cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Does Service-Dominant Logic Provide Insight about Operational IT Service Systems?

This paper uses relationships between Vargo and Lusch’s (2004) service-dominant logic (S-D logic) and Alter’s (2008b) of service system fundamentals to explore whether S-D logic provides insight about operational IT service systems. These approaches explicate fundamental ideas at different levels of analysis and for different purposes. S-D logic characterizes intersections between marketing and economics, whereas the service system frameworks and concepts in Alter (2008b) help business and IT professionals understand, analyze, implement, and improve service systems in organizations. Synergies between these approaches might yield insights at both levels. The service system lens illuminates many areas where S-D logic might apply; it ignores topics related to markets rather than operational systems. Concepts in S-D logic related to customers, services, and economic exchange might enrich the analysis of service systems. The possibilities are tantalizing, but the paper raises questions about why S-D logic is cited so often in relation to operational service systems.
Application of the J-Integral to the Initiation of Crack Extension in a Titanium 6Al-4V Alloy

Tests were conducted to determine J I c from resistance curves of J versus crack extension, obtained from fatigue-precracked specimens of a titanium 6Al-4V alloy. Specimens of various geometries were employed, all in three-point bending. Crack extensions were delineated by heat tinting. Results obtained with J computed from the equation, J = 2A/Bb, are compared to those obtained with the compliance technique, using the plane-stress solutions of Bucci et al. J I c results are compared with a valid K I c value for this material. The range of ratios of crack length to specimen width (a/W) is explored over which the equation J = 2A/Bb applies. The decrease in crack extension at experimental limit load (Δa P m a x → Δa c ) is examined as the ratio of specimen thickness to uncracked ligament (B/b) is increased. Variation in J I c from specimens cut from different positions through the plate thickness is also examined.
Japan and the League of Nations: Empire and World Order, 1914–1938 – By Thomas W. Burkman

Japan's association with the League of Nations is usually limited to its disappointment over the veto of a racial equality clause as the League was forming in 1919 and its dramatic departure from t...
Presence of interleukin-10 transcripts in human pituitary and hypothalamus.

1. Recent data have shown that interleukin-10 (IL-10) is expressed and acts in mouse pituitary tumor cells and freshly isolated mouse pituitaries. 2. In this study, we show that poly(A+ RNA derived from normal human pituitary and hypothalamus expresses IL-10 message. 3. The majority of transcripts was likely from the pituitary and hypothalamus, and not from lymphocytes in the pituitary and hypothalamic vasculature, since both IL-10 and interferon-γ mRNA levels, compared to equivalent amounts of RNA from peripheral blood lymphocytes, were much lower. 4. These results indicate that IL-10 may function in human neuroendocrine processes as it does in the murine system, thus serving as an important signal molecule for bidirectional communication between the neuroendocrine and the immune systems.
The α-chymotrypsin catalyzed hydrolysis of ethyl lactate

Abstract The pH dependence (pH 5.2–8.6) of k 3 0 and K s 0 for the α-chymotrypsin-catalyzed hydrolysis of ethyl dl -lactate in 0.10 M NaCl at 25 °C. has been determined. The value of k 3 0 first increases with pH; reaches a maximum of 0.039 sec. −1 at pH 7.8; then, decreases. The value of K s 0 decreases from 0.46 to 0.11 M with increasing pH. The kinetics have been discussed in terms of a mechanism involving three enzyme-substrate complexes. It has been tentatively concluded that the rate-determining step for ethyl lactate is the ester interchange leading to the formation of enzyme-serine lactate and the release of ethanol. A value of p K a = 6.7 was obtained for the active imidazolium group to which the lactyl is transferred before hydrolysis.
Hybrid Magnetic Nanostructures (MNS) for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Applications

The development of MRI contrast agents has experienced its version of the gilded age over the past decade, thanks largely to the rapid advances in nanotechnology. In addition to progress in single mode contrast agents, which ushered in unprecedented R1 or R2 sensitivities, there has also been a boon in the development of agents covering more than one mode of detection. These include T1–PET, T2–PET T1–optical, T2–optical, T1–T2 agents and many others. In this review, we describe four areas which we feel have experienced particular growth due to nanotechnology, specifically T2 magnetic nanostructure development, T1/T2–optical dual mode agents, and most recently the T1–T2 hybrid imaging systems. In each of these systems, we describe applications including in vitro, in vivo usage and assay development. In all, while the benefits and drawbacks of most MRI contrast agents depend on the application at hand, the recent development in multimodal nanohybrids may curtail the shortcomings of single mode agents in diagnostic and clinical settings by synergistically incorporating functionality. It is hoped that as nanotechnology advances over the next decade, it will produce agents with increased diagnostics and assay relevant capabilities in streamlined packages that can meaningfully improve patient care and prognostics. In this review article, we focus on T2 materials, its surface functionalization and coupling with optical and/or T1 agents.
Projections from the auditory cortex to the pontine nuclei in the rabbit

