beam by a spherical particle

Abstract In many previous studies where a tightly focused beam is scattered by a spherical particle, either the experimental conditions were such that evanescent components were absent from the angular spectrum of the incident beam, or if they were present, it was assumed that their contribution to scattering was small with respect to that of the oscillatory components, and could safely be ignored. In this paper the contribution of the evanescent components is explicitly calculated and the validity of their neglect in various situations is assessed. It is demonstrated that when a particle whose size is comparable to the wavelength is located near the plane in which the strength of the evanescent components is maximized, the angular spectrum components just inside the evanescent regime, when added to the contribution of the oscillatory components, can possibly make a significant contribution to the shape coefficients of the incident beam.
REVERSAL OF MULTI-DRUG RESISTANCE IN VITRO BY FATTY ACID-PEG-FATTY ACID DIESTERS

Fatty acid ester surfactants, e.g., Cremophor EL and Solutol HS 15, that modulate multi-drug resistance (MDR) have been described; however, the drug potential of these preparations is unclear because of the molecular heterogeneity of these and other commercial surfactants. In previous experiments, an active but still polydisperse preparation, designated CRL I 337, was synthesized by reacting purified oleic acid with a 20-fold molar excess of ethylene oxide. We have subjected this preparation to chromatographic separation, and infrared analysis of the active fractions revealed a significant component of diester structures (fatty acid-PEG-fatty acid). A new generation of diester compounds has now been synthesized. Preparations comprised of 99% diesters were significantly more potent than monoester preparations for MDR modification activity in vitro. As previously determined for ethylene oxidederived preparations similar to CRL 1337, the nature of the fatty acid domains proved to be important for activity, as was the relative length of the polyethylene glycol domain (which determines the hydrophile-lipophile balance). The ester linkage appeared unimportant since homologous diethers and diamides had activity similar to that of diesters. Stearic acid diester was I .5- to 7-fold more potent than CRL 1337 when tested in cell proliferation inhibition assays. In light of these structural restrictions on drug potentiation, and since these surfactants are active at relatively low concentrations (below I pg/ml). investigations of their mechanism of action were initiated by exploring specific interactions with P-glycoprotein. Both active and inactive diesters inhibited azidopine labeling of P-glycoprotein, suggesting that fatty acid-PEG diesters can interfere with P-glycoprotein substrate binding. Other attributes of these preparations must contribute to their ability to reverse MDR. o 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. Multidrug resistance (MDR) entails simultaneous crossresistance to a distinct group of seemingly unrelated chemotherapeutic agents through a common mechanism (Pastan and
Alterations of heme, cytochrome P-450, and steroid metabolism by mercury in rat adrenal

Abstract The treatment of male rats with Hg 2+ resulted in significant alterations in heme and hemoprotein metabolism in the adrenal gland which, in turn, were reflected in abnormal steroidogenic activities and steroid output. Twenty-four hours after the administration of 30 μmol of HgCl 2 /kg (sc) the mitochondrial heme and cytochrome P -450 concentrations increased by approximately 50%. Also, Hg 2+ treatment stimulated a porphyrinogenic response which included an 11-fold increase in the activity of δ-aminolevulinate synthetase. The increase in mitochondrial cytochrome P -450 content was reflected in elevated steroid 11β-hydroxylase and cholesterol side-chain cleavage activities. In contrast, Hg 2+ treatment resulted in decreased concentrations of microsomal cytochrome P -450 (−75%) and heme (−45%). Similarly, the reduction in the microsomal cytochrome P -450 content was accompanied by reduced steroid 21α-hydroxylase and benzo[ a ]pyrene hydroxylase activities. The mechanisms responsible for the loss of the microsomal cytochrome P -450 content appeared to involve a selective impairment of formation of the holocytochrome as well as an enhanced rate of heme degradation. This suggestion is made on the basis of findings that (a) the decrease in the microsomal cytochrome P -450 content was accompanied by a sevenfold increase in the activity of adrenal heme oxygenase, (b) no decrease in apocytochrome P -450 could be detected in sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis of the solubilized microsomal fractions stained for heme, and (c) the concentration of adrenal microsomal cytochrome b 5 was significantly increased in the Hg 2+ -treated animals. It is suggested that Hg 2+ directly caused a defect in adrenal steroid biosynthesis by inhibiting the activity of 21α-hydroxylase. The apparent physiological consequences of this effect included lowered plasma levels of corticosterone and elevated concentrations of progesterone and dehydroepiandrosterone. This abnormal plasma steroid profile is indicative of a 21α-hydroxylase impairment.
The potential use of peptides and vaccination to treat systemic lupus erythematosus.

Studies in humans and mice with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) suggest that the development of autoantibodies and disease is dependent on T helper (Th) cells. This review highlights recent efforts to identify the antigens that activate such autoreactive Th cells. Various laboratories are using d
Effects of mu and kappa opioid receptor antagonists on glucoprivic induction of Fos immunoreactivity in the rat preoptic area and hypothalamus.

