cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of nutrient additions and site hydrology on belowground production and root nutrient contents in two wet grasslands

Abstract Belowground production can be a significant part of total plant biomass and represents a significant pool of carbon and other nutrients. Changes in root biomass and nutrient contents can influence root decomposition and nutrient turnover rates, thereby impacting ecosystem processes and functions. In-growth core bags were used in a long-term nutrient addition study to determine net belowground primary production (NBPP), root nutrient (C, N and P) percentages and stoichiometry under different nutrient treatments in two wet grasslands with either mineral or organic soil. It was hypothesized that fertilization will lead to reduced NBPP, but increased root nutrient contents, and that these differences will be greater over time. The fertilizer was added in two half doses in a growing season over seven years with NBPP and the nutrient measures sampled in years 2, 3, 5 and 7. Between-year differences in the measured parameters were tested by repeated measures ANOVA, while one-way ANOVAs were run to compare between-treatment differences in each year within each site. Linear regressions were run to relate NBPP, root nutrient content and the stoichiometric ratios to changes in site hydrology. NBPP and root nutrient contents changed over time, especially in the organic soil grassland, but were largely unaffected by the nutrient additions. Site hydrology, sometimes interacting with the nutrient treatments, appeared to be the more important factor. Prolonged flooding of the two grasslands in the latter two years of measurements led to significantly reduced NBPP, and N and P% especially in the organic soil site. The response of wet grassland belowground structures to changing hydrologic conditions, in tandem with nutrient addition, may be useful in developing management plans to deal with the expected effect of climate change on water availability at the local and regional scales.
The Geopolitics of Race, Ethnicity, and Representation: African Immigrants and the Congressional Black Caucus

Scholars of race and representation agree that although their interpretations regarding racial group consciousness may differ across groups, the increase in non‐white immigration to the United States has not only drastically changed our perception of race and racism in America, but has called for a reexamination of the specific ways in which ethnicity complicates our ideas about political mobilization, participation, and representation for racial and ethnic minorities. In this paper, I explore the extent to which the racial group consciousness of the Congressional Black Caucus remains significant in explaining black legislator engagement on foreign policy issues of interest to African immigrants. Additionally, I run cross tabulations on a set of foreign policy issues of significance to African immigrants and black legislative activity in order to assess whether black members of Congress are more responsive to the needs and interests of African immigrants groups compared to nonblack members of Congress. Finally, using the framework of Kjellen’s philosophy of geopolitics, I analyze the potential for African immigrants largely located in metropolitan cities to strategically mobilize their political power, similar to African Americans in majority minority districts, to not only elect legislators partial to their cause, but to also hold them accountable when they do not deliver on their promises.
Differential reliance on performance outliers in athletic self-assessment

The current studies tested the hypothesis that, despite experiencing high rates of performance failure, athletes maintain positive ability perceptions by basing assessments of their ability on peak, rarely occurring performances rather than on their more typically occurring base rate averages. Findings from two studies support this assertion. Study 1 showed that collegiate baseball players perceived their best-ever hitting performance to better represent their true hitting ability than their worst-ever performance, despite the latter being far more reflective of their objective batting average. Study 2 replicated this effect among college softball players, and demonstrated further that low-performing athletes were the most severely miscalibrated in their ability perceptions. Implications for coaches, trainers, and practitioners committed to helping athletes develop are discussed.
Unanticipated behavior as a cue for system-level diagnosis

A general method is described for detecting and using unanticipated or surprise events for system-level diagnosis. The author describes an approach which uses these ideas in controlling resource utilization for an intelligent diagnostic system whose immediate application is real-time diagnosis of communication networks. The system is in 24-hr, real-time operation and has been used successfully in the detection and diagnosis of network hardware, software, and configuration faults. >
Elevation in S-Adenosylhomocysteine and DNA Hypomethylation: Potential Epigenetic Mechanism for Homocysteine-Related Pathology

Chronic nutritional deficiencies in folate, choline, methionine, vitamin B-6 and/or vitamin B-12 can perturb the complex regulatory network that maintains normal one-carbon metabolism and homocysteine homeostasis. Genetic polymorphisms in these pathways can act synergistically with nutritional deficiencies to accelerate metabolic pathology associated with occlusive heart disease, birth defects and dementia. A major unanswered question is whether homocysteine is causally involved in disease pathogenesis or whether homocysteinemia is simply a passive and indirect indicator of a more complex mechanism. S-Adenosylmethionine and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), as the substrate and product of methyltransferase reactions, are important metabolic indicators of cellular methylation status. Chronic elevation in homocysteine levels results in parallel increases in intracellular SAH and potent product inhibition of DNA methyltransferases. SAH-mediated DNA hypomethylation and associated alterations in gene expression and chromatin structure may provide new hypotheses for pathogenesis of diseases related to homocysteinemia.
Masculinization of toad pretrigeminal nucleus by androgens

