cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The power of books and the practice of mysticism in the fourteenth century : Heinrich of Nördlingen and Margaret Ebner on mechthild's flowing light of the godhead

In 1345 a manuscript accompanied by a letter arrived at the Dominican convent of Maria Medingen in southern Germany. The sender, a secular priest named Heinrich of Nordlingen, and the primary recipient, the Dominican visionary nun Margaret Ebner, had already enjoyed an extended correspondence, interspersed with a few intense face-to-face visits in the convent. Because the manuscript arriving that day was a thirteenth-century woman's mystical treatise (the beguine Mechthild of Magdeburg's Flowing Light of the Godhead), and because Margaret and her sisters in the convent Maria Medingen used this woman's text in what could initially seem peculiar and dynamic ways, this manuscript and these letters can tell us much about the authority and performance of women's mysticism in medieval religion. Mechthild's and Heinrich's texts serve as key examples, which reveal how women's mystical texts were authoritative in the history of Christianity. Namely, medieval audiences assessed mystical authority on the basis of the text's ability to produce the experience in them, and mystical texts required proper performance in order to unleash their generative power.
Intramolecular Dynamics and Unimolecular Reactions

In this article we describe recent research of our group on the rate constants and the distribution of quantum states of the reaction products of unimolecular dissociations and on methods to treat intramolecular dynamics. Connections among various transition state type theories are also discussed.
Structural and Electronic Effects of Pentafluorophenyl Substituents on Cyclopentadienyl Complexes of Fe, Co, Mn, and Re1

The reaction of CpNa (Cp = C5H5) with C6F6 (diglyme, 110 °C, 14 h) afforded a mixture of products, from which two new triarylated cyclopentadienes, 1,2,4-Ar3C5H3 (3) and 1,2,3-Ar3C5H3 (4), were sep...
Direct digital-to-RF digital-to-analogue converter using image replica and nonlinearity cancelling architecture

A parallel architecture for a direct digital-to-RF digital-to-analogue converter (DDRF-DAC) is proposed for digital radio transmitters. Multiple paths of wide-bandwidth DACs are used, each fed with interleaved signal samples and each sampled at interleaved time instants. This results in the cancellation of the first N-1 replica images and the first N-1 nonlinearity spurs, thus allowing for wideband operation.
Environmental amenity rights, transactions costs, and technological change

A general equilibrium model incorporating transactions costs and technological change is developed and used to investigate society's preference for the assignment of property rights affecting pollution. In contrast to the work of Coase, it is shown that indifference to the legal structure is a special case. Major results include (1) the specification of conditions under which society prefers polluters to pay for damages rather than allowing negative externalities to continue unless the polluters are bribed and (2) the conclusion that societies experiencing technological change eventually prefer the legal structure under which polluters pay for damages.
ONTOGENY OF PHLOEM IN THE SUGAR BEET (BETA VULGARIS L.)

In connection with an investigation of the anatomical changes induced in the sugar beet by the curly-top disease, it was necessary to make a detailed study of the healthy phloem. Its structure, at maturity, was described in an earlier publication (Esau, I933). This paper deals mainly with the developmental stages of this tissue, especially the sieve tubes. It will form the background for a study of the stages of phloem degeneration in beets affected by curly top. The material and methods used in this work were the same as those previously described (1933). As a source of phloem tissue, the petioles proved to be better than the roots because they furnish comparatively long strands of vascular tissue, straight and free of anastomoses.
Toward Homological Characterization of Semirings: Serre’s Conjecture and Bass’s Perfectness in a Semiring Context

Among other results on homological characterization of semirings, we prove that the classes of projective and free right (left) semimodules over the polynomial semiring R[x1, x2,..., x n ] over an additively regular division semiring R coincide iff R is a field. Also it is shown that an additively regular commutative semiring R is perfect (in H. Bass’s sense) iff R is a perfect ring.
The continuing utility of bronchoalveolar lavage to diagnose opportunistic infection in AIDS patients.

Abstract purpose: To determine whether bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) remains a useful technique in assessing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with pulmonary symptoms. patients and methods: All HIV-infected patients with pulmonary symptoms referred to a university hospital-based pulmonary service underwent bronchoscopy and BAL within 24 hours of referral. All samples were handled in a standardized fashion. The results of the lavage were compared with chest roentgenograms and clinical results. results: A total of 894 lavages were performed on HIV-infected patients over a 7-year period. The overall diagnostic yield was 60%, with 420 patients having Pneumocystis carinii . Infections other than P carinii were found in 185 cases, including 75 lavages with P carinii and another infection. The other infections included Mycobacterium tuberculosis (17 patients), Mycobacterium kansasii (15 patients), Histoplasma capsulatum (24 patients), Cryptococcus neoformans (17 patients), and bacterial infection (103 patients). For 364 lavages, no diagnosis was made. Chest roentgenograms were not useful in predicting what infection would be diagnosed. There was no difference in the yield of BAL over the 7-year period, despite the introduction of aerosol pentamidine prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy. conclusion: Bronchoscopy with BAL continues to have a role in the evaluation of HIV-infected patients with pulmonary symptoms.
Long Period Structure of Langmuir-Blodgeit Multilayer Assemblies

