cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Additive photonic colors in the Brazilian diamond weevil, entimus imperialis

Structurally colored nano-architectures found in living organisms are complex optical materials, giving rise to multiscale visual effects. In arthropods, these structures often consist of porous biopolymers and form natural photonic crystals. A signature of the structural origin of coloration in insects is iridescence, i.e., color changes with the viewing angle. In the scales located on the elytra of the Brazilian weevil Entimus imperialis (Curculionidae), three-dimensional photonic crystals are observed. On one hand, each of them interacts independently with light, producing a single color which is observed by optical microscopy and ranges from blue to orange. On the other hand, the color perceived by the naked eye is due to multi-length-scale light effects involving different orientations of a single photonic crystal. This disorder in crystal orientations alters the light propagation in such a way that the crystal iridescence is removed. Entimus imperialis is therefore a remarkable example of additive photonic colors produced by a complex multi-scale organic architecture. In order to study this specific natural photonic structure, electron microscopy is used. The structure turns out to be formed of a single type of photonic crystal with different orientations within each scale on the elytra. Our modeling approach takes into account the disorder in the photonic crystals and explains why the structure displays bright colors at the level of individual scales and a non-iridescent green color in the far-field.
Magnetotransport properties of epitaxial Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3 films grown by a solution technique

Abstract Epitaxial Pr 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 films have been synthesized on (0 0 1) SrTiO 3 substrate using a chemical solution deposition technique and two-step post-annealing process. The zero field resistivity of the films shows semiconducting behavior and a characteristic of charge ordering is observed at 230 K. The resistivity of the 10 nm film did not show any effect with the magnetic field. However, melting of charge ordering was observed for the 120 nm film at an applied magnetic field of 4 T. Large decrease in the resistivity of the 120 nm film (
‘We do not talk about these things’: the promises and challenges of reflective thinking and controversial issue discussions in a Chinese high school

Broaching controversial issues with critical reflective thought is integral to a democratic education and during the past few decades China has gradually reconceptualized its moral education curricula toward this end. Therefore, this study sought to explore the extent to which controversial issues are addressed and reflective thinking is developed within one Chinese high school’s moral education classroom. Drawing on student interviews, this study found that, similar to democratic countries, students were afforded few occasions for doubt and reflective thought due to habits of dualistic thinking, traditions within curriculum and instruction, and parental roles in moral upbringing.
Interaction of dolastatin 10 with bovine brain tubulin.

Abstract Dolastatin 10 is an unusual peptide of marine origin which binds to tubulin in the vinblastine/ maytansine/phomopsin-binding region and potently inhibits mitosis. Using N , N ′-ethylenebis(iodoacetamide) (EBI) and iodo[ 14 C]acetamide as probes for the effects of ligands on the thiol groups of tubulin, we found that dolastatin 10 has effects on the sulfhydryls indistinguishable from those of phomopsin A but quite different from those of vinblastine and maytansine. Using the binding of bis-5,5'-[8-( N -phenyl) aminonaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid](BisANS) as a measure of tubulin decay, we found that dolastatin 10 resembled phomopsin A in that decay was not detectable by this assay in its presence. Interestingly, both otherwise very different peptides are among the most effective inhibitors of tubulin decay yet discovered.
Inspecting Cases against Revans' "Gold Standard" of Action Learning.

A purposive sampling and analysis of ten case histories of action learning in the US suggests that applications tend to be partial, hierarchical, and leader controlled, thus running counter in several significant ways to the gold standard of Revans' action learning theory and egalitarian rules of engagement. Using critical markers to inspect the cases reveals either significant departures from Revans' theory or, at best, silence about the degrees of attention paid to it. If standards specified are not being met in common practice, then there is reason to question whether what is called action learning may actually be falling short of the mark Revans set.
Value of circulating insulin-like growth factor-associated proteins for the detection of stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective Circulating biomarkers related to insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling are associated with disease progression in multiple carcinomas, but their potential diagnostic value for lung cancer screening has been inadequately examined. We evaluated 9 circulating IGF-related factors for their ability to assign clinical significance to indeterminate pulmonary nodules identified via computed tomography-based radiologic studies. Methods Patients (n = 224 stage I non–small cell lung cancer; n = 123 benign) were enrolled by Rush University and the Mayo Clinic and had pretreatment serum evaluated for levels of IGF-1, IGF-2, and insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) 1-7. The Mann-Whitney rank-sum test and receiver-operator characteristics curves were used to assess differences in biomarker concentrations relevant to malignant versus benign pathology. These targets were used to help refine our companion blood test for assigning clinical significance to computed tomography-detected solitary nodules (discovery cohort, n = 94) and were validated against an independent cohort from the Mayo Clinic (n = 81). Results Patients with benign pulmonary nodules were found to have serum concentrations of IGFBP-3, IGFBP-5, IGF-1, and IGF-2 that were higher ( P = .001, P P = .002, and P = .011, respectively) than those with non–small cell lung cancer, with distinct associations with histologic subtypes observed. Refinement of our multianalyte classification algorithm using IGF-related factors provided a new panel consisting of interleukin-6, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, interleukin-10, stromal cell-derived factor-1(α + β), IGFBP-4, IGFBP-5, and IGF-2 with improved assay performance—achieving a (validated) negative predictive value of 100%. Conclusions Our findings suggest a divergent role for IGF signaling in the biology of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules. Upon further validation, these observations may help identify cases of false positives resulting from computed tomography-based screening studies.
Likelihoodism, Bayesianism, and relational confirmation

