cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photoinduced electron-transfer within osmium(II) and ruthenium(II) bis-terpyridine donor acceptor dyads

The synthesis and photophysical characterization of two different series of electron donor-acceptor dyads containing Ru(II) and Os(II) bis-terpyridines (M(tpy)(2)(2+)) were prepared and studied in order to compare the oft-studied Ru(tpy)(2)(2+) chromophore with the less studied Os(tpy)(2)(2+) chromophore. The first series of dyads incorporates a benzoquinone (BQ) group as the electron acceptor, whereas the second contains a substituted pyromellitimide (PI) group as the electron acceptor. Steady-state emission experiments indicated efficient quenching of the 3MLCT emission of the electronically excited Os(II)-BQ complexes (7-8) compared to both model complexes (3-4) and the Os(II)-PI complex 10. Femtosecond pump-probe absorption experiments on 7-8 yielded ultrafast electron transfer rate constants (kET) of approximately 2.0 x 10(11) s(-1) (7) and 1.3 x 10(10) s(-1) (8) that were in good agreement with the low emission quantum yield results. Charge-recombination (kCR) in these complexes was also quite rapid, with rate constants of approximately 6.7 x 10(10) s(-1) (7) and 1.2 x 10(10) s(-1) (8). The analogous Ru(II) complexes underwent charge separation with rate constants of 7.6 x 10(10) s(-1) (5) and approximately 2.3 x 10(10) s(-1) (6), while charge recombination in these complexes occurred with rate constants of approximately 2.1 x 10(10) s(-1) (5) and approximately 5.3 x 10(10) s(-1) (6). Electron transfer in the pyromellitimide-containing complexes occurred only for Os(II)-PI (10), which exhibited significantly slower electron transfer (approximately 4.3 x 10(6) s(-1)) and charge recombination (approximately 7.7 x 10(6) s(-1)) rate constants. The nearly thermoneutral free energy of electron transfer and short excited state lifetime in the case of Ru(II)-PI (9) presumably prevents electron transfer in this compound.
Command Shaping Nonlinear Inputs Using Basis Functions

Manufacturing operations exist which require robotic repositioning of flexible payloads. Product quality or throughput can be adversely affected if payload vibration is not controlled. Using command shaped inputs can prevent excitation of payload dynamics, however, most of the literature has focused on linear, single input systems. General robotic repositioning typically involves simultaneous motion of multiple degrees of freedom resulting in the payload excitation function being a nonlinear combination of the robot input states. Under these conditions, removal of the individual input’s frequency content in the vicinity of the payload’s resonances does not guarantee that the nonlinear combination of the inputs will be free of detrimental frequency content. Presented in this paper is a method for trajectory design of point-to-point flexible payload maneuvers with multiple inputs nonlinearly driving payload dynamics. Simulation and experimental results are provided for the coordinated maneuver of a flexible...
HOM4PS-2.0para: Parallelization of HOM4PS-2.0 for solving polynomial systems

HOM4PS-2.0 is a software package in FORTRAN 90 which implements the polyhedral homotopy continuation method for solving polynomial systems. It leads in speed over the existing software packages in the same category by huge margins. This article details the description of the parallel version of HOM4PS-2.0, named HOM4PS-2.0para. Excellent scalability in the numerical results shows that the parallelization of the homotopy method always provides a great amount of extra computing resources to help solve polynomial systems of larger size which would be very difficult to deal with otherwise.
A Profile of Women Architects in the United States

The author describes a study of women architects in the US. The purpose of the study was to provide an objective profile of successful women architects. The article reports on such aspects as age, marital status, education, type of firm worked for, salary, career plans, promotions and decision styles.
Perspectivas y dualidades pronominales (Yo-Tu) en el Romancero Espiritual de Lope de Vega

Structure du recueil (l'edition princepts date de 1624) compose de poemes pour la plupart inclus dans les Rimas sacras (1614): Emotivite et dramatisation. Structure narrative des poemes: localisation spatiale, dialogue ou monologue, exhortation ou supplique... Dedoublement narrateur-âme| mobilite du narrateur qui passe de situations exterieures et statiques (spectateur, commentateur) a des situations interieures (temoin, sympathisant, responsable).
Ukraine Imports Democracy: External Influences on the Orange Revolution

Can the West promote democracy? An examination of one critical case, the 2004 Orange Revolution in Ukraine, offers a unique method for generating answers to this important theoretical and policy question. Tracing the causal impact of external influences first requires a theory of democratization composed exclusively of domestic factors, specifically the changing distribution of power between the autocratic regime and democratic challengers. Once these internal factors have been identified, the extent to which external factors influenced either the strength of the autocratic regime or the democratic challengers can be measured. Domestic factors accounted for most of the drama of the Orange Revolution, but external factors did play a direct, causal role in constraining some dimensions of autocratic power and enhancing some dimensions of the opposition's power. International assistance in the form of ideas and financial resources was crucial to only one dimension of the Orange Revolution: exposing fraud. Yet...
Polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase fails to augment brain superoxide dismutase activity in piglets.

