cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low energy electron diffraction studies of gas adsorption on the platinum (100) single crystal surface

The chemisorption of various gases (H2, N2, N2O, O2, CO, CO2, CH4, C2H6, C2H2 and C2H4) on the Pt(100) single crystal surface has been studied, using low energy electron diffraction (LEED), mass spectrometry, flash desorption and work function measurements, at gas pressures usually ⩽ 1 × 10−7 Torr and at temperatures between 25°C–1400°C. The Pt(100) substrate was characterized by a (5 × 1) surface structure. Those gases which chemisorbed on the platinum surface (CO, H2, C2H2 and C2H4) formed ordered surface structures. Also, a further surface structure was formed by the co-adsorption of H2 and CO. A strong affinity was found between carbon, or carbon-containing molecules, and the platinum surface. Carbon monoxide adsorbed in three bonding states on the (100) surface. The adsorption results differed somewhat from those observed in adsorption experiments performed at higher gas pressures.
Towards determining the appropriate systems development environment: the role of task characteristics

The growth of user developed computer-based applications (UDA) presents today's organizations with a means to augment traditional systems development by Information Systems professionals. In order to effectively use the resources offered by these two development environments, organizations need to answer the question: given a systems requirement, which development environment should be used to ensure success. This paper hypothesizes that the answer to this question depends upon the characteristics of the task? Drawing upon previous systems analysis and design research, we examine the effect of a task's degree of structure, interdependency, scope and periodicity, on the appropriate development environment. Results from a preliminary empirical test indicate that these task characteristics are useful in suggesting the appropriate environment for successful development of an information system.
Ectopic Expression of AP-2α Transcription Factor in the Lens Disrupts Fiber Cell Differentiation

Abstract AP-2α is a developmentally important transcription factor which has been implicated in the regulation of cell growth, programmed cell death, and differentiation. To investigate the specific function of AP-2α in differentiation of the lens, AP-2α was expressed in the differentiating lens fiber cells under control of the αA-crystallin promoter. Normally, AP-2α is selectively expressed in lens epithelial cells and expression terminates at the lens equator, where epithelial cells terminally differentiate into fiber cells. Ectopic expression of the AP-2α gene in the fiber cell compartment resulted in bilateral cataracts and microphthalmia in mice by 2 weeks of age. Histological evaluation of embryonic and adult transgenic lenses revealed a significant reduction in lens size and anterior shifting of the transitional zone. Two aspects of fiber cell differentiation were also blocked, including the migration of newly formed fiber cells and an inhibition in fiber cell denucleation. Correlated with these defects were expanded expression of E-cadherin in the lens transitional zone and reduced expression of the fiber cell-specific protein MIP (major intrinsic protein). Together, these data demonstrate that AP-2α acts as a negative regulator of terminal fiber cell differentiation through the regulation of genes involved in cell adhesion and migration.
Components of quality: competence, leadership, teamwork, continuing learning and service.

(2004). Components of quality: competence, leadership, teamwork, continuing learning and service. Medical Teacher: Vol. 26, No. 5, pp. 397-399.
Performance of native grape phylloxera on host plants within and among terrestrial islands in Arizona, USA.

In Arizona, USA, the canyon grape, Vitis arizonica Englemann, and grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae Fitch, Homoptera, Phylloxeridae) are distributed among mountain ranges that are surrounded by expanses of desert lacking Vitis habitat, thus forming a system of terrestrial islands. Both herbivore and host populations may have diverged genetically among mountain ranges under the influence of restricted gene flow and variable selection among sites. Herbivore adaptation to local hosts would be expected to ensue, with the potential to promote divergence, both in traits under selection and by further reducing the probability of interisland colonization. To test the hypothesis that phylloxera are adapted to local hosts, demographic components of fitness of field-collected native grape phylloxera were measured in the greenhouse on vines of V. arizonica that were categorized as either natal, neighboring, and or isolated hosts. There was no evidence for greater adaptation to natal or neighboring hosts but there were significant interactions between herbivore and host treatments in one experiment. There was genetic variation for gall formation among six clones tested. Though a failure to detect local adaptation could have resulted from low statistical power, benign experimental conditions, or inadequate genetic variation, the divergence of isolated grape populations is suggested to have been insufficient to promote local adaptation in grape phylloxera at the level of isolated mountain ranges. It is further suggested that, within populations, adaptation to individual host plants could be forestalled by selection for ’general purpose genotypes’ through wind-borne displacement of colonizers into the unpredictable environment of a heterogeneous array of hosts. In addition, short-term extinction/colonization dynamics could promote gene flow such that time is insufficient for adaptive mutations or gene combination to arise.
Intracortical connectivity of architectonic fields in the somatic sensory, motor and parietal cortex of monkeys