Abstract Interoreceptors in the central nervous system elicit compensatory behavioral and physiological responses to cellular glucopenia. Antagonism of μ and κ opioid receptors attenuates glucoprivic hyperphagia, findings that implicate these peptidergic receptors in the central processing of metabolic regulatory signals. Several hypothalamic structures of critical importance for the regulation of energy balance exhibit one or both of these receptors. The following studies investigated the role of these opioid receptors in glucoprivic induction of immediate-early gene expression in these brain sites. Male rats were pretreated with β-funaltrexamine (μ antagonist), Mr-1452 MS (κ antagonist), or vehicle prior to intraperitoneal injection of the glucose antimetabolite, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG), then sacrificed by transcardial perfusion 2 h later. Nuclear immunolabeling for the transcription factor, Fos, was observed in several preoptic and hypothalamic sites following 2DG administration. Rats pretreated with the μ antagonist exhibited significantly fewer Fos-positive neurons in the medial preoptic area and dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus in response to 2DG, compared to vehicle-pretreated controls. Blockade of κ receptors diminished 2DG and induced Fos staining in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. Numbers of Fos-positive cells in the arcuate nucleus and ventrolateral hypothalamic area were not altered by either antagonist. The present data implicate μ and κ opioid receptors in neural mechanisms underlying glucoprivic induction of the Fos stimulus-transcription pathway by local neurons in discrete hypothalamic sites.
Rational suicide reconsidered: AIDS as an impetus for change.

Abstract At the present time, there does not appear to be an acceptable alternative to intervening to prevent the suicide of persons who display suicidal ideation. This absolutist and, at times, paternalistic view my change, however, as a result of professionals' contact with persons with AIDS. The growing number of persons with AIDS and the incidence of suicide within this population make it increasingly likely that individuals in a number of professions that subscribe to the policy of mandatory suicide intervention will have contact with a suicidal person with AIDS. Given the life circumstances and implications associated with a diagnosis of AIDS, there is the possibility that some of these suicidal persons with AIDS may have made what could be considered to be a rational decision to end their own lives. By taking into account the circumstances that precipitated the suicidal ideation and allowing some individuals to follow through with their plans, professionals will be empowering and returning autonomy...
Stress Changes in Intervertebral Discs of the Cervical Spine After Arthrodesis

An improved and detailed 3D FE model of human cervical spine model was created using digitized geometric measurement tool. The vertebral bodies of the model were fused at three locations. The unfused and the fused models were physiologically loaded and the changes in stresses in intervertebral discs were compared. A moment of 1.5 Nm was used in combination with a 50 N compressive preload. The results showed that the lower cervical spine fusion induces the most stress changes in the neighboring discs.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Diffusion Model of Linear Flicker Responses

Recent cascaded-integrator models do not fit the sine-wave flicker thresholds as well as we might wish, but neither does the Ferry–Porter law. In fact, the Ferry–Porter function is not physically realizable as a linear model. By modifying it to yield realizable responses like those of the cascaded integrator, we obtain a much simpler model, which appears to be a special case of the photochemical diffusion mechanism proposed by Ives and more recently by Veringa. This model is a good fit, not only to the flicker data, but also to human phase-shift measurements obtained by the phosphene method. We infer that receptor-cell properties probably control the high-frequency linear filtering of flicker waveforms.
The E-cadherin cell-cell adhesion complex and lung cancer invasion, metastasis, and prognosis.

Abstract Background: Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in the western world. Progress in treatment results has been limited, and the prognosis is poor with a 5-year survival less than 15%. Based on new developments in molecular biology, our knowledge about lung carcinogenesis and mechanisms for invasion and metastasis has expanded and may in the future lead to more specific targeted therapies and better prognosis. The E-cadherin–catenin complex is critical for intercellular adhesiveness and maintenance of normal and malignant tissue architecture. Reduced expression of this complex in malignant disease is associated with tumour invasion, metastasis, and unfavorable prognosis. Methods: This review is based on search in the Medline database from 1991 to 2001. We have reviewed the relevance of the E-cadherin–catenin adhesion complex in malignancy in general and lung cancer in particular. Furthermore, its role as target for specific therapy is discussed. Results: Available data indicate that alterations of proteins involved in the E-cadherin–catenin complex are early incidents in cancer development. Reduced or altered expression of one or more of the components in this complex is associated with extended invasive and progressive behavior of cancer cells. Consistently, the E-cadherin–catenin complex appears to be increasingly delicate with regard to cancer prognosis. β-Catenin, one of the components of the adhesion complex, also plays a significant role in cell signal transduction, gene activation, apoptosis inhibition, and increased cellular proliferation and migration. Conclusion: Inactivation of the E-cadherin–catenin adhesion complex, induced by genetic and epigenetic events, plays a significant role in multistage carcinogenesis, and seems to be associated with dedifferentiation, local invasion, regional metastasis, and reduced survival in lung cancer.
Anion Effects in the Scattering of CO2 from the Room-Temperature Ionic Liquids [bmim][BF4] and [bmim][Tf2N]: Insights from Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics Trajectories

Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to model the scattering of hyperthermal (15 kcal/mol) CO(2) on the surfaces of two common imidazolium based room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) [bmim][BF4] and [bmim][Tf2N]. Good agreement was achieved in comparison with experiment. The [bmim][BF4] surface is found to be more absorptive of CO(2) than [bmim][Tf2N], which leads to greater loss in translational energy and less rotational excitation of CO(2)'s that scatter from [bmim][BF4]. These differences are found to result from a interplay of differences in the structure of the interface and the strength of interactions that depend on anion identity. Our results also suggest that CO(2) interacts strongly with ionic species on the RTIL surfaces due to the large induced dipole moments on CO(2) during the collisions. The inclusion of electronic polarization is critical in determining the final rotational excitation of CO(2) compared to results from an MM model with fixed charge.
Investigation of a 2-D planar motor based machine tool motion system

A new 2-D planar motion system for precision machining operations is investigated. Characteristics of the 2-D planar motor system are studied to gain better understanding of its capabilities, limitations and interactions with machining processes. The planar motor system is applied to an end milling process, where experimental data on cutting force and surface finish are in agreement with simulation results. Of further interest is that the motor's fast response and ability to perform simultaneous motion in two directions potentially provides a simpler means to compensate for errors such as runouts. Issues associated with such compensation motions to improve surface finish are discussed.
Constructing blockmodels: How and why

Abstract Blockmodel approaches to network analysis as developed by Harrison White are shown to fall in a broader class of established data analysis methods based on matrix permutations (e.g., clique detection, seriation, permutation algorithms for sparse matrices). Blockmodels are seen as an important generalization of these earlier methods since they permit the data to characterize their own structure, instead of seeking to manifest some preconceived structure which is imposed by the investigator (e.g., cliques, hierarchies, or structural balance). General algorithms for the inductive construction of blockmodels thus occupy a central position in the development of the area. We discuss theoretical and practical aspects of the blockmodel search procedure which has been most widely used (CONCOR algorithm). It is proposed that the distinctive and advantageous feature of CONCOR is that it solves what is initially presented as a combinatorial problem (permutations of matrices to reveal zeroblocks) by representing the problem as a continuous one (analysis of correlation matrices). When this representation strategy receives further development, it is predicted that the fairly crude empirical approach of CONCOR will be supplanted by more powerful procedures within this same class.
Phorboxazole Synthetic Studies: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Phorboxazole A and Hemi-Phorboxazole A Related Analogues

The design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a new phorboxazole analogue, comprising an acetal replacement for the C-ring tetrahdropyran of the natural product and carrying a potency-enhancing C(45-46) vinyl chloride side chain, is described. In addition, the synthesis of (+)-hemi-phorboxazole A and a series of related hemi-phorboxazole A analogues has been achieved. The new acetal ring replacement analogue displayed activity comparable to that of the parent natural product against HCT-116 (colon) cells (IC(50) 2.25 ng/mL). Equally important, the phorboxazole analogue and two related hemiphorboxazole A congeners exhibited significant antifungal activity when assayed against pathogenic Candida albicans strains.
Shallow Geophysical Surveys For Geothermal Resources, Hueco Bolson, New Mexico

Since the fall of 1995, the geophysics group at the University of Texas at El Paso has been collecting a number of different geophysical data sets in an effort to delineate potential low temperature geothermal resources on the U. S. Army’s McGregor Range in south central New Mexico. The geology of the study area consists of a few hundred meters of Plio-Pleistocene playa lake deposits that uncomformably overlie Paleozoic bedrock. To date, seismic reflection, gravity, soil radon, electrical resistivity and self-potential data have been collected in order to define bedrock geometry and potential fault zones that could be sources for hot water. Preliminary results from the seismic reflection survey show a local bedrock high, that is associated with high thermal gradients in wells at its north edge. The edges of the uplifted block may be associated with normal faults which act as a conduit for hot water.
Designing an information search interface for younger and older adults.

Objective: The present study examined Web-based information retrieval as a function of age for two information organization schemes: hierarchical organization and one organized around tags or keywo...
A kinetic model for the early steps of RNA synthesis by human RNA polymerase II.

