cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure-property-processing relationship of ethanol solvent exchanged PEEK

Abstract We introduce a novel method of solvent exchanges and drying poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) that result in a hierarchical nanoporous structure. Traditional processing of porous PEEK typically consists of dry mixing with salt beads as porogens and compression molding or employing drying methods of solvent casted PEEK such as freeze-drying or supercritical drying. These processes however come with their drawbacks of either being too expensive or not supporting the porous network throughout the drying process due to solvent crystallization. The fabrication method proposed in this work utilizes ethanol as an intermediate solvent, which coupled with the following drying process provides a gradient porous network through the sample. The PEEK samples displayed mostly nanoporosity with an overall mesoporosity of approximately 2% and a measurable density of 0.84 g/cm3 ± 0.18, which is higher than that of aerogels produced using traditional methods. Therefore, the compressive strength displayed by the porous PEEK samples prepared with varying drying methods were higher to that of aerogels prepared through traditional methods. Herein, we show a promising, and relatively inexpensive, alternative method to fabricate mechanically robust porous PEEK with control over structuration, porosity and surface area through ethanol solvent exchange.
Heterogeneity Aware Power Abstraction for Hierarchical Power Analysis

In modern day FinFET-based microprocessors, dynamic power consumes ~80% of chip power under high utilization conditions. These microprocessors cater to a broad range of workloads, each with its own unique power signature. In addition to the heterogeneity across the workloads, there is notable heterogeneity in power consumption profile across the chip, including within IP blocks. With increasing focus on reducing the time to market, new methods for efficient generation of accurate power abstracts of IP blocks, while capturing the heterogeneous signatures, are key for enabling rapid hierarchical chip power analysis. We present approaches to generate per clock gating domain parameterized power abstracts and evaluate it on real industry class high performance microprocessor designs. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed approach when compared with direct gate level simulation based power estimation and existing IP power abstraction techniques.
Interdisciplinary Teaming and the Demographics of Membership: A Comparison of Student Belonging in High SES and Low SES Middle Level Schools.

AbstractStudent sense of belonging or membership in middle-level schools has been given greater importance for its potential to help students become academically engaged. To determine the effect of school socio-economic-status (SES), racial/ethnic status, gender, family structure, and student belonging, a sample of seven teamed and seven non-teamed middle-level schools was analyzed. A total of 1,052 student responses were analyzed. For the high SES schools (matched pairs in which 1%–10% of the students received free and/or reduced price lunches), no statistically significant effects were obtained for any of the five explanatory variables, or two-way interactions between them. In contrast, in the low SES schools (schools in which 25% to 55% of the students received free and/or reduced price lunches), statistically significant main effects were obtained for student gender, student racial/ethnic group, and school organization. In addition, a significant interaction was obtained between student gender and rac...
Linking Cancer Metabolic Dysfunction and Genetic Instability through the Lens of Iron Metabolism.

Iron (Fe) is an essential element that plays a fundamental role in a wide range of cellular functions, including cellular proliferation, DNA synthesis, as well as DNA damage and repair. Because of these connections, iron has been strongly implicated in cancer development. Cancer cells frequently have changes in the expression of iron regulatory proteins. For example, cancer cells frequently upregulate transferrin (increasing uptake of iron) and down regulate ferroportin (decreasing efflux of intracellular iron). These changes increase the steady-state level of intracellular redox active iron, known as the labile iron pool (LIP). The LIP typically contains approximately 2% intracellular iron, which primarily exists as ferrous iron (Fe2+). The LIP can readily contribute to oxidative distress within the cell through Fe2+-dioxygen and Fenton chemistries, generating the highly reactive hydroxyl radical (HO•). Due to the reactive nature of the LIP, it can contribute to increased DNA damage. Mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells results in increased steady-state levels of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide along with other downstream reactive oxygen species. The increased presence of H2O2 and O2•− can increase the LIP, contributing to increased mitochondrial uptake of iron as well as genetic instability. Thus, iron metabolism and labile iron pools may play a central role connecting the genetic mutational theories of cancer to the metabolic theories of cancer.
Police Sexual Violence: Police Brutality,#MeToo, and Masculinities

A woman alleges that she was raped by a police officer while in police custody. The police officer acknowledges that he had sexual intercourse with the woman, but argues that she consented to the interaction. Despite the obvious power imbalance and troubling context of the sexual activity, in a majority of U.S. states, if the police officer convinces even one member of a jury that their activity was consensual, it is not illegal. Consent is an affirmative defense to allegations of sexual assault— even when the alleged assault occurs while the victim is in the custody of the perpetrator. Allegations of sexual assault committed by police officers while on duty, known as police sexual violence (PSV), are shockingly prevalent and surprisingly underanalyzed. PSV is situated at the intersection of two vital national conversations about police brutality and sexual violence and harassment. This Article is the first to fully address PSV as the product of both issues and to recommend systemic solutions sounding in both debates. The superficial problem presented by PSV is that it is not made clearly illegal by state law and police department regulation. The deeper problem is that PSV is a symptom of broader cultural problems within police departments that can be helpfully parsed through the lens of masculinities theories. PSV is a problem springing both from issues with how police officers relate to the communities they patrol, especially men in those communities, and with how police officers and police culture treat women. These issues are magnified by the famous “blue wall of silence” ensuring loyalty even among police officers who commit misconduct. Any attempt to meaningfully address PSV must take all of these factors into account to work both a legal and a cultural change. This Article offers such solutions, addressing substantive and procedural prohibitions of PSV and broader cultural changes to police departments to combat PSV at its root.
Disentangling combinations and contingencies of generic strategies: A set-theoretic configurational approach