The pontine projection from the auditory cortex was studied in 24 New Zealand albino rabbits using the method of anterograde transport of HRP-WGA. Microinjections of HRP-WGA (0.03-0.1 microliter) were made in the auditory cortex, which was located by electrophysiological criteria. The auditory cortex was shown to project ipsilaterally to ventral and lateral regions in the caudal pontine nuclei, and to the dorsolateral pontine nuclei in more rostral sections. Labeled terminals were also occasionally seen in the caudal medial pontine nuclei. These results suggest that the auditory cortex can modulate cerebellar input from caudal regions of the pontine nuclei, which project to cerebellar regions shown to be important for classical conditioning.
The demand for energy by electric utilities

This paper looks at the use of various fossil fuel inputs in the generation of electrical energy via two-step procedure. First, aggregate energy demand is determined and second, corresponding energy fuel shares are examined. This separation suggests that energy is separable and forms a homogeneous aggregate. Finally the question of the stability of the demand for fuel inputs is addressed.
The chloroplast Twin Arginine Transport (Tat) component, Tha4, undergoes conformational changes leading to Tat protein transport.

Twin arginine transport (Tat) systems transport folded proteins using proton-motive force as sole energy source. The thylakoid Tat system comprises three membrane components. A complex composed of cpTatC and Hcf106 is the twin arginine signal peptide receptor. Signal peptide binding triggers assembly of Tha4 for the translocation step. Tha4 is thought to serve as the protein-conducting element, and the topology it adopts during transport produces the transmembrane passageway. We analyzed Tha4 topology and conformation in actively transporting translocases and compared that with Tha4 in nontransporting membranes. Using cysteine accessibility labeling techniques and diagnostic protease protection assays, we confirm an overall NOUT-CIN topology for Tha4 that is maintained under transport conditions. Significantly, the amphipathic helix (APH) and C-tail exhibited substantial changes in accessibility when actively engaged in protein transport. Compared with resting state, cysteines within the APH became less accessible to stromally applied modifying reagent. The APH proximal C-tail, although still accessible to Cys-directed reagents, was much less accessible to protease. We attribute these changes in accessibility to indicate the Tha4 conformation that is adopted in the translocase primed for translocation. We propose that in the primed translocase, the APH partitions more extensively and uniformly into the membrane interface and the C-tails pack closer together in a mesh-like network. Implications for the mode by which the substrate protein crosses the bilayer are discussed.
Intercrystalline Failure of Stainless Steel in Saline Water

FAILURE of stainless steel in chloride solutions has been the subject of several investigations, and a recent communication has commented upon similar failures arising in alkaline conditions where heat transfer occurs. Although it is generally stated that cracking due to chlorides is invariably transcrystalline, and that due to alkalis is intercrystalline, Wanklyn and Jones have reported that both forms of failure occur in alkaline solutions.
STM and XPS Study of Growth of Ce on Au(111)

The growth of Ce on Au(111) was studied with STM and XPS in UHV. Ce islands grew on Au(111) without showing a preference for nucleation at elbows, as reported for some other clusters. XPS data show...
Child Sexual Abuse and the Multidisciplinary Team Approach Contradictions in Practice

This article uses the multidisciplinary team approach to child sexual abuse as a generative site for research and explores the ways in which shifting meanings of childhood and constructions of sexually abused children and the structuring of team practice poses problems for multidisciplinary team members. It argues that understanding child sexual abuse and developing community-based practice approaches must be informed by broader perspectives. Linkages are drawn between the multidisciplinary team approach and the `businessing' of human services. A model of critical practice is suggested as a framework for considering new translations of practice with sexually abused children.
An investigation of a pulse heat rejection system with specific attention to the evaporator section

Abstract The purpose of this analysis is to show qualitatively and quantitatively the effects of a closed cycle operation on a transient pulse heat rejection system. The increase in temperature and pressure of the evaporator during the closed cycle operation are investigated. Observations are made with respect to the rate of increase in the temperature and pressure of the evaporator.
Effectiveness of Coal Combustion By-Products in Controlling Phosphorus Export from Soils

Phosphorus (P) export from high P soils is a major cause of eutrophication in fresh waters. Recent work has shown that the solubility of P in high P soils can be reduced with coal combustion by-products (CCBs), decreasing the potential for dissolved phosphorus (DP) export from these soils. However, the effect of such treatments on plant-available P and P export has not been quantified. We measured P uptake by canola (Brassica napus L.) from three high P (130-370 mg kg -1 Mehlich-3 P) soils treated with two CCBs, fluidized bed combustion flyash (FBC), flue gas desulfurization (FGD) CaSO 4 anhydride, and agricultural gypsum (GYP). We measured DP, particulate phosphorus (PP), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in runoff from grassed and bare soils treated with these materials and subjected to simulated runoff. Phosphorus, As, Cd, and Pb uptake by canola were unaffected by CCB treatment, and dry-matter yields were unrelated to treatment. On grassed soils, FBC, FGD, and GYP reduced DP concentration in runoff by 20, 43, and 33%, respectively, but did not affect As, Cd, or Pb concentrations in runoff. Also on grassed soils, the high application rate of FGD reduced TP in runoff by 35%. On bare soils where erosion of PP controlled P loss, CCBs and GYP had no effect on DP concentration in runoff. Application of CCBs to high P soils in zones of high surface runoff potential, where there is little erosion, has the potential to reduce P export without affecting crop production.
Vapor pressure and thermodynamics of orthorhombic antimony trioxide (valentinite)

