cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of antibody immobilization strategy on molecular recognition force microscopy measurements

A systematic evaluation of the effects of antibody immobilization strategy on the binding efficiency and selectivity (e.g., ability to distinguish between specific and nonspecific interactions) of immunosurfaces prepared with F(ab') antibody fragments of rabbit Immunoglobulin G (IgG) is described. F(ab') was attached to gold surfaces either (1) directly via the formation of a gold-thiolate bond or (2) indirectly through a series of a bifunctional linkers containing an alkane chain or ethylene glycol spacer. Immobilization of F(ab') via the sulfhydryl reactive group located opposite the antigen binding site ensured optimum orientation of the antigen binding site. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) were used to confirm surface modification with the bifunctional linkers and antibody immobilization, respectively. Binding efficiency assays performed with SPR indicated that increasing the length of the linker increased the antigen binding efficiency. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) adhesion force measurements indicated that AFM probes functionalized with directly immobilized F(ab') more effectively discriminated between specific and nonspecific surface-bound proteins than probes modified indirectly via linker-immobilized F(ab'). In addition, a greater number of antibody-antigen binding events were observed with directly immobilized F(ab')-functionalized probes.
Ovarian steroid modulation of [3H]muscimol binding in the spinal cord of the rat.

Abstract [ 3 H]Muscimol binding was measured in the lumbar spinal cord of female rats by in vitro quantitative autoradiography. Ovariectomized rats were treated subcutaneously with either oil, estradiol benzoate (EB) or EB plus progesterone (P) in a regime known to reliably induce sexual receptivity. The level of [ 3 H]muscimol binding was highest in laminae I–III and in the region around the central canal. Binding was lower in laminae IV–VI and was frequently undetectable in the ventral horn. There was a significant increase in the level of binding in laminae I–III after EB treatment. There was also a significant increase after treatment with EB+P in comparison to both the ovariectomized and EB-treated groups in this same region of the spinal cord.
In vivo cytotoxicity assays with 111In-labeled tumor cells: comparison with [125I]iododeoxyuridine-labeled cells and effects of chelators and inoculation site.

The fate of cells inoculated in nude mice can be determined using human tumor cells prelabeled with 111In oxine (111InOx). To facilitate elimination of extracellular 111In released from killed cells, an appropriate metal chelating agent is administered to the host mice. With calcium disodium edetate administered by various routes, highly significant differences in the rates of 111In loss were observed for viable compared to killed cells after i.p. or i.m. inoculation. Radioactivity was eliminated at similar rates for mice bearing viable cells labeled with 111In or with [125I]iododeoxyuridine (125IUdR). For killed cells, 111In was eliminated somewhat less efficiently than 125I. The 111In-prelabeling method allows facile and sensitive determination of host-mediated cytotoxicity for inoculated tumor cells.
Managing Community: Professional Community in Charter Schools Operated by Educational Management Organizations.

This article examines ways in which entities external to schools, in this case for-profit educational management organizations (EMOs), can influence development of school professional community. Drawing on case studies of six charter schools operated by three EMOs, we examine the five elements of professional community described by Kruse, Louis, and Bryk; supports and barriers to development of professional community; and the role of EMOs in influencing supports and barriers. We found that in these cases, EMO staff influenced professional community in important ways through the design of their programs (including structures they set up for use of time and staffing) and their informal relationships with schools (including their roles as “cheerleaders,” constructive critics, flexible keepers of the model, and reliable managers). The findings of this exploratory study provide a basis for future research on how external entities such as EMOs can influence professional community.
The Hsp70 member, Ssa1, acts as a DNA-binding transcriptional co-activator of laccase in Cryptococcus neoformans

Hsp70 proteins are a well-known class of chaperones that have also been described to have roles in cellular regulation. Here, we show that a Cryptococcus neoformans Hsp70 homologue Ssa1 acts as a DNA-binding transcriptional co-activator of the fungal virulence factor, laccase, via binding to a GC-rich element within the 5'-UAS in response to glucose starvation, iron, copper, calcium and temperature. In addition, Ssa1 forms a regulatory complex with heat shock transcription factor and TATA-binding protein during laccase induction. Furthermore, deletion of Ssa1 results in reduced laccase and attenuated virulence using a mouse model. These results indicate that Hsp70 functions as a stress-related transcriptional co-activator required for fungal virulence.
Functional neuroimaging: a new generation of human brain studies in obesity research

Summary Obesity is predominantly caused by overeating, an abnormal behaviour for which there is no unequivocal neurophysiological explanation. Functional neuroimaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have recently emerged as new tools to search for regions of the brain that are involved in the regulation of eating behaviours and those that are involved in the pathophysiology of obesity. Using these techniques, a limited number of studies have provided the first in vivo images of the human hypothalamic response to nutritional stimuli and revealed the complexity of the human brain response to hunger, taste, and satiation. Selective differences have been reported in the functional architecture of the brain of obese and lean individuals. We discuss current use and possible future developments of functional neuroimaging applied to obesity research. We conclude that functional neuroimaging provides an increasingly important tool for investigating how different regions of the brain work in concert to orchestrate normal eating behaviours and how they conspire to produce obesity and other eating disorders.
Effect of bending moment on the dynamic fracture of a beam or plate under tensile loading