Abstract The magnocellular portion of the pretrigeminal nucleus (a structure involved in vocalization) of male toads contains larger cells than does the female nucleus. Testosterone propionate injections caused essentially complete, and dihydrotestosterone injections incomplete, masculinization of the female nucleus. Estradiol benzoate injections had little or no effect. The androgen effects are therefore largely direct rather than involving extensive aromatization of androgen to estrogen.
Effects of Ground Loop Design Parameters on Short- and Long-Term Operational and Economics of Ground Source Heat Pumps in Hot, Semi-Arid Areas

Deployment of ground source heat pumps in Texas and the Southwest has been limited by high initial cost and potential ground heating. To address these limitations for a residential application a sensitivity study of the ground loop design parameters was completed. The study uses an integrated building load-ground source heat pump model that is designed to be a test bed for assessing the short- and long-term performance of GSHPs. This study examines a 195 m2 residential house located in Austin, Texas with a 14.6 kW heat pump and 4 vertical boreholes each with a length of 68.5 m. The performance effects and the long-term economics of the total ground loop length, spacing of the boreholes, placement of the boreholes, grout thermal conductivity, and supplemental heat rejector sizes are compared. The study shows the importance of proper sizing, design, and placement of the borehole in locations with severely unbalanced heating and cooling loads.© 2012 ASME
Role of the neutron imaginary potential in the (p, n) charge exchange reaction

Abstract The cross section for (p, n) charge exchange for 91Zr(p, n)91Nb∗ is calculated near and above threshold in the distorted wave Born approximation using a charge independent formalism. The results are compared to experiment and found to be especially sensitive to the imaginary potential for the outgoing neutron. The results are inconsistent with the vanishing of the imaginary potential in the channel with total isospin equal to To + 1 2 . (To is the isospin of the target.)
The Novel CO sensing material CoOOH–WO3 with Au and SWCNT performance enhancement

Abstract Various ratios of CoOOH–WO 3 sensing materials were prepared from CoOOH and tungstic acid in air. Au and single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) were also added to CoOOH–WO 3 materials to detect CO concentration. The prepared samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and temperature program reduction (TPR) techniques. The resulting CoOOH–WO 3 material was used as a semiconductor p-type CO sensor. The mixture with a CoOOH–WO 3 ratio of 2:1 had the highest sensor response, and the sensor head worked at room temperature. Doping 1 wt% SWCNT and 0.1 wt% Au into 2:1 CoOOH–WO 3 boosted the CO response about 3.6 times, and the response time was 90 s. An explanation for the CO sensor's characteristics was proposed with reference to the adsorption, desorption, and surface reaction processes of CO.
Mixed projection pursuit-based dimensionality reduction

Projection Pursuit (PP) is a component transform technique which seeks a component whose projection vector points to a direction of interestingness in data space which can be specified by a Projection Index (PI). Two most popular component analysis-based techniques, Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Independent Component Analysis (ICA) can be considered as special cases with their PIs specified by data variance and statistical independency respectively. Despite the fact that various component analysis-based techniques have been used for Dimensionality Reduction (DR) the components are generally generated by a specific technique. Even in the case of PP, the same PI has been used to generate project components. This paper explores the utility of PP in DR where various projection indexes are used for DR in context of PP. It further lays out a general setting for PP-based DR and develops algorithms to perform one dimension reduction at a time by using different PIs. In order to substantiate our findings, experiments are conducted to demonstrate advantages of the PP with mixed PIs-based DR over traditional PCA-based, ICA-based and PP-based DR techniques.
BDNF Alters ERK/p38 MAPK Activity Ratios to Promote Differentiation in Growth Plate Chondrocytes

The ERK and p38 MAPK pathways are well-known transducers of signals that regulate proliferation and differentiation, but precisely how these pathways control growth plate chondrocyte development is unclear. For example, the ERK pathway has been reported to be required by some investigators but inhibitory to chondrocyte development by others. Moreover, how these two pathways interact to regulate chondrocyte development is even less clear. Using primary bovine growth plate chondrocytes and murine ATDC5 cells, we demonstrate that the ERK and p38 pathways have opposing effects on proliferation but are both absolutely required for differentiation. Two factors that promote chondrocyte differentiation, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and C-type natriuretic peptide, increase p38 activity while decreasing, but not completely inhibiting, ERK activity. The attenuation of ERK activity by BDNF occurs via p38-dependent raf-1 inhibition. The inhibition of raf-1 by p38 is direct, because purified p38 protein inhibits the kinase activity of purified active raf-1 as well as raf-1 immunoprecipitated from chondrocyte lysates. Moreover, IGF-I, which stimulates proliferation, suppresses p38 activation. This work describes a model wherein unopposed IGF-I promotes high ERK/p38 activity ratios favoring proliferation, whereas BDNF signals a transition to differentiation by decreasing the ERK/p38 activity ratio without completely inhibiting ERK, which involves the direct inhibition of raf-1 by p38.
GOLGI FRACTIONS PREPARED FROM RAT LIVER HOMOGENATES : II. Biochemical Characterization