Abstract Porter's framework of generic strategies conceptualizes key elements of firms' strategic positions in their industry. Research on these generic strategies has been challenged by the complexity of capturing relations between generic strategies (i.e., cost leadership, differentiation, and focus) and their interdependencies with other strategic commitments for performance outcomes. We address these challenges by utilizing fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to explore the causal complexity underlying the links between generic strategies and firm performance. Specifically, we study combinations of firms' generic strategies and other strategy attributes as paths to high or low performance in the U.S. and Canadian airline industry. We find six equifinal configurations that are consistently linked to high performance and nine configurations that are consistently linked to the absence of high performance. Our findings shed light on the contingencies underlying performance consequences of generic strategies. Consequently they redirect theoretical debates on the links between generic strategies and firm performance as well as on the superiority of pure versus hybrid generic strategies towards relations of set-theoretic of necessity and sufficiency. Specifically, we show that having a generic strategy advantage is not sufficient for high performance but that it is a vital ingredient in recipes for success. Similarly, our findings suggest that a generic strategy disadvantage is not sufficient for low performance, but is a key ingredient in all paths to poor performance. We conclude with a discussion of our study's contributions to the literature, suggestions for future research, and implications for managerial practice.
BHive: A Benchmark Suite and Measurement Framework for Validating x86-64 Basic Block Performance Models

Compilers and performance engineers use hardware performance models to simplify program optimizations. Performance models provide a necessary abstraction over complex modern processors. However, constructing and maintaining a performance model can be onerous, given the numerous microarchi-tectural optimizations employed by modern processors. Despite their complexity and reported inaccuracy (e.g., deviating from native measurement by more than 30%), existing performance models-such as IACA and llvm-mca-have not been systematically validated, because there is no scalable machine code profiler that can automatically obtain throughput of arbitrary basic blocks while conforming to common modeling assumptions. In this paper, we present a novel profiler that can profile arbitrary memory-accessing basic blocks without any user intervention. We used this profiler to build BHive, a benchmark for systematic validation of performance models of x86-64 basic blocks. We used BHive to evaluate four existing performance models: IACA, llvm-mca, Ithemal, and OSACA. We automatically cluster basic blocks in the benchmark suite based on their utilization of CPU resources. Using this clustering, our benchmark can give a detailed analysis of a performance model's strengths and weaknesses on different workloads (e.g., vectorized vs. scalar basic blocks). We additionally demonstrate that our dataset well captures basic properties of two Google applications: Spanner and Dremel.
In vivo characterization of site-specific phosphorylation in human topoisomerase IIβ

2405 The two highly homologous human topoisomerase II (topo II) isoforms, topoIIα and topoIIβ, alter DNA topology by creating double-stranded breaks. These enzymes are also targets for several clinically effective anti-tumor agents. Multiple phosphorylation sites that are cell cycle regulated have been identified in the C-terminal domain of topoIIα. More recently, phosphorylation of serine (Ser)-1106 in the catalytic domain of topo IIα has been reported to affect enzymatic activity and drug sensitivity. A potential functional role for site-specific phosphorylation in topoIIβ is suggested by our observations on hyperphosphorylation of topoIIβ in doxorubicin-resistant HL-60 cells and following all-trans retinoic acid induced differentiation of wild-type HL-60 cells. To identify phosphorylation sites in topoIIβ, proteomic analysis of the immunoprecipitated protein from wild-type or doxorubicin resistant HL-60 cells was carried out. Purified topoIIβ was subjected to successive cyanogen bromide (CNBr)/trypsin digestions followed by phosphopeptide detection using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. This approach allowed us to reproducibly detect three in vivo phosphorylated amino acids - Ser-1550, Ser-1400 and Tyr-661. The residue Tyr-661 is located in the DNA binding/cleavage domain and conserved (Tyr-640 in α) between α and β topo II isoforms. The phosphorylated Ser residues identified lie in highly predicted phosphorylation contexts: KVKAS1400PITN with prediction score (p.s.) = 0.954 (max. value: 1), and KRKAS1550GSEN with p.s. = 0.998. Alignment of the amino acid sequences of the two human topo II proteins showed identity between Ser-1550 in topoIIβ and Ser-1469 in topoIIα (reported as a substrate for casein kinase II). Determination of the functional significance of Ser-1550 phosphorylation revealed that purified recombinant human topoIIβ containing a Ser-1550 to alanine substitution was ∼1.5-fold less active than the wild type protein in decatenating kinetoplast DNA. Single, double and triple mutants of identified phosphorylation sites are being tested for alterations in function. We also determined cell cycle regulation of expression and phosphorylation of topoIIβ isoform. TopoIIβ expression was not cell cycle regulated. However, the topoIIβ 2D-phosphopeptide maps of synchronized (G1, S, G2/M and M) cell fractions from wild-type HL-60 cells metabolically labeled with 32P-orthophosphoric acid were distinctly different; at least 5 major phosphopeptides were specific to cells in M phase. These results provide insights on site specific phosphorylation of topoIIβ and the possible functional role during cell cycle progression.
Impact of G-CSF during neoadjuvant therapy on outcomes of operable pancreatic cancer.