Abstract The dynamic fracture response of a long beam of brittle elastic material under tensile loading is studied. If the magnitude of the applied loading is increased to a critical value, a crack is assumed to propagate across the beam cross section. As an extension of previous work, an induced bending moment generated during fracture is incorporated into the analysis and this improved formulation is presented. The crack length, crack tip speed, axial force and bending moment on the fracturing section are determined as functions of time after crack initiation. It is found that the bending moment has a significant effect on the fracture process in that it tends to retard fracture and causes a drastic change in the slope of the loading curve for large crack depths. Finally, by appropriate change of the elastic modulus, the results may be applied to plane strain fracture of a plate in pure tensile loading.
Psychological evaluation and preparation of the patient and family

The suspected and confirmed diagnosis of cancer places stress on the patient and the family. In addition to the feelings of helplessness, guilt, frustration, alienation, and vulnerability that a diagnosis of cancer provokes, the diagnosis of gynecologic cancer can exacerbate these feelings due to its relationship to the perceived physiologic core of femininity, sexuality, and motherhood. Evaluation of the patient's existing coping skills, perceived seriousness of the illness, anticipated loss of control over physical functioning, and available family support is an essential part of the treatment plan. Preparing the patient and family for diagnosis and treatment is enhanced by supportive intervention techniques such as provision of accurate information, exploration of the patient's fears and fantasies, restoration of degrees of control in the patient's life, and exposure to peer support groups.
Evaluation of child safety seat checkpoint events

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of child safety seat checkpoints in generating change in child restraint practice to reduce the prevalence and extent of misuse. METHODS: Child safety seats underwent an initial checkpoint evaluation and participants received a training session. Participants were asked to return within 6-12 months to a checkpoint for follow-up evaluation. During each visit, a data collection sheet was used to assess the participants' use of their child safety seat, and to subsequently calculate a restraint misuse score to characterize the child safety seat's usage before and after the intervention. RESULTS: During the period of study, 42 participants underwent both the initial and follow-up child safety seat check. Before the intervention, at least one misuse was identified in 100% of installed child safety seats. After the intervention, there was a significant reduction in the proportion of rear-facing child safety seats (18.8%) and forward-facing child safety seats (64.0%) that had at least one misuse (p<0.001). Almost all (93.4%) of those using rear-facing child safety seats and the majority (64.0%) of those using forward-facing child safety seats improved their safety score as measured after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Although misuse was universally observed, child safety seat checkpoint events were successful in improving usage practices. Language: en
Magnetic-field and temperature dependencies of the electrical resistance near the magnetic and crystallographic first-order phase transition of Gd 5 ( S i 2 Ge 2 )

The magnetic field (0 to 4 T) and temperature (5 to 320 K) dependencies of the electrical resistance of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{5}{(\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2})$ have been measured. Upon heating in zero-magnetic field ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{5}{(\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2})$ undergoes a simultaneous magnetic and crystallographic phase transition at about 276 K. The electrical resistance of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{5}{(\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2})$ changes drastically and has significant temperature and magnetic-field hystereses. The magnetoresistance has a negative peak of -26% between 274 and 295 K in a 4 T magnetic field, which is associated with the transition from the low-temperature, low-resistance ferromagnetic orthorhombic to the high-temperature, high-resistance paramagnetic monoclinic phase. The increase of the total resistance upon transformation from the magnetically ordered orthorhombic to magnetically disordered monoclinic phase correlates with the differences between the two crystallographic modifications of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{5}{(\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2}).$ The behavior of the electrical resistance as a function of magnetic field between 262 and 282 K shows the presence of temperature-dependent critical magnetic fields, which can reversibly transform both the magnetic and crystal structures of the material. The magnetic phase diagram obtained from the magnetic-field and temperature dependencies of the electrical resistance of ${\mathrm{Gd}}_{5}{(\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}}_{2}{\mathrm{Ge}}_{2})$ is proposed.
Electron stimulated C–F bond breaking kinetics in fluorine-containing organic thin films

Abstract By monitoring the variation in the fluorine content and the distribution of CF x (x=0–3) species in a semifluorinated self-assembled monolayer (CF-SAM) upon prolonged X-ray irradiation, the electron stimulated C–F bond breaking kinetics in fluorine-containing organic films has been determined. At short irradiation times, X-ray irradiation induced changes in the film's chemical composition are consistent with the presence of C–F, C–C and S–Au bond cleavage events. In contrast, C–F bond breaking is identified as the dominant kinetic process for longer X-ray exposures. The kinetics of X-ray induced defluorination are consistent with a first-order decay process mediated by a series of consecutive C–F bond breaking events (e.g., CF→C) whose rate constants are in excellent agreement with a stochastic model of defluorination.
Information, rational beliefs and equilibrium refinements