The three Golgi fractions isolated from rat liver homogenates by the procedure given in the companion paper account for 6-7% of the protein of the total microsomal fraction used as starting preparation. The lightest, most homogeneous Golgi fraction (GF(1)) lacks typical "microsomal" activities, e.g., glucose-6-phosphatase, NADPH-cytochrome c-reductase, and cytochrome P-450. The heaviest, most heterogeneous fraction (GF(3)) is contaminated by endoplasmic reticulum membranes to the extent of approximately 15% of its protein. The three fractions taken together account for nearly all the UDP-galactose: N-acetyl-glucosamine galactosyltransferase of the parent microsomal fraction, and for approximately 70% of the activity of the original homogenate. Omission of the ethanol treatment of the animals reduces the recovery by half. The transferase activity is associated with the membranes of the Golgi elements, not with their content. Galactose is transferred not only to N-acetyl-glucosamine but also to an unidentified lipid-soluble component.
The Variability in the Distribution of Wealth and Income

There is no generally accepted method of measuring the concentration of wealth, 416.—The methods of Lorenz, 417, Pareto, 419, and Watkins, 427, explained and analyzed.—The coefficient of variability, as used by statistical biologists; suggested as a good measure, 429.—Application of that measure to income statistics, 436, and to wealth statistics of Massachusetts, France, and the United Kingdom, 440.—Conclusion, and summary of the features of the different measures of variability, 447.
Bending of nanoscale ultrathin substrates by growth of strained thin films and islands

Mechanical bending is ubiquitous in heteroepitaxial growth of thin films where the strained growing film applies effectively an ``external'' stress to bend the substrate. Conventionally, when the deposited film is much thinner than the substrate, the bending increases linearly with increasing film thickness following the classical Stoney formula. Here we analyze the bending of ultrathin (nanometer range) substrates induced by growth of coherently strained thin films. The behavior deviates dramatically from the classical linear dependence: when the film thickness becomes comparable to the substrate thickness the bending decreases with increasing film thickness. This complex bending behavior can be understood by considering evolution of strain sharing between the film and substrate. We demonstrate experimentally such counterintuitive bending of a nanoscale thin Si substrate induced by a coherently strained Ge film, in the form of islands, grown on silicon-on-insulator substrate. Larger dome islands, representing a thicker film, induce much less bending of the substrate than smaller hut islands, representing a thinner film, in direct contrast to their behavior on thick Si. We explain these observations by properly considering the island shape and strain relaxation within the island.
Plant availability of lead, cadmium, and boron in amended coal ash

Reclamation and revegetation of coal combustion products (ash) are often complicated by high concentrations of metals. The effects of manure and soil additions on the extractability and plant availability of Pb, Cd, and B were examined in ash reclamation plots located in eastern Kansas. Concentrations extracted from the ash by ammonium bicarbonate DTPA were strongly affected by ash type and amendment, but were unaffected by crops. Plant uptake was affected by ash type and plant species and, to a smaller extent, by amendment. Extractable and plant concentrations were very high in some of the material, which was consistent with observed toxicity symptoms. Plant concentrations showed strong, positive correlations with extractable for Cd and B (r values 0.7 to 0.9), but plant Pb was negatively correlated with extractable concentrations (r = −0.66). Correlations were similar for plant uptake vs extractable for Cd and Pb but were much poorer for B.
Normal and Superconducting Heat Capacities of Lanthanum

The heat capacities of three samples of lanthanum have been measured in the temperature range 1.6 to to 6.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. A four-constant formula was found which represented to high precision the resistance-temperature relation of the carbon composition resistance thermometer from 1.6 to 7.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. Two superconducting transitions were found in each sample: one at 4.8\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and the other at 5.9\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. These are associated respectively with the hexagonal close-packed and face-centered cubic modifications of the metal. Below 2.5\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K, a magnetic field of 10 000 gauss was found insufficient to quench completely the superconducting phase. The values of the normal heat capacity constants for the purest sample, averaged over the two crystal structures present, were determined by a thermodynamic analysis of the data to be $\ensuremath{\gamma}=(24.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.6)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ cal/mole ${(\mathrm{\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}}\mathrm{K})}^{2}$, $\ensuremath{\Theta}=142\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$K. The data are further analyzed for evidence of a law of corresponding states among superconductors.
Synchronous Sensor Runout and Unbalance Compensation in Active Magnetic Bearings Using Bias Current Excitation