4126Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease characterized by chronic inflammation and a tolerogenic immune response. Neutropenia is a common side effect of cyto...
Stability of Slopes Undergoing Creep Deformation

An analysis of a long slope undergoing creep deformation is presented. The analysis is based on assumptions that the soil flows viscously with no volume change, and that the creep deformation ensues when the shear stress due to gravity exceeds the soil residual shear strength. Expressions to describe the velocity field in the creep zone of the slope are derived. The results are discussed for the cases of with or without surcharge loads and results are presented in dimensionless charts. Because of the assumptions used, the theoretical results appear to be applicable to slopes of over-consolidated clay or clay shales. In order to determine the average coefficient of viscosity of the soil, field displacement versus time records of the slope undergoing creep is necessary. Two published soil creep case histories are utilized to verify the theoretical analysis and the results are reasonable.
Establishing the relationship between discourse models and user models

Many current research efforts have focused on building cooperat ive systems that interact with the{r users in a natural language such as English. To be effective, these systems must be robust, their dialog must be coherent, and their responses must be helpful to the user. A user m o d e l (UM), which can be modified during the interaction to represent updated beliefs about the current user, is one mechanism that can contribute to a robust, coherent, and cooperat ive dialog. In general, when we as speakers describe certain situations, we try to communicate these situations to our listeners. As proposed by some researchers (Webber 1978, Kamp 1984), speakers do so by attempting to get their listeners to construct an appropriate model: a d i scourse mode l . A discourse model (DM) is viewed as containing representations of entities, along with their properties and relations they participate in. The key, then, in successful communication is for the speaker to transmit as much information about those entities, their properties and relations to the listener so as to achieve the goals of the current interaction. From the point of view of a system, a computational discourse model is used by the system to generate and/or interpret a discourse. This paper focuses on the relationship between DMs and UMs. It starts by describing what a DM is, and the role it plays in a coherent di~dog. It then describes what a UM is, and the role it plays in a cooperat ive dialog. I argue that the DM should be viewed as one part of the UM-tha t is, as one part of the system's model of the user. The examples of the natural language interactions are presented in the context of a natural language interface to an expert system that provides advice on cooking with chilies. (Part of the data was taken from the section "Cooking with Chilies" that appeared in Bon A p p e t i t magazine, December 1986. The expert system can provide information about the different varieties of chili peppers as well as descriptions of how to " tu rn down the hea t " of the chilies (make them less spicy), and how to cook with them without getting any kind of skin or eye irritations.) I justify this by showing how DMs can be viewed as part of UMs and how both models can affect each other. In other words, part of the UMs that systems have correspond to the DM, that is, a representat ion of what is talked about in a specific interaction. This piece, which changes with each discourse, affects the UM and varies from interaction to interaction.
Neutron capture Cross-sections and the s-process †

Abstract Experimental tests of the “ s -process” nucleosynthesis mechanism can be made by comparisons of temperature averaged neutron capture cross-sections with (a) elemental abundances for a series of elements, (b) isotopic abundances of specific isotopes of a given element. We have measured the pertinent cross-sections for a series of elements and isotopes. Our results, when combined with solar system elemental abundances, show a smoothly varying correlation of σ·N with atomic weight, indicative of a neutron flux exposure distribution that decreases monotonically with increasing fluxes. The results of tests using isotopes of certain elements (e.g. Sr, Zr, Sn, Te, and Sm) quantitatively confirm the predictions of 5-process synthesis. It may be possible to use the correlations thus obtained to derive primordial solar system abundances of certain elements.
Crystal structure of a lead-dependent ribozyme revealing metal binding sites relevant to catalysis.