We studied the effect of intravenously administered polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase (8,000 units/kg) on brain superoxide dismutase activity in 44 1-2-week-old piglets in the absence and presence of global cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Four groups (n = 6 each) of piglets not exposed to ischemia were studied. Enzyme administration increased plasma superoxide dismutase activity from less than 5 to 142 +/- 8 units/ml (mean +/- SEM) without increasing brain activity (e.g., activities in the caudate were 7.9 +/- 0.5 and 8.1 +/- 0.4 units/mg protein) for up to 2 hours following administration. Four additional groups (n = 5 each) of piglets were given either enzyme or polyethylene glycol 5 minutes prior to 10 minutes of global cerebral ischemia induced by aortic cross-clamping followed by either 5 or 45 minutes of reperfusion. Enzyme administration increased plasma superoxide dismutase activity from less than 5 to 144 +/- 5 units/ml but failed to increase brain activity even after 45 minutes of reperfusion (e.g., activities in the caudate were 8.5 +/- 0.3 and 8.6 +/- 0.6 units/mg protein). We conclude that intravenous polyethylene glycol-conjugated superoxide dismutase does not increase superoxide dismutase activity in the brain despite global ischemia and reperfusion.
Room temperature oxidative intercalation with chalcogen hydrides: Two-step method for the formation of alkali-metal chalcogenide arrays within layered perovskites

Abstract A two-step topochemical reaction strategy utilizing oxidative intercalation with gaseous chalcogen hydrides is presented. Initially, the Dion-Jacobson-type layered perovskite, RbLaNb2O7, is intercalated reductively with rubidium metal to make the Ruddlesden-Popper-type layered perovskite, Rb2LaNb2O7. This compound is then reacted at room-temperature with in situ generated H2S gas to create Rb S layers within the perovskite host. Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data (tetragonal, a = 3.8998(2) A, c = 15.256(1) A; space group P4/mmm) shows the compound to be isostructural with (Rb2Cl)LaNb2O7 where the sulfide resides on a cubic interlayer site surrounded by rubidium ions. The mass increase seen on sulfur intercalation and the refined S site occupation factor (∼0.8) of the product indicate a higher sulfur content than expected for S2− alone. This combined with the Raman studies, which show evidence for an H S stretch, indicate that a significant fraction of the intercalated sulfide exists as hydrogen sulfide ion. Intercalation reactions with H2Se(g) were also carried out and appear to produce an isostructural selenide compound. The utilization of such gaseous hydride reagents could significantly expand multistep topochemistry to a larger number of intercalants.
An Oxidation-Sensing Mechanism is Used by the Global Regulator Mgra in Staphylococcus Aureus.

Staphylococcus aureus is a human pathogen responsible for most wound and hospital-acquired infections. The protein MgrA is both an important virulence determinant during infection and a regulator of antibiotic resistance in S. aureus. The crystal structure of the MgrA homodimer, solved at 2.86 A, indicates the presence of a unique cysteine residue located at the interface of the protein dimer. We discovered that this cysteine residue can be oxidized by various reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxide. Cysteine oxidation leads to dissociation of MgrA from DNA and initiation of signaling pathways that turn on antibiotic resistance in S. aureus. The oxidation-sensing mechanism is typically used by bacteria to counter challenges of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Our study reveals that in S. aureus, MgrA adopts a similar mechanism but uses it to globally regulate different defensive pathways.
Temporal trends in United States dew point temperatures

In this study, hourly data for the 1951–1990 period for 178 stations in the coterminous United States were used to establish temporal trends in dew point temperature. Although the data had been quality controlled previously (Robinson, 1998. Monthly variations of dew point temperatures in the coterminous United States. International Journal of Climatology18: 1539–1556), comparisons of values between nearby stations suggested that instrumental changes, combined with locational changes, may have modified the results by as much as 1°C during the 40-year period. Nevertheless, seasonally averaged results indicated an increase over much of the area, of slightly over 1°C/100 years in spring and autumn, slightly less than this in summer. Winter displayed a drying of over 1°C/100 years. When only the 1961–1990 period was considered, the patterns were similar and trends increased by approximately 1–2°C/100 years, except in autumn, which displayed a slight drying. Analyses for specific stations indicated periods of both increasing and decreasing Td, the change between them varying with observation hour. No single change point was common over a wide area, although January commonly indicated maximum values early in the period in the east and west, and much later in the north-central portion. Rates of increase were generally higher in daytime than at night, especially in summer. Investigation of the inter-decadal differences in dew point, as a function of wind conditions, indicated that changes during calm conditions were commonly similar in magnitude to that of the overall average changes, suggesting an important role for the local hydrologic cycle in driving changes. Other inter-decadal changes could be attributed to the changes in the frequency and moisture content of invading air-streams. This was particularly clear for the changes in north–south flow in the interior. Copyright © 2000 Royal Meteorological Society
Kinetic studies of C. pyrenoidosa using 94% 13C CO2

The alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa has been grown in mass quantities on 94 at. % 13CO2. The algal cells have been labeled to the 90 at. % 13C level. Neither inhibition nor a requirement for adaptation was encountered; changes in morphology were not evident. A statistically significant increase in mass of cells produced in the presence of 13CO2 was observed.
The Case for Borderline Personality Disorder as an Emotional Disorder: Implications for Treatment

The goal of this article is to advance understanding of borderline personality disorder (BPD) as an emotional disorder and to use this information as a heuristic for reconceptualizing targeted treatment approaches. The first section reviews evidence that BPD is characterized by the hallmark of emotional disorders, frequent intense negative emotions, and adverse reactions to them. Next, overlap between BPD and other emotional disorders is described, followed by a section delineating how these similarities can be largely accounted for by a shared underlying vulnerability, namely, high levels of neuroticism. Finally, we discuss the treatment implications of this conception of BPD in the context of recent transdiagnostic approaches to emotional disorders.
Organic pollutants in marine samples from Portland, Maine

Abstract The concentrations of several organochlorine compounds and two phthalates, di( n -butyl) phthalate (DBP) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), were measured in sediment, clams and Neanthes virens obtained from Portland, Maine. The concentrations in sediment ranked as follows: DEHP ⪢ DBP > PCBs ⪢ ∑DDT > chlordane > pentachorophenol (PCP) > α-hexachlorocyclohexane ∼ hexachlorobenzene. Except for a reversal of PCP and chlordane, the same order was observed in biota. Adsorption of the pollutants onto sediment seemed to protect the biota since the bioconcentration factors for chlordane, DBP and DEHP were less than one; i.e., concentrations in tissue were lower than those in sediment. For the other five compounds there was a very low level of bioconcentration (1.0 to 150 fold). The results of this study are compared to values reported for other sites. This study is part of a program to develop methods for monitoring the biological effects of marine pollution and test these methods in the field.
LRP1 and cerebral amyloid angiopathy

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), which causes intracerebral hemorrhage in the elderly population, is a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. In CAA, amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition is mainly detected in the cortex and leptomeningeal arteries along the interstitial fluid drainage pathway. Failure to eliminate Aβ leads to accumulation of Aβ in the perivascular region and CAA. Several clearance routes of Aβ have been described, including elimination along the perivascular interstitial fluid drainage pathway, elimination through the blood–brain barrier and uptake and degradation by glia and neurons. All of these routes express the low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP)1, which plays a critical role in Aβ clearance. Consequently, an impairment of Aβ clearance through LRP1 likely contributes to CAA pathogenesis. This review summarizes what is known about LRP1 and CAA as well as providing insights into the possible roles of LRP1 in Aβ clearance.
Simplifying the altered cast impression technique for distal-extension removable partial dentures

This technique allows construction of a detachable custom tray by the dental laboratory before the distal extension RPD framework is returned to the dentist. This permits a framework try-in with unencumbered physiologic relief, rapid attachment of the custom tray, subsequent impression making, and possibly jaw relation records all in one patient visit.
Bringing Culture to Macroeconomics

A two-sector dynamic general equilibrium model is constructed to examine the interaction between the cultural and noncultural sectors of the economy. It stresses three aspects of cultural economics that have been much discussed in the literature: (i) the productivity lag in the production of cultural goods, described by Baumol and Bowen (1996); (ii) the role of cultural capital in production; and (iii) the treatment of cultural goods as an acquired taste along the lines of Becker’s notion of positive rational addiction. The results suggest that the more significant the role played by cultural capital in the economy, the greater will be the growth rates of output in both sectors of the economy. The model is suggestive of future research into the importance of the macroeconomy on the cultural sector, and the potential importance of the cultural sector on the macroeconomy.
Asymmetric random walk on a random Thue-Morse lattice

Abstract We study the behavior of an asymmetric random walk in a one-dimensional environment whose nonuniformity is in between that of quasi-periodic and random. We construct the environment from arithmetic subsequences of the Thue-Morse sequence. The construction induces in a natural way a measure μ on the space of environments which is invariant and ergodic with respect to translations but is not mixing and has zero entropy. The behavior of the random walk is rather similar to that found by Sinai for the Bernoulli case, when μ is a product measure for which the entropy has its maximum value; i.e. the particle motion is subdiffusive, the displacement growing in time as ( log )t) 1 β , β = log 3/ log 4 . The nature of the dramatic Sinai-Golosov “localization” is however quite different, exhibiting an interesting fractal structure whose nature depends upon the time scale of observation.
Genetic studies of the pattern of floral pigmentation in Clarkia gracilis

The flowers of Clarkia gracilis subsp. sonomensis have large petals each with a large, central, red-purple spot while the flowers of subsp. gracilis are small and unspotted. Other pigmentation (anthocyanin) patterns also vary within and between these subspecies. We carried out a genetic analysis of differences in floral patterns and petal size. A novel basal petal spot appeared in the F2. The analysis indicated that the novel petal spot was specified by an allele in subsp. gracilis at a locus governing spot position. This allele is not normally expressed in subsp. gracilis because of the action of a modifier gene at a second locus. The study also indicated single factor inheritance for presence versus absence of pigmentation on the hypanthium, stamens, and the lower portion of the petals. Multifactorial inheritance was observed for differences in petal length and width. Most of the possible recombinant floral patterns were recovered in the F2 and F3. This system can be used to study developmental regulation of floral traits as well as ecological relationships between floral pattern and pollination system. The recovery of a normally unexpressed allele for basal petal spot points to the difficulty of extrapolating from phenotypic analysis to an understanding of morphological evolution.
A Comparative Study of Tail Rotor Noise Mechanisms