Sensor runout and unbalance are the dominant sources of periodic disturbances in magnetic bearings. Many algorithms have been investigated for individual runout and unbalance compensation but the problem of simultaneous compensation of the two disturbances remains essentially unsolved. The problem stems fundamentally from a lack of observability of disturbances with the same frequency content and is critical for applications where the rotor needs to be stabilized about its geometric center. A credible way to distinguish between the synchronous disturbances is to vary rotor speed but speed variation is not acceptable for many applications. We present in this paper a new method for simultaneous identification and compensation of synchronous runout and unbalance at constant rotor speed. Based on traditional adaptive control design, our method guarantees geometric center stabilization of the rotor through persistency of excitation generated by bearing stiffness variation. The variation in magnetic stiffness is achieved through perturbation of the bias currents in opposing electromagnetic coils in a manner that does not alter the equilibrium condition of the rotor. Our theoretical results are first validated through numerical simulations and then experiments on a laboratory test-rig. The experimental results adequately demonstrate efficacy of our approach and provide clues for future research directions. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1435644#
Effects of Arsenic on Zebrafish Innate Immune System

The innate immune response, the first line of defense against invading pathogens, can be perturbed by environmental toxicants such as arsenic. This study reports the effects of arsenic on innate immunity of zebrafish. Respiratory burst activity, messenger RNA expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), a primer of the respiratory burst response, and mRNA expression of the antiviral cytokines interferon (IFN) and Mx, before and after viral infection, were examined in arsenic-exposed zebrafish larvae. Respiratory burst activity and TNF-α expression were decreased upon arsenic exposure, indicating inhibition of TNF-α priming of the respiratory burst response. Arsenic enhanced IFN expression slightly over time, but reduced Mx expression. In zebrafish infected with snakehead rhabdovirus, arsenic decreased induction and altered the kinetics of IFN and Mx upon infection. Differences in IFN and Mx expression in arsenic-exposed larvae point toward an interruption of the Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway.
Localization of an Integrin Binding Site to the C Terminus of Talin

Abstract Talin, consisting of a 47-kDa N-terminal head domain (residues 1–433) and a 190-kDa C-terminal rod domain (residues 434–2541), links integrins to the actin cytoskeleton. We previously reported that the binding stoichiometry of integrin αIIbβ3:talin is ∼2:1. More recently, an integrin binding site has been localized to the talin head domain. In the present study, we identified another integrin binding site at the C-terminal region of the talin rod domain. In a solid phase binding assay, RGD affinity-purified αIIbβ3bound in a dose-dependent manner to microtiter wells coated with the isolated 190-kDa proteolytic fragment of the talin rod domain. Additionally, αIIbβ3 also bound to the talin rod domain captured by 8d4, an anti-talin monoclonal antibody. Polyclonal antibodies raised against a recombinant protein fragment corresponding to the entire talin rod domain (anti-talin-R) inhibited αIIbβ3 binding to intact talin by ∼50% but completely blocked αIIbβ3 binding to the talin rod domain. To localize the integrin binding site, we examined αIIbβ3 binding to recombinant polypeptide fragments corresponding to partial sequences of the talin rod domain. Whereas αIIbβ3 bound effectively to talin-(1075–2541) and talin-(1984–2541), it failed to bind to talin-(434–1076) and talin-(434–1975). Furthermore, the binding of αIIbβ3 to talin-(1984–2541) was inhibited by anti-talin-R. These results indicate that an integrin binding site is located within residues 1984–2541 of the talin rod domain. Thus, talin contains two integrin binding sites, one in the homologous FERM (band four-point-one, ezrin,radixin, moesin) domain and another near its C terminus. Because talin exists as an anti-parallel homodimer in focal adhesions, the two integrin binding sites in the adjacent talin molecules would be in close proximity with each other.
Suppressing galvanic corrosion in graphite/aluminum metal-matrix composites

Abstract It has been found that a 0.1 μm-thick insulation layer having a resistivity of about 1017 Ω cm will be required to decouple electrically a 1 m long graphite fiber from a 6061-T6 Al matrix to limit the galvanic-corrosion rate to a fraction of the normal corrosion rate of 6061-T6 Al exposed to aerated 3.15 wt% NaCl at 30°C. Galvanic corrosion can also be suppressed by inhibiting the oxygen reduction reaction that occurs on the graphite fibers. Galvanic-corrosion current densities of graphite fiber-6061-T6 Al galvanic couples were reduced by 10–100 times by using Zn2+ (10 ppm) as a cathodic inhibitor in aerated 3.15 wt% NaCl at 30°C.
The Transformative Power of Deliberation: When Ethnic Protests Lead to Democratization

Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe. By Sherrill Stroschein. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. 312 pp., $99.00 hardcover (ISBN-13: 978-0-521-19140-1). No other form of government finds greater support around the world than democracy. Yet, a democratic voting system based on the majority rule can be a real handicap for minorities. The potentially explosive differences in the minority and majority views combined with the systematic underrepresentation of minorities in the institutions of governance are magnified in democratizing states. Strident debates over policy- and governance-related issues characterizing divided societies can quickly escalate into interethnic violence. Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe challenges these axioms, offering conclusions that are both counterintuitive and reassuring. First, by analyzing a sequence of protests and contestation by ethnic Hungarian minorities in three East European states in the 1990s, Sherrill Stroschein shows how these informal political processes facilitated gradual democratization in Romania and Slovakia. The meticulously examined contentious processes demonstrate an alternative means of decision making known as “deliberative democracy” or “deliberative argumentation” that developed simultaneously with the formal institutions of electoral democracy (p. 13). Second, the book reassesses the consequences of contentious politics by depicting how grassroots ethnic mobilization and protest can function as democratizing mechanisms. Not only did ethnic mobilization evade violent aftermath (violent riots that took place in a Romanian city Târgu Mures in 1990 were the only exception to the largely peaceful trajectory of protests), but it also helped the Hungarian minorities and titular majorities learn about the nature and limits of each other's claims. The book points out several conditions under which protests can foster violence. State-led repression, military interventions, and economic hardships are mentioned in this regard (p. 25). The primary focus of the …
History of FDA good laboratory practices

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires nonclinical studies of new drugs, food additives and chemicals to predict their safety and potential efficacy in humans. The significance of the information gained from these studies requires that they be conducted according to sound scientific principles and with strict attention to quality assurance and quality control. Human health and safety are dependent upon the decisions made from these studies. The discovery of the lack of companies' adherence to these principles led to the development of the good laboratory practice (GLP) regulations, the driving force behind the quality of nonclinical laboratory studies. As the 25th anniversary of the publication of the regulations approaches, a description of the events leading to the proposal of the GLP regulations provides understanding about their significance and the importance of their use in assuring the quality and integrity of nonclinical safety data. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acetylation Unleashes Protein Demons of Dementia

Aberrant posttranslational modifications of proteins can impair synaptic plasticity and may render neurons vulnerable to degeneration during aging. In this issue of Neuron, Min et al. show that acetylation of the amino acid lysine in the microtubule-associated protein tau prevents its ubiquitin-mediated degradation, resulting in "tau tangles" similar to those of dementias. Other recent studies suggest that lysine hyperacetylation contributes to the accumulation of amyloid β-peptide in Alzheimer's disease and to impaired cognitive function resulting from a trophic factor deficit.
QFN wire bonder efficiency improvement through DMAIC methodology

Being one of highest growth packages, QFN (Quad Flat No-lead) always facing a lot of challenges in maintaining high equipment efficiency in production mode. A lot of hypothesis was made on the root causes, and mostly blaming on frequent machine change-over or device conversion. This seems to be difficult to fix, simply due to the fact that QFN needs to maintain high flexibility in production. A comprehensive study was conducted to verify any possibility of equipment efficiency improvement. The study utilized systematic Six Sigma DMAIC methodology in deriving and optimizing all the major process elements, including people factor, leadframe variations, wafer robustness, machine hardware, measurement system analysis (MSA), auto recipe implementation, and optimum machine utilization. With total of 13 factors, respective evaluations revealed a lot of new knowledge and information. In the evaluations of people factor, there were a lot of findings on knowledge and skill of key technical personnel in supporting production. The comparison study was made by collecting performance data from each technical personnel, and then comparing to ideal technical setup guidelines and time allocation for each task. Despite the comparison, findings like mistakes or improper setup could be utilized in setting up more proper training material, and roll out to all other technical personnel. The other factor was regarding to MSA, whereby all relevant machine down time codes and data were being analyzed in details. With comparison using manual method, local machine statistics and on-line efficiency data, any discrepancy could be identified easily. For QFN wire bonders with capability of implementing auto recipe, advantage of minimizing human dependency might become disaster. The auto recipe implementation should not ignore any single details including machine hardware differences, if not, and then it should not be utilized at all. With the DMAIC study, all significant factors were able to be optimized systematically, resulting in significant increment in machine efficiency performance. Together with advanced optimizations, new process window could also withstand any flexible effect of new product introduction in QFN packages, making production machines really robust and stable.
Specification of Gradients used for Studies of Chemotaxis

THE responses of motile bacteria to various chemicals were studied in the 1880s by Pfeffer1, who inserted a capillary tube containing a solution of an attractant into a suspension of bacteria and noted that the bacteria accumulated first near the mouth of the capillary and then inside. The assay has been developed further by Adler2,3, who measured the number of bacteria which enter the capillary in a fixed period of time. With the advent of the tracking microscope4 it has been possible to analyse responses of individual bacteria in detail5. For the analysis to be meaningful the concentration of the attractant must be known at each point in space and time. Therefore, we have solved the problem of diffusion from a small tube into a large pond. The solution also enables us to explain the general features of the Pfeffer assay.
Derivation of general algebraic constraint conditions for ‘weak’ C1 continuity for thin shells

