cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances in biofilm reactors for production of value-added products

Biofilms are defined as microbial cell layers, which are irreversibly or reversibly attached on solid surfaces. These attached cells are embedded in a self-produced exopolysaccharide matrix, and exhibit different growth and bioactivity compared with suspended cells. With their high biomass density, stability, and potential for long-term fermentation, biofilm reactors are employed for the fermentation and bioconversion, which need large amount of biomass. During the past decade, biofilm reactors have been successfully applied for production of many value-added products. This review article summarizes the applications of biofilm reactors with different novel designs. Advantages and concerns using biofilm reactors, potential uses for industrial-scale production, and further investigation needs are discussed.
Using a Modified Neurolinguistic Programming Swish Pattern With Couple Parasuicide and Suicide Survivors

Given the frequency of suicides and parasuicides and the often comorbid negatively experienced effects of these behaviors, it is likely that the vast majority of couples, marriage, and family counselors will at one time or another encounter couples who survive family members' parasuicides or suicides. This article succinctly describes a modified neurolinguistic programming technique the authors have found helpful with their surviving couples. The technique is based on their collective couples, marriage, and family counseling experiences and presents a strength-based perspective.
Transition of Technical Personnel to Managers: An Investigation in Information Technology Companies

ABSTRACTAlthough many technical personnel want to make the transition to managers, they often do not understand the issues involved. This lack of understanding is especially extreme for those who are building careers in information technology companies. This study identifies the perceived issues of the transition of technical personnel to managers based on a survey of technical personnel and their managers in eight companies. Five major issues were identified: 1) the pressure to become managers; 2) the need for technical education/training; 3) the need for management education/training; 4) the fear of technical obsolescence; and 5) the ability to make waves and create change. Both technical personnel and managers strongly agreed on the need for technical and management education/training regardless of their ages or years in their current positions. They also agreed that technical personnel feel pressured to become managers. In addition, they perceived that both technical personnel and managers can create ...
Race/ethnicity and sex in U.S. occupations, 1970–2010: Implications for research, practice, and policy

We used census data on the civilian non-institutional adult population to analyze trends in labor force participation by race/ethnicity and sex in U.S. occupations from 1970 to 2010 in decennial periods. We examined these data for the main effects and interactions of race/ethnicity and sex across the total labor market and within 35 detailed occupations. Results from a log-linear analysis revealed that, as a whole (across race/ethnicity), more women participated in the labor force from 1970 to 2010. The proportions of working racial/ethnic minorities to both the population and the people in the labor force increased across all decades except for Black men. Although White (Caucasian) men continuously comprised the largest racial/ethnic-sex group working across five decades in absolute numbers, their percentage of the total working population declined from 1970 (54%) to 2010 (37%). In our analyses of 35 occupations, significant sex differences within racial/ethnic groups emerged. Overall, with some exceptions, Asian men and women and White women were more likely to be absorbed into occupations typically associated with professional status whereas Black, Hispanic, and American Indian men and women were more likely to be absorbed into occupations typically associated with low skill, low wages, and low status. Implications for the role of psychologists in future research, practice, and policy are discussed.
Polarization modes in superfluid helium

The existence of polarization modes formed by light coupling to pairs of elementary excitations in liquid helium is suggested on theoretical grounds. The mode coupling is calculated by considering the atomic polarization associated with density fluctuations of two quasiparticles with small total momentum. The mode interactions involve the induced dipole moment of helium atoms and can be enhanced by an external field. The polarization modes may be observable in Raman scattering experiments.
Analytical solutions for transient thermal behavior in biological systems

Analytical solutions are presented for transient heat conduction in biological media. General boundary conditions and internal sources varied in both spatial and time variables are considered, thus, solutions for many special cases can be obtained with ease from the general solutions presented in this analysis.
Diversification in parametric rational expectations economies

Abstract It is shown that, in large parametric rational expectations models, even when investors receive private signals about different subsets of assets, all investors hold diversified portfolios.
Delineation of Lymph Node Volumes in Head and Neck IMRT Treatment Planning: Consistency and Variability Among Physicians