Knudsen effusion measurements using a recording vacuum microbalance have been performed on powdered antimony trioxide (valentinite) over the temperature range 627 to 732 K. The vapor pressure of valentinite over this range is Third-law thermodynamic functions have been estimated for solid valentinite above 298.15 K. Thermodynamic functions for Sb 4 O 6 (g) have been computed using selected vibrational frequencies based upon available spectroscopic measurements on senarmontite (octahedral Sb 2 O 3 ) single crystals. Three unobserved fundamentals were estimated and then adjusted somewhat to yield an entropy for Sb 4 O 6 (g) consistent with that obtained from the entropy of sublimation and absolute entropy of valentinite. The entropy of Sb 4 O 6 (g) is computed to be S o (298.15 K) = (106.1 ± 4.0) cal th K −1 mol −1 . An enthalpy of sublimation Δ H o (298.15 K) = (48.18 ± 0.94) kcal th mol −1 is obtained for valentinite.
Federal Use of Implied Guarantees: Some Preliminary Lessons from the Current Financial Distress

The U.S. financial crisis and recession that began in 2007 poses profound challenges for public policy and administration. It also provides useful information about the effects of economic policies. This paper considers the implications of current developments for the use of implied guarantees as an instrument of public policy. It draws on experience with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to argue that implied federal guarantees have a severe disadvantage. Their costs are largely unmeasured, unrecognized in the budget, and unmanaged. Yet their use appears to be increasing in the current crisis. To minimize the costs of the expanded financial safety net, government should measure and manage those costs more effectively. To that end, this paper proposes new budgetary treatments of federal implied guarantees.
A Planning-Based Image Segmentation System

Most of the successful image understanding systems work because the domain is sufficiently restricted. Although variables such as the image formation process, objects in the domain and the interpretation tasks are explicitly constrained, there are many implicit constraints in the image processing steps. It can be difficult to generalize from these exemplary image understanding systems since we do not know how general this choice of steps is or if they were chosen since they "work the best." To generalize to other image understanding tasks and domains requires an explicit understanding of why the operators were chosen and their performance. Although a suitable segmentation is required for computing an accurate interpretation, no one set of low level operators will work in all image domains. A more promising approach is to develop a segmentation plan generator which uses the application goal as well as intrinsic and domain-specific knowledge to guide the segmentation processes. This paper demonstrates an intermediate level vision system which can generate an initial segmentation plan and then refines the plan to produce an optimal segmentation (for the desired goal) of the scene. The plan organizes the domain-independent and domain-dependent knowledge in a systematic way that makes the system suitable for a large and varied set of domains. This paper describes the planning approach to segmentation, an outline of the steps involved and results of the first experiments using the plan generator to segment panoramic dental radiographs.
Promises Kept: John F. Kennedy's New Frontier

Since the death of John F. Kennedy, the early hagiography has given way to a sharply critical, revisionist portrait that depicts a mediocre president whose domestic program was a dismal failure. Kennedy was a man of words, not of deeds, one critic wrote, and his achievements "were less significant than James K. Polk." But in Promises Kept, eminent historian Irving Bernstein argues that "the revisionists are dead wrong." By 1963, Kennedy had become a very effective leader and, if he had not been assassinated, there is no doubt that his whole program would have been enacted by 1965. In this brilliant reassessment of the Kennedy years based on primary sources, Bernstein vividly recreates many of the major political and social confrontations of the early '60s, especially the burgeoning struggle for civil rights. He describes the 1961 Freedom Ride bus trip that headed south to defy Jim Crow (James Farmer and six other blacks were horribly beaten when the bus arrived in Birmingham) and the violent riot on the campus of Ole Miss where a young James Meredith, with the backing of Kennedy's Justice Department, the National Guard, and the U.S. Army, became the first black ever to register at that bastion of the Deep South. Bernstein also examines Kennedy's determined fight to push through education aid bills, raise the minimum wage, establish Medicare and revitalize the American economy and create full employment. Kennedy survived the early stumbles of inexperience, Bernstein concludes, to become a master of legislative politics. By November of 1963, he had forged a working relationship with a hostile Congress and made the breakthroughs that would lead to the tax cut, the Civil Rights Act, federal aid for education, and Medicare in 1964 and 1965. A provocative new account of Kennedy's domestic achievements, Promises Kept is the first of a two-volume study of the social and economic reform programs of the 1960s. When complete, it will be a signal contribution to our understanding of recent American history.
What older adults find useful for maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits.