Abstract Given an extensive game G , three subsets of the normal-form equivalence class of G are defined: the subset of simultaneous games [denoted by Sim( G )] the subset of subgame-proserving quasi-simultaneous games [denoted by SubSim( G )] and, finally, the subset consisting of the game G itself. We show that by applying the notion of rational profile of beliefs (which is formulated independently of the notion of strategy and therefore of Nash equilibrium) to the games in Sim( G ) one obtains exactly the Nash equilibria of G , by applying it to the games in SubSim( G ) one obtains exactly the subgame-perfect equilibria of G and, finally, by applying it to G itself one obtains a (strict) refinement of subgame-perfect equilibrium.
Salesforce automation tool selectivity: an agency theory perspective

Purpose – A strong and repeating theme in sales force automation (SFA) tool research is perceived usefulness. When salespeople perceived high levels of SFA tool usefulness, they report higher intent and actual use. The authors aim to apply agency theory to the concept of perceived usefulness (from the technology acceptance model) to explain why salespeople adopt some forms of SFA and reject still others. A set of hypotheses are proposed and tested revealing that salespeople will decide to use a SFA tool because they perceive it to be useful to themselves (i.e. PUsp) and to their management (PUsm).Design/methodology/approach – Based on responses from 105 salespeople, the SFA tools they used were categorized as either outcome‐based (i.e. helping salespeople achieve their selling outcome goals) or activity‐based tools (i.e. helping management monitor selling activities/behaviors). Regression analyses were used to test six hypotheses relating salespeople's usage of each category of tools (the dependent variab...
Adsorption of fermentation inhibitors from lignocellulosic biomass hydrolyzates for improved ethanol yield and value-added product recovery

It is shown that certain zeolites can selectively adsorb representative fermentation inhibitors (5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), furfural and vanillin) from biomass hydrolyzates with minimal loss of sugars improving significantly the ethanol yield of the fermentation process. The potential for recovering the inhibitors for further use as industrially valuable compounds by preferential adsorption on appropriately chosen zeolites is also demonstrated.
Hot luminescence in polyacetylene

Abstract We propose that the unusual frequency dependent lineshapes observed in Raman scattering experiments on polyacetylene are due to hot luminescence in very long polyene chains. Employing a generalized equation of motion technique we find that a photoexcited polyene is unstable with respect to a variety of symmetry lowering distortions which vary as a function of the frequency of the exciting radiation. Radiative decay during this relaxation is observably strong in the inelastically scattered photon spectrum and would explain the dominant observed lineshape variations.
Role of major vascular resection in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Background Historically, direct vascular extension of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has often been considered a contraindication to resection. However, recent studies have suggested safety and efficacy of hepatectomy with major vascular resection in this patient population. The aim of this study was to investigate the short and long-term clinical outcomes of patients with ICC treated with hepatectomy with or without major vascular resection.
Mobile health monitoring through biotelemetry

As the population ages and the risk of chronic disease increases, the cost of healthcare will rise. Technology for mobile telemetry could reduce cost and improve the efficiency of treatment. In order to achieve these goals, we first need to overcome several technical challenges, including sufficient system lifetime, high signal fidelity, and adequate security. In this paper we present the design, implementation, and evaluation of a Mobile Biotelemetric System (MBS) that addresses these remote medical monitoring challenges. MBS comprises a custom low-power sensor node that accurately collects and analyzes electrocardiogram (ECG) data, a client service with a multifaceted policy engine that evaluates the data, and a web portal interface for visualizing ECG data streams. MBS differs from other remote monitoring systems primarily in the policy engine's ability to provide flexible, robust, and precise system communication from end-to-end and to enable tradeoffs in metrics such as power and transmission frequency. We show that, given a representative set of ECG signals, policies can be set to make the operation of the hardware and software resilient against transient ECG conditions. Further, we incorporate state-of-the-art security practices to safeguard our data and foil common attacks.
Nuclear pairing models

Abstract We calculate nuclear pairing gaps for nuclei throughout the periodic system in both the BCS and Lipkin-Nogami pairing models. The energy levels required for the calculations are obtained from the folded-Yukawa single-particle model for ground-state shapes obtained in the macroscopic-microscopic approach by minimizing the total potential energy with respect to ϵ 2 and ϵ 4 shape degrees of freedom. For both pairing models we study two proposed forms for the effective-interaction pairing gap that is used to determine the pairing-gap parameter G that enters directly into the pairing equations. By comparing the calculated pairing gaps to experimental odd-even mass differences we determine parameter values for the proposed forms of the effective-interaction pairing gap by least-squares minimization. These comparisons to data lead to a preferred form for the effective-interaction pairing gap and to values of its parameters for both the BCS and Lipkin-Nogami models. From this microscopic study we conclude that no explicit isospin dependence is required for the effective-interaction pairing gap that is used to determine the pairing-gap parameter G .
Age and Racial Differences among PSA-Detected (AJCC Stage T1cN0M0) Prostate Cancer in the U.S.: A Population-Based Study of 70,345 Men.