Purpose/Objective(s): To determine the accuracy and variability in defining nodal target volumes (TV) in the uninvolved neck for head and neck IMRT radiation therapy in a group of well trained, but not head and neck “expert” physicians. Materials/Methods: Four radiation oncology residents who previously completed their head and neck rotation and treated a minimum of 15 IMRT patients participated in the study. Three head and neck cases of patients with uninvolved (N0) necks representing anatomic variability (e.g., long neck, short stature) were selected. Each physician contoured nodal stations 1-5 and the retropharyngeal nodes bilaterally; the contours were compared to each other to assess variation. A volume of union (VU) was created for each CT slice that incorporated all TV defined on a slice. An agreement index, A, was defined for each CT slice as the percentage ratio of the TV to the VU. Contours on a given slice were considered to be in good agreement when A>90% for all physician-contours on a slice. For each patient, the absolute total volume (ATV) drawn by each physician was calculated and compared to the average ATV contoured. Results: The absolute total volume drawn by each physician on each patient agreed to within 7% (range 5%-11%) of the average ATV. When the target volumes were expanded by 0 mm, 3mm, and 5 mm, good agreement was found for 0%, 31% and 56% of the CT slices respectively. In reviewing the TVs, the largest discrepancies resulted at the cephalic and caudal extent of TV definition. As such, a central region was defined as all CT slices between the most inferior slice where all physicians contoured level 5 (both sides) and the most superior slice where all physicians contoured level 1 (both sides). For the central region, good agreement was found for an average (range) of 0%, 50% (26-66%), and 78% (69-89%) of the CT slices with 0mm, 3mm and 5mm expansions, respectively. For each patient, there were significant inter-physician differences regarding the superior extent of levels RP, 1, and 2 and as to the inferior extent of levels 4 and 5. Conclusions: This study demonstrates large variability in target volumes contoured by physicians. This phenomena is more marked at the most cephalic and caudal extent of the target volumes. These differences are mitigated with the utilization of a 5 mm volume expansion and are less marked in the central region. The effect of specific education by a radiologist in reducing this variability will be studied and reported. Given the importance of target definition for treatment planning, this study emphasizes the need for simple, universal guidelines to define boundaries of target volumes. In the second phase of the study, the contours of each resident will be compared to those delineated by a head and neck radiologist, designated as the “standard”. Residents will then repeat the above procedure on additional patients after training by a head and neck radiologist.
Vocal Roughness and Jitter Characteristics of Vowels Produced by Esophageal Speakers

Audiotape recordings of sustained vowels produced by nine esophageal speakers were subjected to acoustic and perceptual analysis. Results indicated that (1) the magnitude of vocal jitter present in...
Endocannabinoid Liberation from Neurons in Transsynaptic Signaling

Endocannabinoids are fatty acid derivatives that have a variety of biological actions, most notably via activation of the cannabinoid receptors. These receptors are also targets for drugs derived from Cannabis sativa. In the nervous system, endocannabinoids act as neuromodulators that depress neurotransmitter release at the presynaptic terminal. In most instances of neural endocannabinoid signaling, the compounds appear to be released from the postsynaptic neuron to act on the presynaptic terminal in a "retrograde" manner. Several common mechanisms involved in postsynaptic endocannabinoid production and presynaptic depression produced via activation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor have been identified. However, significant problems remain in defining the mechanisms underlying endocannabinoid production, release, and movement across the membrane. These issues are discussed in the present review.
Fly control in caged-poultry houses: comparison of larviciding and integrated control programs.

Weekly larviciding of the manure under caged laying hens with 1% RaVap® (EC consisting of 2 lb/gal Rabon® (2-chloro-1-(2,4,5-trichlorophenyl) vinyl dimethyl phosphate) and 0.2 lb/gal dichlorvos) or with 1% Zytron® (0-2,4-dichlorophenyl O-methyl isopropylphosphorainidothioate) gave satisfactory control of the house fly, Musca domestica L., and the little house fly, Fannia canicularis (L.). An integrated control program based on selective adulticiding with RaVap at 2- to 5-week intervals gave control as satisfactory as the weekly larviciding. The populations of manure-inhabiting mites, Macrocheles muscadomesticae (Scopoli) and Fuscuropoda vegetans (De Geer), which are predaceous on the immature stages of the house fly, were destroyed by larviciding but were unharmed by selective adulticiding. It was estimated that, under conditions in North Carolina, the larviciding method would require 16–18 applications during die season of fly activity (May–October) for satisfactory control, while the integrated program would require 5 or 6 applications of insecticide. Larviciding would require 5 times as much insecticide and 2.5 times an many man-hours per season as would be needed for the integrated control program.
A ferrofluid-based wireless pressure sensor

This paper presents a wireless pressure sensor design based on magnetic fluid displacement over a planar coil and its corresponding inductance change. The design of the pressure sensor is presented followed by its fabrication and characterization. Experimental results show a good correlation with a nonlinear model relating the applied pressure to the change in coil self-resonant frequency. A prototype sensor (radius = 6 mm, thickness = 2 mm) based on the above principal using an oil-based ferrofluid (50 µl, ferrite concentration 2%), a polyimide-embedded planar coil (L = 1 µH), and a 25 µm thick polyimide membrane shows a sensitivity of 3 KHz mmHg−1 with a base-line resonant frequency of f0 = 109 MHz.
Experimental Comparison of Control Strategies for Solar Energy Systems Incorporating Dual Storage Tanks