The leadzyme is a small RNA motif that catalyzes a site-specific, Pb2+-dependent cleavage reaction. As such, it is an example of a metal-dependent RNA enzyme. Here we describe the X-ray crystallographic structure of the leadzyme, which reveals two independent molecules per asymmetric unit. Both molecules feature an internal loop in which a bulged purine base stack twists away from the helical stem. This kinks the backbone, rendering the phosphodiester bond susceptible to cleavage. The independent molecules have different conformations: one leadzyme copy coordinates Mg2+, whereas the other binds only Ba2+ or Pb2+. In the active site of the latter molecule, a single Ba2+ ion coordinates the 2´-OH nucleophile, and appears to mimic the binding of catalytic lead. These observations allow a bond cleavage reaction to be modeled, which reveals the minimal structural features necessary for catalysis by this small ribozyme.
Isoquants of the Cubic Production Function

The one-input cubic production function displays a range of increasing returns to a factor, followed by a range of decreasing returns, followed by a range of negative returns. If this situation holds with respect to two factors, it generates a natural intuition that the total product function in 3-dimensional space is represented by a sort of hill or protuberance with a well defined peak at the maximum value of /TP/ with respect to the two factors, with the consequence that the production isoquants are closed oblongs. However, the explicit mathematical function typically shown in textbooks as the two-input cubic production function (designated herein the "usual" function) does not have these properties. Rather the 3-dimensional total product function rises to a ridge curve before descending. The isoquants on either side of the ridge curve isoquant are not closed oblongs but rather convex downward-sloping configurations that converge in the limit but do not join. Two alternatives to the usual cubic production function are proposed: the additive and the multiplicative cubic production functions. Both of these have the expected properties: the 3-dimensional surface is depicted as a hill with a unique peak, and the isoquants are closed oblongs.
Kinetic studies of citrate synthase from rat kidney and rat brain.

Abstract Crystalline citrate synthase (citrate oxalacetate lyase (coenzyme A-acetylating) EC 4.1.3.7) has been prepared from rat kidney and rat brain. These enzymes are homogeneous as judged by acrylamide gel electrophoresis, and immunologically identical with the rat heart citrate synthase. Steady state kinetic studies including product inhibition experiments indicate that the substrates are added in a random order, the products come off in random order, and that two dead end complexes are formed. When acetyl-CoA concentrations are varied over wide range, a nonlinear Lineweaver-Burk plot is obtained suggesting apparent substrate activation. One interpretation of this observation is that some cooperativity exists between two sites on the enzyme.
Improved methodology for cerebral activation studies in a single subject using /sup 15/O-water and PET

The ability to detect sites of increased blood flow in activation studies using /sup 15/O-water and positron emission tomography (PET) is governed largely by signal-to-noise (S/N) in the subtracted images. The authors have investigated a number of methodological changes designed to improve S/N by boosting the signal, reducing the noise level, and accurately aligning the images. These changes include appropriate dose fractionation, 3-D data acquisition, prospective and retrospective image alignment, and a temporal modification of task performance designed to exploit the kinetics of /sup 15/O-water. A combination of these approaches leads to a two-fold increase in S/N compared with a previous activation study protocol. >
Stimulation of fracture healing by direct current in the rabbit fibula.

An undisplaced fracture of each fibula in a rabbit was permitted to heal for eighteen days. The fracture in one fibula of each animal was subjected to a ten microampere galvanic current, the electrodes being placed in various positions relative to the fracture. Leads were placed in the opposite (control) fibula but did not deliver any current. Each fibular fracture was studied by roentgenogram, stressed for rigidity, and evaluated microscopically. The evidence strongly suggests that a cathodal current of this intensity placed within the fracture site stimulates fracture healing.
From the Editor—The Red Pill or the Blue Pill? Transcending Binary Thinking

Classification is something that comes naturally to us as humans and is an essential skill in the development of cognitive abilities. However, although essential, classification can also lead to bi...
Reaction kinetics and anisothermal effects in microwave fields: System Y 2 O 3 –Fe 3 O 4

In general, most of the solid-state reactions are carried out in conventional furnaces where heating takes place more or less isothermally. The transfer of heat occurs from the external heating elements of the furnace to the constituent phases in the sample by radiation and convection. Because thermal conductivities of the phases differ, small temperature gradients must exist for short times depending on the experimental conditions. For example, the typical heating of a sample from ambient to 1500 °C in 2 h will be different from inserting a cold pellet into a preheated furnace at 1500 °C.
The sleeve-cage monopole and sleeve helix for wideband operation

We have found that the cage structure and multifilar helices are more amenable than single wire antennas to improvements in VSWR when parasitic wires are added. The helical configuration can be used to reduce the height of the antenna, but at the sacrifice of bandwidth. While the addition of the parasitic wires improves the overall bandwidth, the VSWR increases outside the design band. Fast integral equation solution techniques and optimization methods have been developed in the course of this work and have led to effective tools for designing broadband antennas.
Threat Perception in International Relations: The Realist and the Liberal Accounts

