cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparation of Large Volume Planar Germanium Detectors and Results of Their Use in Nuclear Physics Experiments

Improved performance of germanium detectors, prepared by use of lithium-drift techniques, was obtained by means of measurements of diode properties and surface resistivity during preparation. A compensated thickness of 16 mm was obtained for several detectors in a single drift operation. For these and other detectors the provision of a negligible (i.e. < 10?) dead layer on one side allowed the detector to be useful from 10 keV to 10 MeV. An electric field intensity of 50 to 175 volts/mm was sufficient to give satisfactory energy resolution (i.e., 3.0 - 4.5 keV @ 1.333 MeV) and full counting efficiency for detectors of thickness up to 16 mm. The preparation of 2 - 3 cm thick detectors by use of a dual-drift procedure, wherein two adjacent diode structures are caused to merge, is described. The joint use of coaxial and planar techniques, and their relative advantages, are discussed. It is concluded that the preparation of germanium detectors of area 25 cm2 and thickness 1.5 - 3.0 cm is feasible with present techniques, but limited by the quality of the crystals utilized. The results of application of these detectors to muonic x-ray studies, neutron-capture gamma-ray experiments, charged-particle induced reactions involving gamma rays, and isotopic analysis of materials such as uranium are presented. An advantage of a reduction in sensitive volume for some measurements at energies in the range 5 - 10 MeV is shown.
T-CELL RECOGNITION OF SELF PEPTIDES AS TUMOR REJECTION ANTIGENS

Human melanoma antigens and their epitopes recognized by T cells have recently been identified. HLA-A2 binding epitopes of melanoma antigens MART-1 and gp100 were characterized and suspected to be subdominant/cryptic self determinants. Together with other findings of tumor-specific mutated self peptides as tumor antigens recognized by T cells, the nature of the antitumor immune response to human melanoma has been revealed at a molecular level. These findings have implications not only for understanding of the immune response to self peptides in normal and pathologic conditions, but also for the development of immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Going ‘to the Fountainhead’: Black American Athletes as Cultural Ambassadors in Africa, 1970–1971

During the Cold War, the State Department frequently employed prominent black athletes as cultural ambassadors in an attempt to defuse global criticism of racism in the USA. In the late 1960s, as many black American athletes identified increasingly with the “Black Power” movement, their personal motivations often clashed with State Department goals. In 1970, the black American tennis star Arthur Ashe, along with Stan Smith, conducted an extremely successful tour of six African nations. The following year, the State Department attempted to replicate that success by sending NBA stars Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson to Africa. Those players, for a variety of reasons, were less cooperative and effective than Ashe. The shortcomings of the Jabbar/Robertson tour contributed to a decline in the State Department's practice of utilising star black athletes as cultural diplomats.
MJO Initiation in the Real-Time Multivariate MJO Index

AbstractMadden–Julian oscillation (MJO) initiation in the real-time multivariate MJO (RMM) index is explored through an analysis of observed case studies and composite events. Specific examples illustrate that both the dates of MJO initiation and the existence of the MJO itself can vary substantially among several well-known MJO indices, depending on whether the focus is on convection or circulation. Composites of “primary” MJO initiation events in which the RMM index rapidly increases in amplitude from a non-MJO state to an MJO state are presented and are supplemented by two case studies from the 1985/86 winter season. Results illustrate that, for primary MJO initiation events in the Indian Ocean (RMM phase 1), slowly eastward-propagating 850-hPa (200 hPa) easterly (westerly) anomalies over the Indian Ocean precede the amplification of the RMM index by at least 10 days, while suppressed convection over the western Pacific Ocean precedes the amplification by 5 days. These “local” Eastern Hemispheric prede...
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS’ CONCEPTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT: A COMPARISON OF PRESERVICE AND IN‐SERVICE TEACHERS

• An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Biennial Meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, Indianapolis, IN, 1995. We gratefully acknowledge Ellen McLaughlin for her assistance in coding the vignettes. We also thank the teachers who participated in the study.
A prospective study of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus colonization in children scheduled for elective surgery.

Abstract Background Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of surgical wound infections. To obtain contemporary data on S aureus , we performed a prospective study of colonization and infection in children scheduled for elective surgical procedures. Methods A nasal swab and clinical information were obtained at the presurgical outpatient visit. At operation, nasal and perianal swabs were obtained. S aureus were isolated and characterized. Results We enrolled 499 patients from June 2005 to April 2007. Wound classes were 1 (73%), 2 (22%), 3 (5%), and 4 (0.2%). Prophylactic antibiotics were administered for 153 (31%). Postoperative length of stay ranged from 0 (77%) to 6 days, with 19 (4%) staying 4 days or more. Screening cultures grew S aureus for 186 procedures (36.6%); of these, 141 were methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) (76% of all staphylococcal cultures or 28% of all procedures). Most MRSA had Staphylococcal Chromosomal Cassette mec type II and resistance to clindamycin—typical for hospital-associated strains. There were 10 (2%) surgical site infections, including 4 methicillin-sensitive S aureus , 1 MRSA, 2 with no growth, and 2 with no cultures. Conclusion Methicillin-resistant S aureus colonization was common in asymptomatic children. Most strains appeared to be health care–associated and resistant to clindamycin. Wound infection rate remained low despite the high prevalence of staphylococcal colonization.
Local time-average gas holdup comparisons in cold flow fluidized beds with side-air injection

