cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 96-well dot-blot assay for carbohydrate sulfotransferases.

Abstract Here we describe an efficient dot-blot assay for high-throughput screening of two enzymes, heparan sulfate N -deacetylase/ N -sulfotransferase (NDST-1) and high-endothelial cell GlcNAc-6-sulfotransferase (HEC-GlcNAc-6-ST). The assay proceeds by transfer of 35 S-labeled sulfate from [ 35 S]-3 ′ -phosphoadenosine-5 ′ -phosphosulfate (PAPS) to the free amino groups of de- N -sulfated heparin (NDST-1), or the 6-hydroxyl groups of N -acetylglucosamine residues linked to a polyacrylamide scaffold (HEC-GlcNAc-6-ST). The 35 S-labeled products are then captured on an appropriate membrane, taking advantage of their polymeric architecture. In one step, 35 S-labeled by-products are then eluted from the membrane, leaving spatially separated 35 S-labeled product “dots” for subsequent quantification. This assay allows for direct product detection on the membrane, obviating excessive washing and elution steps endemic to other assays. The assay was validated by measuring K M values for PAPS and K I values for PAP, the product of sulfuryl transfer. The assay method should be useful for inhibitor screens for both enzymes. In addition, the general assay architecture should be readily applicable to high-throughput screens of other carbohydrate sulfotransferases.
Akt Mediates Cytoprotection of Endothelial Cells by Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in an Anchorage-dependent Manner

Regulation of endothelial cell apoptosis is a critical modulator of normal and pathological angiogenesis. In this study, we examined the role of the protein kinase Akt/PKB in endothelial cell survival in response to growth factor and matrix attachment signals. Vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)-induced cytoprotection of endothelial cell monolayers correlated with the wortmannin-sensitive induction of Akt activity. Transfection of an adenovirus expressing a dominant-negative Akt mutant decreased endothelial cell viability in the presence of VEGF. Conversely, adenoviral transduction of wild-type Akt facilitated the cell survival effects of VEGF, whereas transduction of constitutively active Akt conferred endothelial cell survival in the absence of VEGF. Constitutively active Akt also conferred survival to endothelial cells in suspension culture, whereas stimulation with VEGF did not. In suspension cultures, VEGF stimulation was unable to activate Akt, and Akt protein levels were repressed in cells undergoing anoikis. These data suggest that cross-talk between growth factor- and anchorage-dependent signaling pathways are essential for Akt activation and endothelial cell survival.
L5 Vertebrectomy for the Surgical Treatment of Spondyloptosis : Thirty Cases in 25 years

Study design Retrospective review. Objectives To review the long-term results, complications, and predictability of outcomes of the L5 vertebrectomy and reduction of L4 onto S1 for the surgical treatment of fixed spondyloptosis. Summary of background data Before the development of the procedure, surgical instrumentation with Harrington rods and posterolateral fusion, or fusion in situ with cast immobilization, with or without a period of bedrest, in the cast, were the alternatives for patients who elected operative treatment. Methods Charts, operative notes, hospital and office records, preoperative and postoperative radiographic studies, and clinical photographs were reviewed for the 30 patients who had had the L5 vertebrectomy, over the past 25 years. The average follow-up of the patients was 15 years. The follow-up was performed by the treating physician/surgeon. Results The clinical results of the first 16 patients were independently reviewed by a surgeon who was not involved in the patients treatment, at all. His independent review indicated that the patients were functioning well. All of them would recommend the surgery to other patients who needed it. None of them was taking narcotic medication on a regular basis. The follow-up of the additional 14 patients operated since that review was performed by the author. The results of the patients operated since 1994 was the same as the group operated before 1994, except there have been 2 patients who had to have surgical revision and reinstrumentation for screw fracture, although neither lost reduction, as a consequence of their nonunion and screw fracture. Both healed their reconstruction, following removal and replacement of the fractured pedicle screws and grafting of the nonunion. None of the patients has required any treatment at all (surgical or nonsurgical) for "junctional problems" with follow-up, now, on the earliest patients, up to 25 years. Improvement in the "spinal performance" of the patients, in particular the resolution of the "crouch gait," which many of them showed before surgery, is particularly gratifying to them, since, for that group, the improvement in gait efficiency is particularly dramatic. Conclusions Extensive review of all the complications in the series is accomplished in the manuscript. While 23 of the patients have had some temporary clinical deficit in the L5 root for from 6 weeks to 3 years following their reconstruction, all but 2 have recovered fully, and only 2 of the patients wear ankle foot orthoses (AFO) on a regular basis. No patient has had any problem with bowel or bladder or sexual neurologic deficit, but 1 patient does have retrograde ejaculation.
Deus Per Naturam, Deus Per Gratiam: A Note on Mediaeval Political Theology