Likelihoodists and Bayesians seem to have a fundamental disagreement about the proper probabilistic explication of relational (or contrastive) conceptions of evidential support (or confirmation). In this paper, I will survey some recent arguments and results in this area, with an eye toward pinpointing the nexus of the dispute. This will lead, first, to an important shift in the way the debate has been couched, and, second, to an alternative explication of relational support, which is in some sense a “middle way” between Likelihoodism and Bayesianism. In the process, I will propose some new work for an old probability puzzle: the “Monty Hall” problem.
Use of small models in design and analysis of prestressed-concrete reactor vessels☆

Abstract A series of small prestressed-concrete reactor vessel (PCRV) models was analyzed and tested to investigate the suitability of small-scale ( ≤ 1 20 ) mortar models and epoxy models for determining elastic stress distributions and cracking and failure modes of concrete vessels, and to demonstrate the relative accuracy of two- and three-dimensional elastic finite-element structural analyses of PCRV's. In addition to a small concrete vessel that served as the prototype, there were two small-scale mortar models, a prestressed epoxy model, and a simple axisymmetric epoxy model. The test results from each model were compared with those from the other models and with finite-element predictions. The prototype and the two mortar models were tested to failure with internal pressure. The prototype and one mortar model were pressurized hydraulically, but the other mortar model was tested pneumatically to examine possible differences in structural behavior. The epoxy models were tested in the elastic range only. Structural behavior of the small-scale mortar models closely duplicated that of the concrete prototype. The behavior characteristics of the two mortar models indicated that failure, whether caused by pneumatic pressure or hydraulic pressure, was gradual and not catastrophic. Both two- and three-dimensional finite-element analyses were used to analyze the models, and comparison of the predicted behavior with test results showed reasonably good agreement, even with the two-dimensional analyses, thus demonstrating the reliability of the finite-element computer analyses currently being used for evaluating PCRV's.
Cool-Season Grass Biomass in the Southern Mixed-Grass Prairie Region of the USA

Emphasis is trending toward future bioenergy production being derived from cellulosic materials rather than starch from seed crops. The majority of research on perennial biomass production for conversion to ethanol or other biofuel has used warm-season grasses as the feedstock material. Some cool-season grasses also have great potential for biomass production, even in the southern prairie region. A study was conducted for 4 years to evaluate the dry matter production potential of several cool-season grass cultivars in west-central Kansas. Ten cultivars were grown at two locations, one an upland soil and the other a lowland soil, and harvested in late June from 2007 to 2010 when fully headed with mature seed. Three cultivars, one tall [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkw. & D.R. Dewey], intermediate [T. intermedium (Host) Barkw. & D.R. Dewey], and western wheatgrass [Pascopyrum smithii (Rydb.) Love], had the greatest biomass production with 4,525–4,840 kg ha−1 dry matter averaged over four years at an upland location. At a lowland location, three cultivars, either intermediate or tall wheatgrasses, averaged 5,340–5,490 kg ha−1 dry matter over the 4 years. During the particularly moist spring of 2007, three cultivars at the upland location and eight cultivars at the lowland location produced over 9,000 kg ha−1 dry matter. All cultivars increased in plant stand frequency from 2006 to 2011, except for the western wheatgrass and Russian wildrye [Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski] cultivars that already had a high frequency before the first biomass harvest. These grasses may add versatility to production systems by not only serving as complementary forage for grazing or hay, but also by providing an alternative feedstock for cellulosic ethanol and combustion energy production.
p-(4-Azipentyl)propofol: A Potent Photoreactive General Anesthetic Derivative of Propofol