Employing C0 conforming thin shell elements, a derivation of general algebraic equations for enforcing C1 interelement continuity in a ‘weak’ (that is, integral) sense is presented. ‘Restoration’ of strict C1 continuity is treated as a special case of the proposed concept. The constraint equations do not depend on the metric of the given shell. While, for smooth shells, this is automatically the case, if strict C1 continuity is ‘restored’, the constraint equations usually depend on the metric of the shell, if only ‘weak’ C1 continuity is enforced. The independence of the proposed constraint equations of the metric of the shell facilitates the computer implementation of the proposed approach. It is demonstrated that linear dependencies among the constraint equations can easily be detected and a priori be eliminated. It is also shown that, in certain cases, it is very easy to switch from an (intrinsically) element-interface-oriented concept to an element-oriented technique of generating constraint equations with the help of the digital computer. The latter mode offers computational advantages, if an element-oriented mode of solving the global system of algebraic equations (equilibrium and constraint equations), such as Irons' wave front technique, is adopted.
Interference microscopy for three-dimensional imaging with wavelength-to-depth encoding

A novel interference microscope for three-dimensional (3D) imaging based on a wavelength-to-depth encoding technique is presented. Wavelength-to-depth encoding is realized by use of a diffractive lens and wavelength tuning. A high depth resolution of 0.71 µm is obtained with 0.90-N.A. objective lenses. Experimental measurements of a four-level grating are presented, and the results are found to be comparable with those obtained with a Dektak profilometer and a similar interference microscope that uses mechanical depth scanning. The system is promising for fast, noncontact, high-resolution 3D imaging.
A Reversal of Political Fortune: The Transitional Dynamics of Conservative Rule in the Brazilian Northeast

This study explains the erosion of conservative rule and the rise of leftist opposition at the subnational level in the Northeast of Brazil in recent electoral cycles. Compared with explanations based on economic modernization, social spending, and fiscal reform, the data best support the hypothesis that the organizational and spatial dimensions of leftist mobilization in these states have shifted to the detriment of conservative machines. Specifically, urban mobilization of leftist supporters has determined the electoral success of these oppositions. The study also explains where conservatives maintain a floor of support based on the continuation of clientele networks.
Noggin suppression enhances in vitro osteogenesis and accelerates in vivo bone formation

Several investigations have demonstrated a precise balance to exist between bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) agonists and antagonists, dictating BMP signaling and osteogenesis. We report a novel approach to manipulate BMP activity through a down-regulation of the potent BMP antagonist Noggin, and examined the effects on the bone forming capacity of osteoblasts. Reduction of noggin enhanced BMP signaling and in vitro osteoblast bone formation, as demonstrated by both gene expression profiles and histological staining. The effects of noggin suppression on in vivo bone formation were also investigated using critical-sized calvarial defects in mice repaired with noggin-suppressed osteoblasts. Radiographic and histological analyses revealed significantly more bone regeneration at 2 and 4 weeks post-injury. These findings strongly support the concept of enhanced osteogenesis through a down-regulation in Noggin and suggest a novel approach to clinically accelerate bone formation, potentially allowing for earlier mobilization of patients following skeletal injury or surgical resection.
Post-Autologous (ASCT) Stem Cell Transplant Therapy in Multiple Myeloma

Autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) is the standard of care in transplant-eligible multiple myeloma patients and is associated with significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), complete remission rates (CR), and overall survival (OS). However, majority of patients eventually relapse, with a median PFS of around 36 months. Relapses are harder to treat and prognosis declines with each relapse. Achieving and maintaining “best response” to initial therapy is the ultimate goal of first-line treatment and sustained CR is a powerful surrogate for extended survival especially in high-risk multiple myeloma. ASCT is often followed by consolidation/maintenance phase to deepen and/or maintain the response achieved by induction and ASCT. Novel agents like thalidomide, lenalidomide, and bortezomib have been used as single agents or in combination. Thalidomide use has been associated with a meaningful improvement in PFS and EFS, however, with substantial side effects. Data with lenalidomide maintenance after-ASCT is favorable, but the optimal duration of lenalidomide maintenance is still unclear. Bortezomib use has been associated with superior outcomes, predominantly in high-risk myeloma patients. Combination regimens utilizing a proteasome inhibitor (i.e., bortezomib) with an immunomodulatory drug (thalidomide or lenalidomide) have provided the best outcomes. This review article serves as a review of the best available evidence in post-ASCT approaches in multiple myeloma.
Gene expression profile analysis in epilepsy by using the partial least squares method.