A study was made of helicopter tail rotor noise, particularly that due to interactions with the wakes of the main rotor, hub, and fuselage, and with the engine exhaust. Both harmonic and broadband noise were analyzed. The disturbed flow into the tail rotor was modeled using combinations of aerodynamic and acoustic flow codes along with some necessary estimates of turbulence properties. Representative calculations show that the main rotor wake is the strongest contributor to both harmonic and broadband tail rotor noise. The fuselage separation wake and the engine exhaust flow are also very important to both harmonic and broadband noise. The hub and hub-shaft wakes are important contributors to the broadband noise only. The tip vortices do not seem to be important to broadband noise, but their effects on harmonic noise were not modeled accurately enough to draw any conclusions from this study.
The role of woody vegetation in stabilizing slopes in the Cincinnati area, Ohio

Tree roots markedly stabilize colluvium on steep hillsides in the Cincinnati area, Ohio, according to detailed analysis of a landslide complex on the south side of Rapid Run Creek, a tributary of the Ohio River. The shear surface of the slide developed near the interface between bouldery, silty clay colluvium and underlying calcareous Ordovician shale, and it broke woody roots that penetrated through the colluvium and into the underlying bedrock. Measurements of positions, sizes, and tensile strengths of the roots indicate that the average shear strength contributed by the roots was about 5.7 kN/m 2 of the shear surface. The average strength contributed by residual friction of the soil was about 0.7 kN/m 2 . The tree roots increased the factor of safety against sliding nine-fold. Root strength allows forested, colluvium-mantled hillslopes in the Cincinnati area to resist sliding at slope angles as high as 35°, whereas similar slopes devoid of trees are subject to sliding at slope angles of 12° to 14°. The contribution of tree roots to slope stability should be evaluated before removal of trees for development of hillsides.
Lessons learned from a novel teleoperation testbed

Purpose – Sets out to discuss lessons learned from the creation and use of an over‐the‐internet teleoperation testbed.Design/methodology/approach – Seven lessons learned from the testbed are presented.Findings – This teleoperation interface improves task performance, as proved by a single demonstration.Originality/value – In helping to overcome time‐delay difficulties in the operation, leading to dramatically improved task performance, this study contributes significantly to the improvement of teleoperation by making better use of human skills.
Harmful effects of near-ultraviolet radiation used for polymerization of a sealant and a composite resin

The emission spectrum, total radiant emission, and biological effects of radiation emitted by one of the electronic devices used in dentistry to polymerize a sealant and a composite resin were examined in view of the known biological effects produced by near-ultraviolet radiation. An electronic device used to polymerize a sealant and a composite resin has been found to emit 365-nanometer radiation at levels sufficient to kill the bacterium Escherichia coli rapidly (& pigt;14,000 ergs per square millimeter per second). Because of the absence of shielding on the probe, significant amounts of energy (up to 45% of that at the probe tip) were measured at the sides of the probe. These findings—supported by the well-documented findings of biological damage caused by near-ultraviolet radiation, including skin cancer, damage to the lens of the eye, and mutagenic effects—suggest that clinicians take appropriate precautions to avoid potential hazards to themselves and their patients.
Thirteen anti-Sm monoclonal antibodies immunoprecipitate the three cytoplasmic snRNP core protein precursors in six distinct subsets.

The small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) common core proteins are the lupus-associated Sm autoantigens. In mouse fibroblasts the seven snRNP core proteins form a particle with a suggested stoichiometry of B2[D1,D2(E,F,G)2] D3. Core particle assembly occurs in the cytoplasm where newly synthesized snRNAs assemble with core proteins stored in three RNA-free complexes of (1) a 6S complex of [D1,D2(E,F,G)2] (2) a 20S complex of (B,D3 and an unidentified 70 kDa protein) and (3) a 2S–6S complex that minimally contains the B protein. In this report a panel of 13 anti-Sm monoclonal antibodies is shown to immunoprecipitate six different subsets of the cytoplasmic snRNP proteins. Four epitopes are shared by the three aforementioned complexes and five other epitopes are shared by two of the complexes. In addition, the 6S or 20S complexes are apparently disrupted by five of the antibodies. Kinetic studies show that the three cytoplasmic snRNP protein complexes have independent half-lives. These studies provide another approach for characterizing the Sm epitopes. They also complement previousin vitrosnRNP assembly studies and suggest that snRNP core assembly occurs by the initial binding of snRNA to the 6S particle followed by addition of the B and D3 proteins.
Esophageal foreign bodies.