Abstract Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 29 adults 60 years of age and older enrolled in the SENIOR Project, a health promotion intervention study designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption and exercise among communitydwelling older adults. The focus groups explored the motivations of older adults to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables and/or exercise and the strategies used to adopt or maintain these behaviors. Participants stated that maintaining health, remaining independent, and fearing illness provided the motivation needed to adhere to these behaviors. The strategies or the behavioral processes used to adopt or maintain these behaviors included counterconditioning, helping relationships, stimulus control, and selfliberation.
The Value of Ground Carob in Rations for Chicks

Abstract THE carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua) grows in semiarid regions such as are found in the Southwestern part of the United States. Pods produced by the carob tree may be harvested in the fall with yields such that it has been considered as a crop for livestock feed production in these areas (Coit, 1950). Carob pods have been used successfully as a feed for calves, steers and horses (Woll and Voorhies, 1916; Jaffa and Albro, 1919) and Draper (1945) used algaroba meal successfully in turkey rations. It has not been tested in rations for chickens. Jaffa and Albro (1919) reported that carob pods and seeds contain the following: water, 13.28%; ash, 2.57%; protein 6.75%; fat, 2.17%; sugars, 30.52%; nitrogen-free extract (other than sugars), 39.80%; and crude fiber, 9.29%. It is evident that if carob were to be used as a poultry feedstuff, it would be principally as an energy source. Several . . .
Electron microscope observation of shear cracks in stainless steel single crystals

Abstract Electron microscope studies have been made of the propagation of shear cracks and the distribution of dislocations in the plastic zone during in situ tensile deformation of stainless steel single crystals. In thin-foil specimens under plane stress conditions, the plastic zone was coplanar with the crack and it represented the slip system of maximum resolved shear stress. The dislocations in the plastic zone were in the form of an inverse pile-up. Contrast analysis has shown that these dislocations were of pure screw type which were extended into two Shockley partials. The crack opening displacement was measured directly by counting the number of dislocations in the plastic zone and it was found to be approximately equal to the foil thickness. These observations are in good agreement with the model of shear cracks proposed by Bilby, Cottrell and Swinden (1963). The size of the plastic zone was much shorter than the value predicted by the theory and possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Expression of secretory phospholipase A2 in colon tumor cells potentiates tumor growth

Secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2-IIA) has been shown to attenuate intestinal tumorigenesis in Apc(Min) mice, demonstrating that it is a tumor modifier. To further explore the actions of sPLA2-IIA in tumorigenesis, sPLA2-IIA was overexpressed in two cell lines where it is normally absent, the murine colon tumor cell line AJ02nm0, and human colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116. Two allelic variants of sPLA2-IIA were tested in this study; sPLA2-IIA(AKR) and sPLA2-IIA(SWR), which are derived from AKR/J and SWR/J mice, respectively, and differ by a single amino acid at position 63 in the calcium- and receptor-binding domain. There was no change in cell-doubling time for either allele when compared to vector controls. Furthermore, sodium butyrate and arachidonic acid (AA)-induced cell death were unchanged in control and transfected cells. Addition of the sPLA2 substrate, palmitoyl-arachidonoyl-phosphatidic acid (PAPA), to AJ02nm0 cells resulted in a modest (12%-24%), but significant (P < 0.01), inhibition of growth that was dependent on sPLA2-IIA expression. However, when AJ02nm0 and HCT-116 cells were injected subcutaneously (sc) into nude mice, Pla2g2a expression resulted in a 2.5-fold increase in tumor size. In addition, sPLA2-IIA expressing HCT-116 tumors were found to be more infiltrative than controls. We conclude that the ability of sPLA2-IIA to slow tumor cell growth is dependent upon the availability of substrate, and that in some instances sPLA2-IIA may actually enhance tumor growth. Mechanisms that may account for differences between the tumor explant model versus the Apc(Min) model of intestinal cancer are discussed.
Arterial Infections Due to Listeria monocytogenes: Report of Four Cases and Review of World Literature

Early diagnosis and successful antimicrobial therapy have diminished the frequency of embolomycotic aneurysms, but infected aortic and small vessel aneurysms, arteriosclerotic plaques, and prosthetic grafts are becoming more common. A broad spectrum of pathogens, including Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and some unusual organisms, are associated with this change. We treated four patients (three with abdominal aortic aneurysms and one with a prosthetic graft) with arterial infections caused by Listeria monocytogenes. Only seven other cases have previously been recorded in the world literature. Infection is suspected when a palpable or radiographically defined aneurysm is present with an otherwise obscure febrile illness. In about one-third of patients, blood cultures have yielded the pathogen. Newer imaging techniques have helped confirm the diagnosis. These infections are best managed by surgical resection in combination with long-term, appropriate antimicrobial therapy with ampicillin or sulfonamides. Unlike other adult listerial infection, except endocarditis, in arterial infection, immunosuppression and malignancy are not predisposing factors.
The Burnett shock structures in low density hypersonic flows

One-dimensional shock structures in low density hypersonic flows have been studied numerically by solving the Burnett and Navier-Stokes equations. A new lower-upper scheme has been developed to obtain the steady and stationary normal shock solutions by the time-marching technique. The new scheme directly employs the implicit finite difference method without computing the eigenvalues, and it is first-order accurate in time and second-order accurate in space. The computed shock structures have been compared with available experimental data, and they are in good agreements. Numerical results show that the Burnett calculations has less numerical diffusion than the Navier-Stokes calculations does. As to the shock thickness, the Burnett solutions are apparently superior than the Navier-Stokes solutions.
Immunosuppression: What's Standard and What's New?