DR. GEORGE H. WILLIAMS' recent study on The Norman Anonymous of 00oo A.D., published as an extra number of this Review,1 may be taken as an excuse for delving once more into the highly suggestive pamphlets of this anti-Gregorian royalist. In a paragraph headed Christus per naturam, Christus per gratiam Dr. Williams, able and stimulating, discusses the Christology perhaps we should say: political Christology of that courageous mediaeval publicist,2 thereby commendably calling attention to a hitherto somewhat neglected topic: the bearing of Christology on the relationship between Church and State.3 It is, however, not the christological aspect of the natura-gratia problem which will be dealt with in the following pages, but the historical and doxographic sides of it. Dr. Williams, it is true, has indicated the immediate, or possibly immediate, sources of his author's political theories, but it would have exceeded by far the proper tasks of his analysis to trace every theorem back to its origins.4 Although the building up of an unbroken catena philologica is
Applicability of the condensed-random-walk Monte Carlo method at low energies in high-Z materials

Abstract The predictions of several Monte Carlo codes were compared with each other and with experimental results pertaining to the penetration of through gold foils of electrons incident with energies from 128 to 8 keV. The main purpose was to demonstrate that reflection and transmission coefficients, for number and energy, can be estimated reliably with a simple Monte Carlo code based on the condensed-random-walk and continuous-slowing-down approximations.
Developmental and hormone-induced changes in chicken intestinal disaccharidases.

Abstract Changes in specific activity levels, on tissue wet wt. and protein bases, were determined for avian jejunal disaccharidases in the developing chick embryo and chick. Maltase (α- d -glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.20) and sucrase (β- d -fructofuranoside fructohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.26) showed similar but not identical patterns of change, with marked increases of specific activity on either basis about the time of hatching, while lactase (β- d -galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.23) showed no increase on a protein basis. The pH-activity profile of chick jejunal maltase was significantly different from that of the embryo enzyme; no such difference was observed for sucrase or lactase. The specific activity levels of all three enzymes showed significant but quantitatively different elevations in late embryos obtained from eggs injected with hydrocortisone at 14 days of development, compared to levels in control embryos of the same developmental stages. Jejunal lactase levels were also increased modestly by hydrocortisone administration to newly hatched chicks. No significant changes in disaccharidase levels were produced by disaccharide administration to embryos or by high disaccharide diets in chicks.
E-field dependence of piezoelectric properties of rhombohedral PZN-PT single crystal

Abstract The E-field dependence of piezoelectric properties of rhombohedral single crystal PZN-4.5%PT were investigated as a function of crystallographic orientation. For oriented crystals, crystal partial depoling and subsequent domain reorientation results in a peak in dij vs. E-field curves at −5kV/cm, followed by nonhysteretic dij saturation. This behavior indicates that crystal became single domain at E>30kV/cm. Low field values for dij's of single domain crystals were calculated by extrapolating these high field values. Hydrostatic piezoelectric coefficient dh ∼ 55pC/N, calculated for the single domain crystal, also could be measured in the hydrostatic chamber. In contrast to poled crystals, stable domain configurations of oriented crystals were the origin of consistent dij values regardless of the measurement technique. Piezoelectric coefficients, d33 −2280pC/N and d31 as high as −1000 pC/N were reproducibly measured. Although dh=d33+2d31 is relevant to the related symmetry, calcu...
Sidebranch characteristics of pivalic acid dendrites grown under convection-free and diffuso-convective conditions

Abstract This work investigates the sidebranch characteristics of pivalic acid dendrites grown under convection-free (cf) and diffuso-convective (dc) conditions for supercoolings over the range of 0.1–1.0 K. Results indicate that the distance from the dendrite tip to the first detectable sidebranch and to the first detectable coarsening event normalized by the tip radius, R , are independent of the supercooling. The sidebranch spacing in the uniform region near the dendrite tip, and the spacing in the coarsening region when normalized by R , do not appear to have a significant dependence on convection or supercooling. When the envelope enclosing all sidebranches from the tip to the end of the coarsening region was fitted to a power law as a function of distance from the tip, we found that the pre-exponential and exponential terms were significantly different for the convection-free and diffuso-convective results. This supports the observation that the absence of convection seems to alter the size of the sidebranches. Lastly, the predictions from theoretical models of sidebranch spacings are much lower than experimental observations, while the predicted sidebranch amplitudes were larger than those observed.
Review of Serum Voriconazole Concentrations and Correlations with Adverse Events and Efficacy

Objective:To review the available evidence regarding the monitoring of serum voriconazole concentrations in terms of efficacy and safety.Data Sources:A literature search of MEDLINE was conducted (1950–February 2009), with combinations of the following search terms: voriconazole, therapeutic drug monitoring, voriconazole serum concentrations, voriconazole levels, trough, and adverse events.Data Collection:All studies and case reports that evaluated serum voriconazole concentrations in adults were reviewed and considered for inclusion. Citations in identified articles were searched for additional information.Data Synthesis:Ten studies and case reports that evaluated serum voriconazole concentrations in terms of efficacy and safety in adults were identified and included in this review. Results from efficacy studies show an association between low serum voriconazole concentrations and disease progression. One study found that a lack of response occurred more often in patients with a serum voriconazole trough ...
Aerodynamic characteristics of slender wings with sharp leading edges - A review