Two identical solar collector systems were operated side by side for a 67 day period. Data acquisition and control of both systems were accomplished by a minicomputer. One system’s control strategy kept its two storage tanks at the same temperature, simulating a single tank. The other system employed a dual temperature strategy designed to allow greater flexibility in adjusting to varying isolation. The dual temperature strategy showed a modest 4 percent gain in energy delivered to a load.
Selective inhibition of IDO1 effectively regulates mediators of antitumor immunity

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1; IDO) mediates oxidative cleavage of tryptophan, an amino acid essential for cell proliferation and survival. IDO1 inhibition is proposed to have therapeutic potential in immunodeficiency-associated abnormalities, including cancer. Here, we describe INCB024360, a novel IDO1 inhibitor, and investigate its roles in regulating various immune cells and therapeutic potential as an anticancer agent. In cellular assays, INCB024360 selectively inhibits human IDO1 with IC(50) values of approximately 10nM, demonstrating little activity against other related enzymes such as IDO2 or tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO). In coculture systems of human allogeneic lymphocytes with dendritic cells (DCs) or tumor cells, INCB024360 inhibition of IDO1 promotes T and natural killer (NK)-cell growth, increases IFN-gamma production, and reduces conversion to regulatory T (T(reg))-like cells. IDO1 induction triggers DC apoptosis, whereas INCB024360 reverses this and increases the number of CD86(high) DCs, potentially representing a novel mechanism by which IDO1 inhibition activates T cells. Furthermore, IDO1 regulation differs in DCs versus tumor cells. Consistent with its effects in vitro, administration of INCB024360 to tumor-bearing mice significantly inhibits tumor growth in a lymphocyte-dependent manner. Analysis of plasma kynurenine/tryptophan levels in patients with cancer affirms that the IDO pathway is activated in multiple tumor types. Collectively, the data suggest that selective inhibition of IDO1 may represent an attractive cancer therapeutic strategy via up-regulation of cellular immunity.
Significance and Pathogenesis of Basal Keratinocyte Herniations in Psoriasis

Using transmission electron microscopy, we studied, quantitatively, basal keratinocyte herniations (BKH) in relation to the other basement membrane zone changes in psoriatic lesions of varying clinical activity, and in psoriasiform skin diseases. BKH appears to correlate with disease activity. They do not occur passively as a result of the formation of gaps in the basal lamina. BKH in active psoriasis are associated with electron-lucent areas suggestive of proteolytic enzyme release. Their apparent association with Langerhans cells, neutrophils, macrophages, and endothelial cells may point to these cells as the source of proteolytic enzymes in psoriasis. BKH may prove to be a useful marker for clinical psoriasis.
Field induced ferromagnetic component in semiconducting La2−xSrxCuO4−δ

Abstract We report the magnetization M as a function of magnetic field H and temperature T for the semiconducting La 2− x Sr x CuO 4− δ system. Below the antiferromagnetic ordering temperature T N , upon application of high field at small x (〈 0.02) for La 2− x Sr x CuO 4− δ , a stepwise in M(H) has been observed, suggestive of the presence of a ferromagnetic component above a critical field. Above T N , there is a sublinear behavior of M on H. Possible models are discussed for these novel phenomena.
Two approximations to the median evoked response.

Abstract A method of approximating median evoked responses, without requiring large storage or computation facilities, is suggested and illustrated.
Photonics for millimeter-wave systems

Inherent physical properties of photonic technologies enable new millimeter-wave system architectures with performance advantages for communications and remote sensing. Examples of successful photonics-enabled millimeterwave systems are shared.
Prevalence and correlates of binge eating in white and African American adolescents.

Abstract Objective: This study examined the prevalence and correlates of binge eating in a biracial sample of adolescent males and females. Method: White and African American students in Grades 6–12 (N=822) completed measures of social economic status (SES), body mass index (BMI), depression, current–ideal body image discrepancy, eating attitudes, dieting frequency, dietary intake, and activity level. Results: Binge eating prevalence was highest among African American boys relative to the other demographic groups: 26% African American boys, 17% African American girls, 19% white boys, 18% white girls. Binge eating rates increased with age for white participants and decreased with age for African American participants. Depressive symptoms and consumption of high-fat foods predicted binge status among adolescents, whereas SES, BMI, eating attitudes, body image discrepancy, dieting, and low activity level failed to add predictive value. Discussion: The observation of developmental differences in binging between whites and African Americans corresponds to their physical maturational divergence. These findings underscore the need for population-based surveys that sample binge eating across age, gender, and ethnicity.
The central prod ections of intracellularly labeled auditory nerve fibers in cats: An analysis of terminal morphology