1. Eugene D. McGahren, MD* 1. 2. *Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery and of Pediatrics, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the most frequent presenting symptoms of esophageal foreign bodies. 2. List the three areas where esophageal foreign bodies commonly lodge. 3. List the investigative study that should be obtained in all cases of a suspected lodged foreign body. 4. List the four basic strategies to remove esophageal foreign bodies. 5. Delineate the percentage of foreign bodies that can be removed safely from the esophagus. The natural curiosity of children leads them to ingest many types of objects other than food. Inevitably, some of these objects become lodged in the esophagus, and the pediatrician then is faced with the challenge of determining how to remove such a foreign body. Thousands of children in the United States present with foreign bodies lodged in the esophagus each year. Most of these children are 4 years of age and younger, and boys comprise a slight majority. Children who have a lodged esophageal foreign body usually present for care between the hours of noon and midnight and usually within 6 hours of the foreign body ingestion. By far, coins are the foreign bodies detected most commonly. Other reported objects include but are not limited to those listed in Table 1.⇓ View this table: Table 1. Commonly Found Esophageal Foreign Bodies in Children The most frequent presenting symptoms are dysphagia, drooling, retching, and vomiting. However, infants and children also may experience coughing, choking, and significant airway compromise from foreign bodies lodged in the upper half of the esophagus (Table 2⇓). In most cases, a history of foreign body ingestion can be obtained from a parent, a caretaker, or the child. It is important to try to determine how long the foreign body has been present because those lodged for longer than 24 hours create a greater risk for erosion or other damage …
Five new species of the highly diverse genus Plagiostoma (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) from Japan

Members of the genus Plagiostoma (Gnomoniaceae, Diaporthales) are plant pathogenic and endophytic microfungi that inhabit woody and herbaceous plants in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In this study, pure cultures were isolated from specimens of Plagiostoma collected in Japan. Regions of the β-tubulin and tef-1α genes and the complete ITS regions 1 and 2, including the 5.8S rDNA, were sequenced and analyzed phylogenetically. Genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition and genealogical non-discordance methods were used to define species. Phylogenetic analyses revealed five previously unknown species of Plagiostoma, which are described and illustrated. These species are associated with host plants in the genera Acer (Sapindaceae) and Salix (Salicaceae).
The Collective Index

The emergence of modern data-intensive applications requires sophisticated database techniques for processing advanced types of user queries on massive data. In this paper, we study such a new type of query, called progressive queries. A progressive query is defined as a set of inter-related and incrementally formulated step-queries. A step-query in a progressive query PQ is specified on the fly based on the results of previously-executed step-queries in PQ. Hence, a progressive query cannot be formulated in advance before its execution, which raises challenges for its processing and optimization. We introduce a query model to characterize different types of progressive queries. We then present a new index structure, called the collective index, to efficiently process progressive queries. The collective index technique incrementally evaluates step-queries via dynamically maintained member indexes. Utilizing the special structure of a collective index, the (member) indexes on the input relation(s) of a step-query are efficiently transformed into indexes on the result relation. Algorithms to efficiently process single-input (unary) linear and multiple-input (join) linear progressive queries based on the collective index are presented. Our experiment results show that the proposed collective index technique outperforms the conventional query processing methods in processing progressive queries.
Hydrogenation as an approach to study of reactions of oxidizing polyphenols with plant proteins

Abstract Coupling of oxidation products of o -diphenols with -NH 2 groups of plant proteins can damage nutritional availability of lysine residues. Relevant model coupling products (before or after reductive acetylation or permethylation) are unstable to acid hydrolysis. Hydrogenation over Rh/Al 2 O 3 , at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, gave cyclohexane derivatives stable to hydrolysis and retaining, with only partial hydrogenolysis, all groups originally attached to the aromatic nucleus. Plant bulk proteins were hydrogenated with substantial conversion of their aromatic amino acids; their S-containing amino acids were desulphurized. The technique is therefore promising for study of the fate of lysine residues in “enzymically browned” proteins.
Hot and dense QCD matter and heavy-ion collisions

Abstract Within the standard model of particle physics, strong interactions are responsible for generating the major part of the visible mass in the universe and for confining quarks into hadrons (the building blocks of atomic nuclei). The underlying theory, quantum chromodynamics, is well-established in elementary reactions at high-momentum transfer, but its increasing interaction strength toward smaller momenta renders the understanding of strongly-interacting matter and its phase structure rather challenging. These are relevant to the early universe a few microseconds after the big bang where hadrons were dissolved into a plasma of quarks and gluons. High-energy collisions of heavy nuclei are the only way to recreate this matter in the laboratory. We highlight recent progress in the theoretical understanding of QCD matter in the context of experimental findings at the relativistic heavy-ion collider (RHIC, BNL) and the super-proton synchrotron (SPS, CERN), in particular the properties of heavy quarks (charm and bottom) in the Quark-gluon plasma, and in-medium modifications of the ρ-meson.
A numerical comparison of one-dimensional fluid jet models applied to drop-on-demand printing