We synthesized 2,6-diisopropyl-4-[3-(3-methyl-3H-diazirin-3-yl)propyl]phenol (p-(4-azipentyl)propofol), or p-4-AziC5-Pro, a novel photoactivable derivative of the general anesthetic propofol. p-4-AziC5-Pro has an anesthetic potency similar to that of propofol. Like propofol, the compound potentiates inhibitory GABAA receptor current responses and allosterically modulates binding to both agonist and benzodiazepine sites, assayed on heterologously expressed GABAA receptors. p-4-AziC5-Pro inhibits excitatory current responses of nACh receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes and photoincorporates into native nACh receptor-enriched Torpedo membranes. Thus, p-4-AziC5-Pro is a functional general anesthetic that both modulates and photoincorporates into Cys-loop ligand-gated ion channels, making it an excellent candidate for use in identifying propofol binding sites.
Local indicability and relative presentations of groups

Abstract A relative presentation is a triple P =(A,X : R) where A is a group, X is a set, and R is a set of words in the free product A∗F(X) where F ( X ) is the free group with basis X . Under certain hypotheses on the relative presentation P , we show that (1) the group presented by P is locally indicable; (2) the pre-aspherical model for P is aspherical; (3) the Freiheitssatz holds for P . The result has applications in the computation of cohomology of groups and the field of equations over groups.
Towards stress-less user interfaces: 10 design heuristics based on the psychophysiology of stress

In this paper we identify 10 design heuristics used to minimize the number of stressors in an interface. They are meant to complement other interface design heuristics. The heuristics are based on characteristics of stressors drawn from decades of empirical study. These include both evolutionary (survival) and psychosocial sources of stressors. The list is followed by the results of an exploratory heuristic evaluation conducted on four different mobile Twitter clients. It shows how the heuristics complement Nielsen's usability heuristics by enabling designers to evaluate and differentiate interfaces along two dimensions: usability and potential for stress. The results of the paper are useful for designers and scholars interested in systems that induce, or mitigate the risk of inducing, negative psychophysiological state change. Current methods of evaluating interfaces on this dimension require user interviews and physiological monitoring.
Accurate Calculations of the Electron Affinity and Ionization Potential of the Methyl Radical

The electron affinity and ionization potential for the CH3 radical have been calculated at high levels of ab initio molecular orbital theory. The best values are obtained by extrapolating CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVxZ values where x = D, T, Q to the complete basis set limit. Zero-point energies were calculated at the CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ level and scaled to appropriate experimental values. The calculated values are EA(CH3) = 1.64 ± 0.3 kcal/mol as compared to the experimental value of 1.84 ± 0.69 kcal/mol and IP(CH3) = 9.837 ± 0.01 eV as compared to the experimental value of 9.843 ± 0.001 eV. The theoretical values included estimates of relativistic and core/valence correlation effects.
The Management of Stray Radiation Issues in Space Optical Systems

The performance of infrared and submillimeter systems can be severely degraded by stray light. Stray light includes off-axis radiation, system diffraction and scattering effects, and thermal self-emission. The purpose of this paper is to identify several keys to preventing system degradation due to stray radiation. The first key is to apply stray light design rules and analysis techniques early in the program before the design is finalized. A systems level analysis using stray light analysis software is often necessary in order to identify more subtle problems and to assess the magnitude of their effect on system performance. Another key is to address contamination control and the choice of surface coatings early in the program. The management of stray radiation issues is extremely cost-effective, if begun early in the program, and can reduce later schedule hardships.
Kinship foster care and the risk of juvenile delinquency

Abstract Formal kinship care represents the placement of a maltreated or otherwise vulnerable youth in the care and protection of a known relative or adult with a recognized kin bond. The practice of identifying and utilizing kin placements in child welfare has significantly increased over the last two decades. In part, the increased use of kinship care reflects the priorities, preferences, and mechanisms specified in federal legislation. A fairly broad literature demonstrates the value of kin homes in child welfare. Yet significant gaps in the understanding of kin homes remain, especially with regard to youth outcomes across allied service systems. In the current study we use administrative records from a large urban county and propensity score matching to investigate the relationship between kinship care placements in child welfare and the risk of delinquency. The sample (n = 13,396) is diverse and our design is longitudinal in that we follow youth through child welfare and juvenile systems for several years. The results indicate that the relative risk of delinquency is significantly greater for African American and white male adolescents served in kin homes. For Hispanic males and Hispanic females, kin homes are associated with a decreased likelihood of delinquency. There is no kin placement effect associated with African American or white females.
Surfactant adsorptivity of solid products from pulverized-coal combustion under controlled conditions