Eukaryotic mRNA synthesis is a highly regulated process involving numerous proteins acting in concert with RNA polymerase II to set levels of transcription from individual promoters. The transcription reaction consists of multiple steps beginning with preinitiation complex formation and ending in the production of a full-length primary transcript. We used pre-steady-state approaches to study the steps of human mRNA transcription at the adenovirus major late promoter in a minimalin vitro transcription system. These kinetic studies revealed an early transition in RNA polymerase II transcription, termed escape commitment, that occurs after initiation and prior to promoter escape. Escape commitment is rapid and is characterized by sensitivity to competitor DNA. Upon completion of escape commitment, ternary complexes are resistant to challenge by competitor DNA and slowly proceed forward through promoter escape. Escape commitment is stimulated by transcription factors TFIIE and TFIIH. We measured forward and reverse rate constants for discrete steps in transcription and present a kinetic model for the mechanism of RNA polymerase II transcription that describes five distinct steps (preinitiation complex formation, initiation, escape commitment, promoter escape, and transcript elongation) and clearly shows promoter escape is rate-limiting in this system.
Effect of aspirin on myocardial ischemia.

Abstract The clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease (CAD) are consequences of myocardial ischemia and infarction. Myocardial ischemia may result from increased myocardial oxygen demand as occurs with exercise or from a primary reduction in blood supply to the myocardium via spasm of a coronary artery. Recently, myocardial ischemia has been shown to occur despite the absence of increases in workload or the presence of spasm. 1 The etiology of these episodes is unclear, but in a dog model, Foils et al 2 have shown that transient acute decreases in coronary blood flow occur when platelet aggregates obstruct a stenotic segment of a coronary artery. Treatment with aspirin eliminates these episodes. If patients with CAD also have intermittent obstruction by platelet aggregates, treatment with aspirin might be expected to be beneficial. The elegant experimental model of Folts et al is difficult to reproduce in patients. The direct measurement of coronary blood flow is impossible in ambulatory subjects; therefore, an indirect measure of myocardial ischemia is necessary. In addition, aspirin is not likely to affect myocardial oxygen mismatches resulting from exertion or arterial spasm, but if these other causes of ischemia are treated, it may be possible to unmask the effect of aspirin. This study evaluates the effect of aspirin on myocardial ischemia as quantitated by ambulatory Holter monitoring of ST-segment shifts in patients with known CAD who are concurrently treated with β blockers, nitrates and calcium antagonists.
A comparison of the effects of acute and chronic cholinesterase inactivation on spontaneous transmitter release.

Abstract The irreversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), paraoxon, when given in vivo to rats in a single injection (0.23 mg/kg s.c.) raised the miniature endplate potential (MEPP) frequency to values greater than 3 times control levels in 34% of the fibers in the rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm preparation. The elevated MEPP frequencies were observed in areas of extensive muscle twitching and were associated with high frequencies of giant MEPPs. Following 3 daily injections of paraoxon; the overall MEPP frequency was reduced below control levels, the frequency of giant MEPPs returned to normal, and a greater percentage of fibers showed no spontaneous activity. This depressant effect of chronic AChE inhibition on the overall MEPP frequency diminished during 1–2 weeks of daily paraoxon treatment (0.12 mg/kg s.c. paraoxon/day). After one week of recovery from 14 daily paraoxon injections (0.12 mg/kg, 1 injection/day), the original response to a single injection (0.23 mg/kg) was restored. In an attempt to determine whether paraoxon exerts its effects on spontaneous release by depolarizing the presynaptic terminal, the effect of increases in the potassium concentration on the MEPP and giant potential frequency were examined in control (saline injection) preparations, and preparations treated with 1 or 3 daily injections of paraoxon. The results suggest that paraoxon does not act by reducing the presynaptic membrane potential, but may interact more directly with the mechanism(s) responsible for regulating the release of MEPPs and giant MEPPs.
Sequence and structural evolution of the KsgA/Dim1 methyltransferase family

Background One of the 60 or so genes conserved in all domains of life is the ksgA/dim1 orthologous group. Enzymes from this family perform the same post-transcriptional nucleotide modification in ribosome biogenesis, irrespective of organism. Despite this common function, divergence has enabled some family members to adopt new and sometimes radically different functions. For example, in S. cerevisiae Dim1 performs two distinct functions in ribosome biogenesis, while human mtTFB is not only an rRNA methyltransferase in the mitochondria but also a mitochondrial transcription factor. Thus, these proteins offer an unprecedented opportunity to study evolutionary aspects of structure/function relationships, especially with respect to our recently published work on the binding mode of a KsgA family member to its 30S subunit substrate. Here we compare and contrast KsgA orthologs from bacteria, eukaryotes, and mitochondria as well as the paralogous ErmC enzyme.
Plasmodium yoelii: antibody response in resistant and susceptible mouse strains.