This paper presents an overview of the current state-of-the-art regarding slender wings with sharp leading edges; i.e., wings characterized by the presence of leading edge separation at most angles of attack. Several theoretical methods are discussed in detail and their results are compared with experimental data. Both steady and some unsteady flows are considered. No one theory adequately predicts all aspects of the flow process, and more work is needed, particularly in the fields of vortex control and unsteady flow.
Interdiffusion in U3Si–Al, U3Si2–Al, and USi–Al dispersion fuels during irradiation

Abstract Uranium-silicide compound fuel dispersion in an Al matrix is used in research and test reactors worldwide. Interaction layer (IL) growth between fuel particles and the matrix is one of performance issues. The interaction layer growth data for U3Si, U3Si2 and USi dispersions in Al were obtained from both out-of-pile and in-pile tests. The IL is dominantly U(AlSi)3 from out-of-pile tests, but its (Al + Si)/U ratio from in-pile tests is higher than the out-of-pile data, because of amorphous behavior of the ILs. IL growth correlations were developed for U3Si–Al and U3Si2–Al. The IL growth rates were dependent on the U/Si ratio of the fuel compounds. During irradiation, however, the IL growth rates did not decrease with the decreasing U/Si ratio by fission. It is reasoned that transition metal fission products in the IL compensate the loss of U atoms by providing chemical potential for Al diffusion and volume expansion by solid swelling and gas bubble swelling. The addition of Mo in U3Si2 reduces the IL growth rate, which is similar to that of UMo alloy dispersion in a silicon-added Al matrix.
Partisan Warfare in the Bilingual Region of Carinthia

The story of the Carinthian Slovene Partisans, which the writer treated only cursorily in an earlier publication, 1 surely deserves the closer attention of scholars. There are two reasons for this: first, armed resistance to Nazi tyranny has taken on great symbolical importance for Carinthia's national minority; second, fresh materials are available. 2 Two monographic studies deserve special mention, those by Rausch and Strle. The former provides the best evenemential account but curiously conveys the impression that Carinthia's guerrilla struggle was an alien, Yugoslav importation. Strle, however useful, is also politically predisposed and fails to examine various still sensitive issues. 3 Within a second category of materials memoirs stand out, and two are especially important: Prusnik-Gasper's Gamsi Ila plazu and the recollections of Helena Kuchar. While his memory is highly selective, Prusnik-Gasper is an indispensable source not only for the facts, but also for understanding the social roots, nationalist orientation, political ideology, and genuinely indigenous character of Carinthia's "little war." Kuchar's recollections are equally helpful. 4 As far as documentary sources are concerned, it is still too early (because of the 50-year time lapse rule) to probe the surviving records in the Lalldesarchiv in Klagenfurt/Celovec. Great Britain is however another matter: rich evidence is available in London's Public Record Office. Fortunately, also, Sir Peter Wilkinson, the now-retired British Army officer and ex-Special Operations Executive [SOE] functionary who sent supplies to the Carinthian Slovenes at a time when this probably ensured the survival of opposition to the Nazis, is active in historical research, and has provided researchers with new information. 5 It should be made clear at the outset that if Rausch, perhaps unintentionally, overemphasizes the Yugoslav Slovene role, the relationships between the heartland and the marginal regions were determinative, and that Nazi power in Carinthia would not have been imperilled without the appearance in Slovenia proper of both the multiparty, ultimately Communist-dominated Liberation Front or Osvobodillla jrollta [henceforward, OF] and the Slovene National Liberation Army [henceforward, SNLA]. Unlike the Yugoslav National Liberation Army [YNLA] which arose to fight the Axis forces further South and with which it soon became associated, the SNLA never evolved into a genuine regular host, capable of engaging in prolonged frontal action; in spite of its name, it remained a guerrilla body until VE-Day.6
Potentiation of metastasis by cell surface sialomucin complex (rat MUC4), a multifunctional anti-adhesive glycoprotein.

Sialomucin complex (SMC), a rat homologue of the human mucin MUC4, is a large membrane-bound mucin complex, originally isolated from highly metastatic ascites 13762 mammary adenocarcinoma cells. When overexpressed, SMC exerts potent anti-adhesive effects, which sterically disrupt molecular interactions for cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesions. SMC similarly suppresses anti-tumor immunity by inhibition of interactions between cytotoxic lymphocytes and target tumor cells. Previously, recombinant cDNAs for SMC were transfected and inducibly expressed in A375 human melanoma cells using a tetracycline-responsive expression system. In the current studies, we investigated the role of MUC4/SMC in tumor metastasis by regulating SMC expression of tumor transplants in vivo. Intravenous injection of SMC-overexpressing cells resulted in substantially greater lung metastasis than injection of SMC-repressed cells. Injection of SMC-overexpressing cells followed by in vivo downregulation of SMC did not lower the frequency of lung metastasis. Growth of the micrometastatic lesions was the same for all 3 cases in short-term (3-week) assays. Further, subcutaneous injection of A375 cells followed by in vivo induction of SMC overexpression within the solid tumor resulted in spontaneous distant metastasis. These studies suggest that SMC potentiates metastasis by contributing to the establishment of metastatic foci. These studies directly demonstrate for the first time that tumor metastasis can be modulated by the regulation of MUC4/SMC expression. Int. J. Cancer 87:480–486, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Combustion synthesis in the Ti-C-Ni-Mo system: Part II. Analysis