Lung transplantation is the ultimate treatment option for patients with end-stage lung disease. Chronic rejection, in the form of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, and noncytomegalovirus infections are the major causes of morbidity and mortality beyond the first year after transplantation. Most lung transplant recipients are treated lifelong with a three-drug immunosuppression regimen consisting of a calcineurin inhibitor, an antimetabolite, and low-dose corticosteroids. However, induction and maintenance immunosuppression strategies vary widely between centers, and a consensus on the ideal management of this patient population remains elusive. Over the past 20 years, several studies comparing the calcineurin inhibitors cyclosporine and tacrolimus and other studies comparing the antimetabolites azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil have been performed. Additionally, the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors in the treatment of lung transplant recipients and the utility of azithromycin to treat and prevent bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome are areas of active investigation. This review discusses induction and traditional maintenance immunosuppressive agents and regimens and the evidence that exists to help guide therapy. Newer research involving the use of mTOR inhibitors in place of calcineurin inhibitors or antimetabolites and azithromycin for the treatment and prevention of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome is also explored.
Evaluating forecasting models of farmland prices

Abstract A set of rigorous diagnostic tools is used to evaluate the forecasting performance of five farmland value models. The models are two variations of the present-value model (PV1 and PV2), an ARIMA, a vector autoregression (VAR), and an error-correcting model (ECM). One- and three-period-ahead out-of-sample forecasts are evaluated in terms of forecast accuracy (root mean-squared error) and the ability to predict turning points (Henriksson-Merton test). By the Henriksson-Merton test, the error-correcting model generates superior forecasts at both forecasting horizons. The vector autoregressive model performs poorly by root mean-squared error criterion, as does ARIMA in predicting turning points in the three-period-ahead forecast.
Phosvitin isolation from fish eggs: methodological improvements including 'specific' phosvitin precipitation with ferric ion.

Abstract 1. 1. Modifications of the method of Wallace et al. [Can. J. Biochem.44, 1647–1655 (1966)] for phosvitin isolation from vertebrate eggs were devised to enhance the method's general effectiveness. 2. 2. Phosvitins which do not precipitate on dilution from solutions of their lipovitellin complexes may be selectively adsorbed onto, and desorbed from, DEAE-cellulose. 3. 3. Phosvitins which are too small for dialysis or ultrafiltration may be concentrated or desalted by precipitation with stoichiometric amounts of ferric ions, followed by iron removal with EDTA on gel filtration. 4. 4. Since phosvitin distribution among ammonium sulfate fractions depends on initial protein and salt concentrations in a species-specific manner, pilot experiments are needed to establish conditions for optimal fractionation.
Buckybot: A Robot Based on the Geometry of a Truncated Icosahedron

This paper introduces Buckybot, a novel mobile platform, and investigates its kinematics and preliminary control algorithms. Buckybot is a ground-based platform whose geometry is based on a truncated icosahedron, i.e. a soccer ball with flattened sides. The platform has 20 passive hexagonal faces on which it can stably rest, and 12 rounded pentagonal faces which can be extended linearly to tilt Buckybot. The symmetric geometry of the robot makes it operational in any configuration which is ideal for a variety of deployment scenarios including throwing or dropping. Buckybot currently locomotes using a semi-static tipping gait to move between adjacent hexagonal faces. In this work, we present the design and low-level control of the Buckybot platform, explore the kinematics associated with Buckybot’s method of locomotion, experimentally characterize tipping, and investigate trajectory planning for this new mobile robot. Results demonstrate effective trajectory planning accounting for plan uncertainty.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Strongly correlated electron systems and the density matrix renormalization group

Abstract This paper briefly reviews some of the models used to study strongly correlated electron systems, and some of the numerical methods used to study them. Then one particular method, the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG), is introduced in some depth. As a demonstration of the capability of DMRG, test calculations are presented for Heisenberg spin chains.
An Ancient Portal to Proteolysis

Selective protein degradation in eukaryotes is mediated primarily by the ubiquitin-proteasome system, in which the small protein ubiquitin is covalently attached to a target protein to signal its degradation by the 26S proteasome ( 1 ). The ubiquitin-proteasome system may include as many as 1000 distinct gene products, thus constituting one of the broadest regulatory systems in nature. Recent work, including a report by Barthelme and Sauer on page 843 of this issue ( 2 ), has shed light on how this baroque pathway may have evolved and raises some unexpected possibilities for the mechanism by which proteins are delivered to proteasomes for their destruction.
Hydrogen adsorption on alkali modified aluminum