Abstract The structures of cadmium eicosanoate (CdC220AC) and cadmium pentacosa-10,12-diynoate (Cd12‒8AC) Langmuir-Blodgett multilayers were studied using x-ray structure analysis methods. The trial and error model refinements indicated the fully ionized salts exist in a linear arrangement where the polar heads of the opposing monolayers are ionically bound with the cadmium ion nested between the carboxylates. The molecular orientation of CdC20AC was found to be normal to the substrate, whereas Cd12‒8AC was inclined by about 30° to accommodate the diacetylene moiety. A mechanism for the salt formation upon deposition was rationalized by considering the dlssolved counter ions to be loosely bound within the electric double layers of the floating and submerged/deposited monolayers.
Future operations of Pioneer 10 and 11

The Pioneers 10 and 11 spacecraft were launched on 2 March 1972 and 5 April 1973 and are now 53 and 35 AU from the sun. Pioneer 10 is now the most distant man-made object in our solar system and the in situ measurements of the gas and dust surrounding the sun have been obtained for almost two solar sunspot cycles. Plasma analyzer measurements out to 50 AU show that the mean velocity is about 430 km/sec, the mean density decreases as R exp -2, and that the terminal shock has not been encountered. The magnetic field is drawn out to form Archimedean spirals in the ecliptic place and dipolelike asymmetry in the polar directions as predicted by the Parker model. Galactic cosmic ray measurements of the intensity and radial gradient indicate a 'modulation boundary' between 70 to 100 AU from the sun. All measurements to date indicate that both spacecraft are within the heliosphere and proceeding toward the outer boundary where the modulating effect of solar activity on cosmic ray intensity ceases.
Landau-Ginzburg theory of phase transitions in heated rotating nuclei

Abstract The Landau-Ginzburg theory is applied to heated rotating superfluid systems. It is demonstrated that the free energy F ' is an even function of the order parameter Δ even when external fields are present. The energy surfaces F '( Δ ) are calculated for various rotational frequencies and temperatures. These surfaces provide clear illustrations of first-order and second-order phase transitions, as well as a critical point.
The influence of recovery heat treatments on the low temperature ductility of FeV alloys

Abstract The influence of cold working, followed by recovery heat treatments, on the ductility of several binary FeV alloys has been examined at test temperatures between 4.2°K and 300°K. An improvement in ductility relative to the fully recrystallized condition is observed at temperatures below 100°K for all alloys. A lowering of fracture mode transition temperature with the recovered microstructure is deduced from fractographic observations. The observed shifts in ductility and fracture mode are attributed to the formation of a stable dislocation substructure during the recovery heat treatments.
The Role of a Geographic Information System (GIS) in the Sustainability of Export Pipeline Projects

Sustainable development in the energy industry is rapidly expanding beyond the conceptual stage. Policies addressing the three principles of Sustainable Development (economic growth, environmental protection, and social progress) are being established and strategies to execute these policies are being developed and implemented in the field. Export pipeline projects provide a wide variety of applications for the three elements of sustainable development. Properly designed, installed and operated pipeline systems enable the energy industry to deliver hydrocarbon products to the market place in a way that delivers economic rewards while preserving the integrity of the environment and surrounding communities and their ways of life. Conoco is developing a strong corporate culture around sustainable development; and, pipeline systems play a vital role in delivering the triple bottom line results for our stakeholders. This paper will present some of the key focal points used by Conoco Inc. in pipeline project development. It proposes GIS technology to make pipeline projects a contributor to sustainable growth success.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
A geochemical study of toxic metal translocation in an urban brownfield wetland.

Abstract Rhizosphere soil and dominant plant samples were collected at a brownfield site in New Jersey, USA, during summer 2005 to evaluate plant metal uptake from the contaminated soils. Metal concentrations varied from 4.25 to 978 μg g−1 for As, 9.68–209 μg g−1 for Cr, 23.9–1870 μg g−1 for Cu, and 24.8–6502 μg g−1 for Zn. A wide range of metal uptake efficiencies in the roots, stems and leaves was found in this study. Data showed that (1) Betula populifolia has high Zn, Cu and As accumulations in the root, and high concentrations of Cu and Zn in the stem and the leaf; (2) Rhus copallinum has high accumulation of Zn and Cr in the leaf and Cu in the stem; (3) Polygonum cuspidatum has high accumulations of Cu and As in the root; and (4) Artemisia vulgaris shows high Cu accumulation in the leaf and the stem.
Carbon cycling in a loblolly pine plantation.