Most kinetic studies of pulverized coal char combustion have focused on the measurement or prediction of rates of solid-phase mass loss, which determine the ultimate degree of conversion of the solid fuel for a given residence time and gas environment. The strongest motivation for improving the degree of conversion in practical coal combustion systems, however, is not related to the mass of residual carbon, but to its detrimental behavior in concrete mixtures. When fly ash is added to air-entrained concrete as a partial replacement for Portland cement, the specialty surfactants, or air entraining admixtures, can be rendered ineffective by adsorption onto the surfaces of the porous residual carbon particles. This paper presents the first set of measurements of the surfactant adsorptivity of carbon-containing solid products generated during pulverized coal combustion under controlled laboratory conditions. The specific adsorptivity of the carbon is found to vary dramatically over the course of conversion, exhibiting a sharp maximum in the early stages of char combustion. The main features of the data can be explained by considering the concurrent evolution of surface area, pore structure, and elemental composition, especially oxygen content. It is also shown that surfactant adsorptivity can be greatly altered by post-combustion modification of the carbon surfaces in the form of air oxidation at temperatures above about 300°C (reduced activity) or heat treatment at 900°C in argon (increased activity). The combined results are used to describe a mechanism for the competitive adsorption process in concrete mixtures and to discuss implications for combustion systems.
Ancillary subunits and S3b amino acid substitutions alter the affinity of HpTx2 for Kv4.3

HpTx2 is an ICK gating modifier toxin that selectively inhibits Kv4 channels, making it an excellent probe for understanding Kv4 structure and function. To characterize the molecular determinants of interaction, we performed alanine scanning of Kv4.3 S3b linker. HpTx2-Kv4.3 interaction had a Kd = 2.4 μM. Two alanine mutants in Kv4.3 caused a dramatic increase in Kd: 6.4 μM for V276A and 25 μM for L275A. LV275AA nearly eliminated toxin interaction. Unlike HaTx and other well-characterized ICK toxins, HpTx2 binding does not require a charged amino acid. To determine if the identity of the amino acids altered HpTx2 specificity, we constructed LV275IF. This mutation decreased the Kd to 0.54 μM, suggesting that the hydrophobic character of the binding site is the most important property for interaction with HpTx2. Two of the alanine mutants, N280A and D282A caused stronger interaction of HpTx2 with Kv4.3; the Kd for Kv4.3 [N280A] was 0.26 μM. We propose that these mutations either remove a steric barrier to HpTx2 occupation of S3b, or that removal of these polar side chains increases toxin affinity by increasing the hydrophobic character of the binding site. To understand Kv4.3-based transient outward currents in native tissues, we tested the affinity of HpTx2 for Kv4.3 co-expressed with KChIP2b. The toxin's Kd for Kv4.3+KChIP2b was 0.95 μM. HpTx2 binds to the closed state of Kv4.3, which is stabilized by KChIP2b. We propose the increased affinity is due to the increased stabilization of the closed state. These data show that HpTx2 binding to Kv4.3 has aspects in common with other ICK gating modifier toxins, but that the interventions that increase toxin affinity suggests flexibility toward channel binding that belies its unusual specificity for Kv4 channels.
Horizon on the move: Geocast in intermittently connected vehicular ad hoc networks

Vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) is one of the most promising large-scale applications of mobile ad hoc networks. VANET applications are rooted in advanced understanding of communication networks because both control messages and data information need to be disseminated in geographic regions (i.e., Geocast). The challenges come from highly dynamic environments in VANET. Destination nodes in geocast are dynamic over time due to vehicle mobility, which undermines existing results on dissemination latency and information propagation speed with pre-determined destinations. Moreover, the affected area by the dissemination, which is referred to as horizon of message (HOM), is critical in geocast as it determines the latency for the message reaching nodes inside the area of interest (AOI), in which the message is relevant to drivers. Therefore, we characterize the HOM in geocast by how far the message can reach within time t (referred as dissemination distance) and how long the message takes to inform nodes at certain locations (referred as hitting time). Analytic bounds of dissemination distance and hitting time are derived under four types of dissemination mechanisms, which provide insights into the spatial and temporal limits of HOM as well as how the numbers of disseminators and geographic information exchanges affect them. Applying analytic and simulation results to two real applications, we observe that geocast with AOI near the source or high reliability requirement should recruit multiple disseminators while geocast with AOI far from the source need to utilize geographic information for fast message propagation.
The biophysics of plant growth in a reversed electrostatic field: A comparison with conventional electrostatic and electrokinetic field growth responses

The growth of corn and bean plants in a reversed electrostatic field (soil positive) was investigated with reference to previous data for growth in a conventional electrostatic field (soil negative) and an electrokinetic (a.c.) field. Plant and leaf tip damage was observed for high potential gradients in the reversed field. Spectroscopic analyses of the damaged plant sections revealed micro-chemical activity essentially identical to that observed for conventional electrostatic and electrokinetic field growth.While the plant and leaf polarities for all three modes of electrification were found to be essentially consistent,the severity of leaf damage for identical field conditions was less for plants grown in the reversed electrostatic field as compared with conventional field growth. Leakage currents were also higher in the reversed field environments.It appears that plant growth responses are influenced, to a large extent, by the magnitude of active current flow. A summarization of all existing data indicated that plant growth in an electric field, regardless of mode (static or dynamic) is generally retarded at leakage currents in excess of 10−5 amp, and may be stimulated for currents of 10−8 amp. Current levels of 10−16 amp and lower appeared to have no measurable effect on plant physiology.
What geomorphological characteristics accommodate emergent herbaceous wetlands in North Georgia? – geographic knowledge discovery from the NLCD and DEM