Combustion-wave arrest experiments provide the means of greater understanding of the physical phenomena which occur during the propagation of a combustion wave within a Ti-C-Ni-Mo powder mixture. The apparent activation energy for the process (E ≈ 120 ± 40 kJ/mol) and the observations reported in the companion article indicate that the rate-limiting step in the reaction between Ti and C is the dissolution of C into the Ti-Ni-C melt. Temperature profile analysis indicates that the 2μm C flakes are completely consumed within approximately 0.2 seconds. The formation of TiC x spherules and their subsequent detachment is explained in terms of compressive stresses established in the growing TiC x layer on the C particle. The compressive stresses are estimated to exceed 1 GPa, and an energy balance analysis predicts the formation of spherules for layer thicknesses on the order of 1μm, consistent with the experimental results.
Prime Time Ideology: The Hegemonic Process in Television Entertainment

Many of the formal conventions of American television entertainment are supports of a larger hegemonic structure. After proposing the concept of ideological hegemony as a useful approach to questions of ideology and control, I indicate interrelated ways in which television messages are integrated into the dominant system of discourse and the prevailing structures of labor, consumption, and politics, in particular through these formal features of prime-time network programs: (1) format and formula (including the rigidity of program length and the narrative curve of action); (2) genre; (3) setting and character type; (4) topical slant; and (5) the solution imposed on the fictional problem. Within certain definite limits—related both to the core of dominant values and to market tolerances—these formal structures are flexible; for example, some of Norman Lear's comedies have disrupted stereotypical conventions of static character and imposed solution. The hegemonic commercial cultural system routinely incorporates some aspects of alternative ideology and rejects the unassimilable. I trace this process to the self-contradictory nature of the dominant ideology.
Compound interest with taxation

For simplicity, the taxation of interest income is usually ignored in elementary compound interest problems discussed in the mathematics of finance textbooks. The inclusion of tax considerations gives results that are more directly useful in practice. The after‐tax yield or rate of return is computed for a principal growing at compound interest over a fixed period based on two common taxation rules. The analysis focuses on single relationships between the rate of return and each of the associated variables taken in turn.
Group Analysis of FMRI and NIR Data Simultaneously Acquired During Visual Stimulation in Humans

We use our new combined functional near infrared spectro-imaging (fNIRSI) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRJ) technique to compare fMRI and fNIRSI data at different activation conditions, to obtain new information about the underlying physiology of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal used in fMRI, and to assess statistical characteristics of spatial functional information provided by the group analysis of fNIRSI data. To achieve these goals we have acquired simultaneously fNIRSI and fMRI data during the presentation of the checkerboard reversing with different frequencies, and analyzed these data following the standard correlation and group analysis of variance pathway used in functional neuroimaging. . We have found that while the time courses of oxy-, deoxy-, and total- hemoglobin responses are equally well correlated with the time course of the BOLD response, the spatial pattern and magnitude of the BOLD response is better related to those of the oxy-, and total- hemoglobin responses rather than to the deoxyhemoglobin response. The statistical significance of the fNIRSI group maps is inferior to that of fMRI, and can be particularly compromised by the anatomical features of subjects.
Mechanisms of Action of Antiarrhythmic Drugs: From Ion Channel Blockage to Arrhythmia Termination

Over the past decade, the strategies for arrhythmia management have been in transition. Physical methods to treat arrhythmias, such as ICDs and RF ablation, have undergone considerable refinement and wider application. Ischemic heart disease and congestive heart failure have been identified as clinical situations in which antiarrhythmic drugs have a significant proarrhythmic potential. However, drugs retain an important role in arrhythmia management. Strategies to mitigate the structural and functional changes that occur in hypertrophy, ischemia, and infarction have not been thoroughly explored. Membrane ion channels and receptors are the targets for the action of currently available drugs. The cloning and sequencing of these ion channels and receptors should improve the efficacy and specificity of drug design. Cardiac Na+, Ca2+, K+, and nonspecific cation channels have a clearly defined role in the generation of the normal action potential. Their specific roles in the various clinical arrhythmias is less certain. There are sufficient data to associate specific ionic channels with normal and abnormal automaticity and with reentry occurring in specific regions of the heart. A rational choice of antiarrthymic drugs can be made when an arrhythmogenic mechanism and the putative underlying membrane currents can be identified based on the clinical characteristics of the arrhythmia. For a majority of clinical arrhythmias, this ideal has not been achieved. When a particular drug is used to treat an arrhythmia, the full complement of its actions will depend on which multiple ion channels or receptors are blocked and the kinetics of drug interaction with these sites.
Behavioral control of firing patterns of normal and abnormal neurons in chronic epileptic cortex.