The axons of physiologically characterized spiral ganglion neurons (type I) were stained throughout their arborizations in the cochlear nucleus by the intracellular injection of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The tips of the axonal branches were marked by distinct swellings, ranging in size and shape from small boutons to large perisomatic ramifications. Electron microscopic analysis of such swellings revealed ultrastructural features characteristic of primary auditory synapses, consistent with the hypothesis that terminal swellings identifiable in the light microscope represent presynaptic endings. On the basis of light microscopic differences in size, these endings were organized into three categories. Endings of relatively small size (terminal boutons, free endings, boutons with filopodia, string endings, and small complex endings) composed 94% of all terminal endings. Within this category of small endings, there were predictable variations in relative size and regional distribution that related to the spontaneous discharge rate (SR) of the fiber. The endings of low and medium SR fibers (SR 18 spikeshecond). Furthermore, there were more endings arising from the ascending branch than from the descending branch when comparing fibers of the low and medium SR group with those of the high SR group. There were not, however, obvious morphological features of this ending category that correlated with the characteristic frequency (CF, the pure tone frequency to which the neuron is most sensitive). A second category contained medium-sized complex endings, most of which formed axosomatic contacts. This category composed 4% of the population and was found in close proximity to the perikarya of globular, octopus, and spherical cells. The endings from low and medium SR fibers were smaller on average than those from high SR fibers. These endings did not vary in their parent branch distribution with respect to fiber SR, nor did they exhibit morphological features that correlated with fiber CF. The third category contained large complex endings (endbulbs of Held) and composed 2% of the ending population. Within the anteroventral cochlear nucleus, these large, complex endings made axosomatic contact with spherical cells in the anterior division and with globular cells in the posterior division. There were no systematic variations in ending size or branch distribution that correlated with fiber SR. There was, however, a relationship between ending size and fiber CF such that fibers having CFs below 4 kHz gave rise to the largest endbulbs.
Protein family alignment annotation

For bioscientists studying protein structure and function, the Protein Family Alignment Annotation Tool (Pfaat) is a useful and simple program for annotating collections of proteins. This open-source software includes methods for viewing and aligning protein families, and for annotating sequence structure and residues with known functions. It offers new options to aid the study of proteins, and an extensible annotation tool for bioinformatics developers.
Amino acid uptake and protein synthesis in preimplantation mouse embryos

Amino acid uptake and cycloheximide inhibitable incorporation into protein are demonstrable in follicular ova, unfertilized eggs, and in mouse embryos ranging from the 1-cell to the late blastocyst stages. The rates of uptake and incorporation are low and relatively constant until the early blastocyst (day 3) stage of development when they increase 3- to 9-fold. The rate of uptake continues to increase during the fourth day (late blastocyst stage) of development, but, despite embryonic growth, incorporation into protein remains constant. By exposing embryos to leucine and lysine at different concentrations, it is possible to dissociate the processes of uptake and incorporation into protein from one another and to use the latter as a measure of protein synthesis. Taking the number of embryonic cells into account, it is postulated that the period between 8- to 16-cell stage (day 2) and the early blastocyst stage is the only one in which the synthesis of major amounts of protein based on new messenger RNA synthesis is occurring. Leucine and lysine uptake take place by a facilitated process, although lysine transport is not readily saturated. Inhibitors of energy metabolism do not significantly affect amino acid uptake, but they do inhibit protein synthesis. However, since the rate of transport is highly temperature sensitive (Q10 ⩾ 3) and leucine is accumulated against a concentration gradient, active amino acid transport appears to be present.
Finite Element Modeling of Discontinuous Chip Formation During Rock Cutting

In this paper, chip formation process during mechanical cutting of rock is simulated by using an explicit finite element code, LS-DYNA. In the simulation, the work-piece material properties have been modeled using the damage constitute material model. This model simulates the separation of the chip from the work-piece and the simultaneous breakage of the chip into multiple fragments. In the simulation, a rigid steel tool was moved at various sliding velocities, namely 1, 4, 10, 50 and 100 mm/s against a stationary rock material. For a given sliding velocity, the simulations were carried out for various cutting depths, namely 1, 2, 3 and 4 mm. The variation of stresses and the amount of chip formation at different depths of cut and velocities have been investigated. Overall, the results indicate that the explicit FEM is a powerful tool for simulating rock cutting and chip formation. More specifically, the separation of chip from the work-piece at different depths of cut was distinctly shown using this numerical model.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Surface mineral mapping of Makhtesh Ramon Negev, Israel using GER 63 channel scanner data

Abstract Geophysical and Environmental Research (GER) 63 channel scanner data were used to map the surface mineralogy of Makhtesh Ramon, Negev, Israel. The data werecorrected to reflectance using the Internal Average Relative Reflectance (IARR) method and analysed using colour-composites, the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM), and linear spectral unmixing (UNM). Results demonstrate that imaging spectrometer data can be used to produce detailed mineralogical maps in arid terrains even when no calibration measurements are made during the flights and no ground measurements are available. The mineralogical maps produced using the GER data compare favourably to the known surface mineralogy, however, they provide greater detail regarding composition and mineral abundance than the existing geological maps.
Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis and Its Relation to Back Pain Among Older Men: The MrOS Study