Abstract The numbers of antigen-reactive antibody-secreting cells, levels of parasite antigen-specific serum antibodies and numbers of red blood cells staining positive for surface immunoglobulin were determined for susceptible and resistant mouse strains following infection with Plasmodium yoelii 17×. As a control, these parameters also were measured using antigen prepared from normal red blood cells. The relatively susceptible C57BL/6 mice produced more antigenspecific antibody-secreting cells and had higher levels of immunoglobulin positive red blood cells than did DBA/2 mice, but the DBA/2 mice had more antigen-specific IgG in their sera. Both mouse strains possessed cells secreting antibody reactive with soluble normal red blood cell antigen; however, C57BL/6 mice had more IgG positive unparasitized RBC than did DBA/2 mice. Despite possessing fewer antibody positive normal RBC, DBA/2 mice had significantly higher levels of serum antibodies that reacted with soluble red blood cell antigen. These data indicate that levels of serum antibody may not reflect the amounts of antibody produced and that use of any single assay to assess the magnitude of the antibody response may give rise to misleading results.
The radon transform on zoll surfaces

The standard metric, ds, , on S2 has the property that all its geodesics are closed. 2011 proved (doctoral dissertation, Gottingen, 1901) that there are other smooth metrics on S2 with this property. His examples are surfaces of revolution (the metric is invariant with respect to the group of rotations about the x-axis); however, it is easy to get examples with this property which are not surfaces of revolution by modifying 2011’s result a bit. Such examples are discussed by Blaschke [l]. We will call a metric on S2 with the property that the associated geodesic flow, in T*S2 0, is periodic of period 2rr a Zoll surface.l The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence of 2011 surfaces other than the examples cited above. By the Korn-Lichtenstein theorem every metric on S2 is conformally equivalent to the standard metric, so we will confine ourselves to looking for 2011 surfaces with metrics of the form eo A-, , p E Cm(S2). The set of all p for which this metric is a 2011 metric, is a subset of Cm(S2); and a natural question to ask is: What is the tangent space to this set at p = O? In other words, for what p E C”(S2) do there exist 2011 deformations eD: ds, of the standard metric such that
Arizona: National Tea Party Headquarters—A comparative review of three books

This essay reviews three books that examine Arizona’s political actions contextualized within an ongoing national debate over the how to deal with the mass migration, particularly undocumented migration, from Mexico, Central America and other regions of Latin America. The book titles tell much of Arizona’s political culture and actions propelled by the measures: Biggers (2012)State out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream; Magana and Lee eds. (2013) Latino Politics and Arizona’s Immigration Law SB 1970; and Santa Ana and Gonzalez de Bustamante eds. (2012) Alto Arizona! Veto SB 1070: Arizona Firestorm. Global Immigration Realities, National Media and Provincial Politics.
Equatorial inertia‐gravity waves observed in TOPEX/Poseidon sea surface heights

We report an evaluation of the ability of the TOPEX/Poseidon altimeter to observe equatorial inertia-gravity waves in the central Pacific. Aliasing problems limit us to examining meridional mode two, but this mode is an energetic one in the Pacific basin. These estimates of the temporal potential energy modulations are compared with estimates from tide gauges in the tropical Pacific, and we find that the time series obtained at these points show good agreement.
A Study of the One-Third Integer Resonance Extraction for the 200 GeV Accelerator

Results of a detailed numerical study on the slow extraction of 200-400 GeV beams from the NAL accelerator are presented. Topics discussed are: position and strength of sextupoles, effects of octupole components in the ring magnets, vertical motion with the resonance 2?y + ?x = 61, and effects of ripples in the quadrupole current. With two sextupoles of strength 400-800 kG/m, the turn separation is ~1 cm when the septum radial position is 3 cm. The direction of the beam at the septum can be varied with correction octupoles. A possible advantage of introducing a local bump in the closed orbit near the septum is also discussed.
3-D integration requirements for hybrid nanoscale-CMOS fabrics

Several nanoscale-computing fabrics based on novel materials such as semiconductor nanowires, carbon nanotubes, graphene, etc. have been proposed in recent years. However, their integration and interfacing with external CMOS has received only limited attention. In this paper we explore integration challenges for nanoscale fabrics focusing on registration and overlay requirements especially. We address the following questions: (i) How can we mitigate the overlay requirements between nano-manufacturing and conventional lithography steps? (ii) How much overlay precision is necessary between process steps? and (iii) What is the impact on yield if different overlays are used? We propose and evaluate a new 3D integration approach that combines standard CMOS design rules with nano-manufacturing constraints. For a nanoprocessor design implemented in N3ASIC (a hybrid nanowire-CMOS fabric) we show that a 100% yield is achievable even for overlay precisions achievable with current CMOS manufacturing (3σ=±8nm, ITRS 2009) while still retaining 3X density advantage compared to a projected 16nm CMOS scaled design.
DNA "fingerprints" detect genetic variation in Acer negundo (Aceraceae).