Abstract One hundred ninety-eight cells in chronic alumina-induced foci of three monkeys were operantly conditioned for increased and decreased rates. One hundred seven cells exhibited entirely normal firing patterns. Of the abnormal cells, two groups were distinguished on the basis of the variability of their burst index (percentage of cell spikes occurring in bursts). Group I cells fired in structured bursts with high, invariant burst indices and could not be successfully bidirectionally conditioned; Group 2 cells had lower and more variable burst indices and were as easily conditioned as normal cells. These observations provide additional evidence that activity of the majority of epileptic cells may be modified synaptically and suggests therapeutic potentials for biofeedback conditioning in epileptic patients.
Pumping of Magnetic Fields by Turbulent Penetrative Convection

A plausible scenario for solar dynamo action is that the large-scale organized toroidal magnetic field is generated by the action of strong radial shear at the base of the solar convection zone, whereas the weaker poloidal field is regenerated by cyclonic convection throughout the convection zone. We show, using high-resolution three-dimensional numerical simulations, that the required transport of magnetic field from the convection zone to the overshoot region can be achieved on a convective rather than diffusive timescale by a pumping mechanism in turbulent penetrative compressible convection. A layer of magnetic field initially placed in the convection zone is swept down by strong sinking plumes, locally amplified, and deposited in the stable region at the base of the convection zone, despite the opposing action of magnetic buoyancy. The rate of transport is insensitive to the strength of the initial imposed field.
Growth hormone therapy of Turner's syndrome: Beneficial effect on adult height

Abstract Objective: To carry out a multicenter, prospective, randomized trial of human growth hormone (GH), alone or in combination with oxandrolone (OX), in patients with Turner's syndrome (TS). Methods: In an initial phase lasting 12 to 24 months, 70 girls with TS, verified by karyotype, were randomly assigned to one of four groups: (1) observation, (2) OX, (3) GH, or (4) GH plus OX. After completion of the first phase, group 3 subjects continued to receive GH only. All other subjects were treated with GH plus OX. Subjects were followed up until attainment of adult height and/or cessation of treatment. Data from this trial were compared with growth characteristics of 25 American historical subjects with TS (matched for age, height, parental target height, and karyotype) who never received either GH or androgens. Results: Of the 70 subjects enrolled, 60 completed the clinical trial. The 17 subjects receiving GH alone all completed the trial and reached a height of 150.4 ± 5.5 cm (mean ± SD), 8.4 ± 4.5 cm taller than their mean projected adult height at enrollment (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6.3 to 10.6 cm). The 43 subjects receiving GH plus OX attained a mean height of 152.1 ± 5.9 cm, 10.3 ± 4.7 cm taller than their mean projected adult height (95% CI: 8.9 to 11.7 cm). The historical control subjects had a mean adult height of 144.2 ± 6.0 cm, precisely matching their original projected adult height of 144.2 ± 6.1 cm. Conclusions: GH, either alone or in combination with OX, is capable of stimulating short-term growth and augmenting adult height in girls with TS. With early diagnosis and initiation of treatment, an adult height of more than 150 cm is a reasonable goal for most girls with TS. (J Pediatr 1998;132:319-24)
The efficiency of malachite green, free and protein bound, as a photon-to-heat converter

Dye assisted laser inactivation of proteins has been found to be a methodology that can achieve high selectivity. Despite the fact that the methodology is successful, knowledge of the detailed inactivation mechanism would allow full optimization of this technique. Here, pulsed-laser photoacoustic calorimetry is used to study the photophysical properties, principally the heat release behavior, of protein bound malachite green. We found that when bound to bovine serum albumin the dye is a good photon-to-heat converter, but approximately 2.6% of the absorbed photon energy (lambda(exc) = 624 nm) is not released as heat in less than 10 mus. This observation suggests that a mechanism other than simple heat-induced inactivation may be the principle process; a long lived excited triplet state of malachite green (or species derived from it) is postulated to play a major role.
Evaluating Inclusion: An Examination of Parent Views and Factors Influencing Their Perspectives.

The study examined perceptions of issues associated with inclusive education of 437 parents from a midwestern state in the United States who have a child with a mild, moderate, or severe disability. Parents responded to a modified form of the Opinions Related to Mainstreaming (ORM) Scale (Antonak & Larrivee, 1995) and provided additional written comments. Parents gave strong support to the inclusion concept from a legal and philosophical standpoint. They identified social and emotional outcomes as benefits of inclusion, yet were concerned about possible social isolation, negative attitudes, the quality of instruction, teacher training and skills, and support from teachers and from other parents. Several background variables were related to attitudes. Stronger support for inclusion was given by parents of younger children, children with mild disabilities, parents who reported not knowing their child's education placement, and those with college education. Implications for practices and future research are ...
The Parent Consultation Center