Abstract Fluidized beds are interesting and useful processing systems that are employed in many industries such as processing biomass into biofuels or the coating of pharmaceuticals. Knowledge of fluidized bed hydrodynamics is necessary for the design and scale-up of such devices. This paper describes the local time-average differences of gas holdup in a 10.2 cm and 15.2 cm diameter cold flow fluidized bed that were recorded using 3D X-ray computed tomography. Three different Geldart type B bed materials are studied at various superficial gas velocities and side-air injection flow rates, where the side-air injection simulated the immediate volatilization of a fuel like coal or biomass particles. Variations in side-air injection flow rate have little influence on global bed hydrodynamics, but significantly affects local gas holdup. Axial annular flow dominates over all flow conditions for each material and bed diameter. Wall effects increasingly influence hydrodynamics as bed diameter decreases for all materials.
Authoritarianism and Ethical Ideology

Abstract Relations between right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), ethical ideology, and self-reported conservativism/liberalism (con/lib) were examined in a sample of U.S. college students. An inverse association was predicted between relativism and all three aspects of RWA as defined by Altemeyer (1988): authoritarian submission, conventionalism, and aggression. This prediction was supported while controlling for effects of both participant gender and con/lib, indicating that all aspects of RWA are associated with an endorsement of universal moral codes. In addition, there was a positive correlation between idealism and both the RWA total score and RWA aggression when effects of participant gender and con/lib were controlled for. Thus, RWA is associated with a caring self-perception, despite the well-documented association between RWA and aggression.
Immunohistochemical localization of TGF beta 1, TGF beta 2, and TGF beta 3 in the mouse embryo: expression patterns suggest multiple roles during embryonic development

Isoform-specific antibodies to TGF beta 1, TGF beta 2, and TGF beta 3 proteins were generated and have been used to examine the expression of these factors in the developing mouse embryo from 12.5-18.5 d post coitum (d.p.c.). These studies demonstrate the initial characterization of both TGF beta 2 and beta 3 in mammalian embryogenesis and are compared with TGF beta 1. Expression of one or all three TGF beta proteins was observed in many tissues, e.g., cartilage, bone, teeth, muscle, heart, blood vessels, lung, kidney, gut, liver, eye, ear, skin, and nervous tissue. Furthermore, all three TGF beta proteins demonstrated discrete cell-specific patterns of expression at various stages of development and the wide variety of tissues expressing TGF beta proteins represent all three primary embryonic germ layers. For example, specific localization of TGF beta 1 was observed in the lens fibers of the eye (ectoderm), TGF beta 2 in the cortex of the adrenal gland (mesoderm), and TGF beta 3 in the cochlear epithelium of the inner ear (endoderm). Compared to the expression of TGF beta mRNA transcripts in a given embryonic tissue, TGF beta proteins were frequently colocalized within the same cell type as the mRNA, but in some cases were observed to localize to different cells than the mRNA, thereby indicating that a complex pattern of transcription, translation, and secretion for TGF beta s 1-3 exists in the mouse embryo. This also indicates that TGF beta 1, beta 2, and beta 3 act through both paracrine and autocrine mechanisms during mammalian embryogenesis.
Stimulus cancellation by Macaques with unilateral frontal or parietal lesions

Monkey's spontaneous behaviors in cancelling a variety of visual and somatosensory stimuli were measured before, and acutely after, unilateral periarcuate (N = 16) and inferior parietal (n = 14) cortical removals. Postoperative behavior was analyzed for both severity of change from the preoperative baseline, and for the type of behavior (perceptual or premotor) affected by the lesion. Overall the two lesion groups could not be differentiated by severity or type of deficit. In two tasks, premotor deficits, manifest as extreme disuse of the hand contralateral to the lesion, were significantly worse in the parietal than the frontal group. In a third, the frontal group showed a greater perceptual deficit, manifest as marked preference for acting within ipsilesional space, than the parietal. In the three remaining tasks, premotor and perceptual deficits were equal in the two groups. These quantitative behavioral data suggest that deficits are more highly contingent upon task requirements than upon lesion sites. This in turn suggests that frontal and parietal association cortical fields each play multiple, and sometimes interchangeable, roles in the spatially directed attention and motor behavior of the monkey.
Extracellular Secretion of Acid Hydrolases by Maize Endosperm Cells Grown in Liquid Medium