Objectives To estimate the prevalence of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) in a cross-sectional study of elderly men age 65 to 100 years and to examine back and neck pain as possible correlates of DISH. Methods DISH was defined using Resnick's criteria and scored according to Mata on lateral spine radiographs of 298 randomly selected participants from the MrOS Study. Standardized self-reported questionnaires were used to assess the frequency and severity of back and neck pain, and the relation of these to DISH status was estimated with χ 2 tests, as well as prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals using log-binomial regression models. Results DISH was observed in 126 older men (42%), increased with age (30%, 39%, 48%, and 56% for ages 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥80 respectively), and was positively associated with body mass index (BMI) ( P = 0.04) and blood pressure ( P = 0.02). Significantly less back pain in the past 12 months was reported among men with DISH as compared to men without (59% vs 71%, P = 0.03), which remained after adjustment for age, BMI, and blood pressure (prevalence ratios=0.73, 95% confidence interval=0.57-0.95). Back pain severity ( P = 0.07) and frequency ( P = 0.06) were also less frequent among men with DISH compared to men without, whereas reported neck pain was similar between groups ( P = 0.39). Conclusions Among community-dwelling elderly men, DISH prevalence is high, increases with age, and is positively associated with BMI and blood pressure. Frequency of self-reported back pain over the past 12 months was lower in older men with DISH as compared to those without DISH.
Another cytoskeleton in the closet.

Abstract Many eukaryotic cells contain up to three families of cytoskeletal proteins that are responsible for the spatial organization of the cell. Although the prokaryotic origins of the actin and tubulin families have now been established, the origin of the third was unknown. In this issue of Cell , Ausmees et al. (2003) provide evidence that the third family, comprising the intermediate filaments, also has origins in bacteria and is responsible for producing curved cells.
Nondilatant brittle deformation of serpentinites: Implications for Mohr-Coulomb theory and the strength of faults

We conducted deformation experiments to investigate the strength, deformation processes, and nature of the brittle-ductile transition of lizardite and antigorite serpentinites. A transition from localized to distributed deformation occurs as confining pressure increases from ∼200 to ∼400 MPa at room temperature. Deformation in both brittle (localized) and ductile (distributed) regimes is accommodated by shear microcracks, which form preferentially parallel to the (001) cleavage. Axial microcracks (mode I) are infrequently observed. Volumetric strain measurements demonstrate that brittle deformation is mostly nondilatant, consistent with the shear-dominated microcracking. Three observations indicate that deformation in the ductile regime is accommodated by cataclastic flow: (1) a lack of evidence for crystal plastic deformation, (2) a positive pressure dependence of the maximum differential stress, and (3) abundant evidence for brittle microcracking. The weakness of serpentinites relative to other brittle rocks is explained by a low fracture strength along the (001) cleavage, combined with the low pressure dependence of strength. The transition from brittle to ductile deformation occurs at the crossover between the strength of intact serpentinite and the friction law unique to each type of serpentinite, rather than the more general Byerlee's law. If brittle deformation regimes are defined based on the mode of microcracking and on the occurrence of crystal plasticity, serpentinites define an end-member style of nondilatant brittle deformation. This deformation style may result in extremely weak faults in nature, and it may also strongly influence the tectonic evolution of the oceanic lithosphere where serpentinite is present.
Adsorption of Water on the Si(100) Surface: An Ab Initio and QM/MM Cluster Study †

The adsorption of water on the Si(100) surface is investigated using ab initio quantum chemical cluster calculations. A reaction profile is constructed using the multiconfigurational SCF method. The calculations demonstrate that the reactant should be described with a multireference wave function in order to obtain correct energetics, because it contains a bare dimer with significant diradical character. The system becomes almost single-configurational as water approaches the surface and forms a molecularly adsorbed intermediate. Therefore, except for the reactant, a single-configurational wave function seems to be sufficient for a correct description of the reaction. The adsorbed OH group in an isolated product can nearly freely rotate between the trans and gauche minima. Interactions between the OH groups and the dangling bonds are small and do not appear to change the OH orientation. However, the interdimer hydrogen bonding is stronger and forces the OH orientation to be perpendicular to the dimer bond...
SAR-Based Vibration Estimation Using the Discrete Fractional Fourier Transform

A vibration estimation method for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is presented based on a novel application of the discrete fractional Fourier transform (DFRFT). Small vibrations of ground targets introduce phase modulation in the SAR returned signals. With standard preprocessing of the returned signals, followed by the application of the DFRFT, the time-varying accelerations, frequencies, and displacements associated with vibrating objects can be extracted by successively estimating the quasi-instantaneous chirp rate in the phase-modulated signal in each subaperture. The performance of the proposed method is investigated quantitatively, and the measurable vibration frequencies and displacements are determined. Simulation results show that the proposed method can successfully estimate a two-component vibration at practical signal-to-noise levels. Two airborne experiments were also conducted using the Lynx SAR system in conjunction with vibrating ground test targets. The experiments demonstrated the correct estimation of a 1-Hz vibration with an amplitude of 1.5 cm and a 5-Hz vibration with an amplitude of 1.5 mm.
Abnormal human behavioral pattern detection in assisted living environments