Purpose. Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder. We aim to investigate the underlying mechanism of epilepsy with partial least squares- (PLS-) based gene expression analysis, which is more sensitive than routine variance/regression analysis. Methods. Two microarray data sets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. PLS analysis was used to identify differentially expressed genes. Gene ontology and network analysis were also implemented. Results. A total of 752 genes were identified to be differentially expressed, including 575 depressed and 177 overexpressed genes in patients. For GO enrichment analysis, except for processes related to the nervous system, we also identified overrepresentation of dysregulated genes in angiogenesis. Network analysis revealed two hub genes, CUL3 and EP300, which may serve as potential targets in further therapeutic studies. Conclusion. Our results here may provide new understanding for the underlying mechanisms of epilepsy pathogenesis and will offer potential targets for producing new treatments.
New deal public relations: A glimpse into FDR press secretary Stephen Early's work

Abstract Long-time confidant and press secretary to US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Stephen Early served throughout FDR's 12-year administration. As such, he was chief White House communicator during the implementation of the president's New Deal policies and throughout World War II. In March 1934, on the first day of his second year as secretary, Early started a diary. He added to it until the end of the decade. This study examines 131 of Early's diary entries over its 6 years to construct a glimpse of his professional and personal life as a high-level government communicator. Compilations of his most common activities are made and compared over time, and a discussion of Early's day-to-day professional work, private time, and contributions within the context of modern public relations practice are included.
Crosslinkable, Nonlinear Optical Copolymers : Processing, Corona Poling, and Second Harmonic Generation Studies

Polymethacrylate copolymers, containing nonlinear optically active 4′-dialkylamino-4-nitroazobenzene side groups and crosslinkable 2-butenyl side groups were synthesized and characterized. Films of these copolymers can be thermally crosslinked at elevated temperatures and photochemically crosslinked by exposure with UV light. Both methods allow the control of the crosslinking density. A precrosslinking step, prior to the corona-poling step, can be applied to optimize alignment and relaxation of the chromophores. During corona-poling, the temperature dependence of the second harmonic generation (SHG) of an Nd-YAG laser (1.064 μm) was studied for films with different degrees of precrosslinking. Depending on the conditions of precrosslinking, the SHG signal intensity and the alignment stability can be maximized. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Reproducibility of lymphoscintigraphic drainage patterns in sequential 99mTc human serum albumin and 99mTc sulfur colloid studies: implications for sentinel node identification in melanoma.

Abstract Background: Selective lymphadenectomy, based on prior lymphatic mapping and sentinel node identification and excision, is now the standard management for intermediate-thickness melanomas in many cancer centers worldwide. At our center 99m-labeled technetium human serum albumin (HSA) scans are performed before the day of surgery in some patients with truncal lesions to detect multiple sites of lymphatic drainage. 99m Tc sulfur colloid (SC) is then injected before the operation to delineate the sentinel node(s) for gamma-probe–guided excision. Our purpose was to retrospectively evaluate whether comparable diagnostic information resulted from lymphoscintigraphy performed with these 2 different agents. Methods: All patients with melanoma who had dual sequential 99m Tc HSA and 99m Tc SC studies between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1997, were reviewed. Results: Thirty-eight patients underwent paired HSA and SC imaging. Thirty-two patients had concordant scan findings. In all 6 discordant studies, 2 separate drainage areas were defined by HSA, but only 1 drainage area was defined by SC. Conclusions: In 15.8% of dual studies (6/38 studies), discordant imaging results were obtained between HSA and SC. SC studies alone may result in nonvisualization of at-risk draining lymph node beds and hence failure to identify and excise all sentinel nodes. This could result in inaccurate staging, inappropriate therapy, and altered prognosis. A reduction in SC dose from 3 to 1 mCi was probably the most significant causal factor leading to these discrepancies, which suggests that the 3-mCi dose is preferable. (Surgery 2000:127:955-62.)
Cholesterol modulation of (Na+ + K+)-ATPase ATP hydrolyzing activity in the human erythrocyte

The cholesterol content of human erythrocyte membranes has been modified by incubation of intact cells with sonicated egg phosphatidylcholine/cholesterol vesicles and with egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. (Na+ + K+)-ATPase ATP hydrolyzing activity was measured as a function of membrane cholesterol content. High membrane cholesterol inhibits the ATPase activity of the enzyme and low membrane cholesterol activates that enzyme activity. The most likely mechanism of inhibition is suggested to comprise direct cholesterol-protein interactions which lead to a low activity conformation. Ouabain binding studies show that the inhibition is not due to a loss of enzyme from the membrane.
Hydrolysis and Soil Adsorption of the Labile Herbicide Isoxaflutole

Isoxaflutole (5-cyclopropyl isoxazol-4-yl-2-mesyl-4-trifluoromethylphenyl ketone) is a new herbicide marketed for broadleaf and grass weed control in corn, but little information has been published on the soil behavior and environmental fate of the compound. The herbicide exhibits an unusual behavior in which it is functionally reactivated by rainfall events, providing control of small weeds that have emerged. Isoxaflutole is extremely labile in aqueous solution, thus measuring equilibrium sorption is challenging. A qualitative kinetic evaluation was performed to characterize the sorption of isoxaflutole, during rapid hydrolysis to its bioactive product, a diketonitrile derivative (2-cyclopropyl-3-(2-mesyl-4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-3-oxopropanenitrile). The transformation was measured over time in a herbicide-treated aqueous solution with or without soil. At 25 °C, 83% of the parent compound remained in solution at 24 h in the soil free system, but only 15% remained in the solution in the presence of soil....
Anatomy of One-Dimensional Cocrystals: Randomness into Order