Summary Protein storage bodies of maize seed endosperm cells were isolated by three different methods and shown to contain the alcohol-soluble storage proteins plus hydrolytic enzymes with acidic pH optima. When maize endosperm cells were cultured in vitro , a portion of the soluble acid hydrolase activities was secreted into the medium. These secretory hydrolases include phosphatases, glycosidases, and an endoxylanase. The zein storage proteins were not secreted into the medium nor were selected enzymes representative of intermediary metabolism. All of the secretory hydrolases bound to immobilized concanavalin-A and appear to be glycoproteins. Ion-filtration chromatography and chromatofocusing of culture medium, homogenates of cultured endosperm cells, and seed endosperm homogenates, revealed the occurrence of multiple isozymes of the hydrolytic activities, but the isozyme patterns were similar in all cases.
Stationary and Moving Convective Bands in Hurricanes

Abstract Aircraft observations in hurricanes indicate that the hurricane vortex may be subdivided into an inner gyre where the air trajectories form closed paths and an outer envelope where they do not. In the closed gyre, a core of air moves with the vortex; in the envelope, environmental air passes through the vortex and around the core. A system of spiral bands, termed the stationary band complex (SBC), forms near the boundary between the core and the envelope where the Rossby number is of order unity. The SBC differs dynamically both from convective rings because it is asymmetric and from propagating gravity-wave bands because its Doppler-shifted frequency is below the local inertia frequency. In more intense systems with stronger convective instability, the SBC may evolve into a convective ring and move into the vortex core. Outward propagating gravity-wave bands have also been observed. Such bands are often associated with track oscillations as the storm makes landfall or recurves. Spiral-shaped ent...
Carrier mobility and current saturation in the MOS transistor

Consideration is given to the phenomenon of saturation of drain current in the insulated-gate field-effect transistor. The effect of limited carrier drift velocity in the transistor channel is evaluated, and a quantitative theory developed to predict behavior in such a region of current flow. It is shown that the "paradox" of complete pinch-off at the drain need not necessarily be resolved by postulating a limiting carrier velocity to explain drain-current saturation. It is found that saturation of drain current may be meaningfully ascribed to saturation of carrier velocity only for special cases, such as n -type germanium transistors, and, in addition, this current saturation is only to "first order." Detailed consideration is given to behavior of drain-current saturation, and the physical mechanisms controlling saturation drain resistance and voltage gain are discussed and compared. It is proposed that for high-resistivity substrates, electrostatic drain to channel feedback is dominant, whereas for low-resistivity substrates modulation of the length of the space-charge region at the drain is dominant. Experimental evidence is presented for silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors which indicates that the effect of the channel mobile charge on the field distribution in the drain space-charge region is negligible as compared to several sources of "fixed" charge. Based on this it is concluded that carrier mobility within this region does not play a significant role in determining device characteristics. Brief consideration is also given to the "constant-carrier-mobility" approximation for behavior in the source region of the channel. It is found that due to fairly strong surface region scattering in silicon units, the effects of field dependent mobility are reduced substantially below that observed in single-crystal bulk material. The constant-mobility approximation is also experimentally confirmed by the excellent "square-law behavior" demonstrated by these transistors.
Diffusivity of 3He atoms in perfect tungsten crystals

The diffusivity of 3He atoms in perfect crystals of tungsten has been studied employing the atom‐probe field‐ion microscope (FIM) technique. Tungsten FIM specimens were implanted in situ with 300‐eV 3He+ ions, to a fluence of 3×1015 ions cm−2, at specimen temperatures which ranged from 60 to 110 K. The 3He+ ion beam was analyzed magnetically and the ion source was connected to the atom probe through a differentially pumped aperture. At an implantation energy of 300 eV no radiation damage was produced by the implanted 3He atoms. Thus, the state of a tungsten specimen after an implantation consisted of 3He atoms with an initial depth distribution that was determined solely by the range profile of the low‐energy ions. Isothermal annealing experiments between 90 and 110 K were employed to study the kinetics of recovery of the implanted 3He atoms; at 60 K the 3He atoms are immobile. This data, in combination with a suitable diffusion model, was used to determine—for the first time—the diffusivity [D3He(T)] and...
Identification of proteins that interact with two regulators of appressorium development, adenylate cyclase and cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, in the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea

Adenylate cyclase (MAC1) and the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (CPKA) are required for appressorium development and pathogenesis in the rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe grisea. To identify new components in the cAMP signal transduction pathway, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to screen MAC1 and CPKA against an appressorium cDNA library. The cDNA library was constructed by GATEWAY recombinational cloning, enabling transfer of the library to various alternative vectors. The protein phosphatase domain in MAC1, which is unique to fungal adenylate cyclases, interacted with a MAP kinase kinase and a Ser/Thr kinase. Interactions of MAC1 with the kinases may prove to be part of feedback loops between the corresponding signaling pathways. A predicted membrane protein, ACI1, which is highly expressed under conditions that are conducive to appressorium formation, also interacted with MAC1. ACI1 has an extracellular domain containing eight-cysteines, which is also present in other fungal proteins implicated in pathogenesis. The N-terminal half of CPKA, which includes a glutamine-rich sequence unique to a group of fungal sequences, interacted with a putative transcriptional regulator and two different glycosyl hydrolases. Phosphorylation motifs in these sequences suggest that they could be CPKA substrates. The protein interaction assay employed here can now be scaled up to identify interactions between a larger set of proteins in the M. grisea interactome.
Micro-solenoid Electromagnetic Power Harvesting for Vibrating Systems