The Parent Consultation Center (PCC) is a win—win project that offers free consultation to families about childhood behavior problems and a supervised practice experience for counselors in training. The PCC can be replicated in any school district where there is a nearby university with a counselor education program. This is a guide to starting your own PCC.
Trapping induced N eff and electrical field transformation at different temperatures in neutron irradiated high resistivity silicon detectors

The trapping of both non-equilibrium electrons and holes by neutron induced deep levels in high resistivity silicon planar detectors have been observed. In the experiments transient current and charge techniques, with short laser light pulse excitation, have been applied in the temperature range of 77–300 K. Light pulse illumination of the front (p+) and back (n+) contacts of the detectors showed effective trapping and detrapping for electrons and holes. At temperatures lower than 200 K, the detrapping becomes inefficient, and the additional charge of trapped non-equilibrium carriers in the space charge region (SCR) of the detectors leads to dramatic transformations of the effective space charge concentration Neff and electric field. The current and charge pulses transformation data can be explained in terms of extraction of electric field to the contact opposite to the illuminated one.
A general solid phase method for the preparation of diverse azapeptide probes directed against cysteine proteases.

A solid phase approach is presented for the synthesis of azapeptide inhibitors and activity based probes (ABPs) for cysteine proteases. This synthetic method allows the incorporation of diverse reactive warheads linked to different peptide recognition elements. Application of this method to the synthesis of a series of caspase probes is described.
Dispersal, Mimicry, and Geographic Variation in Northern Melanesian Birds

I present new information about 34 of the 195 resident land and freshwater bird species of Northern Melanesia, an area characterized by a rich avifauna, high endemism, and great geographic variation in morphology. There are many examples of geographic variation in voice, behavior, habitat preference, altitudinal range, vertical stratum, abundance, and nest. Possible vocal convergence or mimicry between sympatric populations of different species is described between the goshawk Accipiter albogularis and the kingfisher Halcyon chloris, between the cuckoo-shrike Coracina [tenuirostris] and other species in its mixed-species foraging flocks, between the white-eyes Zosterops murphyi and Z. rendovae kulambangrae, and between the starlings Aplonis grandis and Mino dumontii. Hybridization is reported between the Bismarck and New Guinea races of the cuckoo Eudynamys scolopacea on Long Island (described as a new subspecies), between the whistlers Pachycephala pectoralis and P. melanura, and between the honey-eaters Myzomela tristrami and M. cardinalis. Cyclones bring Australian species, some of which occasionally remain to breed. Over-water dispersal ability varies greatly, from species that can be seen flying over water any day to species that rarely or never cross water. For instance, a channel 12 km long and only 0.15-1 km wide divides Florida Island into two halves, one of which possesses and the other of which lacks a resident population of the coucal Centropus milo.
Preparation of specific complement-fixing antigens from the three prototypes of poliomyelitis viruses.

SummarySpecific complement-fixing antigens were prepared from Lansing-, Brunhilde-, and Leon-infected tissues by sedimentation of the viruses in the high speed centrifuge and using the resuspended sediment as antigen. Specific complement fixing antiserums were produced more rapidly in Lansing immunized monkeys when the virus inoculum was incorporated into a depot-producing adjuvant. It appears that the adjuvant treatment as recommended by Salk is needed for production of Brunhilde and Leon complement fixing antiserum.
The NH2-terminal Propeptide of Type I Procollagen Acts Intracellularly to Modulate Cell Function

The function of the NH2-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (N-propeptide) is poorly understood. We now show that a recombinant trimeric N-propeptide interacts with transforming growth factor-β1 and BMP2 and exhibits functional effects in stably transfected cells. The synthesis of N-propeptide by COS-7 cells results in an increase in phosphorylation of Akt and Smad3 and is associated with a marked reduction in type I procollagen synthesis and impairment in adhesion. In C2C12 cells, N-propeptide inhibits the osteoblastic differentiation induced by BMP2. Our data suggest that these effects are mediated by the interaction of N-propeptide with an intracellular receptor in the secretory pathway, because they are not observed when recombinant N-propeptide is added to the culture medium of either COS-7 or C2C12 cells. Both the binding of N-propeptide to cytokines and its functional properties are entirely dependent on the exon 2-encoded globular domain, and a mutation that substitutes a serine for a highly conserved cysteine in exon 2 abolishes its function. Our findings suggest that N-propeptide performs an important feedback regulatory function and provides a rationale for the prominence of a homotrimeric form of type I procollagen (α1 trimer) during vertebrate development.
Resistance Index of Cerebral Artery Blood Flow Impedance in Preterm Neonates.† 939