When we examine the National Land Cover Database 2006 (NLCD 2006) in a small scale, we find out that there are only 4.5 ha (50 pixels) of emergent herbaceous wetlands in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. In order to testify that it is not simply due to mapping error or uncertainty, we propose a geographic knowledge discovery (GKD) process based on NLCD. The GKD process consists of data preparation, data preprocessing, feature extraction and knowledge consolidation. A case study ‘What geomorphological characteristics accommodate emergent herbaceous wetlands in North Georgia’ is presented to illustrate the process. Geomorphological characteristics refer to digital elevation model (DEM) and eight DEM-derived variables, which are proxies to geomorphological conditions. Geographic data are inherently spatial dependent and heterogeneous and such properties are considered in data preparation. In feature extraction, the goal of the study and the nature of the data are taken into consideration to select a suitable algorithm. In knowledge consolidation, three steps of validation – with statistics, cross-validation and field survey – are presented. The proposed methods can be extended to GKD from NLCD for other purposes. The GKD results testify that the small area of emergent herbaceous wetlands in Athens-Clarke County, Georgia, is not due to mapping error or uncertainty. The case study also proves that See5 algorithm performs very well to extract the learned knowledge. The procedure that we propose with NLCD can be applied to other environmental monitoring purpose.
The Impact of T Helper and T Regulatory Cells on the Regulation of Anti-Double-Stranded DNA B Cells

Autoreactive B cells that appear to be inactivated can be found in healthy individuals. In this study, we examined the potential of these anergic cells to become activated. We show that anergy of anti-double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) B cells in BALB/c mice is readily reversed, requiring only the provision of T cell help. We further show that spontaneous loss of anergy among anti-dsDNA B cells in autoimmune lpr/lpr mice occurs in two phases: an abortive initial response to T help followed by full loss of tolerance. Strikingly, the abortive response can be reproduced in nonautoimmune mice when CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells are administered in conjunction with CD4+ T helper cells, suggesting that loss of B cell tolerance may require both the production of T cell help and the overcoming of T suppression.
Elysium Region, Mars: Tests of lithospheric loading models for the formation of tectonic features

The hypothesis that the tectonic features in the Elysium region are the product of stress produced by loading of the Martian lithosphere is tested. The lithospheric loading models for the formation of tectonic features in the Elysium region are evaluated under local loading, regional loading of the lithosphere from above and below, and quasi-global loading by Tharsis. The physiographic features in the Elysium region are described. The stress fields predicted by volcanic loading and uplift of the Martian lithosphere are compared with the tectonic features in the Elysium region. It is noted that the comparison suggests the succession of stress fields operating at different times in the region and supports the hypothesis.
Nanometer-scale surface properties of mixed phospholipid monolayers and bilayers

Mixed distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DSPE) and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) monolayers and bilayers have been deposited on mica using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, as a model system for biomembranes. Investigation with atomic force microscopy revealed phase-separation for both monolayers in air and bilayers in water in the form of microscopic DSPE domains embedded in a DOPE matrix. For the monolayers in air, the step height measured between the higher DSPE phase and the lower DOPE phase was larger than expected from the molecular lengths, and a significant contrast in adhesion and friction was observed despite identical lipid end groups. This unexpected behavior resulted primarily from a difference in the film mechanical properties, the DOPE phase being inelastically deformed by the probe. For the bilayers in water, similar trends were found in terms of height, adhesion, and friction, but an additional short-range repulsive hydration/steric force over the DSPE phase contributed to the observed differences.
Optical and Structural Characterization of Nanocrystalline Silicon Superlattices: Toward Nanoscale Silicon Metrology

Short-period superlattices consisting of nanocrystalline Si wells and amorphous SiO2 barriers were analyzed using various structural (transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and x-ray diffraction) and optical (Raman scattering and spectroscopic ellipsometry) characterization techniques. We observe parallel layers containing polycrystalline Si wells, primarily with orientation, and an interesting surface morphology due to sputtering damage. Raman spectra show a redshift and broadening due to finite-size effects. The ellipsometry data can be described using the effective medium approximation (since the superlattice period is much shorter than the wavelength of the optical excitation) or a superlattice approach based on the Fresnel equations with a polycrystalline Si dielectric function.
A cross-sectional analysis of lower genital tract intraepithelial neoplasia in immune-compromised women with an abnormal Pap.