ABSTRACT The field of renewable energy has recently taken a surge with the advent of power harvesting systems. Much of the work previously done has focused primarily on dipole material s such as piezoelectric generato rs due to their high energy density. Exploring other vibration conversion techniques, electromagnetism has been theorized to be highly viable as well. In fact, in the presence of strong magnetic fields, its energy density can exceed that of piezoelectric systems. The key aspects to its usefulness lie in maximizing the rate of change of magnetic flux and thus maximizing the electric potential from the electromotive force. The specifics of this research include the descriptions of the electromagnetic theory, fabrication, and performance of a micro-electromagnetic power harvester with a vibration energy source. In addition, an empirical analysis of the influence of the micro-coils geometry on the performance of the MEMS power harvester is given. Keywords: Power harvesting, energy harvesting, electromagnetis m, electromagnetic induction, MEMS, solenoid, in-plane spiral, geometric effects
Anatomy and ultrastructure of the axons and terminals of neurons R3-R14 in Aplysia

Using light and electron microscopy and autoradiography, we have traced the axons of neurons R3-R14 in the parietovisceral ganglion (PVG) of Aplysia to terminal fields associated with vascular tissue. The axons are identified by their large size (15-30 micrometer diameter), extensive glial infolding, characteristic dense core vesicles (DCV; approximately 180 nm diameter), and specific, rapid uptake of 3H-glycine. Each neuron in this homogeneous group sends an axon via the branchial nerve to the pericardial region surrounding the junction of the efferent gill vein and the heart. R14 also sends axons to major arteries near the PVG. The R3-R14 axons branch extensively; we estimate that there are at least several hundred per cell. Branches along axons in the branchial nerve exit the nerve, subdivide, and end blindly in the sheath which is bathed by hemolymph. Similar blind endings from R3R14 occur in the sheath of the PVG (Coggeshall, '67). Axonal branches in the pericardial region and the special R14 axons in the arterial walls form both varicose endings near and terminals in contact with vasvular smooth muscle. All R3-R14 endings are free of glia, packed with DCV, show occasional omega-shaped profiles and rapidly take up 3H-glycine. R3-R14 manufacture specific low molecular weight peptides (Gainer and Wollberg, '74), and both the cell bodies (Iliffe et al., '77) and the germinals contain unusually high concentrations of glycine. The presence of peptides as putative neurohormones and sheath endings (neurohormonal release areas) are consistent with R3-R14 being neurosecretory (Coggeshall et al., '66). While glycine could not be a circulating hormone due to its high circulating levels (Iliffe et al., '77), glycine could act as a local chemical messenger between R3-R14 and smooth muscle. The terminal morphology of R3-R14 is consistent with these neurons having both synaptic-type and neurosecretory-type functions.
Analysis of MTMR1 expression and correlation with muscle pathological features in juvenile/adult onset myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) and in myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2)

Abstract Among genes abnormally expressed in myotonic dystrophy type1 (DM1), the myotubularin-related 1 gene ( MTMR1) was related to impaired muscle differentiation. Therefore, we analyzed MTMR1 expression in correlation with CUG-binding protein1 (CUG-BP1) and muscleblind-like1 protein (MBNL1) steady-state levels and with morphological features in muscle tissues from DM1 and myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) patients. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR for MTMR1 was done on muscle biopsies and primary muscle cultures. The presence of impaired muscle fiber maturation was evaluated using immunochemistry for neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), Vimentin and neonatal myosin heavy chain. CUG-BP1 and MBNL1 steady-state levels were estimated by Western blot. RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization combined with immunochemistry for CUG-BP1, MBNL1 and NCAM were performed on serial muscle sections. An aberrant splicing of MTMR1 and a significant amount of NCAM-positive myofibers were detected in DM1 and DM2 muscle biopsies; these alterations correlated with DNA repeat expansion size only in DM1. CUG-BP1 levels were increased only in DM1 muscles, while MBNL1 levels were similar among DM1, DM2 and controls. Normal and NCAM-positive myofibers displayed no differences either in the amount of ribonuclear foci and the intracellular distribution of MBNL1 and CUG-BP1. In conclusion, an aberrant MTMR1 expression and signs of altered myofiber maturation were documented in both DM1 and in DM2 muscle tissues. The more severe dysregulation of MTMR1 expression in DM1 versus DM2, along with increased CUG-BP1 levels only in DM1 tissues, suggests that the mutual antagonism between MBNL1 and CUG-BP1 on alternative splicing is more unbalanced in DM1.
Disturbance regimes, resilience, and recovery of animal communities and habitats in lotic ecosystems