The carbon cycle of a loblolly pine plantation in North Carolina was examined during its 12th through 16th years from planting. Net primary production during the study period averaged 2056 g C m-2 year-1. With autotrophic respiration equal to 2068 g C, the calculated gross production was 4124 g C m-2 year-1. Heterotrophic respiration of 694 g C m-2 year-1 resulted in net ecosystem production of 1362 g C m-2 year-1. In carbon cycle comparisons between forest ecosystems, autotrophic respiration rates were found to be closely coupled to regional temperature.
Infrasound Observations of Variability During Stratospheric Warmings

Abstract Observations of natural infrasound produce a continual record of the sound velocity, a function of wind and temperature, at the reflection level in the upper atmosphere. Under normal conditions in winter the reflection level, for sound generated by ocean waves to the east of Palisades, N. Y., is in the lower thermosphere. During the circulation changes associated with stratospheric warmings, winds near the stratopause may become east or north, allowing infrasound to be reflected from this level. We are then provided with a continuous record of sound velocity near the stratopause. The methods which are used to distinguish between stratosphere and thermospheric sound reflection are discussed, and circulation changes for each year are cataloged. During the warming event sound velocities in the stratosphere are shown to vary radically, with fluctuations of up to 60 m s−1 in a few hours time period. These short time period variations, observable only because of the continuous nature of infrasound reco...
Systematic Review of Autogenous Osteochondral Transplant Outcomes

Purpose: The goal of this systematic review was to present the current best evidence for clinical outcomes of osteochondral autograft transplantation to elucidate the efficacy of this procedure. Methods: PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched (key terms “knee, ”“ osteochondral autograft transfer,” or “mosaicplasty”) to identify relevant literature between 1950 and 2013 in the English language. This evaluation included studies in pediatric and adult patients with grade 3 or 4 articular cartilage injuries; the studies had a minimum of 25 patients and at least 12 months of follow-up and compared osteochondral autograft transfers/mosiacplasty with another treatment modality. Articles were limited to full-text randomized controlled trials or cohort studies. Main outcomes studied were patient-reported and functional outcome, with secondary outcomes including effect of lesion size, return to sport and sport function, radiographic outcomes, and reoperation rates. Results: There were a total of 9 studies with 607 patients studied in this systematic review. When osteochondral autologous transfer/mosaicplasty (OATM) was compared with microfracture (MF), patients with OATM had better clinical results, with a higher rate of return to sport and maintenance of their sports function from before surgery. Meanwhile, patients who underwent MF trended toward more reoperations, with deterioration around 4 years after surgery. When compared with autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), clinical outcome improvement was not conclusive; however, at 10-year follow-up, a greater failure rate was found to be present in the OATM group. Conclusions: Current evidence shows improved clinical outcomes with OATM when compared with preoperative conditions. These patients were able to return to sport as early as 6 months after the procedure. It could be suggested from the data that OATM procedures might be more appropriate for lesions that are smaller than 2 cm 2 with the known risk of failure between 2 and 4 years. Further high-quality prospective studies into the management of these articular cartilage injuries are necessary to provide a better framework within which to target intervention. Level of Evidence: Level II, systematic review of Level I and II studies.
Inelastic electron tunnelling spectroscopy—II. Parameters affecting oxide insulator growth and molecular orientation

Abstract Improvements to the previously reported design and operation of an inelastic electron tunnelling spectrometer are described. Parameters affecting the growth of the oxide insulator are discussed. Spectra of some organic molecules adsorbed on alumina are reported and utilized to propose an orientation of these molecules with respect to the alumina surface. The carbonyl stretching frequency is observed for the first time in tunnelling spectroscopy.
A 2D constrained mixture model for arterial adaptations to large changes in flow, pressure and axial stretch

Soft tissue growth and remodelling (G&R) are achieved through highly complex, temporally regulated mechanisms that lead to the adaptation of structurally significant cells and extracellular matrix proteins. Herein we present a constrained mixture model to describe vascular adaptations in response to large perturbations in luminal flow rate, transmural pressure and axial extension. In the associated simulations, G&R occur in evolving loaded (i.e. current) configurations. Although several hypotheses are employed with regard to vasoregulatory mechanisms and rates of growth and turnover of individual constituents, the main hypothesis is that each structural constituent is produced within a range of homeostatic stresses (or stretches). As a result, although material that was produced in one configuration may have the same mechanical behaviour as that produced in another configuration, these materials will possess different natural configurations and contribute a different structural response to the mixture. Our simulations illustrate how, by simply evolving the reference states of individual constituents, blood vessels can adapt their structure and function to restore wall stresses.
Vegetable oils as fuel alternatives - symposium overview

Several encouraging statements can be made about the use of vegetable oil products as fuel as a result of the information presented in these symposium papers. Vegetable oil ester fuels have the greatest promise, but further engine endurance tests will be required. These can be carried out best by the engine manufacturers. Microemulsions appear to have promise, but more research and engine testing will be necessary before performance equivalent to the ester fuels can be developed. Such research effort can be justified because microemulsification is a rather uncomplicated physical process and might be adaptable to on-farm operations, which would be doubtful for the more involved transesterification process. Although some answers have been provided by this symposium, others are still not available; engine testing is continuing throughout the world particularly in those countries that do not have access to petroleum.
A CRITIQUE OF RESEARCH ON WOMEN PUBLISHED IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: 1990-2000