1024x768 Threat perception, i.e., the perception by one international actor that another actor or a certain behavior or action taken by that actor constitutes a threat to its security, is an important, if not crucial, component of international crises, conflicts, and wars. In this article, I seek to contribute to our understanding of threat perception by examining how two of the major schools of thought in the discipline of International Relations – realism and liberalism – address the issue of threat perception in international politics RESUMO Percepcao de ameaca, isto e, a percepcao por um ator internacional de que um determinado comportamento ou acao de outro ator constitui ameaca para a sua seguranca, e um componente importante, ou mesmo fundamental, de crises internacionais, conflitos e guerras. Neste artigo, procuro contribuir para a compreensao do fenomeno de percepcao de ameaca examinando como duas das principais escolas de pensamento da disciplina de Relacoes Internacionais - realismo e liberalismo - abordam a questao da percepcao de ameaca na politica internacional. Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE
Adhesion of injection molded PVC to steel substrates

ABSTRACT Interactions occurring at the interface between injection-molded poly (vinyl chloride) (PVC) and steel substrates that were coated with thin films of aminosilanes were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The silane films were formed by adsorption of γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (γ-APS) or N-(2-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (γ-AEAPS) from 2% aqueous solutions onto polished steel substrates. PVC was injection molded onto the silane-primed steel substrates and annealed at temperatures up to 170°C for times as long as 30 min. PVC was peeled off of the primed steel substrates using a 90° peel test and the substrate failure surfaces were thoroughly rinsed with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and distilled water to remove PVC and other compounds that were not strongly bonded to the substrates. The PVC failure surfaces were characterized by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR) and PVC rinsed off of the substrate f...
Numerical Integration of Primitive Equations by a Quasi-Lagrangian Advective Scheme

Abstract A quasi-Lagrangian advective scheme for numerical integration of primitive equations is proposed. The advective scheme is built on a successive approximation procedure where the Fjortoft-type of quasi-Lagrangian advection form an initial guess. The numerical program is tested by constructing some simple analytic problems containing the non-linear advective terms. It is shown that the scheme is also capable of producing very reasonable numerical forecasts for simple initial conditions for problems of mixed and filtered wave motions.
HOME inventory and NCATS: Relation to mother and child behaviors during naturalistic observations

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships among the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS), the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) inventory, and interactive behaviors observed in the home for fifty-three 3-year-old, prematurely born children and their mothers. The total HOME score showed high internal consistency, with moderate subscale levels. NCATS total score showed high internal consistency, but low to moderate subscale consistency. Combining NCATS subscales into a mother subscale and child subscale improved internal consistency. The HOME and the NCATS mother subscale correlated with observed maternal behaviors, but the NCATS child subscale was unrelated to child behaviors. Relationships between observed behaviors and HOME scores did not differ for high- and low-education mothers or for Caucasians and African Americans, but only low-education mothers and African Americans exhibited correlations between NCATS scores and observed behaviors. These results show the HOME, NCATS, and naturalistic observations measure related, but not overlapping, aspects of the mother's contribution to her relationship with her child, but the NCATS child subscale should be used with caution with 3-year-olds.
Car detection in low resolution aerial images

Abstract We present a system to detect passenger cars in aerial images along the road directions where cars appear as small objects. We pose this as a 3D object recognition problem to account for the variation in viewpoint and the shadow. We started from psychological tests to find important features for human detection of cars. Based on these observations, we selected the boundary of the car body, the boundary of the front windshield, and the shadow as the features. Some of these features are affected by the intensity of the car and whether or not there is a shadow along it. This information is represented in the structure of the Bayesian network that we use to integrate all features. Experiments show very promising results even on some very challenging images.
Simplified Drift Evaluation of Wall‐Frame Structures

: An idealized model for analysis of multistory buildings subjected to lateral loads is presented. Using a simplified structural model composed of connecting beams and columns, along with a rapid condensation procedure, an approximated lateral stiffness matrix is obtained from which the lateral deformations can be quickly determined. The proposed model is suitable either for preliminary analysis or for quick verification of more complex computational procedures. Commonly used analytical procedures are based on one of the following two approaches: (i] rapid evaluation of story drifts based on oversimplification of structures as specified primarily by building codes (shear systemslstick models), and (ii) detailed modeling of buildings as an assemblage of structural members combined with refined analysis of each individual component (finite element analysis). While the former approach requires only a small amount of data and simple hand computations to carry out the analysis, the latter requires an abundance of information and fairly complicated and elaborate computations requiring computers. However, the first approach leads only to very approximate results often invalidated by severe assumptions and restrictions while the second method produces results which are more comprehensive and accurate. The idealization proposed in this paper is a rational combination of the two approaches leading to more accurate results with only a minimal amount of data. The simplification is obtained by assuming contraflexure points at mid spans of horizontal beams, but not extending the same simplification to vertical elements, as is typically done in simplified design and code approaches. This allows a simple representation of beams as rotational springs coupled to vertical cantilevers representing the columns. The ensuing matrix computations on a vastly reduced and diagonalized stiffness matrix can be carried out with ease on microcomputers. Using the procedure outlined herein, the internal forces in members can be reasonably obtained, and axial stresses can be roughly estimated. An application of the proposed technique is presented using two sample buildings and are compared with results of more rigorous and accurate procedures.
Quantifying plant cell-wall failure in vivo using nanoindentation