Purpose: Few studies have evaluated the risk profile of PSA-detected T1cN0M0 prostate cancer, defined as tumors diagnosed by needle biopsy because of elevated PSA levels without other clinical signs of disease. However, some men with stage T1cN0M0 prostate cancer may have high-risk disease, thus experiencing inferior outcomes as predicted by a risk group stratification model. Methods: We identified men diagnosed with stage T1cN0M0 prostate cancer from 2004-2008 reported to the SEER program. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the probability of intermediate-risk (PSA >10 ng/ml but 20 ng/ml, and/or GS ≥8), relative to low-risk disease (PSA <10 ng/ml and GS ≤6), adjusting for age, race, marital status, median household income, and area of residence. Results: A total of 70,345 men with PSA-detected T1cN0M0 prostate cancer were identified. Of these, 47.6%, 35.9%, and 16.5% presented with low-, intermediate-, and high-risk disease, respectively. At baseline (50 years of age), risk was higher for black men than for whites for high-risk disease (OR 3.31, 95% CI 2.85-3.84). The ORs for age (per year) for high-risk disease relative to low-risk disease were 1.09 (95% CI 1.09-1.10) for white men, and as 1.06 (95% CI 1.05-1.07) for black men. Further, among a subgroup of men with low PSA (<10 ng/ml) T1cN0M0 prostate cancer, risk was also higher for black man than for white men at baseline (50 years of age) (OR 2.70, 95% CI 2.09-3.48). The ORs for age (per year) for high-risk disease relative to low-risk disease were 1.09 (95% CI 1.09-1.10) for white men, and as 1.06 (95% CI 1.05-1.07) for black men. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of men with PSA-detected prostate cancer as reported to the SEER program had high-risk disease. Black race and older age were associated with a greater likelihood of high-risk disease.
Voices of the past: a review of Paleozoic and Mesozoic animal sounds

Here, I present a review and synthesis of fossil and neontological evidence to find major trends in the pre-Cenozoic evolution of animal acoustic behaviour. Anatomical, ecological and phylogenetic data support the following scenario. Stridulating insects, including crickets, performed the first terrestrial twilight choruses during the Triassic. The twilight chorus was joined by water boatmen in the Lower Jurassic, anurans in the Upper Jurassic, geckoes and birds in the Lower Cretaceous, and cicadas and crocodilians in the Upper Cretaceous. Parallel evolution of defensive stridulation took place multiple times within Malacostraca, Arachnida and Coleoptera. Parallel evolution of defensive and courtship-related sound production took place in Actinopterygii, possibly as early as the Devonian. Defensive vocalisations by tetrapods probably did not appear until their predators acquired tympanic ears in the Permian. Tympanic ears appeared independently in Diadectomorpha, Seymouriamorpha, Parareptilia, Diapsida an...
Identity of common phosphoprotein substrates stimulated by interleukin 2 and diacylglycerol suggests a role of protein kinase C for IL 2 signal transduction

Interleukin 2 (IL 2) is a polypeptide growth factor essential for the proliferation and differentiation of T lymphocytes, large granulocytic lymphocytes, and, potentially, cells of the antibody-producing lineage, B lymphocytes. Many of the biological properties of IL 2 may be mimicked or potentiated by a potent class of tumor promoters, phorbol esters. Phorbol esters have recently been shown to associate with and activate a unique phospholipid/Ca2+-dependent phosphotransferase, protein kinase C (PK-C). Utilizing two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we have compared the IL 2 and diacylglycerol-induced protein phosphorylation patterns of several IL 2-dependent murine cell lines. Both IL 2 and synthetic diacylglycerol, 1-oleyl-2-acetylglycerol (OAG), stimulated phosphorylation of a number of protein substrates in intact cells compared to unstimulated controls. Three groups of substrates were identified; the first showed increased phosphorylation following stimulation with either IL 2 or OAG, while the second and third groups showed increased phosphorylation following stimulation with IL 2 but not OAG, and with OAG but not IL 2, respectively. Here, we characterize the kinetics of phosphorylation of one cellular substrate, p68, which appears to be phosphorylated in response to direct activators of PK-C or lymphoid or myeloid growth factors in their respective lineage cell lines. The observation that IL 2 also stimulates a unique series of phosphoproteins in addition to those induced by direct PK-C activators suggests that IL 2 may initiate additional protein kinase activities, unrelated to PK-C, which may also be critical for the ligand-receptor signal transduction process regulating growth and gene expression.
Was the revolution televised?: Professional criticism about “the Cosby show”; and the essentialization of black cultural expression

This study tracks the normative beliefs about race and race relations that structure the professional commentary about The Cosby Show. These beliefs, articulated by the competing racial discourses of assimilation and pluralism, result in conflicting and contradictory definitions of race and racial difference that truncate the ability of television's professional critical community to assess the construction of Blackness in the series as a cultural statement independent of the White‐American experience.
Biological therapy of psoriasis