Disturbance regime is a critical organizing feature of stream communities and ecosystems. The position of a given reach in the river basin and the sediment type within that reach are two key determinants of the frequency and intensity of flow-induced disturbances. We distinguish between predictable and unpredictable events and suggest that predictable discharge events are not disturbances. We relate the dynamics of recovery from disturbance (i.e., resilience) to disturbance regime (i.e., the disturbance history of the site). The most frequently and predictably disturbed sites can be expected to demonstrate the highest resilience. Spatial scale is an important dimension of community structure, dynamics, and recovery from disturbance. We compare the effects on small patches (⩽1 m2) to the effects of large reaches at the river basin level. At small scales, sediment movements and scour are major factors affecting the distribution of populations of aquatic insects or algae. At larger scales, we must deal with channel formation, bank erosion, and interactions with the riparian zone that will affect all taxa and processes. Our understanding of stream ecosystem recovery rests on our grasp of the historical, spatial, and temporal background of contemporary disturbance events.
A case of thermal pollution limited primary productivity in a southwestern U.S.A. Reservoir

North Lake, a small (330 ha. surface area) southwestern U.S.A. cooling water reservoir was found to contain less phytoplankton production (104.0 mg C m−3 day−1), lower annual mean total organic carbon (3.7 mg l−1) and phytoplankton standing crops (0.9 ml m−3) than other local area reservoirs. Concentrations of inorganic P and N were at or below test detection limits during the study year 1973–1974.In situ 14C non-filtration primary productivity techniques demonstrated significant (≃13 percent) stimulation of planktonic primary productivity due to power plant entrainment. Optical counts showed no destruction of entrained phytoplankters. Populations of Cyanophyta were never dominant, although they frequently bloom in most other local reservoirs. Thermal loading at North Lake is thought to ultimately depress phytoplankton primary production and standing crop by causing nutrient limitation.
Endoscopic (without endoscopic ultrasound guidance) drainage of pancreatic fluid collections

Abstract Pancreatic fluid collections (PFC) are common clinical sequelae of acute pancreatitis. Endoscopic treatment is less invasive than traditional surgical approaches for many PFCs while offering comparable safety and efficacy. Therefore, endoscopy is increasingly used as the first-line modality for PFC drainage as new techniques and equipment have evolved. Endoscopic therapy can be achieved using a transmural, with or without the aid of endoscopic ultrasound, or a transpapillary approach. In this article, we will focus on nonendoscopic ultrasound–guided transmural drainage of PFCs including indications, preprocedural assessment, procedural techniques, and postprocedural management.
Relapse pattern and prognosis of primary CNS lymphoma.

TO THE EDITOR: We compliment the work of Kim et al., on relapse patterns and prognosis of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) [1]. Analyzing data on 65 patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL, authors conclude that regular systemic evaluation of extra-cranial site may not always be necessary. They also report that age less than 60 to have better overall survival (OS) and patients who received chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (Ctx-ASCT) to have better failure free survival (FFS). This study is one of the few studies to analyze PCNSL relapse patterns and the first study so far to analyze impact of Ctx-ASCT as compared to other treatment options in PCNSL.
The Radiosensitivity of Satellite Cells: Cell Cycle Regulation, Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress

Skeletal muscles are the organ of movement, and their growth, regeneration and maintenance are dependent in large part on a population of myogenic stem cells known as satellite cells. Skeletal muscles and these resident myogenic stem cells (i.e., satellite cells) are commonly exposed to significant doses of radiation during diagnostic procedures and/or during the radiotherapeutic management of cancer. The main objective of this study was to examine the effects of clinically relevant doses of γ radiation on satellite cell survival and proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, DNA double-strand break repair, oxidative stress and NO production. Overall, our findings demonstrate that doses of γ radiation ≥5 Gy reduced satellite cell numbers by at least 70% due in part to elevated apoptosis and the inhibition of cell cycle progression. Radiation was also found to cause a significant and persistent increase in the level of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Interestingly, and within this backdrop of elevated oxidative stress, similar doses were found to produce substantial reductions in the levels of nitric oxide (NO). Proliferation of satellite cells has been shown to depend in part on the production of NO, and our findings give rise to the possibility that radiation-induced reductions in NO levels may provide a mechanism for the inhibition of satellite cell proliferation in vitro and possibly the regrowth of skeletal muscle exposed during clinical irradiation procedures.
Transcriptional and Proteomic Analysis of a Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) Mutant of Shewanella oneidensis: Possible Involvement of Fur in Energy Metabolism, Transcriptional Regulation, and Oxidative Stress