An examination of titles and abstracts of the 491 articles published in the Community College Journal of Research and Practice (CCJRP) between 1990 to 2000 resulted in a collection of 26 articles to base a systematic review of the literature regarding women in two-year colleges. Several themes emerged concerning women's participation and uniqueness in the community college, services designed to meet the needs of women, and ways in which the community college can grow to more fully represent and support women. Basic suggestions for improving research designs, methodologies, and reporting of studies on women are included.
Solving the Complementarity Dilemma: Evolving Strategies for Simultaneous Hermaphroditism

Abstract We introduce a complementarity dilemma , a two-player, binary response game in which the playoffs are highest when the two players respond differently. Using the classifier EvA, we determine the evolutionary dynamics and structure of strategies that evolve to play an iterated version of this game, and we relate the results to the evolution of major types of sexual reproduction, particularly simultaneous hermaphroditism. We find that complementarity strategies consistently evolve under a broad range of conditions, but that those most consistent with the simultaneous hermaphroditism can predominate only when a substantial cost of repeatedly adopting the female role is imposed. The cost is analogous to the fecundity reduction to be expected when a single partner must repeatedly produce the eggs in sexual reproduction.
Immunogenecity of hapten-protein conjugates in rabbits and monkeys preimmunized against the carrier protein.

Abstract The effect of preimmunization with carrier protein on the subsequent response to immunization with hapten-protein conjugate was investigated. Rabbits immunized against bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed a delay in the production of anti-progesterone antibodies upon immunization with progesterone-11-BSA. After a booster injection with P-11-BSA, however, they achieved antiprogesterone levels comparable to those in animals immunized with P-11-BSA only. Similarly, rhesus monkeys preimmunized with tetanus toxoid (TT) showed a delay in the development of anti-hCG titers when immunized with β-hCG-TT. Here again, after booster immunizations they achieved anti-hCG levels comparable to those of the control animals.
Pneumocystis carinii: Has the Name Really Been Changed?

The proposed renaming of Pneumocystis carinii has caused much confusion and controversy among authors, peer reviewers, editors, and interested readers. Proponents of the new nomenclature emphasize the fact that the new names are judged to be "valid" by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. What is generally not appreciated is the fact that the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature does not make any determination as to the scientific correctness of proposed names; rather, it mandates the process of naming an organism. Thus, acknowledgement by the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature that new names for P. carinii have been validly published does not mandate their use. Rather, the scientific community interested in P. carinii needs to be aware of the issues involved in changing the name and then decide for themselves as to the correctness of the newly proposed names. Use of the newly proposed names for P. carinii should not be mandated by journal reviewers or editors.
Olfactory Bulb Mitral-Tufted Cell Plasticity: Odorant-Specific Tuning Reflects Previous Odorant Exposure

Olfactory system second-order neurons, mitral-tufted cells, have odorant receptive fields (ORFs) (molecular receptive ranges in odorant space for carbon chain length in organic odorant molecules). This study quantified several dimensions of these excitatory odorant receptive fields to novel odorants in rats and then examined the effects of passive odorant exposure on the shape of the ORF-tuning curve. ORFs for carbon chain length of novel ethyl esters (pure odorants that the animals had not been exposed to previously) were determined before and after a 50 sec prolonged exposure to one of the odorants. In response to novel odorants, quantitative analysis of mitral-tufted cell excitatory ORFs revealed that the median ORF width spanned 3-4 carbons, generally with a single-most excitatory odorant. Exposure to either the most excitatory odorant (ON-PEAK) or an odorant that was two carbons longer (OFF-PEAK) for 50 sec produced whole ORF suppression immediately after the end of the prolonged exposure, with the ON-PEAK exposure producing the greatest suppression. These results are consistent with a feature-detecting function for mitral-tufted cells. Redetermination of the ORF 15 and 60 min after the exposure revealed that OFF-PEAK exposure produced a reduction in responsiveness to the best odorant and an increase in responsiveness to the exposed odorant. In contrast, exposure to the ON-PEAK odorant or no odorant did not affect ORFs. Given that mitral-tufted cells receive exclusive excitatory input from olfactory receptor neurons expressing identical receptor proteins, it is hypothesized that experience-induced mitral-tufted cell ORF changes reflect modulation of lateral and centrifugal olfactory bulb circuits.
Randomized Retinal Ganglion Cell Axon Routing at the Optic Chiasm of GAP-43-Deficient Mice: Association with Midline Recrossing and Lack of Normal Ipsilateral Axon Turning