In recent years, there is a growing interest about assisted living environments especially for the elderly who live alone, due to the increasing number of aged people. In order for them to live safe and healthy, we need to detect abnormal behavior that may cause severe and emergent situations for the elderly. In this work, we suggest a method that detects abnormal behavior using wireless sensor networks. We model an episode that is a series of events, which includes spatial and temporal information about the subject being monitored. We define a similarity scoring function that compares two episodes taking into consideration temporal aspects. We propose a way to determine a threshold to divide episodes into two groups that reduces wrong classification. Weights on individual functions that consist the similarity function are determined experimentally so that they can produce the good results in terms of area under curve in receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
Lattice distortions and oxygen vacancies produced in Au+- irradiated nanocrystalline cubic zirconia

The oxygen ion conductivity, attributed to an oxygen vacancy mechanism, of yttria-stabilized zirconia membranes used in solid oxide fuel cells is restricted due to trapping limitations. In this work, a high concentration of oxygen vacancies has been deliberately introduced into nanocrystalline stabilizer-free zirconia through ion-irradiation. Oxygen vacancies with different charge states can be produced by varying irradiation temperatures. Due to the reduced trapping sites and high oxygen vacancy concentration, this work suggests that the efficiency of solid oxide fuel cells can be improved.
Quantification of G protein mRNA using reverse transcription and competitive PCR with a colorimetric microplate assay.

Abstract This paper reports an assay for the quantification of levels of specific mRNA for the α subunits of the inhibitory G proteins G αi–1 , G αi–2 , and G αi–3 . The assay employs reverse transcription and competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled to enzyme-linked oligonucleotide sorbent assay for differential detection and quantification of PCR products. The assay was conducted with conventional thermal block PCR cyclers as well as rapid air microcapillary cyclers. The detection stage consists of three steps using synthetic oligonucleotides, commercially available reagents and a conventional 96-well plate absorbance reader at settings of 450 and 630 nm. The assay is: (1) rapid, requiring about 3 h for quantification of PCR products; (2) safe, being non-radiometric; (3) relatively simple; (4) highly sensitive, being capable of detecting less than 10 initial copies of target cDNA; (5) precise, resolving two-fold differences in initial copy numbers of specific sequences as low as 10 −20 mol; (6) linear over a 3 log range, with two-fold differences in the quantity of cDNA producing consistent reductions in quantity of specific cDNA detected; and (7) reproducible, intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation being 11·9 and 14·7%, respectively.
A modified "cover your cough" campaign prevents exposures of employees to pertussis at a children's hospital.

Background In the 4th quarter of 2004, there was an increase in patients seeking medical care for pertussis symptoms at the Children's Hospital, Omaha, NE. The Hospital Epidemiology service noted a sharp rise in exposures of Children's Hospital employees to these patients, requiring employee testing, prophylactic antibiotic prescriptions, and relief from duty. Methods Initial efforts at employee education failed to prevent the exposures. An exposure-control plan was then initiated by placing "Cover Your Cough" posters (in English and Spanish) describing appropriate cough etiquette at entrances to the emergency room, outpatient clinics, and hospital lobby. In addition, personal protective equipment (PPE) including child- and adult-sized masks, hand sanitizers, and tissues were provided at these stations for patients and their attendants. Results Prior to the initiation of the above exposure control measures, there were 166 reports of employee exposure to patients and other employees with pertussis symptoms during a 4-week period. Of these, 140 were given prophylactic antibiotics, and 31 underwent diagnostic testing for pertussis and required paid time off from work. The cost of antibiotics and diagnostic testing was $17,407.00. After the introduction of the modified "Cover Your Cough" campaign, the number of employee exposures declined significantly to 37 in the next 4-week period. Notably, the number of patients tested for pertussis during the second 4-week period was 290 compared to 162 in the first 4-week period, indicating continuation of the epidemic. Conclusions Availability of PPE along with posters regarding cough etiquette at entry points of the hospital interrupted employee exposure to patients/personnel with pertussis symptoms significantly, when an employee educational initiative alone was unable to achieve this outcome.
Irreversible Enzyme Inhibitors LXX: Candidate Active-Site-Directed Irreversible Inhibitors of Dihydrofolic Reductase IV. Substituted 1-Phenyl-1,2-dihydro-s-triazines