The iron-directed, coordinate regulation of genes depends on the fur (ferric uptake regulator) gene product, which acts as an iron-responsive, transcriptional repressor protein. To investigate the biological function of a fur homolog in the dissimilatory metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, a fur knockout strain (FUR1) was generated by suicide plasmid integration into this gene and characterized using phenotype assays, DNA microarrays containing 691 arrayed genes, and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Physiological studies indicated that FUR1 was similar to the wild-type strain when they were compared for anaerobic growth and reduction of various electron acceptors. Transcription profiling, however, revealed that genes with predicted functions in electron transport, energy metabolism, transcriptional regulation, and oxidative stress protection were either repressed (ccoNQ, etrA, cytochrome b and c maturation-encoding genes, qor, yiaY, sodB, rpoH, phoB, and chvI) or induced (yggW, pdhC, prpC, aceE, fdhD, and ppc) in the fur mutant. Disruption of fur also resulted in derepression of genes (hxuC, alcC, fhuA, hemR, irgA, and ompW) putatively involved in iron uptake. This agreed with the finding that the fur mutant produced threefold-higher levels of siderophore than the wild-type strain under conditions of sufficient iron. Analysis of a subset of the FUR1 proteome (i.e., primarily soluble cytoplasmic and periplasmic proteins) indicated that 11 major protein species reproducibly showed significant (P < 0.05) differences in abundance relative to the wild type. Protein identification using mass spectrometry indicated that the expression of two of these proteins (SodB and AlcC) correlated with the microarray data. These results suggest a possible regulatory role of S. oneidensis MR-1 Fur in energy metabolism that extends the traditional model of Fur as a negative regulator of iron acquisition systems.
Regulation of luminescence by cyclic AMP in cya-like and crp-like mutants of Vibrio fischeri.

Abstract Mutants of Vibrio fischeri MJ-1 (wild type) apparently deficient in adenylate cyclase (cya-like) or cyclic AMP receptor protein (crp-like) were isolated and characterized. Compared with MJ-1, the mutants produced low levels of luminescence and luciferase. Addition of cyclic AMP restored wild-type levels of luminescence and luciferase in the cya-like mutant but not in the crp-like mutant. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that in V. fischeri cyclic AMP and cyclic AMP receptor protein are required for induction of the luminescence system.
Design for supported planar waveguides for obtaining mid-IR evanescent-wave absorption spectra from biomembranes of individual cells

We have been developing miniature planar Ge waveguides to detect mid-IR evanescent-wave absorption spectra from the cell membranes of individual intact frog eggs, 1.5-mm in diameter, from Xenopus laevis, with the aim of detecting and analyzing transient conformational changes of voltage-gated ion channel proteins in the membrane. Here we use waveguide optical theory to calculate optimal dimensions for a germanium waveguide to be used as a multiple-internal-reflection ATR element for this purpose. We assume that light from a standard broad-band IR source is coupled efficiently into and out of a planar Ge waveguide, and then onto a small-area MCT detector, by using an IR microscope with a highnumerical-aperture objective. To increase the coupling efficiency even further, we assume that we can fabricate the waveguide with a gradual 7-fold-tapering to the tiny dimensions needed in the sensing region. Then, assuming that ~ 107 ion channel proteins in an occyte can be made to contact an area of a planar Ge waveguide up to ~ 200 mu m in diameter, we calculate that voltage-gated structural changes in these channel proteins should produce absorbance change signals of ~ 10-6 if the waveguide sensor thickness is set near the optimal thickness of ~ 1 mu m and the sensor region length is limited to 100 mu m. If such a sensor can be fabricated, we calculate that detection of the predicted voltage-gated absorbance changes with a commercial FT-IR microscope should be possible after ~ 20 min of signal averaging.
A thermostat control unit

A sensitive electronic thermostat control unit is described in which a thermistor is used as the sensing element. The output from the thermistor bridge network, after amplification, provides grid potential amplitude control of the current in a gas-filled triode, the anode circuit of which contains the heating element. The unit is of the proportionate control type, and it can readily be adjusted to provide temperature control to within 0·025°C. at temperatures up to 120°c.
Serotonergic neurons signal reward and punishment on multiple timescales

Rewards and punishments can both encourage animals to change their immediate behavior and influence their mood over a longer term, particularly when given repeatedly. A region of the brain that increases its activity in response to rewards and punishments also contains many neurons that communicate with each other by releasing a chemical called serotonin. This chemical is commonly thought to produce feelings of happiness; however, it remains unclear exactly how these particular ‘serotonergic’ neurons help to process rewards and punishments. The ideal way to work out the role that a type of neuron plays in a behavior is to measure its electrical activity as the behavior is being performed. However, it is difficult to distinguish the activity of serotonergic neurons from the activity of the non-serotonergic neurons around them. To overcome this problem, Cohen et al. used viruses to force serotonergic neurons to make a type of ion channel that produces electrical currents in response to light. Shining light on these neurons via optical fibers and then measuring the neurons' responses helped to develop criteria that can identify which responses are generated by the serotonergic neurons. Cohen et al. then recorded the activity of serotonergic neurons in thirsty mice as they experienced a series of rewards (for example, a drop of water) or punishments (such as a puff of air to the eye). Each reward or punishment was preceded by a distinct odor, so that the mice learned to anticipate what was coming. These experiments revealed that serotonergic neurons respond to rewards and punishments by changing two aspects of their electrical activity: by producing short bursts of high activity, and by altering their baseline activity. Some of the serotonergic neurons fired rapidly in response to punishments, but not rewards; others fired rapidly when the mice detected a scent that meant that a reward was about to be given. The average level of reward or punishment the mice received also affected the baseline activity of many of the serotonergic neurons; this effect lasted for several minutes. Overall, Cohen et al. suggest that serotonergic neurons can affect how mice respond to rewards or punishments in both the short and long term. Future experiments should aim to understand the diversity of the signals that Cohen et al. observed, and to determine how these signals are used to drive behavior. Ultimately, understanding how neural circuits made up of different types of cells work may aid in understanding the neural basis of behavior.
The nucleation and heteroepitactic growth of YBa2Cu3O7 − δ thin films on MgO