Anterograde and retrograde transport methods were used to study the corticocortical connectivity of areas 3a, 3b, 1, 2, 5, 4 and 6 of the monkey cerebral cortex. Fields were identified by cytoarchitectonic features and by thalamic connectivity in the same brains. Area 3a was identified by first recording a short latency group I afferent evoked potential. Attempts were made to analyze the data in terms of: (1) routes whereby somatic sensory input might influence the performance of motor cortex neurons; (2) possible multiple representations of the body surface in the component fields of the first somatic sensory area (SI). Apart from vertical interlaminar connections, two types of intracortical connectivity are recognized. The first, regarded as "non-specific," consists of axons spreading out in layers I, III and V-VI from all sides of an injection of isotope; these cross architectonic borders indiscrimininately. They are not unique to the regions studied. The second is formed by axons entering the white matter and re-entering other fields. In these, they terminate in layers I-IV in one or more mediolaterally oriented strips of fairly constant width (0.5--1 mm) and separated by gaps of comparable size. Though there is a broadly systematic topography in these projections, the strips are probably best regarded as representing some feature other than receptive field position. Separate representations are nevertheless implied in area 3b, in areas 1 and 2 (together), in areas 3a and 4 (together) and in area 5; with, in each case, the representations of the digits pointed at the central sulcus. Area 3b is not connected with areas 3a or 4, but projects to a combined areas 1 and 2. Area 1 is reciprocally connected with area 3a and area 2 reciprocally with area 4. The connectivity of area 3a, as conventionally identified, is such that it is probably best regarded not as an entity, but as a part of area 4. Areas identified by others as area 3a should probably be regraded as parts of area 3b. Parts of area 5 that should be more properly considered as area 2, and other parts that receive thalamic input not from the ventrobasal complex but from the lateral nuclear complex and anterior pulvinar, are also interconnected with area 4. More posterior parts of area 5 are connected with laterally placed parts of area 6. A more medial part of area 6, the supplementary motor area, occupies a pivotal position in the sensory-motor cortex, for it receives fibers from areas 3a, 4, 1, 2 and 5 (all parts), and projects back to areas 3a, 4 and 5.
Effects of deprolorphin, a casomorphin analog, on hippocampal CA1 field potentials in vitro.

Abstract The effects of infusion of low concentrations of the synthetic opioid peptide D-Pro 4 -β-casomorphin-5(deprolorphin) on electrical field responses in the in vitro hippocampal slice preparation of mice were investigated. Deprolorphin (0.01–10 μM) causes a large enhancement of the population spike (PS) and appearance of additional spikes of CA1 pyramidal cells to Schaffer-commissural stimulation, which were partially antagonized by the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone. It is likely that this analgesic peptide in the hippocampus acts through μ-receptors and neuronal mechanisms already described for morphine and enkephaline analogs.
Geothermal Heat Pumps as a Cost Saving and Capital Renewal Tool

An independent evaluation of the Fort Polk, Louisiana energy savings performance contract (ESPC) has verified the financial value of geothermal heat pump (GHP)-centered ESPCS to the federal government. The Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has responded by issuing an RFP for the "National GHP-Technology-Specific Super ESPC Procurement." Federal agency sites anywhere in the nation will be able to implement GHP-centered ESPC projects as delivery orders against the awarded contracts.
THE ULTRASTRUCTURE AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIABILITY OF THE FRUSTULE OF STEPHANODISCUS INVISITATUS HOHN AND HELLERMAN1

SUMMARY Stephanodscus invisitatus Hohn and Hellerman, studied by means of light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy, shows a range of frustule diameters from 6.4 to 13.3 μ. Variation in valve ornamentation can be correlated with specimen diameter. The striae number ranges from 16 to 20 in 10 μ. Various processes difficult to observe by light microscopy alone are described which arise from the inside and outside of the frustules.2
Characterization of an alkali alumina-borosilicate glass considered for storage of radioactive waste

A petrologic study of a crucible of Glass Formula 127 revealed physical and compositional heterogeneities. The melting process led to compositional heterogeneity within the glass form and to glass compositions different than that predicted by targeted compositions. Aluminum was incorporated into the melt from the crucible wall, and it is suspected that Si diffused outward into the crucible. Of the elements present as surrogates for radioactive elements of concern in waste material, none appear to follow Si. Differences in composition between batch composition and final glass composition are also caused by volatilization of B, Na, and Li. Aside from the Al:Si exchange, the heterogeneity in trace element contents is more noticeable than that of major oxides. Trace element correlations and heterogeneity, combined with skeletal fluorite concentrated into crystal-rich (up to 60 vol%) and crystal-poor bands, supports a process of melt differentiation through convective crystallization.
Ganglioside GD3: structure, cellular distribution, and possible function