Nanoindentation experiments have been carried on Arabidopsis thaliana using spherical tungsten tips. Load-displacement plots obtained from experiments suggest that there is an optimum diameter of tip size which can be used to safely penetrate the tip through the cell wall. Based on the exact tip size used in the experiments and the measured load-displacement response, the failure stress was calculated using the experimental data in conjunction with a computational model. The value of failure stress was investigated in hypertonic (plasmolyzed), isotonic, and hypotonic (turgid) samples.
Bimetallic electrochemical interfaces: carbon monoxide coadsorbed with copper and lead on ordered low-index rhodium surfaces

Abstract The influence of predosed underpotential deposited (UPD) copper and lead upon carbon monoxide adsorbed on ordered Rh(111), (100), and (110) electrodes in aqueous 0.1M HClO 4 has been examined by means of in-situ FTIR spectroscopy in the C-O stretching (ν CO ) frequency region. The presence of submonolayer coverages of Cu and Pb results in roughly commensurate decreases in the saturated CO coverage. Nevertheless, even low copper coverages on Rh(100) diminish markedly the intensities of the terminal and bridging ν CO features, attributed to screening of neighboring C-O dipoles by the metal adlayer atoms. On Rh(110), copper attenuates preferentially the bridging ν CO feature, signaling the formation of a microscopically intermixed Cu-CO adlayer. While the behavior of the Pb-CO and Cu-CO adlayers on Rh(111) does not differ greatly, the presence of lead on Rh(100) and especially (110) blocks multifold sites in a highly selective fashion as discerned from the loss of the bridging ν CO feature. The observed greater tendencies to form intermixed adlayers for Pb-CO than for Cu-CO, and in the crystallographic sequence Rh(111)
Effects of denervation on the glomus cell membrane

Trophic influences of the carotid nerve (CN) on carotid body (CB) glomus cells were studied by comparing the membrane potential (Em), input resistance (Ro) and voltage noise (Erms) of normal and 3-31-day denervated cells had more negative Ems. Higher Ros were recorded at 3 and 6 days. Erms sharply increased at 3 days, returned to normal at 6-15 days and was below normal at 31 days. A transmitter (ACh) and NaCN, producing histotoxic anoxia, were used for stimulation. These substances either depolarized or hyperpolarized innervated cells and increased or decreased voltage noise. Denervation selectively changed these patterns but only for a short time. ACh preferentially depolarized the cells, only at 3 days, whereas its effects on noise did not change. The Em responses to NaCN remained unaltered although at 3-6 days noise increases were smaller and depressions exaggerated. Possible reasons for these effects are discussed.
High-performance liquid chromatography as a tool for identification of linolenic acid hydroperoxide prepared with soybean lipoxygenase.

Abstract Linolic acid hydroperoxide, enzymatically produced by soybean lipoxygenase from linolenic acid, was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a Supelco LC-8 (5 μm), 22 cm × 4.6 mm I.D. column with a solvent system of acetonitrile—tetrahydrofuran—0.1% phosporic acid (50:4:21.6:28, v/v/v). The hydroperoxide was converted to several derivatives, the hydroxy, methyl, and stearate which were analyzed by HPLC and identified by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry. The 13-hydroperoxy linolenic acid was the major hydroperoxide produced by soybean lipoxygenase.
A 5.6-mW 1-Gb/s/pair pulsed signaling transceiver for a fully AC coupled bus

This paper describes a low-power synchronous pulsed signaling scheme on a fully AC coupled multidrop bus for board-level chip-to-chip communications. The proposed differential pulsed signaling transceiver achieves a data rate of 1 Gb/s/pair over a 10-cm FR4 printed circuit board, which dissipates only 2.9 mW (2.9 pJ/bit) for the driver and channel termination and 2.7 mW for the receiver pre-amplifier at 500 MHz. The fully AC coupled multipoint bus topology with high signal integrity is proposed that minimizes the effect of inter-symbol interference (ISI) and achieves a 3 dB corner frequency of 3.2 GHz for an 8-drop PCB trace. The prototype transceiver chip is implemented in a 0.10-/spl mu/m 1.8-V CMOS DRAM technology and packaged in a WBGA. It occupies an active area of 330/spl times/85 /spl mu/m/sup 2/.
Serum alpha 1 -fetoglobulin in a patient with hepatic metastases from bronchogenic carcinoma.