During mammalian development, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons from nasal retina cross the optic chiasm midline, whereas temporal retina axons do not and grow ipsilaterally, resulting in a projection of part of the visual world onto one side of the brain while the remaining part is represented on the opposite side. Previous studies have shown that RGC axons in GAP-43-deficient mice initially fail to grow from the optic chiasm to form optic tracts and are delayed temporarily in the midline region. Here we show that this delayed RGC axon exit from the chiasm is characterized by abnormal randomized axon routing into the ipsilateral and contralateral optic tracts, leading to duplicated representations of the visual world in both sides of the brain. Within the chiasm, individual contralaterally projecting axons grow in unusual semicircular trajectories, and the normal ipsilateral turning of ventral temporal axons is absent. These effects on both axon populations suggest that GAP-43 does not mediate pathfinding specifically for one or the other axon population but is more consistent with a model in which the initial pathfinding defect at the chiasm/tract transition zone leads to axons backing up into the chiasm, resulting in circular trajectories and eventual random axon exit into one or the other optic tract. Unusual RGC axon trajectories include chiasm midline recrossing similar to abnormal CNS midline recrossing in invertebrate "roundabout" mutants and Drosophila with altered calmodulin function. This resemblance and the fact that GAP-43 also has been proposed to regulate calmodulin availability raise the possibility that calmodulin function is involved in CNS midline axon guidance in both vertebrates and invertebrates.
Immunoglobulin-A Nephropathy with Crescentic Glomerulonephritis in a Pigtailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina)

A 4-year-old female pigtailed macaque (Macaca nemestrina), experimentally coinfected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac251) and Mycobacterium bovis (bacillus Calmette-Guerin), was eu- thanatized 1 year after infection because of weight loss and labored breathing. On gross examination, both kidneys were found to be markedly enlarged (right: 54.7 g and left: 51.7 g; normal 20 g). Renal lesions were evaluated by histopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural methods. Light microscopy revealed that the glomeruli were diffusely hypercellular with expansion of the mesangial matrix, and crescent formation affected approximately 60% of the glomeruli. By immunohistochemical evaluation, it was found that the cres- cents were composed principally of macrophages, as seen by CD68 (KP1), MRP8, MAC387, and HAM56 expression. Electron microscopic examination of the glomeruli revealed extensive intramembranous, subendo- thelial, and mesangial electron-dense deposits and multifocal fusion of the visceral epithelial foot processes. Immunofluorescence, used to determine the composition of the electron-dense deposits, revealed diffuse granular mesangial and capillary staining for immunoglobulin A (IgA). The renal changes described in this case report are most consistent with the findings of crescentic gloerulonephritis with IgA immune complex deposition in the glomerular basement membrane and mesangium as described in humans with IgA nephropathy.
Observations and models for needle-tissue interactions

The asymmetry of a bevel-tip needle results in the needle naturally bending when it is inserted into soft tissue. In this study we present a mechanics-based model that calculates the deflection of the needle embedded in an elastic medium. Microscopic observations for several needle-gel interactions were used to characterize the interactions at the bevel tip and along the needle shaft. The model design was guided by microscopic observations of several needle-gel interactions. The energy-based model formulation incorporates tissue-specific parameters such as rupture toughness, nonlinear material elasticity, and interaction stiffness, and needle geometric and material properties. Simulation results follow similar trends (deflection and radius of curvature) to those observed in macroscopic experimental studies of a robot-driven needle interacting with different kinds of gels. These results contribute to a mechanics-based model of robotic needle steering, extending previous work on kinematic models.
Time-domain scattering in 2 1/2 dimensions

A finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method is used to solve the problem of the response of an arbitrary source, in particular, an impulsive point source, in a two-dimensional isotropic inhomogeneous medium. The field is three-dimensional, whereas the inhomogeneity is two-dimensional; hence, this is called a 2-1/2-dimensional problem. Taking advantage of the invariance of the geometry in one dimension, cosine and sine transforms are used to eliminate one of the spatial derivatives in Maxwell's equations, thereby reducing the problem to two dimensions. A rectangular staggered grid is used to discretize the equations. The complete solution is obtained by linearly superimposing several transformed field components. This provides great savings in terms of computer storage and run time over a three-dimensional FDTD method. The subsurface interface radar, in which an impulsive transmitter and an accompanying receiver are used to detect reflections from subsurface objects, is discussed as an example. Effects of increasing conductivity and depth of the buried objects on the quality of the measured signals are studied. >
On the extraction and analysis of prevalent dataflow patterns