Objectives Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections can cause intraepithelial neoplasia of the lower genital tract. Immune-compromised women have higher rates for all lower genital tract intraepithelial neoplasia. We wish to study the distribution of genital intraepithelial neoplasia in women with and without an immune system.
Incubation with moist top soils enhances solubilization of radium and other components from oil-field scale and sludge: Environmental concerns from Mississippi

Large quantities of brines are coproduced with hydrocarbons from oil and gas wells. Dissolved solutes from these brines precipitate, forming scale in and on production equipment and sludge in storage tanks. The most abundant component of these scales and sludges is barite. Radium is one of the solutes that may be incorporated into these precipitates, rendering them radioactive. One method for the disposal of scale and sludge is land spreading, in which the material is mixed into the top few centimeters of the soil and then covered with a layer of clean soil, such that the radioactivity is below governmental action levels. An assumption associated with this disposal method is that the inorganic components are highly insoluble, relatively immobile in the environment, and low in biological availability. To test this assumption, (1) radioactive scale and sludge samples were evaluated for leachability; then (2) leachability was evaluated after mixing scale and sludge samples with top soils and incubating them under moist conditions similar to what may be expected using land spreading; (3) soil-scale mixtures were also incubated wet or dry, followed by differential density separation of the scale and soil. Incubating the samples under moist conditions with top soils increased the Ra that was extractable from them by several fold. This finding is remarkable in that soil retains most of the soluble Ra added to it and soils mixed with scale or sludge retain even greater proportions of the soluble Ra added to them. The implication is that although the retained, solubilized Ra is difficult to extract from the soil, it will be much more biologically available and mobile in the environment than in its original, highly insoluble form. This conclusion is of particular concern in warm and humid climates such as those typical of Mississippi and the southeastern United States.
Chaotic Dynamics of Rotor Supported on Tilting-Pad Journal Bearing (TPJB): A Review and Current Work

The use of tilting-pad journal bearing (TPJB) has increased in the recent past due to their stability effects on the rotor bearing system. The first part of this paper presents a review of the state of the art work on rotor response when supported on TPJB. Only few published work presented results relating to the strongly nonlinear behavior, especially chaos, resulting from the use of these types of bearings. In the second part of this paper, three loading mechanisms capable of producing instabilities in terms of sub-harmonic and chaotic motions are suggested. The first one is that of a centrally loaded pad with small rotor unbalance excitations. The second one is when the load is applied between two pads. And, the third represents a concentric rotor (zero static load) acted upon by centering sprigs and unbalance excitation. After a quite extensive numerical experimentation, the resulting response shows, for certain parameters, sub-harmonic, quasi-periodic and chaotic motions.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Changing Children’s Blood Lead Level in Hungary 1986–2006

Since 1979 is it known that the lead exposure, which is held harmless for adults, can occur severe behavioral disorders, mental performance and concentration decrease in children and therefore it was necessary to reduce the environmental lead exposure. In Hungary in the mid-1980s the lead content of petrol were progressively reduced. The first specific study on blood lead level of children was carried out in the years 1985 and 1986, and it showed a significant difference between children living in city center and outer districts in Budapest. The significance between blood lead level and lead concentration in air was stronger in children than in adults. In the early 1990s our studies showed, that blood-lead level was still above 10-g/dL in 8–13% of urban children, higher than 20 g/dL blood-lead levels were measured only sporadically. Seven years after the introduction of unleaded petrol the average blood-lead level of children was significantly lower, between 1996 and 2006 is the difference more than 60%, however our studies showed also, that petrol lead content is not the only exposure source affecting the blood-lead level. In the next decade is expected moderate elevated blood-lead level in children, which reminds us to reduce the environmental lead pollution.
ABC Transporter for Corrinoids in Halobacterium sp. Strain NRC-1

ABSTRACT We report evidence for the existence of a putative ABC transporter for corrinoid utilization in the extremely halophilic archaeon Halobacterium sp. strain NRC-1. Results from genetic and nutritional analyses of Halobacterium showed that mutants with lesions in open reading frames (ORFs) Vng1370G, Vng1371Gm, and Vng1369G required a 105-fold higher concentration of cobalamin for growth than the wild-type or parent strain. The data support the conclusion that these ORFs encode orthologs of the bacterial cobalamin ABC transporter permease (btuC; Vng1370G), ATPase (btuD; Vng1371Gm), and substrate-binding protein (btuF; Vng1369G) components. Mutations in the Vng1370G, Vng1371Gm, and Vng1369G genes were epistatic, consistent with the hypothesis that their products work together to accomplish the same function. Extracts of btuF mutant strains grown in the presence of cobalamin did not contain any cobalamin molecules detectable by a sensitive bioassay, whereas btuCD mutant strain extracts did. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the BtuF protein is exported to the extracellular side of the cell membrane, where it can bind cobalamin in the absence of BtuC and BtuD. Our data also provide evidence for the regulation of corrinoid transport and biosynthesis. Halobacterium synthesized cobalamin in a chemically defined medium lacking corrinoid precursors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first genetic analysis of an archaeal corrinoid transport system.
Error Tolerance of DNA Self-Healing Assemblies by Puncturing