Abstract This paper presents a numerical simulation of capillary jets motivated by the study of dropon-demand ink-jet printing. Two sets of 1-dimensional equations for an inviscid axisymmetric fluid jet are integrated using a numerical scheme suggested by MacCormack's predictor-corrector algorithm. The difference between the two sets of equations is the inclusion or exclusion of the terms that account for radial inertia. When these terms are included the numerical scheme necessary to solve the equations is more complicated. The results from both schemes are, presented for three Weber numbers with a simplified nozzle entry pressure history that has been converted to a velocity history at the nozzle exit by a momentum integral applied to the nozzle region. The results indicate that at higher Weber numbers the omission of radial inertia has a greater effect on the drop profiles than at lower Weber numbers. The conditions under which each numerical scheme might be a useful simulation are also discussed.
Finite Element Modeling for Tap Design Improvement in Form Tapping

The form tapping process typically yields unfinished threads known as split crests. Thread quality can be greatly improved by reducing the size and severity of split crest formation. This paper develops a finite element model to simulate form tapping with an eye towards the reduction of split crests. The model is validated against linear scratch experiments, and simulations are compared to actual tapping. The effects of various tap design parameters and tapping process conditions on the formation of split crests are investigated to strive toward an optimal tap design.
Zinkbedarf und Risiko und Nutzen einer Zinksupplementierung

Zusammenfassung Der Korper eines erwachsenen Menschen enthalt 2 – 3 g Zink, von denen pro Tag etwa 0,1% ersetzt werden. Auf dieser Basis und gestutzt auf Schatzungen bezuglich der Bioverfugbarkeit von Zink werden Ernahrungsempfehlungen fur augenscheinlich gesunde Personen gegeben. Das Fehlen chemischer, funktioneller und/oder korperlicher Anzeichen eines Zinkmangels gilt dabei als Hinweis auf eine adaquate Versorgung. Spezifischere Daten sind jedoch nur selten vorhanden. Veranderungen hinsichtlich der Auswahl und Verfugbarkeit von Nahrungsmitteln sowie neue Methoden der Zubereitung, Konservierung und Aufbereitung machen u. U. die Neubewertung alterer Daten erforderlich. Konservative Schatzungen legen nahe, dass bei ≥ 25% der Weltbevolkerung das Risiko fur einen Zinkmangel besteht. Die meisten Betroffenen sind arm und konsumieren nur selten Nahrungsmittel, die reich an gut bioverfugbarem Zink sind, sondern eher solche, die einen hohen Gehalt an Inhibitoren der Zinkabsorption aufweisen und/oder kaum bioverfugbares Zink enthalten. Im Gegensatz dazu hat bei vergleichsweise Wohlhabenden die Auswahl der Nahrungsmittel entscheidenden Einfluss auf das Risiko fur einen Zinkmangel. Ein weiteres Problem, ebenfalls speziell bei vergleichsweise Wohlhabenden, ist das Risiko einer chronischen Zinkintoxikation durch ubermasige Einnahme von Zinksupplementen. Insbesondere kann eine hohe Aufnahme von Zink verglichen mit Kupfer zu Kupfermangel fuhren. Eine bedeutende Herausforderung, die im Hinblick auf den maximalen Nutzen fur die Gesundheit bisher noch nicht gemeistert worden ist, besteht darin, dass die empfohlene Tagesdosis ( recommended dietary allowance , RDA) und die Referenzdosis (RfD) fur eine sichere Aufnahme von Zink sehr nahe beieinander liegen. Aktuelle Empfehlungen berucksichtigen weder die zahlreichen Nahrungsmittelbestandteile, die die Bioverfugbarkeit von Zink und Kupfer beeinflussen, noch die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Vergiftung durch Zinksupplemente. Daher ist der Dosisbereich, der fur die Aufnahme von Zink derzeit als sicher angenommen wird, vergleichsweise eng. Gegenwartig ist die Beurteilung der Zinkversorgung aufwendig und umfasst eine Reihe chemischer und funktioneller Messungen, deren Sensitivitat und Spezifitat eingeschrankt sind. Hier sind Verbesserungen erforderlich, so dass Zinkmangel oder -uberschuss fruhzeitig erkannt werden konnen. Eine wachsende Anzahl von Beispielen fur eine Assoziation zwischen Krankheiten und Zinkstatus sowie fur anscheinend normale Gesundheitszustande, bei denen eine erhohte Zinkzufuhr jedoch bestimmten Erkrankungen vorbeugen konnte, lassen die Pharmakologie der Zinkverbindungen als aussichtsreiches Gebiet fur weitere Forschungsaktivitaten erscheinen. Dies gilt insbesondere fur den Zusammenhang zwischen Zink und Diabetes mellitus. Unserer Ansicht nach wird in diesem viel versprechenden Bereich ein multidisziplinarer Ansatz am ehesten zu Erfolgen fur die translationale Forschung fuhren.
Structure and Function of Transcription-Repair Coupling Factor II. CATALYTIC PROPERTIES