The complexity-effectiveness of modern wire-dominated architectures is heavily influenced by operand movement patterns within workloads. Unfortunately, the study of these common patterns is burdensome given the NP-completeness of the problem and the size of the dataflow graphs in modern applications. In response we present CPX, a fast and memory-efficient tool for the extraction of common dataflow subgraphs from application binaries. Using this tool and a practical metric of pattern popularity, we analyze Media-Bench and Spec2000int benchmarks and present their most frequent communication patterns. Results confirm the intuition of prior research that dependence chains dominate integer code, but more importantly demonstrate that dataflow communication is restricted to a tractable set of templates. A set of only ten small patterns characterizes over 90% of Spec2000int and over 75% of MediaBench dynamic instructions. These common dataflow idioms are amenable to dynamic optimization, more efficient code representations, and reducing the broadcast nature of micro-architectural resources.
Mechanistic studies show that (-)-FTC-TP is a better inhibitor of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase than 3TC-TP

Of all of the nucleoside inhibitors approved by the FDA for treatment of AIDS, (-)-beta-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC, lamivudine) is the only one with the unnatural (-)-beta-L configuration. The fluorinated derivative (-)-beta-2', 3'-dideoxy-5-fluoro-3'-thiacytidine [(-)-FTC] and its triphosphate form have also been reported to have excellent antiretroviral activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT). Preliminary results of clinical trials suggest that (-)-FTC is 6- to 10-fold more potent than 3TC. However, the molecular mechanism for the observed enhanced clinical potency of (-)-FTC to inhibit viral replication is not understood. The present mechanistic studies used a transient kinetic approach and were designed to compare the incorporation of 3TC-TP and (-)-FTC-TP into DNA by HIV-1 RT and illuminate key features that may play a role in the differential potency. Here we show that (-)-FTC-TP is incorporated 10-fold more efficiently than 3TC-TP during HIV-1 RT-catalyzed RNA-dependent DNA synthesis. The enhanced incorporation efficiency of (-)-FTC-TP may be a key mechanistic feature that, in part, is responsible for the enhanced potency of (-)-FTC observed in ongoing clinical trials.
Load Testing and Settlement Prediction of Shallow Foundation

The purpose of this study was to critically examine insitu test methods as a means for predicting settlement of shallow foundations. Accordingly, a 1.8 m (6 ft) diameter concrete footing was statically load tested. Prior to construction, insitu [standard penetration test (SPT), cone penetration test (CPT), dilatometer (DMT), and pressuremeter (PMT)] and laboratory tests were performed to determine engineering properties of the soil. Predictions of the footing settlement were made by traditional as well as finite element methods. The results of the static load test showed settlements were over predicted by all methods. However, the traditional methods provided reasonable settlement estimates using either SPT- N or back computed CPT(N) as input. Finite element analyses using either DMT or CPT derived input parameters provided reasonable settlement estimates. Finite element analyses using SPT or PMT derived input parameters provided poor settlement estimates. The Mohr–Coulomb (elastoplastic) model, accountin...
The enhancement of power-rail ESD clamp circuit with gate-substrate-triggered technique

In this work, the power-rail ESD clamp circuit fabricated in 130nm CMOS process is investigated. In order to improve the ESD protection ability, the power-rail ESD clamp circuit with gate-substrate-triggered is proposed. By comparing with the other two techniques, gate-driven and substrate-triggered, it is shown that the secondary breakdown current of the power-rail ESD clamp circuit with gate-substrate-triggered is improved by 20%.
Macrocell MIMO system analysis using electromagnetic-based and measurement-based models

We analyze the performance of a multi-input multiple-output (MIMO) system using an electromagnetic-based model. The analysis include the effects of the number of antennas and the signal-to-noise ratio. The analyzed scenarios are for a macrocell environment, where the channel matrix is obtained using the field solutions from our electromagnetic-based model. The instant capacity in bits/sec/Hz is computed using the obtained channel matrix. Comparisons with the measurement-based spatial channel model (SCM) are also made.
Long-Term Trends in Downwelling Spectral Infrared Radiance over the U.S. Southern Great Plains

AbstractA trend analysis was applied to a 14-yr time series of downwelling spectral infrared radiance observations from the Atmospheric Emitted Radiance Interferometer (AERI) located at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) site in the U.S. Southern Great Plains. The highly accurate calibration of the AERI instrument, performed every 10 min, ensures that any statistically significant trend in the observed data over this time can be attributed to changes in the atmospheric properties and composition, and not to changes in the sensitivity or responsivity of the instrument. The measured infrared spectra, numbering more than 800 000, were classified as clear-sky, thin cloud, and thick cloud scenes using a neural network method. The AERI data record demonstrates that the downwelling infrared radiance is decreasing over this 14-yr period in the winter, summer, and autumn seasons but it is increasing in the spring; these trends are statistically significant and are primarily due to long-term change...
Role of Microglia in Central Nervous System Infections