Self-assembly is affected by high error rates due to incorrect tiles in nano-technology manufacturing. Tile sets that can heal (fully or partially) an erroneous assembly have been proposed. Self-healing requires growth to be restarted such that erroneous tiles can be removed and the correct tiles to bind to the aggregate. Punctures can be used for this purpose. The goal of this paper is to characterize an intentionally induced puncture (and its relevant properties) on an erroneous tile site in the assembly. This allows to propagate any newly generated error away from the source of growth (i.e. the seed tile), such that self-assembly can continue along specific directions. Different types of puncture are considered with respect to growth direction, error and aggregate types. Puncture resilience is analyzed using a new characterization metric; different tile sets are investigated in detail. Analytical and simulation results are provided.
A comparison of programming models for multiprocessors with explicitly managed memory hierarchies

On multiprocessors with explicitly managed memory hierarchies (EMM), software has the responsibility of moving data in and out of fast local memories. This task can be complex and error-prone even for expert programmers. Before we can allow compilers to handle this complexity for us, we must identify the abstractions that are general enough to allow us to write applications with reasonable effort, yet specific enough to exploit the vast on-chip memory bandwidth of EMM multi-processors. To this end, we compare two programming models against hand-tuned codes on the STI Cell, paying attention to programmability and performance. The first programming model, Sequoia, abstracts the memory hierarchy as private address spaces, each corresponding to a parallel task. The second, Cellgen, is a new framework which provides OpenMP-like semantics and the abstraction of a shared address space divided into private and shared data. We compare three applications programmed using these models against their hand-optimized counterparts in terms of abstractions, programming complexity, and performance.
Intestinal Disease in Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome: Occurrence of Colitis and Relation to Genotype

Background & Aims: Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS), a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by oculocutaneous albinism and platelet dysfunction, results from mutations in 1 of at least 7 different genes. Some patients develop a fatal pulmonary fibrosis and others a disabling colitis. This study aimed to document the occurrence of colitis among HPS patients, characterize gastrointestinal tract involvement in HPS, and analyze the distribution of colitis among HPS genotypes. Methods: Of the 122 HPS patients followed at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center between 1993 and 2005, 24 were evaluated by endoscopy for gastrointestinal complaints. The histology of gastrointestinal biopsies was retrospectively examined to assess for inflammatory changes, granulomata, and pigmented macrophages. These data were compared with symptoms and HPS genetic subtypes. Results: At colonoscopy, 7 of 23 patients (30%) had endoscopic mucosal abnormalities, including nodularity, erythema, petechiae, or erosions. Six of these 7 patients (86%) had findings of colitis on biopsy. Of the 16 patients with normal-appearing colonic mucosa, 2 patients (12%) had colitis on biopsy. Pigmented macrophages were also observed in the colonic lamina propria in 16 of the 23 patients (70%). Of the 8 patients with confirmed colitis, 7 had the HPS-1 subtype, and 1 had the HPS-4 subtype. Conclusions: There is an increased frequency of colitis in our population of 122 HPS patients (8/122, 7%) and in HPS patients referred specifically for symptom evaluation (8/24, 33%). Colitis was found in patients with HPS-1 and HPS-4 genotypes.
Contribution of Membrane Trafficking Perturbation to Retinal Toxicity

The retina is a highly structured tissue that is formed by layers containing 7 different cell types. The photoreceptor cell is a specialized type of neuron in the retina that is capable of absorbing and converting light into electrophysiological signals. There is a constant renewal process for photoreceptors consisting of intermittent shedding of the distal tips of the photosensitive outer segment and subsequent phagocytosis (uptake, degradation and recycling) by retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells. This rebuilding process is essential for vision and the survival of photoreceptors and RPE cells. Drugs with a basic moiety have the potential to accumulate in the lysosome and impair its functions including the phagocytosis process, which could hinder clearance of outer segments and ultimately induce retinopathy. To determine the prevalence of this cellular mechanism in retinal toxicity, a collection of proprietary compounds associated with retinal toxicity were subjected to a battery of in vitro tests using the human adult retinal pigmented epithelium cell line, ARPE-19. The tests included a phagocytosis assay, and lysosomal and autophagosomal staining. The compounds that induced retinopathy clustered in the basic and lipophilic region, which drives lysosomal sequestration. This accumulation coincided with phagocytosis inhibition and an increase in autophagosome staining, suggesting a blockage of the membrane trafficking process. A correlation between the physicochemical properties and in vitro lysosomal pathway effects was established. These data reveal the importance of physicochemical properties of compounds and lysosome accumulation as a potential mechanism for drug-induced retinopathy and demonstrate the usefulness of in vitro screening in predicting this liability.
Biochemical genetics of nitrogen fixation.