A 2D cocrystal that displays random mixing along one axis and periodic ordering along the other axis is discovered. The characteristics and formation process of this “1D-cocrystal” are examined with atomic detail by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) at the liquid/solid interface and through computed models. This type of cocrystallization causes an alignment shift to satisfy close packing. The frequency of the alignment shift can be controlled by variation of the ratio of adsorbates in solution. Furthermore, a reversible monolayer reorganization induced through perturbing the STM bias voltage provides not only mechanistic insights into the formation process of the 1D-cocrystal but also the potential for applications as a molecular switch. The control over surface composition and periodicity by controlling the molar ratio of components offers an unexploited approach to nanoscale patterning.
ACTION OF EMULSIFIERS IN ICE CREAM UTILIZING THE HLB CONCEPT

SUMMARY —Experimental results show that the level of milk solids-not-fat normally used in ice creams, alone, had sufficient emulsifying capacity to emulsify the fat present in a standard ice cream mix. The added chemical emulsifier, regardless of its HLB, contributed little to the stability of the mix. This was true even where butteroil was used as a source of fat. Fat deemulsification during freezing increased with the HLB of the emulsifier while the dryness showed no meaningful trend. The meaning of the terms dryness, stiffness, melt resistance, and stand-up quality has been clarified.
Practical variation-aware interconnect delay and slew analysis for statistical timing verification

Interconnects constitute a dominant source of circuit delay for modern chip designs. The variations of critical dimensions in modern VLSI technologies lead to variability in interconnect performance that must be fully accounted for in timing verification. However, handling a multitude of inter-die/intra-die variations and assessing their impacts on circuit performance can dramatically complicate the timing analysis. In this paper, a practical interconnect delay and slew analysis technique is presented to facilitate efficient evaluation of wire performance variability. By harnessing a collection of computationally efficient procedures and closed-form formulas, process and input signal variations are directly mapped into the variability of the output delay and slew. Since our approach produces delay and slew expressions parameterized in the underlying process variations, it can be harnessed to enable statistical timing analysis while considering important statistical correlations. Our experimental results have indicated that the presented analysis is accurate regardless of location of sink nodes and it is also robust over a wide range of process variations.
Time Dependence of Magnetic Anisotropy at Finite Temperature for Homogeneous and Composite Media

A simple torque-based method for calculating the transient behavior of temperature-dependent magnetic anisotropy is introduced. Using this method we obtain several physical quantities at finite temperature, including effective anisotropy, anisotropy field, and their fluctuations, that are crucial to heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). We show that use of a composite grain that includes a high Curie temperature soft layer reduces the anisotropy fluctuations.
Removal of the Alu structural domain from signal recognition particle leaves its protein translocation activity intact.

Alu-like elements comprise the most abundant family of interspersed repetitive sequences in primates and rodents1, and contain many features of processed genes2, suggesting that they were initially derived by reverse transcription of processed RNA transcripts. Transcripts containing Alu family members are represented in heterologous nuclear RNAs, cytoplasmic messenger RNAs and small RNAs1,3, although nothing is known about their function. Evolutionary studies4,5 strongly suggest that the parent RNA for the Alu-like elements is the highly conserved 7SL RNA, which is an essential component of signal recognition particle (SRP), a small cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein whose function is the targeting of nascent secretory and membrane proteins to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (for a review see ref. 6). 7SL RNA is composed of both unique and Alu-like sequences7. SRP is rod-shaped8 and, in addition to its RNA, contains four proteins (two monomers composed of a polypeptide of relative molecular mass (Mr) 19,000 (19K) and one of 54K, and two heterodimers, one composed of a 9K and a 14K polypeptide, and the other composed of a 68K and a 72K polypeptide, respectively)9,10. The RNA moiety is required for SRP activity, as well as for structural integrity of the particle4. To investigate whether the Alu-like segments of 7SL RNA have a specific role in SRP activity, we have now purified and analysed a SRP subparticle that is created upon extensive digestion with micrococcal nuclease and entirely lacks the Alu-like sequences. We find that it contains the 72/68K, 54K and 19K proteins tightly bound, but lacks the 9/14K protein. In vitro activity assays demonstrated that the subparticle could still promote secretory protein translocation across the microsomal membrane, but could no longer trigger an arrest of pre-secretory protein synthesis. Re-addition of the 9/14K protein did not restore the elongation arrest. We conclude that the region of SRP comprised of the Alu-like RNA and the 9/14K protein exists in a distinct structural domain which is not required for the protein translocation promoted by SRP but apparently confers elongation-arresting activity on the particle.