Abstract The transcription repair coupling factor (TRCF) of Escherichia coli has the so-called helicase motifs, is a DNA-, RNA Pol-, and UvrA-binding protein, and is required for the coupling of repair to transcription. We investigated the potential helicase, transcription termination, and transcription-repair coupling activities of TRCF on various substrates. We found that TRCF does not have a helicase activity on any of the substrates tested. However, the TRCF releases both RNA Pol and the truncated transcript from a transcriptional road block caused by a lesion, a “missing base,” or a DNA-bound protein. It does not have any effect on rho-dependent or rho-independent transcriptional termination. However, some premature terminations were induced by TRCF at other sites. The coupling of transcription to repair occurs with supercoiled and relaxed circular DNA and with linear DNA. However, the coupling with linear DNA is strongly affected by the length of the DNA and does not occur with fragments in which the lesion is closer than 90 nucleotides to the 5′ terminus of the template strand. Under transcription conditions the repair of lesions in the promoter region and up to the eleventh transcribed base is inhibited even in the presence of TRCF. Stimulation of repair in the transcribed strand starts at lesions at +15 nucleotides. Stimulation of repair occurs via facilitating the delivery of the A2B1 complex to the lesion site by the TCRF and can be inhibited by excess UvrA which binds to the TRCF off DNA. In vitro, strand-specific repair is not dependent on the MutL and MutS proteins which have recently been implicated in preferential repair in vivo.
Breast carcinoma metastatic to paranasal sinuses.

Background. Breast cancer affects 150,000 women a year in the United States. Breast carcinoma that is metastatic to the paranasal sinus (PNS) is rare. A patient with breast cancer treated recently at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center developed bilateral metastasis to the ethmoid sinuses. This case prompted a review of the incidence of this disease, its treatment, and outcome. Methods. A review of the published reports dating back to 1939 of breast carcinoma that was metastatic to the PNS was performed. In addition, autopsy series in the breast oncology literature were reviewed for cases of breast carcinoma that was metastatic to the PNS. Results. From this review, we identified only eight cases of breast carcinoma that was metastatic to the PNS. All cases were unilateral and presented as mass lesions. Despite treatment, all patients died soon after diagnosis. Conclusions. We conclude that breast carcinoma metastatic to the PNS is rare and has been uniformly fatal because, as disseminated disease, it does not respond well to conventional systemic therapies. © 1995 Jons Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Alternative Peer Group: A Model for Youth Recovery

Adolescent and young-adult drug and alcohol use rates continue to hold steady and the research on effective long-term treatment models is sparse. During the past 40 years, a recovery community for adolescents and young adults has formed in Houston, TX, that provides comprehensive treatment services for families struggling with this issue. The purpose of this article is to describe the history and model of the adolescent peer group, its place in the recovery-oriented systems of care (Kaplan, 2008) as a chronic-care approach, and implications for future research in social influence, recovery capital, and long-term treatment for recovering youth.
Phosphorylation of conserved casein kinase sites regulates cAMP-response element-binding protein DNA binding in Drosophila

The Drosophila homolog of cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB), dCREB2, exists with serine 231, equivalent to mammalian serine 133, in a predominantly phosphorylated state. Thus, unlike the mammalian protein, the primary regulation of dCREB2 may occur at a different step from serine 231 phosphorylation. Although bacterially expressed dCREB2 bound cAMP-response element sites, protein from Drosophila extracts was unable to do so unless treated with phosphatase. Phosphorylation of recombinant protein by casein kinase (CK) I or II, but not calcium-calmodulin kinase II or protein kinase A, inhibited DNA binding. Up to four conserved CK sites likely to be phosphorylated in vivo were responsible for this effect, and these sites were phosphorylated by a kinase present in Drosophila cell extracts that biochemically resembles CKII. We propose that the relative importance of different signaling pathways in regulating CREB activity may differ between Drosophila and mammals. In Drosophila, the dephosphorylation of CK sites appears to be the major regulatory step, while phosphorylation of serine 231 is necessary but secondary.
An amino acid substitution in a capsid protein enhances phage survival in mouse circulatory system more than a 1000-fold

In experiments with germ free mice, free from adaptive antibodies to the bacterial virus lambda phage, titers of the virus in the circulatory system have been reported to decrease by more than 10(9)pfu within 48 h of intraperitoneal intravenous or oral administration. Based on these observations, serial passage techniques have been used to select lambda phage mutants, with 13,000-16,000-fold greater capacity to remain in the mouse circulatory system 24h after intraperitoneal injection. In these prior studies the "long-circulating" phage, designated lambdaArgo phage, had at least three mutations including one in the major phage capsid (E) protein, which resulted in the change of glutamic acid to a lysine at residue 158. In the current study, we demonstrate that this single specific substitution in the E protein is sufficient to confer the "long-circulating" phenotype. The isogenic pair of phage developed in this study consisting of the long-circulating marker-rescued lambdaArgo phage, and the parental wild type phage can be used for studies of viral recognition mechanisms of the innate immune system and for the development of more effective antibacterial therapeutic phage strains.
Performance of a BGO-NaI η spectrometer

Abstract A two-arm spectrometer, designed to detect η and π 0 mesons, has been built and used in (π, η) measurements at LAMPE. This spectrometer contains BGO active converters and NaI total-energy counters. Its construction and performance for ( π − , π 0 ) and ( π − , η) measurements on CH 2 are described. Novel techniques to monitor the gains of the BGO an NaI counters are also presented.
Serbian National Security and Defense Strategy: Forever Wandering in the Wilderness?