Genomic DNA samples from 21 box elder plants collected in Missouri (U.S.A.) were digested with restriction enzyme and southern blot hybridized with the M13 minisatellite probe. Each plant was found to have a unique DNA fragment pattern. Moreover, levels of genetic variation estimated from a similarity index appear to be related to sampling distances. However, size of the fragments utilized in the analysis affects the estimates of genetic variation to a considerable degree.
Simplified Field Preservation of Tissues for Subsequent DNA Analyses

Successful DNA-based identification of mass disaster victims depends on acquiring tissues that are not highly degraded. In this study, multiple protocols for field preservation of tissues for later DNA analysis were tested. Skin and muscle samples were collected from decaying pig carcasses. Tissues were preserved using cold storage, desiccation, or room temperature storage in preservative solutions for up to 6 months. DNA quality was assessed through amplification of successively larger segments of nuclear DNA. Solution-based storage, including a DMSO/NaCl/EDTA mixture, alcohols, and RNAlater preserved DNA of the highest quality, refrigeration was intermediate, and desiccation was least effective. Tissue type and extent of decomposition significantly affected stored DNA quality. Overall, the results indicate that any tissue preservation attempt is far superior to delaying or forgoing preservation efforts, and that simple, inexpensive methods can be highly effective in preserving DNA, thus should be initiated as quickly as possible.
Sodium Chloride Treatment or Waterjet Slicing Effects on White Tissue Development of Carrot Sticks

Treatment of carrots with NaCl solution or slicing with a high pressure water jet stream was evaluated for reducing the amount of white tissue development on carrot stick surfaces. A 0.5 or l.OM solution treatment resulted in less white tissue than treatment with lower concentrations of NaCl. However, the NaCl treatment caused a weight loss of 4-10% (not commercially acceptable). Water jet slicing resulted in striation of surface tissue and left loose layers of cells, as observed with the scanning electron microscope. These cells dehydrated rapidly and formed as much white tissue as on carrots sliced with a culinary knife.
Confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest and prior knowledge: Influences on conceptual change

This study explored how confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest, and prior knowledge interact in conceptual change learning. One hundred and sixteen college students completed an assessment of confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest, prior scientific understanding, and prior misconceptions before reading a refutation text on seasonal change. Students’ misconceptions and scientific understanding of seasonal change was then assessed before and after reading a refutation text, and again at a two week delayed posttest. Three profiles of students emerged based on their confidence in prior knowledge, self-efficacy, interest, prior scientific understanding, and prior misconceptions. The profiles included: (1) Low (low confidence, self-efficacy, interest, and prior scientific understanding and high prior misconceptions), (2) mixed (high confidence, self-efficacy, and interest, but low prior scientific understanding and high prior misconceptions), and (3) high (high confidence, self-efficacy, interest, and prior scientific understanding and low prior misconceptions). Results indicated that the mixed profile appeared to be most productive for conceptual change and that learner characteristics most productive for conceptual change learning may differ from those most productive in other learning situations.
Historians' use of digital archival collections: The web, historical scholarship, and archival research

This article reports a research study about historians' experiences using digital archival collections for research articles that they published in the American Historical Review. We contacted these authors to ask about their research processes, with regard to digital archival collections, and their perceptions of the usefulness of digital archival collections to historical research. This study presents a realistic portrayal of the “uses” and “impacts” of digital primary sources from the perspectives of historians who use digital collections for their research projects. The findings from this study indicate that digital archival collections are important source materials for historical studies for various reasons. However, the amount of authority digital materials possess as historical resources was disputed. Many historians preferred documents in their original form, but historians' preferences began to change as they increasingly consulted digital formats. As the web has developed into an important research platform, historians have adopted different research patterns, one of which is using random web searches to find digital primary sources. Historians' understandings of the “use” of digital archival collections revealed a spectrum of activities including finding, understanding, interpreting, and citing digital information. Historians in this study worked concurrently on multiple studies or on a larger project for a book, and each of their searches for digital collections had the potential to provide them with useful results for several research studies.
A longitudinal study of emotional intelligence in graduate nurse anesthesia students.

Objective: Emotional intelligence (EI) is an important component not only for success in the nurse anesthesia (NA) profession, but as a NA student as well. Using the ability-based EI model, the purpose of this was to examine the difference in EI between the first semester and last semester of NA training programs. Methods: First semester NA students completed the online Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test V2.0 EI instrument, and then the same students repeated the instrument in their last (7 th) semester. Results: There was a statistically significant correlation between overall EI and long-term overall EI (P = 0.000), reasoning area and long-term reasoning area (P = 0.035), experiencing area (P = 0.000) and long-term experiencing area, perceiving branch and long-term perceiving branch (P = 0.000), using and long-term using branch (P = 0.000), and the managing branch and long-term managing branch (P = 0.026). The correlation between the understanding branch and the long-term understanding branch was not statistically significant (P < 0.157). The paired sample t-test demonstrated no statistically significant change (n = 34) in overall EI, the two areas scores, or the four-branch scores between the first semester and the last semester of a NA training program. Conclusions: This longitudinal study shows the lack of EI change in NA students over time. Thus, no change in EI occurs as a result of transitioning through a NA program based on the accrediting body's standardized curriculum, but the results helped the researcher provide useful data to inform future research on the use of EI measures as predictors of NA program success.
Toward a Global Low Carbon Fuel Standard for Road Transport