Abstract The nucleation and growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ films on single-crystal (001)-oriented MgO have been studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The films were formed by pulsed-laser ablation from a stoichiometric bulk sample. Observations of the early stages of film growth were made by utilizing a new specimen-preparation technique in which the films were deposited directly onto specially prepared electron-transparent substrates. The films were found to grow by an island mechanism with the nucleated islands growing to form an interconnecting film. A number of these islands are rotationally misaligned resulting in the formation of a polycrystalline, mosaic structure. The grains were predominantly oriented with their c -axis perpendicular to the film-substrate interface, although a smaller fraction of the film contained grains oriented with their c -axis in the film-substrate plane. These grains were found to grow in orthogonal directions along the [001] and [010] crystal axes of the MgO. The highly anisotropic growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ , fastest along the a − b plane, is an important factor in determining the microstructure of the film.
Changing Roles: Individual and Family Therapy in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa

This article presents a case study illustrating the blending of individual cognitive therapy with family therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Family members explored attributions they made about each other’s behavior. The communication strategies helped this family to communicate more effectively with each other about eating disorders, positive and negative observations in behavior, and ways that the family could be supportive. This approach allowed new behaviors to emerge and began to create new patterns of relating. A significant gain from this approach is that it helped each person face personal weaknesses and to see how the roles they had taken on were very confining to themselves and to other family members.
Two Alternative Approaches to Creating Opportunities for Entrepreneurial Activity: Bridging the Divide Between Academics and Entrepreneurs

The concept of University based centers for the development of entrepreneurial activities is often seen as ivory tower feather bedding. This paper shows how an emerging center in Norway and an award winning center in Alabama have set goals and established procedures to bridge gaps and misconception between academics and entrepreneurs.
Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy of p-Nitrothiophenol on Vapor-Deposited Platinum Films

Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) has been observed by transmission spectroscopy on a vapor-deposited platinum substrate. Monolayers of p-nitrothiophenol (p-NTP) adsorbed on thin island films of platinum were used to probe the enhancement and distortion of the absorption bands of p-NTP. The greatest enhancement was accompanied by distortion of the strongest band in the spectrum of p-NTP into a bipolar shape. The magnitude of enhancement was dependent on the size of the metal islands and their proximity to each other. The applicability of the surface selection rule to SEIRA was confirmed by the weakness of the antisymmetric NO2 stretching band in the spectra of the self-assembled monolayers. Although these preliminary transmission studies show only modest (~10×) enhancement when p-NTP is vapor-deposited onto platinum films, the potential of SEIRA for transmission studies on platinum island films has been established.
A low power architecture for wireless multimedia systems: lessons learned from building a power hog

UCLA has constructed a network testbed which serves as an environment for developing wireless multimedia systems. The first generation testbed consists of a set of battery powered terminals with low-bit rate video codecs connected to a peer-to-peer multi-hop network over spread spectrum radios. Not surprisingly, this set of features draws considerable current during operation, and achieves a battery life of approximately one hour using a 24 Wh NiMH battery. This report discusses the power consumption of the existing testbed, lessons learned during its development, and a course of action directed to improving battery life for a portable multimedia terminal. The key advancement is the development of a complete system architecture focused on turning off power to components and subsystems. Starting with communications protocols, and progressing up through processors to APIs, this new design extends useful battery life through a significant reduction in current drain.
Why Does State Government Contract Out Their E-Government Services?

Contracting out government services, especially IT services, has accelerated in recent years in the United States. Based on literature in privatization and contracting out, the authors build a model of the government decision to contracting out e-government services. The model includes two groups of environmental factors, those associated with political rationality and those associated with economic rationality. To empirically test the model, a panel data set is designed using data from recent NASCIO and NASPO surveys and macro level state data. Important factors affecting the contracting out decision are the partisan composition of legislatures, state population size, the state market composition for e-government services, and the competitiveness of the bidding process. Political and legislative factors appear to be more important than productive economic considerations. One of the major results of this work is to recognize that arguments associated with markets and economic rationality are clearly in part politically motivated.
Ionic versus Covalent Bonding in Dilithium Porphyrins: X-ray Structure of Dilithium Tetraphenylporphyrin Bis(etherate)