The treatment of psoriasis has undergone a revolution with the advent of biologic therapies, including infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, efalizumab, and alefacept. These medications are designed to target specific components of the immune system and are a major technological advancement over traditional immunosuppressive medications. These usually being well tolerated are being found useful in a growing number of immune-mediated diseases, psoriasis being just one example. The newest biologic, ustekinumab, is directed against the p40 subunit of the IL-12 and IL-23 cytokines. It has provided a new avenue of therapy for an array of T-cell-mediated diseases. Biologics are generally safe; however, there has been concern over the risk of lymphoma with use of these agents. All anti-TNF-alpha agents have been associated with a variety of serious and "routine" opportunistic infections.
Dissociation between amino-oxyacetic acid-induced depression of spinal reflexes and the rise in cord GABA levels.

Abstract Amino-oxyacetic acid (AOAA, 15–60 mg/kg produced a slow, dose-dependent depression of all segmentally evoked dorsal and ventral root activity in acute spinal cats. Amino-oxyacetic acid also increased cord gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels over a similar time course. However, several findings indicate that no causal relationship exists between these two observations. Small doses of AOAA (15 mg/kg) failed to induce depressant actions on spinal reflexes, although they more than doubled cord GABA levels. When 30 mg/kg of AOAA was administered to cats in which GABA synthesis was inhibited by semicarbazideS pretreatment, only a slight increase in cord GABA levels occurred, hut the monosynaptic and polysynaptic reflexes were depressed at the same rate as in unpretreated animals. Though GABA probably serves as a transmitter in pathways mediating primary afferent depolarization, AOAA did not selectively depress presynaptic inhibition. It also failed to augment the dorsal root reflex, an action which would signal an increase in primary afferent depolarization. It is thus concluded that the depressant actions of AOAA on spinal reflexes are not mediated by GABA, and that GABA accumulating in the spinal cord after AOAA administration fails to gain access to GABA receptors.
Auger electron spectroscopy studies of calcium containing carbon surfaces

Abstract We have shown that Auger electron spectroscopy can be used to monitor the concentration of calcium in carbon based systems and have further demonstrated that additional chemical information about the electronic environment of calcium can be obtained from the relative amplitudes of the calcium L23M23M23 and L23M23N1 Auger transitions. Examples of CaO by itself and with carbon powders, CaCO3 on carbon, and a Ca2+ ion-exchanged impregnated carbon are given. The average electronic environment of calcium following CaCO3 decomposition on carbon is more metallic-like than the parent salt. Thermally activated Ca2+ ion-exchanged impregnated carbon, an active gasification catalyst precursor, shows similar electronic properties.
How can relapses be detected and prevented in primary systemic small-vessel vasculitides?

Relapse is an important outcome measure in patients with Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis and Churg–Strauss syndrome. Although relapses are common in these diseases, it remains unclear why these occur and whether they are influenced by exogenous or endogenous factors. A key to minimizing the consequences of relapse is early recognition through monitoring. This is particularly essential to detect glomerulonephritis that is often asymptomatic and can be rapidly progressive. While the presence of relapse is currently based on objective evidence of active disease, investigations seek to identify factors that may distinguish patients at risk of relapse or markers that reliably predict the occurrence of relapse prior to organ injury. With the ability to successfully induce remission and the toxicities of available therapies, the relapse rate has become a critical issue in assessing the efficacy of new treatments. Recent clinical trials have sought to investigate safer therapeutic options that decrease disease relapse.
Restricted attacks on semi-quantum key distribution protocols

In this paper, we investigate single-state, semi-quantum key distribution protocols. These are protocols whereby one party is limited to measuring only in the computational basis, while the other, though capable of measuring in both computational and Hadamard bases, is limited to preparing and sending only a single, publicly known qubit state. Such protocols rely necessarily on a two-way quantum communication channel making their security analysis difficult. However, we will show that, for single-state protocols, we need only consider a restricted attack operation by Eve. We will also describe a new single-state protocol that permits "reflections" to carry information and use our results concerning restricted attacks to show its robustness.
Sodium-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase activity of rat brain mitochondria.

The endogenous ATPase activity of rat brain mitochondria was stimulated 30-50 per cent by 15-50 mm concentrations of NaCl or Na acetate. The Na stimulation was completely abolished by small amounts of oligomycin but unaffected by ouabain. The differential effects of these inhibitors indicated that the Na-induced ATPase activity did not result from microsomal or synaptosomal contamination of mitochrondria. Sodium salts decreased the stimulatory effects of DNP, gramicidin, or Ca, but not that of Mg on the endogenous ATPase activity. These interactions were specific for Na+ as the corresponding salts of K+ did not affect the endogenous ATPase or inhibit the DNP-stimulated ATPase activity except at high concentrations. The Na-induced increases in ATPase activity and respiration were more sensitive to aging of the mitochondria than were ADP/O and respiratory control ratios, or the DNP-induced ATPase activity. These results suggest that Na+ may interact in brain mitochondria with the same high-energy intermediate of oxidative phosphorylation proposed for DNP and Ca.
Fluxional behavior of substituted indenyl derivatives of silicon and tin