A new policy instrument, known as a low carbon fuel standard (LCFS), is a promising approach to decarbonize transportation fuels. An LCFS has several important features: it applies a life cycle carbon intensity standard, incorporates market mechanisms by allowing credit trading, and targets all transport fuels. A harmonized international framework is needed that builds on newly enacted LCFS policies adopted in California and the European Union.
The Newly Industrializing Countries in the International System

Explanations of the growth of the newly industrializing countries (NICs) by neoclassical economists and dependency theorists neglect the role of politics in shaping development strategies. Different social configurations, state structures, and ideas about development help explain the divergent policy choices made by the export-oriented East Asian NICs—Korea and Taiwan—and the more “inward-looking” countries of Latin America, particularly Mexico and Brazil. These different strategic choices, in turn, account for variations in the patterns of external “dependency” that characterize countries in the two regions.
Red howler monkey birth data I: Seasonal variation

A large set of birth data from a population of red howler monkeys (Alouatta seniculus) in two habitats found a consistent birth “dip,” with births occurring less frequently in early wet season (May–July) than during the remaining months. In one of two habitats, births were negatively correlated with rainfall, and viable conceptions were positively correlated with rainfall. The observed degree of within-troop birth synchrony appeared to reflect populational synchrony with environmental factors. Correlations between births and the phenology of plant foods were not striking, but there was weak support for the hypothesis that births are timed to maximize the availability of weaning foods. Reduced births in early wet season also minimize the number of Infants who would experience the transition to independent locomotion and feeding during the peak of the dry season when probable low moisture content of foods and high daytime temperatures might be disadvantageous. However, there was no relationship between season of birth and infant mortality.
Pediatric cancer patients in clinical trials of sepsis: factors that predispose to sepsis and stratify outcome.

Objective:To delineate the factors that predispose pediatric oncology and hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients to sepsis and to identify factors that stratify their outcome.Data Source:Peer-reviewed literature available via MEDLINE search.Study Selection:All types of study.Conclusions:
Retrospective cost adaptive control for nonminimum-phase discrete-time systems, part 2: The adaptive controller and stability analysis

This paper is the second part of a pair of papers, which together present a direct adaptive controller for discrete-time systems that are possibly nonminimum phase.
Regional Nodal Recurrence After Breast Conservation Treatment With Radiotherapy for Women With Early-Stage Breast Carcinoma

Purpose To report the long-term outcomes for women presenting with regional lymph node recurrence after breast conservation treatment with radiotherapy for Stage I and II invasive breast carcinoma. Methods and Materials Of the women with pathologic Stage I and II invasive breast carcinoma treated with breast conservation treatment at the University of Pennsylvania, 29 developed regional nodal recurrence as their first site of failure. An analysis of the patterns of regional nodal recurrence and their prognosis after recurrence was undertaken. The median follow-up from regional nodal recurrence was 5.4 years. Results The pattern of regional nodal recurrence was as follows: 14 (48%) with simultaneous local and axillary recurrence, 7 (24%) with recurrence in the axilla only, 5 (17%) with recurrence in the supraclavicular region only, and 3 (10%) with multiple nodal sites of recurrence. For the entire study group, the 5-, 10-, and 15-year overall survival rate was 70%, 37%, and 28%, respectively. The 10-year overall survival rate for patients with locoregional recurrence was 32% compared with 45% for patients with regional-only recurrence (p = 0.50). The 10-year overall survival rate for patients with axillary recurrence discovered on pathologic examination of the mastectomy specimen was 31% compared with 42% for patients with palpable regional lymphadenopathy (p = 0.83). Conclusion Patients with regional nodal recurrence after breast conservation treatment with radiotherapy for early-stage breast carcinoma are potentially salvageable. The prognosis after regional nodal recurrence was not significantly different when stratified by the presence or absence of simultaneous in-breast recurrence or the method of detection.
A universal pathway for amyloid nucleus and precursor formation for insulin.

To help identify the etiological agents for amyloid-related diseases, attention is focused here on the fibrillar precursors, also called oligomers and protofibrils, and on modeling the reaction kinetics of the formation of the amyloid nucleus. Insulin is a favored model for amyloid formation, not only because amyloidosis can be a problem in diabetes, but also because aggregation and fibrillation causes problems during production, storage, and delivery. Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) is used to measure the temporal formation of insulin oligomers in H2O- and D2O-based solvents and obtain consistent evidence of the composition of the insulin nucleus that comprised three dimers or six monomers similar to that recently proposed in the literature. A simple molecular structural model that describes the growth of oligomers under a wide range of environmental conditions is proposed. The model first involves lengthening or end-on-end association of dimers to form three-dimer nuclei, and then exhibits broadening or side-on-side association of nuclei. Using different additives to demonstrate their influence on the kinetics of oligomer formation, we showed that, although the time required to form the nucleus was dependent on a specific system, they all followed a universal pathway for nucleus and precursor formation. The methods and analyses presented here provide the first experimental molecular size description of the details of amyloid nucleus formation and subsequent propagation to fibril precursors independent of kinetics. Proteins 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Can the Diagnosis of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease be Excluded Without a Bimanual Examination