Abstract Coadsorption experiments of alkali metals and hydrogen on Al(100) are reported. The probability for H-H (D-D) dissociation and subsequent atomic adsorption is less than 1:10 4 at all alkali coverages. As a consequence, each overlayer had to be prepared by exposing the sodium or potassium modified surface to a beam of hydrogen (deuterium) atoms. We observed an attractive alkali-hydrogen interaction at all coverages. This interaction is best described as the formation of an alkali hydride in the presence of excess alkali atoms. The formation of the hydride shifts the recombination and desorption temperature of hydrogen adatoms on Al(100) from around 350 to around 500 K. While no isotope effect was detected on the clean aluminum surface (diffusion limited recombination), a significant 10–15 K shift was observed for both alkali hydrides (bond breaking). Furthermore, both alkali hydrides observed intense vibrational losses, thus revealing the ionic character of the metal-hydrogen bond. Electron energy loss spectra of an annealed monolayer of sodium hydride (deuteride) showed metal-hydrogen stretching bands at 1850 (1350) cm −1 and 1715 (1250) cm −1 , a deformation band at 800 (600) cm −1 , and a metal-metal band at 200 (200) cm −1 . Corresponding peak positions for potassium hydride (deutride) were 1650 (1200) cm −1 , 1500 (1100) cm −1 , and 775 (585) cm −1 . The metal-metal vibration could not be separated from the elastic peak because of the larger mass of potassium compared to sodium.
The effect of minor addition of insoluble elements on transformation kinetics in amorphous Al alloys

Abstract Nanocrystalline metallic materials based on partial devitrification of amorphous aluminum alloys show an attractive combination of high strength and low density. A key feature concerning the improved mechanical properties is the high number density of Al nanocrystals (1022–1023 m−3) that precipitate within the amorphous precursor structure upon low temperature annealing. For Al87Y7Fe5Pb, the melt-spun ribbons consisted of an amorphous matrix with a dispersion of Pb nanoparticles (10 nm diameter). HRTEM images of the Pb–Al interface revealed a good wetting behavior between the Al and the Pb nanoparticles. Isothermal annealing for Al87Y7Fe5Pb showed no transient stage even though the crystallization onset, Tx, was at a much lower temperature (247 °C) compared with Al88Y7Fe5 (267 °C). For Al(88−x)Y7Fe5Inx (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0), the DSC results indicated that Tx continuously decreased from 232 °C to 220 °C as the indium level increases from 0.5 at.% to 2.0 at.%. Under STEM, the image showed a coherent interface between Al and In particles. In the analysis of the transformation kinetics, the addition of minor elements can effectively promote additional nucleation of Al nanocrystals by providing heterogeneous nucleation sites. These developments offer new opportunities for the control of nanoscale microstructures.
Why Should I Believe You? The Costs and Consequences of Bilateral Investment Treaties

Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) are the primary legal mechanism protecting foreign direct investment (FDI) around the world. BITs are thought to encourage FDI by establishing a broad set of investor’s rights and by allowing investors to sue a host state in an international tribunal if these rights are violated. Perhaps surprisingly, the empirical literature connecting BITs to FDI flows has produced conflicting results. Some papers have found that BITs attract FDI, while others have found no relationship or even that BITs repel FDI. I suggest in this paper that these results stem from statistical models that do not fully capture the causal mechanisms that link BITs to FDI. Extant literature has often suggested that BITs may encourage investment from both protected and unprotected investors, yet the literature has not allowed for a full evaluation of this claim. This paper explores the theoretical underpinnings and empirical implications of an institution that works in these direct and indirect ways, and offers a statistical test that is capable of distinguishing between the two. The results indicate that: (1) BITs attract significant amounts of investment; (2) BITs attract this investment from protected and unprotected investors; and (3) these results are obscured by endogeneity unless corrected for in the statistical model.
Porous Media Thermal Modeling of an Electronic Chip With Non-Uniform Power Distribution and Cooled by Micro-Channels

Micro-channels are used for the cooling of electronic chips. However, the 3D-CFD modeling of the large number of channels in a full chip requires huge number of meshes and computation time. Although porous media modeling of micro-channels can significantly reduce the effort of simulation, most porous media models are based upon the assumption that the surface heat flux or temperature is uniform on the chip. In reality, the heat flux on the chip is usually highly non-uniform. As a result, the heat transfer coefficient along the micro-channel is not uniform. In the present study, the porous media model considers the simultaneously developing entrance effect at the micro-channel inlet, and the thermally developing entrance effect due to the severe heat flux variation along the channel. Duhamel integral is used to determine the heat transfer coefficient variation corresponding to the heat flux distribution along the channels, and comparisons are made with the rigorous conjugate conduction-convection modeling. The computing cost of this modeling method is only about 1% (including one time of iteration) of 3D-CFD simulation. To demonstrate this approach, a full scale electronic chip with realistic power distribution on the surface is modeled, and the temperature map on the chip’s heating surface is provided.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Congenital aortic septal defect with communication between aorta and pulmonary artery.

A case of congenital defect of the aortic septum is reported, together with a summary of thirteen previously described cases. The authors briefly describe their concept of the dynamics of the lesion and suggest a method of possible surgical correction, in instances where the diagnosis is made early.
Immunofluorescent localization of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase proteins in leaves of C3, C 4 and C 3-C 4 intermediate Flaveria species.