A patient with bronchogenic carcinoma with metastases to the liver was found to have α1-fetoglobulin in his serum. The presence of this protein in the serum of adults was believed to be specific for hepatoma or testicular teratoblastoma; however, 4 recent cases were reported in which α1-fetoglobulin was present in patients with gastric carcinoma and hepatic metastases. As a result of these cases the strict specificity of α1-fetoglobulin and its ability to distinguish between primary and secondary hepatic tumors must be questioned.
Improved Myoglobin Saturation Measurement Made by Partial Least-Squares Analysis of Optical Reflectance Spectra

Accurate myoglobin oxygen saturation determination from tissue using optical spectral analysis has been limited by overlap in spectral features between myoglobin and hemoglobin. Partial least-squares analysis of reflectance spectra has been successfully used to predict myoglobin oxygen saturation from blood perfused hearts, although uncertainty remains as to how much error in the myoglobin saturation estimate occurs due to hemoglobin contamination. This study was undertaken to quantify the error due to hemoglobin in the partial least-squares estimate of myoglobin saturation. Calibration spectra were developed by mathematical addition of individually acquired in vitro reflectance spectra from various absorbing species in scattering media. The isolated perfused guinea pig heart model was used to allow for switching between crystalloid and red blood cell perfusion in a beating heart. Inclusion of cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase in a calibration set containing hemoglobin and myoglobin improved the accuracy of the partial least-squares analysis of myoglobin saturation. Both the Mahalanobis distance test and the residual ratio test demonstrated improved representation of spectra obtained from the heart using a calibration set that included both cytochromes. A 4.3% error in myoglobin oxygen saturation measurements was determined.
The real truth about star designs

Determining whether the edges of an input graph G can be partitioned into k-stars is NP-complete. However, with some extra information, we can convert this to a flow problem, giving both a polynomial algorithm, and a strong theoretical tool.
Long-term integration and neuronal differentiation of human embryonal carcinoma cells (NT era-2) transplanted into the caudoputamen of nude mice

NTera-2 (NT2) cells are a human embryonal carcinoma (EC) cell line derived from a teratocarcinoma that differentiate exclusively into postmitotic neurons in vitro following retinoic acid (RA) treatment. Like other EC cell lines, NT2 cells rapidly form lethal tumors following transplantation into peripheral sites or many regions of the brain. However, when grafts are confined to the caudoputamen (CP), the NT2 cells differentiate into postmitotic neuronlike cells and do not form lethal tumors. To examine the long-term fate of such grafts, we studied NT2 cell transplants in the CP of nude mice that survived for > 1 year. NT2 cells in these grafts acquired molecular markers of fully mature neurons including the low, middle, and high molecular weight neurofilament proteins, microtubule-associated protein 2, tau, and synaptophysin. Furthermore, neuronlike cells in long-term CP grafts formed synaptic structures, and their processes became myelinated, whereas tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neuronlike cells in the grafts increased with progressively longer postimplantation survival times. Soluble extracts of the adult mouse CP augmented TH expression in RA-treated NT2 cells in vitro. These data suggest that the adult mouse CP is a source of factor(s) that inhibits tumor formation and induce a catecholaminergic neuronal phenotype in these human NT2 cells in vivo and in vitro. Identification of these factors could accelerate efforts to elucidate mechanisms that regulate progenitor cell fate and the commitment of neurons to specific neurotransmitter phenotypes. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Model of peripheral protein adsorption to the water/lipid interface.

Two models have been developed to describe the adsorption of a model peripheral protein, colipase, to phospholipid/diacylglycerol (PL/DG) monolayers. One model is applicable at monolayer collapse pressure and at any composition that exceeds the DG mole fraction of PL/DG lateral complexes (Sugar, I. P.; Mizuno, N. K.; Momsen, M. M.; Brockman, H. L. Biophys. J. 2001, 81, 3387-3397). The other model is applicable at any lateral pressure but only below the mole fraction of DG in the complex (Sugar, I. P.; Mizuno, N. K.; Brockman, H. L. Biophys. J. 2005, 89, 3997-4005). Both models assume that initiation of colipase adsorption to the water/lipid interface requires an area of water-exposed hydrophobic surface that exceeds a critical value. In the first model, accessible surface is provided by the head groups of the uncomplexed DG molecules. This surface area follows a binomial distribution. In the second model, accessible area is created by hydrocarbon chains becoming exposed at the water/lipid interface as total lipid packing density of monolayers of PL and/ or PL/DG complexes is decreased. This surface area follows a Poisson distribution. The model described in this paper is a unification, extension, and improvement of these models that is applicable at any lateral pressure and any PL/DG mole fraction. Calculated normalized initial colipase adsorption rates are compared with the available experimental values, and predictions of the adsorption rates are made for currently unmeasured compositions and lateral pressure regimes.
Self-adapting menus for CAD software

Abstract CAD programs usually employ menus for enhancing user-machine interaction. This paper describes an approach which enables the user to obtain improved menu organization. The approach is based on recording the sequence of operations which take place during a design session or several sessions, and modifying the menus accordingly. The user is also allowed to further modify the menus interactively. This capability improves the performance of the designer, especially when using complex CAD or expert systems which offer a large variety of options. The self-adapting menus simplify the selection process, and result in custom-made software which is more suited for the individual user.
Influence of medium-nitrogen level on growth periodicity of Ilex crenata Thunb. ‘Helleri’