Now that urine-based tests are available for detection of Chlamydia and gonorrhea, we sought to determine whether history alone could be used to exclude pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and thus preclude a bimanual examination. The study design was a retrospective chart review. The study population included females aged 15-24 years diagnosed with PID. Outcome measures were documentation of screening symptoms (abdominal pain, dyspareunia, or abnormal vaginal bleeding) in the medical record. Our primary analysis was sensitivity of screening symptoms for identifying patients with PID. At least 1 of the 3 screening symptoms was reported by 93% of the PID group. If absence of all 3 screening symptoms were used as a screening instrument to exclude a bimanual examination, many women with lower genital tract symptoms could be evaluated noninvasively. However, this approach could result in delayed diagnosis of PID in a small number of patients. Before this strategy is adopted, a large prospective study is needed.
Tourism and short-term behavioural responses of nesting masked, red-footed, and blue-footed, boobies in the Galapagos

Increasingly, seabirds nesting on islands are exposed to tourists who view, photograph, and study, them for variable periods of time. The escalating frequency of human-seabird contacts on heretofore undisturbed nesting islands raises questions and concerns about the effects of human disturbance, and of the continued preservation of nesting colonies of marine birds. We examined short-term changes in behaviour of Masked (Sula dactylagra), Redfooted (S. sula), and Blue-footed (S. nebouxii), boobies when tourists walked by, and examined display station and nest placement as a function of distance from a regularlytraversed tourist path on Tower (Genovesa), Hood (Espanola), and North Seymour, Islands, Galapagos.Whether displaying boobies walked, flew, or remained on their station, when tourists passed, was related to their distance from the trail. Boobies displaying at stations on or up to 2 m from the trail, walked or flew from their station 62 to 95% of the time, depending on the species. All species of boobies performed more head and body turns, and gave-out more calls, after tourists passed than before, while the rate of preening did not differ. All three species of boobies avoided nesting right along the trail, despite similarities of habitat.These data suggest that boobies respond to tourists in subtle ways often related to their species, and that further studies should delineate impacts operating over longer periods—including reproductive success variation as a function of disturbance.
A time domain synthesis for optimum extrapolators

A direct method is presented for the solution of the integral equation for the optimum predictor in terms of the solution to the integral equation for the optimum filter. This method is a means for circumventing the practical difficulties encountered in the actual design of optimum predictors based upon the techniques derived by Wiener. The synthesis procedure is applied in order to simplify the design of extrapolators for use when the prediction interval is a non-negative function of time in contrast to the more conventional situation where prediction is made for a continuously varying instant that is always a fixed number of seconds in the future. The specific example utilized is prediction for a fixed instant that is a continuously decreasing number of seconds in the future. The discussion includes an explanation of a procedure for avoiding the solution of integral equations in the synthesis of optimum extrapolators.
Better thermoelectrics through glass-like crystals

Twenty years ago, the 'phonon-glass, electron-crystal' concept changed thinking in thermoelectric materials research, resulting in new high-performance materials and an increased focus on controlling structure and chemical bonding to minimize irreversible heat transport in crystals.
Accounting And Cultural Values: IFRS In 3G Economies

The 3G countries represent the most recent attempt to identify a set of world economies that will exhibit the greatest growth by the middle of this century (Buiter and Rahbari, 2011). They are classified by a Global Growth Generator, or 3G index, based on six specific growth drivers. Of the eleven 3G countries identified, India and China have received the most significant attention previously, as members of the so-called BRIC countries. The remaining countries consist of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. This paper aims to shed light on the cultural/business mindset of managers in these countries, using survey data and concepts of two internationally oriented scholars, Geert Hofstede (1988) and S. J. Gray (1980). Their combined work has provided a robust framework for studies of the potential impact of cultural values on management and accounting. In a previous paper, we examined the cultural characteristics of each 3G based on the Hofstede six cultural dimensions to determine the unique and shared value characteristics of the 3Gs that may affect economic growth. (Borker, 2013a) Here, an accounting profile is developed for each 3G based on cultural accounting values derived by Gray from Hofstede’s dimensions. Profiles are created and compared to one another, and to a proposed independent IFRS favorable profile (Borker, 2013b),as part of an analysis of cultural and other factors that may affect the long-term success of IFRS in the 3Gs. The impact of these profiles on several growth factors is also discussed.
Advances in Eye-Safe Atmospheric Volume Imaging Lidar

A multi-dimensional lidar, well suited for urban surveillance and aerosol plume monitoring, has been developed and is operational. The paper discusses research and development efforts to extend the instrument capabilities toward quantitative measurements of aerosol.