4, 6-Diamino-1,2-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-1-phenyl-s-triazines substituted on the phenyl ring by p-chloroacetyl (IV a ), m -chloroacetyl (IV c ), and 4-chloro-3-butanone-1-yl (IV b ) groups were synthesized from the appropriate aromatic amine hydrochlorides, cyanoguanidine, and acetone. All three compounds were good reversible inhibitors of dihydrofolic reductase. However, none of the three compounds inactivated dihydrofolic reductase when incubated with the enzyme; this lack of active-site-directed irreversible inhibition by compounds of type IV has been attributed to the complexing of the phenyl group to the hydrophobic bonding region on dihydrofolic reductase—a region not apt to have attackable nucleophilic groups present.
Oncogenic K-ras Stimulates Wnt Signaling in Colon Cancer Through Inhibition of GSK-3β

Background & Aims: Two key genetic events underlying the development of colon cancer are activation of the K-ras and Wnt signaling pathways. We have previously shown that these 2 pathways can cooperate to regulate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression. The goal of this study was to define the molecular basis for this interaction. Methods: The effects of K-rasVal12 on VEGF and T-cell factor 4 (TCF-4) promoter activity, nuclear levels of β-catenin and β-catenin/TCF-4 complexes, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) phosphorylation, and GSK-3β kinase activity were measured. LY294002 and PD98059 were used to define the role of specific ras effector pathways. Results: Oncogenic K-ras up-regulated the activity of the VEGF promoter, and selective mutagenesis of TCF-4 binding sites significantly blocked this induction. K-rasVal12 also induced the activity of a heterologous TCF-4 reporter construct in Caco-2 and HeLa cells. LY294002 and dominant negative phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase nearly completely blocked this induction. K-rasVal12 increased the stability of β-catenin, the levels of nuclear β-catenin, and the formation of nuclear β-catenin/TCF-4 complexes, and these effects were also blocked by LY294002. Finally, K-rasVal12 inhibited the kinase activity of total cellular GSK-3β and GSK-3β complexed with Axin. This effect was not mediated through phosphorylation at serine 9 but did depend on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Conclusions: Our results suggest a unique cooperative interaction between 2 critical oncogenic pathways in colorectal tumorigenesis and highlight the pivotal role of GSK-3β.
Sensitivity minimum in active transfer function synthesis

A formula for Schoeffler's sensitivity criterion is developed and used to prove the existence of a sensitivity minimum in an active RC transfer function synthesis procedure.
Conductivity values of tissue culture medium from 20°C to 40°C

Few studies are available that relate conductivity and temperature in solutions commonly used in tissue culture media. The purpose of this paper is to provide equations relating conductivity and temperature (in the range 20 degrees C-40 degrees C) for five solutions: 0.9% saline, MEM (Minimum Essential Media), horse serum, MEM with 1% horse serum, and MEM with 10% horse serum.
Lactate dehydrogenase isozymes of the mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus. IV. Formation of LDH-X (C4) and its hybrids in vivo.

Abstract 1. 1. To determine the nature of testicular, epididymal and spermatozoan LDH-X in the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, in vitro hybridizations of testicular or epididymal LDH with somatic tissue LDH have been undertaken. Several new isozymes containing C and A and/or B monomers are generated in vitro. All new hybrid isozymes are formed with a reduction of C4 homotetramer activity. 2. 2. The new isozymes generated are produced at sites previously predicted on the basis of the relative electrophoretic mobilities of the LDH-A, B and C monomers. 3. 3. Mature spermatozoa possess (LDH-X(C4 as their primary lactate dehydrogenase. The isozyme complement of spermatozoa completes a shift toward C4 homotetramer activity that began in the testis as primarily hybrid isozymes. 4. 4. A mechanism of hybrid formation in vivo is proposed. This mechanism requires the pre-meiotic synthesis of C monomers and the post-meiotic functional assembly of these monomers into C4 homotetramers.
Magnetoadsorptive Particles Enabling the Centrifugation‐Free, Preparative‐Scale Separation, and Sorting of Single‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes

A novel magnetic composition of the high surface area particles with amide chemical functionality, Sephacryl S-200, is reported enabling the preparative-scale (1 L, ≈5–10 mg) separation of metallic and semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) from completely unpurified and uncentrifuged nanotube stocks. Sephacryl S-200 has previously been utilized in separating semiconducting SWNT (s-SWNT) on the laboratory scale. Significantly, use of these magnetic derivative particles in absorptive separation of SWNT allows the unprecedented and industrially scalable purification of both metallic SWNT (m-SWNT) as well as s-SWNT directly from uncentrifuged, ultrasonicated surfactant-based SWNT solutions by simple and scalable magnetic separation. These particles also allowed for the systematic study on the effect of SWNT–polymer interaction time on the resulting SWNT “payloads.” Ultimately, high -purity m-SWNT and s-SWNT products are independently achieved by controlling the SWNT–polymer interaction time and relative concentrations, as well as SWNT sonication conditions. Furthermore, by controlling these factors, single-chirality (6,5) s-SWNT can be isolated with 92% purity directly from unpurified stocks. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates a total process SWNT yield of 1.2% and 1.7% for m-SWNT and s-SWNT, respectively. These results demonstrate the potential for a preparative method for separating carbon nanotubes based on electronic properties.
Development of an object-oriented finite element program with adaptive mesh refinement for multi-physics applications