The solid state structure of dilithium tetraphenylporphyrin bis(etherate) has been determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure shows the lithium atoms are displaced out of the plane of the porphyrin, each coordinated in a square pyramidal fashion to the four nitrogen atoms in addition to a molecule of diethyl ether. The lithium atoms are identical, as required by the crystallographic inversion centre. X-ray data are as follows: (# 2) with a = 10.1908(4) A, b = 11.6553(4) A, c = 12.5199(5) A, α = 111.644(1)°, β = 98.029(1)°, γ = 111.883(1)°, V = 1214.61(9)A3, dcalc = 1.171 g cm-3 and Z = 1.
The Effects of Sucrose Consumption on Left-Frontal Asymmetry and Anger in Persons with Fibromyalgia Syndrome

ABSTRACT.Objectives: Previous studies suggest that a carbohydrate-restricted diet ameliorates chronic and idiopathic post-prandial [PP] mood symptoms in persons with fibromyalgia syndrome [FMS]. These studies, however, shed no light on the PP effects of carbohydrate on mood and its electroencephalographic correlates. The present study measured the effects of sucrose on electroencephalogram [EEG] and mood self-report measures in persons with FMS and age-matched healthy normal controls [HNC].Methods: The present investigation sought to determine the relationships between reported mood, relative left-frontal EEG asymmetry [rLFA] in the alpha band, and blood glucose at baseline and four PP epochs following ingestion of pure sucrose in female participants with FMS [N = 8] and HNC [N = 10].Results: The FMS and HNC showed equivalent patterns of blood glucose throughout the study, but FMS patients showed elevated levels of depression, anger, and other indicators of distress at all time points. An interaction emer...
Improved Normalization of Systematic Biases Affecting Ion Current Measurements in Label-free Proteomics Data

Normalization is an important step in the analysis of quantitative proteomics data. If this step is ignored, systematic biases can lead to incorrect assumptions about regulation. Most statistical procedures for normalizing proteomics data have been borrowed from genomics where their development has focused on the removal of so-called 'batch effects.' In general, a typical normalization step in proteomics works under the assumption that most peptides/proteins do not change; scaling is then used to give a median log-ratio of 0. The focus of this work was to identify other factors, derived from knowledge of the variables in proteomics, which might be used to improve normalization. Here we have examined the multi-laboratory data sets from Phase I of the NCI's CPTAC program. Surprisingly, the most important bias variables affecting peptide intensities within labs were retention time and charge state. The magnitude of these observations was exaggerated in samples of unequal concentrations or "spike-in" levels, presumably because the average precursor charge for peptides with higher charge state potentials is lower at higher relative sample concentrations. These effects are consistent with reduced protonation during electrospray and demonstrate that the physical properties of the peptides themselves can serve as good reporters of systematic biases. Between labs, retention time, precursor m/z, and peptide length were most commonly the top-ranked bias variables, over the standardly used average intensity (A). A larger set of variables was then used to develop a stepwise normalization procedure. This statistical model was found to perform as well or better on the CPTAC mock biomarker data than other commonly used methods. Furthermore, the method described here does not require a priori knowledge of the systematic biases in a given data set. These improvements can be attributed to the inclusion of variables other than average intensity during normalization.
THE PREPARATION OF ADRENAL CORTICAL HORMONE12

The preparation of a physiologically potent extract of the adrenal cortex, suitable for intravenous administration in laboratory and clinical experimentation, was placed upon a firm footing in 1929 (1) when conclusive evidence was presented by the authors to show that the cortical hormone, essential to the maintenance of life, can be readily extracted from beef adrenal glands with lipid solvents. It was also observed at that time that the solubility of adrenalin in the common lipid solvents was markedly influenced by the presence of lipid materials, particularly phospholipid. Consequently the crude lipid fractions which contained the cortical hormone also contained variable amounts of adrenalin. In order to obtain a relatively pure preparation of cortical hormone it was necessary therefore to fractionate with two objectives in view: (1) the separation of the cortical hormone from lipid material, and (2) the separation from adrenalin. A flow sheet by means of which both these objectives have been attained ...
The Effect of Cimetidine, a New Histamine H2-Receptor Antagonist, on Meal-Stimulated Acid Secretion, Serum Gastrin, and Gastric Emptying in Patients With Duodenal Ulcer

Meal-stimulated acid secretion, measured by in vivo intragastric titration, was progressively inhibited by increasing oral doses of cimetidine (25 to 400 mg). Four hundred milligrams suppressed acid secretion by 73% for the first 3 hr after the meal, whereas it inhibited acid secretion by 94% during the 30-min period of maximal inhibition. The dose of cimetidine required to suppress acid secretion by 50% during the 30-min period of maximal inhibition was 25 mg. The duration of action of a 300-mg dose was at least 7 hr. Cimetidine was equally effective in inhibiting meal-stimulated acid secretion at two physiological intragastric pH levels (5.0 and 2.5). Cimetidine had no effect on serum gastrin concentration when intragastric pH was maintained at 5.0, but when pH was allowed to seek its own level, serum gastrin concentration was higher after cimetidine than after placebo. Cimetidine had no effect on gastric emptying. No side effects were noted in any patients.
AN OLIGOCENE SCIURID FROM THE HSANDA GOL FORMATION, MONGOLIA

(2004). An Oligocene sciurid from the Hsanda Gol Formation, Mongolia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 753-756.