Abstract A series of substituted indenyl compounds of silicon and tin have been prepared and their fluxional behavior investigated by variable temperature proton magnetic resonance spectra. The activation parameters of the exchange process were determined for the four compounds, 1,2-bis(trimethylsilyl)indene, 1-(dimethylphenylsilyl)indene, 1-(dimethylphenylstannyl)indene, 1-(trimethylstannyl)-l,3-dimethylindene. For the stannanes Ea = 14 kcal/mole while for the silanes Ea ~ 25 kcal/mole. The molecule 1,2-bis(trimethylsilyl)indene undergoes two processes: (i) fluxional behavior which can be interpreted as 1,2-trimethylsilyl migration and, (ii) slow hydrogen migration which results in the formation of a mixture of 1,1- and 1,3-bis(trimetbylsilyl)indene.
Polylactide-pine wood flour composites

Biobased and biodegradable polylactide (PLA)-pine wood flour (PWF) composites were investigated as a means to reduce the overall material cost and tailor the material properties. The composites were prepared using a kinetic-mixer and an injection molding machine. The tensile modulus of the PLA-PWF composites increased with the PWF content whereas the toughness and strain-at-break decreased. The tensile strength remained the same irrespective of the PWF content (up to 40%). The storage modulus also increased with the PWF content. Additionally, composites containing PWF treated with silane showed higher storage modulus than those without the silane treatment. The area integration underneath the tan δ peaks decreased with increasing PWF, indicating that the PLA-PWF composites exhibited more elastic behavior with increasing PWF. The degree of crystallinity of the PLA-PWF composites increased significantly with the PWF content. Furthermore, the treatment of PWF with silane had a positive effect on its nucleating ability, as treated PLA-PWF composites showed higher crystallinity compared with their untreated counterparts. The morphology of the fracture surfaces were studied using a scanning electron microscope. Finally, a Halpin-Tsai analytical model to predict Young's modulus of PLA-PWF composites was presented to compare the theoretical results with that of experimental results. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Modeling the power flow in normal conductor-insulator-superconductor junctions

Normal conductor-insulator-superconductor (NIS) junctions promise to be interesting for x-ray and phonon sensing applications, in particular due to the expected self-cooling of the N electrode by the tunneling current. Such cooling would enable the operation of the active element of the sensor below the cryostat temperature and at a correspondingly higher sensitivity. It would also allow the use of NIS junctions as microcoolers. At present, this cooling has not been realized in large area junctions (suitable for a number of detector applications). In this article, we discuss a detailed modeling of the heat flow in such junctions; we show how the heat flow into the normal electrode by quasiparticle back-tunneling and phonon absorption from quasiparticle pair recombination can overcompensate the cooling power. This provides a microscopic explanation of the self-heating effects we observe in our large area NIS junctions. The model suggests a number of possible solutions.
Pediatric Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia: Prevalence, Thrombotic Risk, and Application of the 4Ts Scoring System

Objective To characterize heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) at a single pediatric center including the prevalence and the accuracy of the 4Ts scoring system as a predictor of HIT. Study design In this retrospective cohort study, we identified 155 consecutive patients Results The majority of patients with suspected HIT (61.2%) were on surgical services. Prediction of HIT risk using initial 4Ts scoring found 3 (2%) had high risk 4Ts scores, 114 (73%) had intermediate risk 4Ts scores, and the remaining 38 (25%) had low risk 4Ts scores. HIT was confirmed in 0/38 patients with low risk 4Ts scores, 2/114 patients with intermediate-risk 4Ts scores, and all 3 patients with high-risk 4Ts scores presented with HIT with thrombosis. Of 12 positive HIT screening tests, results were falsely positive in 66.6% of patients with intermediate risk 4Ts scores and 100% of patients with low risk 4Ts scores. The prevalence of HIT was 0.058% and HIT with thrombosis was 0.046% in pediatric patients on unfractionated heparin. Conclusions The prevalence of HIT appears significantly lower in pediatric patients compared with adults. Application of the 4Ts system as a pretest tool may reduce laboratory evaluation for HIT in heparin-exposed children with low risk 4Ts scores, decreasing unnecessary further testing, intervention, and cost.
X-ray diffraction from a coherently illuminated Si(001) grating surface

High-resolution synchrotron x-ray diffraction from a Si(001) grating surface reveals resolution-limited grating interference peaks around each Bragg reflection. The peaks can be explained by kinematic scattering theory using the concept of a grating form factor. The positions and the intensities of the satellite peaks yield structural information such as the period, the width, and the height of the gratings, as well as its shape and its orientation and registry with respect to substrate lattice, and possible crystal strains.
Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit. By Guy C. Fraker . Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2012. 328 pp.