The nature of microglia fascinated many prominent researchers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and in a classic treatise in 1932, Pio del Rio-Hortega formulated a number of concepts regarding the function of these resident macrophages of the brain parenchyma that remain relevant to this day. However, a renaissance of interest in microglia occurred toward the end of the 20th century, fueled by the recognition of their role in neuropathogenesis of infectious agents, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1, and by what appears to be their participation in other neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders. During the same period, insights into the physiological and pathological properties of microglia were gained from in vivo and in vitro studies of neurotropic viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and prions, which are reviewed in this article. New concepts that have emerged from these studies include the importance of cytokines and chemokines produced by activated microglia in neurodegenerative and neuroprotective processes and the elegant but astonishingly complex interactions between microglia, astrocytes, lymphocytes, and neurons that underlie these processes. It is proposed that an enhanced understanding of microglia will yield improved therapies of central nervous system infections, since such therapies are, by and large, sorely needed.
Model variety analysis: determining the need for knowledge-based signal processing

The integration of mathematically formulated signal processing algorithms into signal understanding systems is addressed. If control parameter adjustment is found to be necessary, a signal processing algorithm is said to have a model variety problem with respect to the class of input signals in the application domain. The necessity for such parameter adjustments implies that knowledge-based techniques must be used to adjust the signal processing parameters. A systematic framework is presented for analytically determining whether a given signal processing algorithm has a model variety problem with respect to a particular application domain. The framework is illustrated for the short-time Fourier transform algorithm as applied to the problem of non-speech sound analysis. >
Survival, Growth and Gas Exchange of Celastrus orbiculatus Seedlings in Sun and Shade

Abstract The invasive vine Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. (Oriental bittersweet) dominates gap and edge environments, but may also colonize undisturbed forest. We compared survival and growth of C. orbiculatus seedlings in field plots under 2%, 28% and 100% sun. From transplanting through the first autumn, survival and growth did not differ among treatments. In the second growing season, survival at 2% sun was 76%, compared to 96% in 28% sun. Growth and biomass were greater in the 100% and 28% sun treatments than 2% sun. The ratio of leaf to total biomass (LBR) decreased with shade, but leaf mass per leaf area (LMA) decreased proportionally more, so that the leaf area per unit biomass (LAR) increased in the shade. Photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and the ratio of photosynthesis to conductance (A/g) decreased in the shade. The ability of C. orbiculatus to survive under deep shade despite its slow growth implies that intact forests are vulnerable to invasion and that established understory populations sho...
Work-in-Progress: Gadamer, Tradition and The Common Law

and arid; it is as much an escape from social life as the traditional philosophies that it claims to reject and replace. At the root of this problem is the central notion of tradition. For Mootz, the confrontation between text and reader takes place within a tradition or conversation that obliges the interpreter to filter out the productive and approved prejudices from the unproductive and arbitrary ones. In this sense, the tradition has a tendency to engulf and swamp the interpreter to such an extent they become part of it. As Gadamer puts it, the hermeneutical game has a spirit of its own that "masters" the players and holds them in its thrall.15' Explaining that "the player experiences the game as a reality that surpasses him,"152 he goes so far as to conclude that "the players no longer exist, only what they are playing." ' 153 However, these Gadamerian claims 150. For a general critique along similar, but not the same, lines, see generally, THOMAS B. FARREL, NORMS OF RHETORICAL CULTURE (1993); PETER GOODRICH, LEGAL DISCOURSE: STUDIES IN LINGUISTICS, RHETORIC AND LEGAL ANALYSIS (1987). 151. GADAMER, supra note 2, at 106.
Genetically modified food - one of the ways of the functional food production?

In current time emerge the informations about using of genetic modification as a mean to gain a positive benefit of food, it means for production of functional food. The problem can be already the consumer's confidence that the concrete food will really have the promised effect. Its attitude can be further influenced also by the information on the package about use of GMO.
Symposium: Approaches to the Study of Public Administration: Unified Knowledge—Competing Approaches—Methodological Pluralism: Introduction to the Symposium

(2005). Symposium: Approaches to the Study of Public Administration: Unified Knowledge—Competing Approaches—Methodological Pluralism: Introduction to the Symposium. Administrative Theory & Praxis: Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 595-601.
270 Health and safety experience of commercial janitors

Commercial janitors are an important group of low wage, largely immigrant workers who face significant potential risks at work, and yet have only been minimally studied for occupational injury and illness. Anecdotal reports from a local union representing commercial janitors in the Seattle area suggest pressures on the industry have produced a dramatic increase in workload over the past few years, raising the possibility of increased injury and illness. A cross sectional survey was designed to assess a range of exposures among commercial janitors including both union (n = 275) and non-union (n-75) sectors, and using a group of security guards (n-75) as controls. A novel participatory approach to data collection was developed, utilising workers to recruit subjects and conduct interviews in three languages, using electronic data collection tools linked to an internet-based database. Further, a novel subjective workload scale was adopted, and changes in workload and injury and illness rates over the past three years were assessed. Exposures assessed include general workload, musculoskeletal stressors, chemical use, as well as psychosocial risks such as work stress, safety climate, discriminatory management practices and work-life balance. Outcomes included acute injury, musculoskeletal pain, pulmonary and dermatological symptoms, and sleep disturbance. Initial results indicate a significant increase in workload with 28.5% reporting >7 on a 10 point scale two years ago, up to 35% in the current year. A concomitant increase in injuries was similarly observed. The paper describes the approach to data collection and describes rates of exposure and health and safety outcomes by group. Measures adopted to validate the self-reported conditions are also described.
Modeling Environmental Degradation of SiC-Based Fibers