Color flow and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography provides non-invasive estimates of blood flow impedance and has been applied to the evaluation of hemodynamics in newborns. Specctral doppler flow profiles of middle and anterior cerebral arteries of 151 preterm neonates <35 wks GA were obtained with an Acuson XP color and duplex Doppler unit, using a 5.0/7.0 MHZ sector probe. Resistance index (RI = Peak systolic flow velocity - end diastolic flow velocity/peak systolic flow velocity) was calculated by a software program during 5 - 6 consecutive hemogeneous cardiac cycles; normal = RI of 0.5 to 0.8. There were 609 Doppler flow studies performed. The mean number of studies per patient was four. 98 of these neonates (BW 1329 ± 645g SD; GA 29.2± 3.8 wks SD) had at least one study with elevated RI. 53 infants had all normal RI (BW 1582 ± 785g SD; GA 31 ± 4.3 wks SD), and 3 had low RI. Infants with elevated RI had significantly more sepsis (30% vs 0% P<.002), and Intraventricular Hemorrhage (IVH) (34.6% vs 9.1, P<.03) than those with normal RI. There was no difference between high and normal RI in Patent Ductus Arterious (PDA) (72% vs 59%), Periventricular Leucomalacia(PVL) (7.9% vs 4.5%), apnea (72.4% vs 59.2%) or the need for inotrope therapy. All three infants with low RI had IVH and/or PVL. 14/151 patients died; 10/98 infants with elevated RI, 2/3 infants with low RI, and 1/51 infants with normal RI. So far, 58 patients have completed neurodevelopmental screening; suspicious developmental screening was found in 46.3% of elevated RI and 1.7% of normal RI patients. Summary: Elevated RI appears to correlate with sepsis and IVH, and may be associated with increased risk of developmental delay. Low RI, a sign of loss of autoregulation, may correlate with an increased risk of IVH, PVL, and death.
Well Maintained Electronic Traffic Systems

The Code of Practice for Well Maintained Electronic Traffic Systems has been written by Atkins on behalf of the UK Roads Liaison Group. The project has been managed by the Department for Transport and has been supported by a Steering Group of knowledgeable maintenance managers from a number of local authorities around the United Kingdom. This paper deals with a number of issues, including: • Current position (background) • Development of the Code • Purpose of the Code • Objectives • Relationship with other guidance • Intended readership • Scope of the Code • Management of all highway assets • Status of the Code • Conclusions • Acknowledgements
The passivation of nickel in aqueous solutions—II. An in situ investigation of the passivation of nickel using optical and electrochemical techniques

Abstract The film responsible for the passive behavior of nickel and the mechanisms of film formation was studied in situ. Electrochemical polarization techniques were used in conjunction with Differential Reflectometry. It was found that the film which causes nickel to passivate in 0.15 N Na2SO4 (pH = 4.0–12.0) is Ni(OH)2. It is suggested that the film forms via a precipitation mechanism in the acid solutions subsequent to active metal dissolution. At low values of pH, this precipitated film, once formed, generally does not change in thickness as the potential is made increasingly anodic. Conversely, the Ni(OH)2 film formed in higher pH solutions (pH = 8.0 open, pH = 12.0 open and de-aerated) grows by virtue of a solid state mechanism. Both NiO and NiOOH are observed to form subsequent to Ni(OH)2 but only at higher values of pH. Although the films formed at alkaline pH values are thinner than those in the lower pH environments, they were found to be more protective.
A preliminary social network analysis of MPACT

The dissertation author and committee relationships in the MPACT dataset were modeled as social networks. Exploratory network analysis was performed primarily on the network composed of dissertation advisors and advisees to investigate the utility of structural prestige for measuring mentoring impact. Three prestige measures were investigated: 1) outdegree, 2) output domain, and 3) proximity prestige. All three measures were highly correlated when computed across the entire dataset, but correlation was lower for those scoring in the top 25 of any of the three. Correlation with citation ranking was low for this subset.
HgCdTe Focal Plane Arrays For Low Background Astronomical Applications

Mercury cadmium telluride is a promising detector material for low background astronomical imaging and spectroscopy in the near infrared. We have begun a program to measure dark current as a function of temperature in both isolated HgCdTe diode arrays and arrays which have been bump-bonded to silicon multiplexers. In this paper, we describe measurements of 2.5 μm cutoff diode material and a hybrid array with a CCD readout. Measurements of 52 μm x 52 μm detectors indicate that id may be less than 50-100 e-/sec at 87 K.
Misconceptions: Barriers to Improved Climate Literacy

Improved science and climate literacy are needed for planetary citizens to better understand the implications of global change and related Earth system feedbacks. Unfortunately, misconceptions about climate system functioning can be reinforced and become ingrained. Such mistaken beliefs present a barrier that must be broken down in order to improve climate literacy. This contribution addresses three examples of common misconceptions contributing to scientific and climate illiteracy, with an emphasis on inappropriate conceptual models or the inappropriate application of reasonably good models. However, identifying a problematic concept or misconception and providing an alternative explanation is not enough. Confrontational methods in which traditional answers are shown to be in conflict with the scientific observations have generally failed to assist in advancing climate literacy. What is needed is the creation of a learning environment wherein students can practice scientific thinking. Communication among...
The Contemporary Presidency Decision Making in the Bush White House