An indirect immunofluorescence technique was used to determine the intercellular compartmentation of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) proteins in leaves of five species of Flaveria, F. brownii A.M. Powell (C4), F. cronquistii A.M. Powell (C3), F. linearis Lag. (C3−C4 intermediate), F. floridana J.R. Johnston (C3−C4) and F. chloraefolia A. Gray (C3−C4). The results were compared with representative C3 and C4 plants. No strict intercellular compartmentation of either enzyme was observed in any of the five Flaveria species examined. Both carboxylase proteins were found throughout the leaf chlorenchyma of the C3Flaveria, as was also the case in Nicotiana tabacum L. (C3). A similar distribution pattern was observed not only in the three C3−C4 intermediates, but in the C4Flaveria as well. This distribution contrasted markedly with the localization patterns found in Zea mays L. (C4), where Rubisco was confined to bundle-sheath chloroplasts and PEP carboxylase to the mesophyll cytoplasm.
A Role for BMP Heterodimers in Roof Plate-Mediated Repulsion of Commissural Axons

During spinal cord development, commissural neurons extend their axons ventrally, away from the roof plate. The roof plate is the source of a diffusible repellent that orients commissural axons in vitro and, thus, may regulate the trajectory of commissural axons in vivo. Of three Bmps expressed in the roof plate, BMP7, but not BMP6 or GDF7, mimics the roof plate activity in vitro. We show here that expression of both Bmp7 and Gdf7 by roof plate cells is required for the fidelity of commissural axon growth in vivo. We also demonstrate that BMP7 and GDF7 heterodimerize in vitro and that, under these conditions, GDF7 enhances the axon-orienting activity of BMP7. Our findings suggest that a GDF7:BMP7 heterodimer functions as a roof plate-derived repellent that establishes the initial ventral trajectory of commissural axons.
Long-Range Effects on the Retinal Chromophore of Bacteriorhodopsin Caused by Surface Carboxyl Group Modification

Carboxyl groups of bacteriorhodopsin (bR) that are modified by 1-ethyl-3-[3-(trimethylamino)-propyl]carbodiimide (ETC) have been identified. Reaction of deionized purple membrane with a 400-fold molar excess of ETC or [14C]ETC for 1 h at 0 degree C incorporates about 3.5 mol of ETC/mol of bR. Proteinase K cleavage of ETC-modified bacterioopsin (bO) produced small 14C-labeled peptides. Amino acid sequence analysis showed three major ETC-modified residues: Glu 234, Asp 38, and Glu 74. Proteolysis of purple membrane with papain removes the ETC site at Glu 234. Treatment of ETC-modified, papain-cleaved purple membrane with hydroxylamine removes half of the remaining ETC label. Subsequent cleavage with chymotrypsin, followed by amino acid sequence analysis, revealed that most of the remaining label was at Glu 74. bR modified by ETC primarily at Glu 74 displays two alterations in the retinal chromophore, located in the membrane interior at a distance more than 2 nm away from the modified carboxyl group. (1) The acid-induced purple-to-blue transition undergoes a shift in apparent pK from 3.2 to 2.3. (2) The second-order rate constant for chromophore regeneration from bO and retinal is diminished from 3600 to 1700 M-1 s-1 in membrane sheets. Most of the shift in the pK of the purple-to-blue transition can be explained by the quaternary ammonium ion of ETC attached to Glu 74 overlapping the postulated location of the guanidinium group of Arg 82.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
4: Molecular inflammation in early pregnancy precedes structural remodeling of adipose tissue

hypothesis. STUDY DESIGN: This open-label multicentre randomised controlled trial took place at 13 French university hospitals and included women with singleton pregnancies admitted at 24 0 through 31 6 weeks of gestation with a cervical length 25 mm for an episode of preterm labour that was then successfully arrested by tocolytic treatment. A course of betamethasone 12 mg, repeated after 24 hours, was given intramuscularly in all patients. Women were randomly assigned (by a centralised, computer-generated randomisation process) in a 1:1 ratio to receive either 500 mg of intramuscular 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17P), started after tocolysis ended and repeated twice weekly until 36 weeks or until preterm delivery, or no treatment with 17P. Additional management in the two arms was left to the discretion of the attending physician, except that progesterone was not allowed in the control group. The primary outcome was time from randomisation to delivery, assessed according to the intention-totreat principle. RESULTS: A total of 188 women were randomised. The two groups were similar with respect to baseline characteristics. Outcome data were available for 184 women. There was no significant difference between the 17P and control groups in median [Q1-Q3] time to delivery (64 [42-79] and 67 [46-83] days, respectively; mean difference, -2; 95% confidence interval, -9 to 6) or in the rates of delivery before 37 (39% and 38%, p 0.99), 34 (16% and 20%, p 0.57), or 32 (9% vs 14%, p 0.35) weeks of gestation. Finally, rates of adverse perinatal outcomes did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSION: Biweekly injections of 500 mg of 17P did not prolong pregnancy significantly in women with an episode of preterm labour successfully arrested by tocolytic treatment.
The relationship between the physicochemical properties of antioxidants and their ability to inhibit lipid oxidation in bulk oil and oil-in-water emulsions.