Experimental data on grain growth and oxidation kinetics of SiC-based fibers, as well as the accompanying strength degradation, in argon, air, and moist air are interpreted using a mechanistic model. The grain growth from thermal history is modeled using conventional models, and its influence on strength is modeled assuming that the flaw size scales with grain size. The model for fiber oxidation uses available relevant thermodynamic and kinetic data for reactions, vapor pressures, oxygen permeation, and boundary layer effects to capture scale thickness data reported by several prior works, in static or flowing air, moist air, and steam. The effect of the oxide scale on strength was modeled assuming that the flaw size scaled with scale thickness. The resulting model is compared with experimental data and is shown to capture most of the data in the literature on degradation of HiNicalon™ and HiNicalon™ type S fibers.
Dynamic behaviors of hot-rolled steel beams under drop weight impact loading

Four hot-rolled H-shaped steel beams were tested to experimentally study the dynamic behavior and catenary action mechanism of the double span steel beams.The steel beams were horizontally axially-restrained and tested under different drop weight impact loading at the mid-span.The impact load versus time history relations and the mid-span displacement versus time history relations and also the strain versus time history relations were measured during the test.The test results show that within the parameters of the test,there is no significant difference not only between the maximum impact loads of restrained steel beams under different impact energies,but also between the shapes of the impact load versus time history relations.However,the impact loading time and the displacement of the steel beams obviously tend to increase with the increase of impact energy.Additionally,the mid-span applied impact loadings result in remarkable local deformation,i.e.the buckling deformation of flange plates while shear deformation of web plates.The rotations of steel beams are between 0.046 4~0.098 4 rad and the cross sections can maintain integrity.
Genetic and molecular aspects of osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary tumor of bone. It accounts for approximately 19% of all malignant tumors of bone. Osteosarcoma affects individuals in the general population at a frequency of approximately 1 in 100,000 with males slightly more commonly affected than females. Molecular genetics of osteosarcoma Osteosarcoma tumorigenesis has been linked to alterations in several genes. The first association of osteosarcoma with an inherited predisposition was the observation by Kitchin and Ellsworth that patients with bilateral retinoblastoma had an unusually high incidence of osteosarcomas regardless of whether the patient had been treated with radiation 1 . They concluded that as patients with bilateral disease had the inherited form of retinoblastoma that there must be a pleiotropic effect of the gene for retinoblastoma that resulted in an increased predisposition for secondary osteosarcomas. This predisposition was further demonstrated by the observation that osteosarcoma tumors from patients with bilateral retinoblastoma underwent tumor-specific loss of constitutional heterozygosity (LoH) for the same region of chromosome 13 that occurred in the retinoblastoma tumors 2 . This association was confirmed by the identification of the retinoblastoma susceptibility gene (RB1) on human chromosome 13 which permitted several groups to demonstrate that mutations in the RB1 gene occurred in a high percentage of osteosarcomas 3-12 .
Scenario analysis of basic occupational health service in Qingpu District of Shanghai City

Through status analysis of basic occupational health service and SWOT analysis of 3 planned basic occupational health services in Qingpu District,whether the basic occupational health service model by a public-private cooperation was suitable for its development and demand was identified.And on this basis,the overall framework of "establishing basic occupational health services in public-private partnership mode in Qingpu District,led by district and town level governments,based on government funded health service network of district,town(subdistrict) and village levels,and government funded occupational health service organization,supplied by private occupational health service agencies,with occupational health industry associations as a platform" and safeguards were put forward.
Viral genotyping analysis of hepatitis B virus carriers in Guangzhou

Objective To find out the prevalence,genotypes and molecular evolution situation of hepatitis B virus in Guangzhou.Methods Sera were collected from stratified sampling population of 1 to 59 years old in Guangzhou to screen the positive rate of hepatitis B virus(HBV) infection by ELISA.DNA was extracted from 300 sero-positive samples for sequencing analysis of S gene to determine the HBV genotypes.Results Among 1 to 59 year-old population of Guangzhou,the prevalence of surface antigen of hepatitis B was 12.45%(10.54%-14.37%,95% CI value);the rate of the younger group was significantly lower than that of the elder group.Two dominant HBV genotypes were identified,genotypes B and C(72.41% and 27.59%,respectively).Different HBV strains share the nucleotide homology of the S gene between 93.15% and 99.91%.Conclusions The HBV vaccination in Guangzhou is effective,but the prevalence of HBV infection is still higher than the national average level.The S gene sequence analysis of the prevalent HBV strains in Guangzhou showed high similarity to the reference strains,and only two major HBV genotypes(B and C) were found.