Lincoln's Ladder to the Presidency: The Eighth Judicial Circuit. By Guy C. Fraker. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 2012. 328 pp. The key word here is "circuit." During the 1840s and 1850s, a bevy of lawyers, a state's attorney, and a judge itinerated twice a year through the Eighth Judicial Circuit in central Illinois, going from courthouse to courthouse to address the accumulated backlog of litigation. At its heyday between 1847 and 1853, the circuit included 14 counties--ten thousand square miles of prairie between the Indiana state line and the Illinois River, "a vast sea of tall grass stretching as far as the eye could see" (p. 10). This kind of work threw men together for many weeks at time. At the primitive inns en route, they battled insects, slept two and three to a bed, and made terms with less than appetizing fare, "generally served at a long table at which everyone--the judges, lawyers, parties, witnesses, even bailed defendants--all sat together and swapped tales long into the night" (p. 42). The court proceedings became "a popular spectator sport" and some participants gained celebrity status (p. 41). Many endured the circuit, because they needed the fees it generated. But others also enjoyed the male sociability, the equivalent of "a long fishing trip" (p. 43). This was especially the case with the young lawyer, Abraham Lincoln, who kept his colleagues entertained with "a seemingly endless inventory of jokes and anecdotes" (p. 43). While most of his colleagues returned home on weekends, Lincoln took advantage of his time on the road to make contacts and build personal relationships with local residents. He "knew, or appeared to know, everybody we met, the name of the tenant of every farm-house, and the owner of every plat of ground," one visiting newspaper reporter discovered (p. 47). Law provided Lincoln with a way to make a living and a setting in which he might realize his political ambitions. The district he represented in Congress between 1847 and 1849 overlapped with the Eighth Circuit. But there was nothing inevitable about the astonishing sequel. Lincoln's next elective office was president of the United States. How in the world did that come about ? Guy Fraker traces the convergence of several factors. We now know, of course, that Lincoln was endowed with "remarkable gifts," but what also mattered a great deal was "the place where he chose to use those gifts" (p. …
Few-electron double quantum dots

Two tunnel-coupled few-electron quantum dots were fabricated in a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well. The absolute number of electrons in each dot could be determined from finite-bias Coulomb blockade measurements and gate voltage scans of the dots, and allows the number of electrons to be controlled down to zero. The Zeeman energy of several electronic states in one of the dots was measured with an in-plane magnetic field, and the g-factor of the states was found to be no different from that of electrons in bulk GaAs. Tunnel coupling between dots is demonstrated, and the tunnelling strength was estimated from the peak splitting of the Coulomb blockade peaks of the double dot.
The effect of haptic cues on motor and perceptual based implicit sequence learning

We introduced haptic cues to the serial reaction time (SRT) sequence learning task alongside the standard visual cues to assess the relative contributions of haptic and visual stimuli to the formation of motor and perceptual memories. We used motorized keys to deliver brief pulse-like displacements to the resting fingers, expecting that the proximity and similarity of these cues to the subsequent response motor actions (finger activated key-presses) would strengthen the motor memory trace in particular. We adopted the experimental protocol developed by Willingham in 1999 to explore whether haptic cues contribute differently than visual cues to the balance of motor and perceptual learning. We found that sequence learning occurs with haptic stimuli as with visual stimuli and we found that irrespective of the stimuli (visual or haptic) the serial reaction time task leads to a greater amount of motor learning than perceptual learning.
Metamerism, heterochrony, and inflorescence morphology of the Pithecellobium-complex (Leguminosae : Mimosoideae : Ingeae)

The diverse inflorescence morphology of species in the Pithecellobium-complex is shown to be a result of: 1) the organization of the components of the inflorescence and their relative positions; 2) the hierarchical relationship of the axes of the inflorescences and the position they assume in total tree architecture; and 3) heterochronic development of the components of the inflorescence. It is shown that the typological system of nomenclature of inflorescences leads to false assumptions of homology and therefore must be discarded. The morphology of inflorescences is discussed in terms of metamerism, and the term Repeating Growth Unit (RGU) is introduced and is defined as the smallest complete sequence of metamers produced by a meristem. A module is defined as the sequence of RGUs produced by a meristem. An inflorescence is defined as that sequence of metamers in an RGU which participates in the production and/or presentation of flowers and fruit. Heterochrony, proleptic and sylleptic buds, and shoot dimorphism are discussed and their role in modifying inflorescence morphology in the Pithecellobium-complex is illustrated. Examples from the Pithecellobium-complex are provided which demonstrate the various modifications of the inflorescence that result from the interaction of these various phenomena.
Debt and other influences on career choices among surgical and primary care residents in a community-based hospital system