The White House Office is so large and complex that a systematic process of policy evaluation is essential in order to provide the president with a range of options on all important policy decisions. Some of the most important decisions that President George W. Bush made in his first term were taken without the benefit of broad deliberation within the White House or cabinet. This article will take up four cases of policy decisions to illustrate the lack of a regular policy process and consultation that characterized many important decisions of the Bush administration. Two focus on detainee policy: the military commissions order of November 13, 2001, and the February 7, 2002, decision to suspend the Geneva Conventions. And two are about the war in Iraq: the initial decision to go to war and the decision to disband the Iraqi army. The pattern that emerges from an examination of these four decisions is one of secrecy, top-down control, tightly held information, disregard for the judgments of career professionals, and the exclusion from deliberation of qualified executive branch experts who might have disagreed with those who initially framed the decisions.
Histochemical analysis of human coronary artery using near-infrared Raman spectroscopy

We are developing a method to quantitatively analyze the biochemical composition of human coronary artery in situ using near-infrared Raman spectroscopy. Samples of normal artery (intima/media and adventitia) and noncalcified and calcified plaque from coronary arteries, obtained from explanted recipient hearts during heart transplantation, were illuminated with 830 nm excitation light from a CW Ti:sapphire laser. Raman spectra were collected in seconds using a spectrograph and a cooled, deep-depletion CCD detector, and calibration and background corrections were made. Artery samples in different stages of atherosclerosis exhibited distinct spectral features, providing clear histochemical indicators for characterizing the type and extent of the lesion. Spectra were analyzed by means of a Raman biochemical assay model to determine the relative weight fractions of cholesterols, triacylglycerol, proteins and calcium minerals. Such information, when obtained clinically, promises to be useful in diagnosing and studying human atherosclerosis, its progression and response to drug therapy.
Novel Hybrid Polymer Dielectrics Based on Group 14 Chemical Motifs

The present contribution provides a strategy to enhance the dielectric constant of polyethylene by chemical modification while not overly compromising its large band gap. Isolated polyethylene chains are considered and the CH2 motifs in the backbone are allowed to be substituted by a number of Group 14 motifs, including SiF2, SiCl2, GeF2, GeCl2, SnF2, and SnCl2, in a systematic, progressive, and exhaustive combinatorial manner. Our results indicate that consecutive SnF2 or GeF2 motifs in the polyethylene backbone are most desirable, which can lead to systems with dielectric constant as high as 47.
Does time pressure create barriers for people to receive preventive health services

Abstract Objective Regular use of recommended preventive health services can promote good health and prevent disease. However, individuals may forgo obtaining preventive care when they are busy with competing activities and commitments. This study examined whether time pressure related to work obligations creates barriers to obtaining needed preventive health services. Methods Data from the 2002–2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) were used to measure the work hours of 61,034 employees (including 27,910 females) and their use of five preventive health services (flu vaccinations, routine check-ups, dental check-ups, mammograms and Pap smear). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to test the association between working hours and use of each of those five services. Results Individuals working long hours (> 60 per week) were significantly less likely to obtain dental check-ups (OR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.72–0.91) and mammograms (OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.31–0.73). Working 51–60 h weekly was associated with less likelihood of receiving Pap smear (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.46–0.96). No association was found for flu vaccination. Conclusions Time pressure from work might create barriers for people to receive particular preventive health services, such as breast cancer screening, cervical cancer screening and dental check-ups. Health practitioners should be aware of this particular source of barriers to care.
TACTICS FOR TYPE II DIABETES

Type II diabetes is a prototype of chronic diseases. Given its human and economic importance, it deserves a comprehensive strategy for management; this should include a public health phase, a primary medical management phase, and a complex management phase. Public health tactics include finding susceptible persons, teaching preventive habits, and screening for early diagnosis. Primary management tactics include enhancing life-style efforts, prescribing single and combined drug regimens as directed by algorithms, and objectively testing short-term outcomes. Complex management deals with patients with diabetic complications or poor glucose control despite algorithmic tactics, who therefore need individualized treatments.
Properties of Crystalline Sulfuric Acid in Ultrahigh Vacuum: Incongruent Melting to the Liquid Azeotrope and Its Slow Recrystallization

The growth and characterization of ultrathin (≈80 monolayers) films of pure, crystalline sulfuric acid and of the liquid H2SO4 + H2O azeotrope in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) are described. The films, which were deposited on a Pt(111) substrate, were synthesized in vacuo via the reaction of co-condensed mixtures of H2O and SO3. Fourier transform infrared reflection−absorption spectroscopy (FTIRAS) shows that the pure, crystalline acid forms when such mixtures are briefly annealed at 260 K. Crystalline H2SO4 is stable in UHV until 285 K, at which temperature FTIRAS measurements suggest the melting occurs. The melting temperature is equal, within experimental error, to the melting point of a macroscopic sample of crystalline H2SO4. Analysis of the gas phase composition during melting reveals that SO3 is expelled from a film as it melts. The liquid is identified as the azeotrope of H2SO4 and H2O, formed in the incongruent melting of H2SO4. The H2SO4 + H2O mixtures can be supercooled to 255 K. Freezing results in t...