Chain-breaking antioxidants differ in their effectiveness at inhibiting lipid oxidation because of their chemical properties and physical location within a food. Our objective was how the physicochemical properties of four structurally related lipid-soluble antioxidants were related to their antioxidant activity. Antioxidants differed in the number of methyl (α-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol) or hydroxyl (butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol) groups. Surface activity of the antioxidants was in the order of δ-tocopherol > α-tocopherol ≈ 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol > BHT. Free-radical scavenging activity was similar between α-tocopherol and δ-tocopherol as well as BHT and 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol. In bulk menhaden oil, BHT was a more effective antioxidant than 4-hydroxymethyl-2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol while α-tocopherol was more effective than δ-tocopherol. In menhaden oil-in-water emulsions, BHT was a more effective antioxidant than 4-hydr...
Effects of strain and grain size on carbide precipitation and corrosion sensitization behavior in 304 stainless steel

Abstract The simultaneous effects of strain and grain size on carbide precipitation and sensitization development in 304 stainless steel having a constant carbon composition of 0.051% were studied. Three different grain sizes (150 μm, 40 μm, and 15 μm) were uniaxially deformed to 10% and 20% strain, and aged in the sensitization ranges of 625°C and 775°C. 150 μm samples were also strained to 20% in liquid nitrogen and aged between 0.1 and 10 h at 670°C. At 625°C, straining of the 150 μm grain size material produced a systematic increase in carbide precipitation, sensitization development, and desensitization. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed a greater continuity of carbides along the grain boundaries in the strained samples vs the unstrained samples. At the 15 μm grain size, these strain effects were found to be far less prominent with the sensitization-desensitization process occurring much faster, and accelerated at the higher aging temperature of 775°C, i.e. sensitization-desensitization envelopes were shifted to shorter aging times. Liquid nitrogen straining produced a sub-micron, 2-phase γ/α′, sub-micron grain structure which demonstrated an almost instantaneous sensitization-desensitization behavior, when aged at 670°C, which was predicted by extrapolation of the aging data for the larger range of grain sizes (∼ 15 to 150 μm) and the 625 and 775°C aging temperatures.
Improvements in coronary heart disease risk indicators by alternate-day fasting involve adipose tissue modulations

The ability of alternate-day fasting (ADF) to modulate adipocyte parameters in a way that is protective against coronary heart disease (CHD) has yet to be tested. Accordingly, we examined the effects of ADF on adipokine profile, body composition, and CHD risk indicators in obese adults. Sixteen obese subjects (12 women/4 men) participated in a 10-week trial with three consecutive dietary intervention phases: (i) 2-week baseline control phase, (ii) 4-week ADF controlled feeding phase, and (iii) 4-week ADF self-selected feeding phase. After 8 weeks of treatment, body weight and waist circumference were reduced (P < 0.05) by 5.7 ± 0.9 kg, and 4.0 ± 0.9 cm, respectively. Fat mass decreased (P < 0.05) by 5.4 ± 0.8 kg, whereas fat-free mass did not change. Plasma adiponectin was augmented (P < 0.05) by 30% from baseline. Leptin and resistin concentrations were reduced (P < 0.05) by 21 and 23%, respectively, post treatment. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triacylglycerol concentrations were 25% and 32% lower (P < 0.05), respectively, after 8 weeks of ADF. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), C-reactive protein, and homocysteine concentrations did not change. Decreases in LDL-C were related to increased adiponectin (r = -0.61, P = 0.01) and reduced waist circumference (r = 0.39, P = 0.04). Lower triacylglycerol concentrations were associated with augmented adiponectin (r = -0.39, P = 0.04) and reduced leptin concentrations (r = 0.45, P = 0.03) post-treatment. These findings suggest that adipose tissue parameters may play an important role in mediating the cardioprotective effects of ADF in obese humans.
Introduced Canopy Tree Species Effect on the Soil Microbial Community in a Montane Tropical Forest

Within a single site in the Kohala Forest Reserve, Hawai‘i, we examined composition and diversity of soil microbial communities under four introduced (Cryptomeria japonica, Casuarina equisetifolia, Araucaria columnaris, and Eucalyptus sp.) and one native (Metrosideros polymorpha) canopy tree species, as well as pasture. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of soil bacteria, fungi, and archaea indicated that soil under the native M. polymorpha had the highest richness and greatest number of unique terminal restriction fragments, whereas soil under Eucalyptus and in pasture sites had the lowest richness. The soil microbial community differed significantly between Eucalyptus and M. polymorpha but not between the other three introduced species and M. polymorpha. The Eucalyptus microbial community was more similar to that of an adjacent deforested pasture site than to those of other forested stands. Soil pH was the environmental variable that best correlated with the variation in soil microbial community composition between tree species.
Optimizing Dose in Computed Tomographic Guided Procedures

In the recent past, computed tomography (CT) use has grown by approximately 10% per year, with 62 million examinations performed in the USA in 2006. While these studies make up only 15% of the total number of radiologic examinations, they contribute approximately half of the public exposure due to medical radiation. CT-guided procedures comprise a small, but important minority of the total number of CT scans performed each year, as a significant dose can be delivered in this setting. This article reviews techniques to optimize patient exposure during CT-guided interventions.