Abstract Background: To evaluate debt and other factors that help formulate the career paths of future surgical and primary care physicians, a survey was undertaken. Methods: Surgical specialty (SS) and primary care (PC) residents were surveyed regarding demographics, factors influencing choice of specialty, methods of financing education, debt characteristics, and outlooks regarding future earnings and practice characteristics. Results: The clinical years of medical school and personalities of specialists and residents were important factors in career choices for both PC and SS. The length of residency, desirable lifestyle, and working hours were all more important to PC residents. Surgeons found intellectual challenge and procedure-based practice of greater importance. Although not highly regarded by either group, scholarship obligation and student loans had a significantly greater impact on specialty choice and practice plans for PC residents. At the completion of training, 55% of SS and 28% of PC residents anticipate owing more than $100,000. Debt was especially significant in specialty choice and practice plans for PC residents with debt over $100,000. Conclusions: Surgical residents are less concerned about personal sacrifices in their quest to become surgeons. It appears state funded scholarships are successful in attracting students to primary care. Both SS and PC residents have significant debt, although, SS residents have greater financial debt than primary care residents. However, the anticipation of indebtedness was a more significant factor in determination of career path for PC.
A neural network learning method for belief networks

This article presents a learning method for a special class of belief networks known as noisy-or networks. By extending the Hebbian rule of neural networks, two learning rules are developed to learn the probabilities of nodes and the internode causal strengths, respectively. The latter rule also learns structures of networks because a nonzero causal strength indicates the existence of a causal link. One distinct feature of this method is its ability to work in a sequential or incremental manner in which a network adjusts its parameters upon the arrival of every case description. As a result, this method is capable of not only constructing a causal knowledge base from a fixed set of case data but also dynamically adapting an existing knowledge base to a changing environment. To prove the convergence of learning, a Liapunov function is identified for the dynamic system defined by the learning rules. Computer experiment results show that this method is significantly faster than some existing learning methods for belief networks.
Measurement of tissue acyl-CoAs using flow-injection tandem mass spectrometry: acyl-CoA profiles in short-chain fatty acid oxidation defects

The primary accumulating metabolites in fatty acid oxidation defects are intramitochondrial acyl-CoAs. Typically, secondary metabolites such as acylcarnitines, acylglycines and dicarboxylic acids are measured to study these disorders. Methods have not been adapted for tissue acyl-CoA measurement in defects with primarily acyl-CoA accumulation. Our objective was to develop a method to measure fatty acyl-CoA species that are present in tissues of mice with fatty acid oxidation defects using flow-injection tandem mass spectrometry. Following the addition of internal standards of [(13)C(2)] acetyl-CoA, [(13)C(8)] octanoyl-CoA, and [C(17)] heptadecanoic CoA, acyl-CoA's are extracted from tissue samples and are injected directly into the mass spectrometer. Data is acquired using a 506.9 neutral loss scan and multiple reaction-monitoring (MRM). This method can identify all long, medium and short-chain acyl-CoA species in wild type mouse liver including predicted 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA species. We validated the method using liver of the short-chain-acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) knock-out mice. As expected, there is a significant increase in [C(4)] butyryl-CoA species in the SCAD -/- mouse liver compared to wild type. We then tested the assay in liver from the short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (SCHAD) deficient mice to determine the profile of acyl-CoA accumulation in this less predictable model. There was more modest accumulation of medium chain species including 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA's consistent with the known chain-length specificity of the SCHAD enzyme.
Charging data dimensioning in 3G mobile networks

This paper describes an approach to analyse various charging mechanisms according to consumer behaviour. In previous work the authors have identified three major customer scenarios according to the service package and the relevant tariff models and presented a usage related study based on the number of charging data records (CDR) generated for different scenarios. Comparing the scenarios based on the volume of CDR has revealed that there has to be an optimal setting for triggers so that excessively high volumes of CDR are not generated, for low cost service transactions. It is also unreasonable to generate CDR in situations where the user has not downloaded any volume or was inactive. Therefore reasonable time duration for trigger settings and the optimal rate of CDR generation have to be assessed. The phase 2 of this work as described in the paper, addresses the dimensioning of CDR generation process by analysing the real network load to estimate how many CDR are generated at various points in the network.
Rho1p and Cdc42p act after Ypt7p to regulate vacuole docking.

Rho GTPases, which control polarized cell growth through cytoskeletal reorganization, have recently been implicated in the control of endo- and exocytosis. We now report that both Rho1p and Cdc42p have a direct role in mediating the docking stage of homotypic vacuole fusion. Vacuoles prepared from strains with temperature-sensitive alleles of either Rho1p or Cdc42p are thermolabile for fusion. RhoGDI (Rdi1p), which extracts Rho1p and Cdc42p from the vacuole membrane, blocks vacuole fusion. The Rho GTPases can not fulfill their function as long as priming and Ypt7p-dependent tethering are inhibited. However, reactions that are reversibly blocked after docking by the calcium chelator BAPTA have passed the point of sensitivity to Rdi1p. Extraction and removal of Ypt7p, Rho1p and Cdc42p from docked vacuoles (by Gdi1p, Gyp7p and Rdi1p) does not impede subsequent membrane fusion, which is still sensitive to GTPγS. Thus, multiple GTPases act in a defined sequence to regulate the docking steps of vacuole fusion.