This article examines the political and policy-making processes of the Republic of Serbia leading to the adoption of the Serbian National Security and Defense strategies in October 2009. It analyzes how Serbia's foreign and security policy environments evolved over the past decade to eventually become riddled with contradictions and inconsistencies. It also examines how the attempted reassessment of Serbia's national security and defense postures, intended to help Serbia integrate into the collective security environment of Europe, became hijacked by Serbian domestic ethno-nationalist forces that led to policy strategies which reinforced Serbia's security isolation. Finally, the article assesses the role that the Euro-Atlantic security community can take to modify the situation and reduce tensions.
MEASUREMENT OF GROUP EFFECTIVENESS IN NATURAL ISOLATED GROUPS

Abstract : The systematic study of interpersonal relations and productivity in natural isolated groups requires measurement techniques which are practicable for administration in groups operating under variable or extreme environmental conditions. In the present study simple questionnaire scales designed to measure group cooperation and effectiveness demonstrated acceptable reliability and were shown to relate consistently to an independent criterion of group effectiveness. Significant changes in social relations and group accomplishment were recorded in several of the Antarctic groups studied.
Partitioning the Boolean Lattice into Chains of Large Minimum Size

Let 2n] denote the Boolean lattice of order n, that is, the poset of subsets of {1, ?, n} ordered by inclusion. Recall that 2n] may be partitioned into what we call the canonical symmetric chain decomposition (due to de Bruijn, Tengbergen, and Kruyswijk), or CSCD. Motivated by a question of Furedi, we show that there exists a function d(n)~12n such that for any n?0, 2n] may be partitioned into (n?n/2?) chains of size at least d(n). (For comparison, a positive answer to Furedi's question would imply that the same result holds for some d(n)~?/2n.) More precisely, we first show that for 0?j?n, the union of the lowest j+1 elements from each of the chains in the CSCD of 2n] forms a poset Tj(n) with the normalized matching property and log-concave rank numbers. We then use our results on Tj(n) to show that the nodes in the CSCD chains of size less than 2d(n) may be repartitioned into chains of large minimum size, as desired.
β-Cyclodextrin facilitates cholesterol efflux from larval Manduca sexta fat body and midgut in vitro

Abstract The ability of 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) and methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD) to promote cholesterol efflux from [3H]cholesterol-labeled larval Manduca sexta fat body and midgut was tested. In fat body, both β-cyclodextrins induced a two-phase efflux of cholesterol. The first rapid phase depended on cyclodextrin concentration and was more rapid for MβCD than for HPβCD. The second, slower, phase was independent of cyclodextrin concentration and type. In midgut, only the concentration-dependent phase was observed; the rate constants are approximately 85% slower than for fat body. In both cases, a low activation energy for transfer was observed, consistent with a collision mechanism where cyclodextrin interacts directly with cholesterol in plasma membrane to affect transfer. In fat body, the second slower phase is suggestive of a second pool of exchangeable cholesterol and most likely represents transfer of cholesterol from internal membranes or different lateral domains of the plasma membrane. The lack of this second phase in midgut suggests that midgut has only a single pool of exchangeable cholesterol. Although the rates are somewhat different, the overall kinetic pattern for cyclodextrin-mediated cholesterol transfer in insect fat body closely resembles that for vertebrate cells, while the single pool behavior of the midgut is not found in vertebrate cells.
An Experimental Method for Measuring the Emergence of New Ideas in Information Discovery

Although sometimes the task that motivates searching, browsing, and collecting information resources is finding a particular fact, humans often use information resources in intellectual and creative tasks that can include comparison, understanding, and discovery. Information discovery tasks involve not only finding relevant information but also seeing relationships among collected information resources and developing new ideas. The hypothesis presented here is that how information is represented impacts the magnitude of human creativity in information discovery tasks. How can we measure this creative cognition? Studies of search have focused on time and accuracy, metrics of limited value for measuring creative discovery. A new experimental method is developed, which measures the emergence of new ideas in information discovery, to evaluate the efficacy of representations. The efficacy of the typical textual list representation for information collections is compared with an alternative representation, comb...
Evaluating Optical Techniques for Determining Film Structure: Optical Invariants for Anisotropic Dielectric Thin Films

A model-free method, based on optical invariants, of analyzing the reflectivity of thin adsorbed dielectric films is extended to dielectric waveguide techniques such as optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS). The reliability of film parameters determined from three general types of techniques (OWLS, scanning angle reflectometry, and scanning angle ellipsometry) is compared in the context of uniaxially anisotropic adsorbed films, with major axis perpendicular to the film. Expressions for the invariants for stratified anisotropic films in terms of simple moments of the layer optical distribution are presented. These general methods hold out the promise of more extended analysis of the optical response of thin films adsorbing on dielectric waveguides, while avoiding the pitfalls of specific optical models.