This chapter will introduce the subject of nitrogen fixation and will stress the biochemical aspects. Subsequent papers on nitrogen fixation in this volume will focus on the molecular biology and regulation of the system in several different organisms. For a more detailed background, the reader may want to consult one or more reviews dealing with the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis1,2,3,4,5,6,7 or those dealing with the biochemistry of nitrogen fixation in free-living bacteria3,6,8,9. Both the biochemistry and molecular biology of nitrogen fixation are quite complex and breakthroughs in one area of nitrogen fixation research frequently impact on other areas.
Review: One-pot synthesis protocol for highly functionalized benzofuran scaffold

Benzofuran scaffold appears frequently in natural products, commercial libraries, biologically and pharmaceutically relevant compounds. The presence of substituent handles help to diversify the structure further. Various classes of reactions such as enzyme-catalyzed, transition metal-catalyzed, base, acid and photochemical-induced cyclization were reported in the last few decades. Several modified protocols such as microwave-based and solid-phase reactions are recently reported with improved yield and scope of the reaction. This review provides an insight into one-pot transformation reactions for synthesis of functionalized benzofuran scaffold.
Lattice model calculation of the configurational entropy change for athermal mixtures

The lattice model treatment of athermal mixtures is reexamined by considering a two step process in which a growing chain forms an interference with a completed molecule. The expectancy, f, that an interference will arise is given by the product of the respective probabilities, P, and Q, that each step will occur. For low solute concentrations, the result is nearly the same as a revised form of the equation derived in various ways by Huggins, Miller, Orr, and Guggenheim. The same result is obtained for linear, bent, or branched molecules, but only so long as no ring-forming intramolecular contacts exist. Dilute solutions of coiling polymer molecules require special treatment, due to a variable number of intramolecular 2-2 contacts that depends upon the average molecular configuration. Branching, through its effect on molecular configuration, will after the dilute solution properties. The effect of branching and intramolecular contacts should become less important as the polymer concentration is increased. As the volume fraction of solute is increased, both of the probabilities, P and Q, become rapidly varying functions of this variable. An approximate calculation based on the two-step encounter process yields values for f nearly equal to the average expectancy f that a randomly selected site will be occupied. The latter was empolyed in the treatment of Flory. Thus, the refinements introduced by Huggins and others are only applicable to dilute solutions of noncoiling molecules. This furnishes an explanation for the observation that the proposed refinements do not improve the agreement with experiment shown by the simpler expression due to Flory.
Combining culture techniques for Bartonella: The best of both worlds

ABSTRACT In this study we compared some common Bartonella culturing methodologies using four diverse species causing human illnesses. Based on a review of the literature, we focused on three major inconsistencies between protocols: base medium, cell coculture, and temperature. Our data showed that Bartonella tamiae demonstrated temperature-dependent growth limitations between common culturing conditions only 2°C apart. Additionally, growth of B. quintana was significantly enhanced by the presence of mammalian cell coculture under mammalian cell culture conditions; however, when the medium was modified to incorporate insect cell culture-based medium, coculturing with mammalian cells was no longer needed. In this study, we were able to overcome these temperature- and cell-dependent limitations and accommodate all of the strains tested by combining mammalian cell culture-based medium with insect cell culture-based medium.
A network for recursive extraction of canonical coordinates

A network structure for canonical coordinate decomposition is presented. The network consists of two single-layer linear subnetworks that together extract the canonical coordinates of two data channels. The connection weights of the networks are trained by a stochastic gradient descent learning algorithm. Each subnetwork features a hierarchical set of lateral connections among its outputs. The lateral connections perform a deflation process that subtracts the contributions of the already extracted coordinates from the input data subspace. This structure allows for adding new nodes for extracting additional canonical coordinates without the need for retraining the previous nodes. The performance of the network is evaluated on a synthesized data set.
The Renal Pelvis: Machinery That Concentrates Urine in the Papilla

Two decades ago, Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen and Bruce Graves documented the rhythmic contractions of the renal pelvis in a remarkable video, visually demonstrating how peristaltic waves empty the papilla and how the subsequent elastic recoil draws water from the collecting duct and into the tethered-open ascending vasa recta. Thus a periodic hydrostatic gradient generates an axial osmotic gradient. This review recapitulates the video and offers a link to figures and scenes digitized from the original tape.