In this paper, an object-oriented framework for numerical analysis of multi-physics applications is presented. The framework is divided into several basic sets of classes that enable the code segments to be built according to the type of problem to be solved. Fortran 2003 was used in the development of this finite element program due to its advantages for scientific and engineering programming and its new object-oriented features. The program was developed with h-type adaptive mesh refinement, and it was tested for several classical cases involving heat transfer, fluid mechanics and structural mechanics. The test cases show that the adaptive mesh is refined only in the localization region where the feature gradient is relatively high. The overall mesh refinement and the h-adaptive mesh refinement were justified with respect to the computational accuracy and the CPU time cost. Both methods can improve the computational accuracy with the refinement of mesh. The overall mesh refinement causes the CPU time cost to greatly increase as the mesh is refined. However, the CPU time cost does not increase very much with the increase of the level of h-adaptive mesh refinement. The CPU time cost can be saved by up to 90%, especially for the simulated system with a large number of elements and nodes.
Stress accomodation in large-mismatch systems

Abstract Accomodation of lattice mismatch is investigated for the case of large (ϵ>0.02) mismatch. In particular, the regime where the separation D between misfit dislocations is much less than the strained layer thickness h is considered here. The conventional Matthews-Blakeslee mechanism for creation of misfit dislocations is found to be inadequate for the case of large lattice relaxation owing to interactions amongst the misfit dislocations at the interface. According to St. Venant's principle, the stress fields of the dislocation network are screened beyond a distance D from the dislocation cores. This observation has several consequences, including large densities of threading dislocations and the “melting” of moderately relaxed heterointerfaces at conventional semiconductor growth temperatures. A number of experimental observations may be explained via these models.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide reduces A-type K+ currents and caspase activity in cultured adult mouse olfactory neurons.

Abstract Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide has been shown to reduce apoptosis in neonatal cerebellar and olfactory receptor neurons, however the underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated. In addition, the neuroprotective effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide have not been examined in adult tissues. To study the effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide on neurons in apoptosis, we measured caspase activation in adult olfactory receptor neurons in vitro . Interestingly, we found that the protective effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide were related to the absence of a 4-aminopyridine (IC 50 =144μM) sensitive rapidly inactivating potassium current often referred to as A-type current. In the presence of 40nM pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 38, both A-type current and activated caspases were significantly reduced. A-type current reduction by pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide was blocked by inhibiting the phospholipase C pathway, but not the adenylyl cyclase pathway. Our observation that 5mM 4-aminopyridine mimicked the caspase inhibiting effects of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide indicates that A-type current is involved in apoptosis. This work contributes to our growing understanding that potassium currents are involved with the activation of caspases to affect the balance between cell life and death.
A caveat regarding diatom-inferred nitrogen concentrations in oligotrophic lakes

Atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (Nr) has enriched oligotrophic lakes with nitrogen (N) in many regions of the world and elicited dramatic changes in diatom community structure. The lakewater concentrations of nitrate that cause these community changes remain unclear, raising interest in the development of diatom-based transfer functions to infer nitrate. We developed a diatom calibration set using surface sediment samples from 46 high-elevation lakes across the Rocky Mountains of the western US, a region spanning an N deposition gradient from very low to moderate levels (<1 to 3.2 kg Nr ha−1 year−1 in wet deposition). Out of the fourteen measured environmental variables for these 46 lakes, ordination analysis identified that nitrate, specific conductance, total phosphorus, and hypolimnetic water temperature were related to diatom distributions. A transfer function was developed for nitrate and applied to a sedimentary diatom profile from Heart Lake in the central Rockies. The model coefficient of determination (bootstrapping validation) of 0.61 suggested potential for diatom-inferred reconstructions of lakewater nitrate concentrations over time, but a comparison of observed versus diatom-inferred nitrate values revealed the poor performance of this model at low nitrate concentrations. Resource physiology experiments revealed that nitrogen requirements of two key taxa were opposite to nitrate optima defined in the transfer function. Our data set reveals two underlying ecological constraints that impede the development of nitrate transfer functions in oligotrophic lakes: (1) even in lakes with nitrate concentrations below quantification (<1 μg L−1), diatom assemblages were already dominated by species indicative of moderate N enrichment; (2) N-limited oligotrophic lakes switch to P limitation after receiving only modest inputs of reactive N, shifting the controls on diatom species changes along the length of the nitrate gradient. These constraints suggest that quantitative inferences of nitrate from diatom assemblages will likely require experimental approaches.