Abstract Ilex crenata Thunb. ‘Helleri’ plants were grown in sand culture and supplied daily with nutrient solutions of 10, 40, 70 or 100 mg l−1 nitrogen (N). Plant growth at all rates of N was characterized by an initial period of simultaneous shoot and root dry weight accumulation, followed by shoot elongation, root growth cessation, and major accumulations of N and dry weight. Plants grown at the greater N rates accumulated more N and exhibited a higher shoot-to-root ratio as a result of greater shoot than root growth. Plants grown at the higher N applications initiated extension growth before plants grown at lower N levels.
Glucose transport by trypsin-treated red blood cell ghosts

Abstract 1. Glucose transport has been studied in preparations of human erythrocyte ghosts which have been treated with trypsin (10μg/ml for 30 min). [ 3 H] d -Glucose uptake by this preparation has been measured using a Millipore filter technique, with [ 14 C] l -glucose serving as a marker for non-specific glucose uptake. Membrane vesicles prepared from erythrocyte ghosts did not preferentially take up d -glucose without prior treatment with trypsin. 2. This trypsin-treated erythrocyte ghost preparation demonstrates many of the characteristics of glucose transport: (1) the d -isomer is both taken up and released more rapidly than the l -isomer; (2) countertransport of d -glucose can be demonstrated; (3) competitive inhibition of d -glucose uptake is observed with certain sugars; (4) known inhibitors of glucose uptake, phlorizin and N-ethylmaleimide , inhibit d -glucose uptake. 3. Using very low concentrations of trypsin (1 μg/ml), the onset of glucose transport has been correlated with the pattern of cleavage of membrane peptides (assessed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate). The appearance of glucose transport is temporally associated with the hydrolysis of two major membrane peptides. Specific d -glucose uptake is not inhibited by extensive proteolysis (trypsin, 100 μg/ml) or selective elution of specific peptides (by manipulation of ionic strength).
Kinetics of the transfer of tumor-specific cytotoxicity with immune RNA☆

Abstract The optimal conditions for the transfer of cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) with xenogenic immune RNA (I-RNA) were studied. Unsensitized mouse lymphocytes were converted to effector cells specifically cytolytic to syngeneic tumor cells by incubation of these lymphocytes with I-RNA extracted from the lymphoid tissues of guinea pigs immunized with the murine tumor being tested. I-RNA was RNase sensitive but DNase and pronase resistant. Lymphoid RNA extracted from guinea pigs that had been injected with complete Freund's adjuvant without tumor was ineffective. The most effective I-RNA was harvested from guinea pigs 14 days after immunization with murine tumor. Maximum cytolytic activity was observed with mouse lymphocytes that had been incubated with I-RNA at a concentration of 500 μg/ml at 37°C for 30 min. Significant tumor cell destruction did not occur until 48 hr after the addition of RNA-incubated lymphocytes to target cells. Significant CMC was seen at a broad range of lymphocyte to target cell ratios (100:1–1000:1). Lymphoid cells obtained from spleen, bone marrow, thymus, and lymph nodes of normal mice could be converted by I-RNA to become effector killer cells. The treatment of lymphocytes with anti-θ serum and complement prior to incubation with I-RNA abolished the CMC transferred by I-RNA.
Hybrid surface roughening modes during low-temperature heteroepitaxy: Growth of fully-strained metastable Ge 1-x Sn x alloys on Ge(001)2×1

Fully-strained single-crystal metastable ${\mathrm{Ge}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sn}}_{x}$ alloys were grown on Ge(001) up to their critical epitaxial thickness values ${t}_{\mathrm{epi}}(x)$ in order to probe surface roughening pathways leading to heteroepitaxial breakdown during low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy under large compressive strain. All films with $xg0.09$ have comparable roughnesses while films with $xl0.09$ are considerably rougher with larger lateral feature sizes. Roughening rates increase with increasing x for films with $xg0.09$ due to a new hybrid relaxation path which only becomes accessible under high strain as kinetic roughening provides surface oscillations on lateral length scales that allow bulk relaxation through strain-induced islanding at growth temperatures where it could not otherwise proceed.
Baseline metabolic monitoring of atypical antipsychotics in an inpatient setting

Background: Atypical antipsychotic agents serve an important role in the treatment of many psychiatric disorders but have the potential to cause adverse effects, notably metabolic disturbances. These agents are known to cause increases in obesity, glucose intolerance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. In 2004, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA), in collaboration with other organizations, acknowledged the association between the use of atypical antipsychotics and the development of metabolic abnormalities and provided monitoring recommendations for the use of these agents. Despite these recommendations, rates of monitoring remain low. Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess whether a pharmacist recommendation form is effective in improving baseline metabolic monitoring for patients admitted to an acute inpatient psychiatry unit who are ordered a scheduled atypical antipsychotic. Methods: A pharmacist recommendation form with metabolic monitoring pa...