Insight on the function of gangliosides can emerge from knowledge of their cellular distribution. In this paper we review the structure of ganglioside GD3 and recent information on its cellular distribution. GD3 appears to be enriched in a variety of neural cell types including: reactive glia, gliomas, undifferentiated neurons, Muller glia, and oligodendroglia. Because each of these cell types share an enhanced permeability to ions and metabolites or possess properties associated with enhanced permeability, we suggest that GD3 is associated with enhanced membrane permeability. A possible function for GD3 in membrane permeability has implications for other cellular events such as metabolism, growth and interactions.
Biological decay of the 5'-triphosphate termini of the RNA of E. coli.

EXPERIMENTS in vitro and in vivo have shown that nascent RNA chains have 5′-triphosphate termini and that the 5′ terminal nucleosides are either adenosine or guanosine1–3. Little is known about the fate of these termini. It is known that in Escherichia coli mRNA is degraded rapidly4, and that the nascent precursors of ribosomal and tRNA mature—a process involving trimming at the 5′ end5–7—and then have only one phosphate group on the 5′ end7,8. It seems, therefore, that the 5′-triphosphate termini should disappear as a result of mRNA decay and stable RNA maturation. We have examined the disappearance of triphosphate termini from E. coli RNA and found that they decay at a rate approximately one-half of that of the bulk of the unstable RNA.
Terrestrial analogues of the surface rocks of Mars

Evidence is presented which suggests that hisingerite, iddingsite, and several ferric sulfate minerals derived from deuteric alteration of iron-rich basalts on earth may provide clues to the evolutionary history of the surface of Mars. The characteristics of these minerals are pointed out, and their strong compositional and paragenetic similarities to Martian regolith materials are pointed out. These similarities are consistent with a mineral assemblage on Mars consisting of ferric-bearing phyllosilicate, sulfate, and oxyhydroxide phases. These phases could have been derived from postmagmatic deuteric alteration of volatile-rich iron-rich basaltic rocks containing fayalitic olivine, Fe pyroxenes, and accessory pyrrhotite.
Observation of proton alignment at the backbend in 136Nd

Abstract Lifetimes by the recoil-distance technique and g -factors by the IMPAC method have been measured for the 12 + and 10 + states above the backbend in 136 Nd. The sign and magnitude of the g -factors show the backbending results from h 11 2 proton (2qp) alignment.
Cosmic-ray energy spectrum from 10 15 to 10 18 eV

THE problem of establishing the primary cosmic-ray energy spectrum at energies ≳ 1015 eV, a region of great astrophysical interest, depends for its solution on the relation between the size and total primary energy of extensive air showers. This is because the experimental data are directly related to extensive air shower size spectra, which must then be converted to a primary energy spectrum. The necessary conversion depends, among other things, on the physics of the hadronic part of the cascade and on the primary composition in an energy region in which such information is only available from extensive air showers themselves. The primary energy spectrum above 1015 eV is thus less well established than it is, for example, below 1012 eV, where direct measurements have been made, both of cosmic-ray primaries and of individual hadronic interactions.
Phenethyl isothiocyanate inhibits hypoxia-induced accumulation of HIF-1α and VEGF expression in human glioma cells

Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a natural dietary isothiocyanate, inhibits angiogenesis but the molecular mechanisms that underlie this effect are not known. In this study, under hypoxic conditions (1% O2), we examined the effect of PEITC on the intracellular level of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α) and extracellular level of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a variety of human cancer cell lines. Surprisingly, we observed that PEITC suppressed the HIF-1α accumulation during hypoxia in human glioma U87, human prostate cancer DU145, colon cancer HCT116, liver cancer HepG2, and breast cancer SkBr3 cells. PEITC treatment also significantly reduced the hypoxia-induced secretion of VEGF. Suppression of HIF-1α accumulation during treatment with PEITC in hypoxia was related to PI3K and MAPK pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that PEITC inhibits the HIF-1α expression through inhibiting the PI3K and MAPK signalling pathway and provide a new insight into a potential mechanism of the anticancer properties of PEITC.
Central-tendency estimation and nearest-estimate classification of event related potentials

Event related potentials (ERPs) are modeled as random vectors in order to determine multivariate central-tendency (C-T) estimates of ERPs such as the arithmetic mean, geometric mean, harmonic mean, median, tri-mean, trimmed-mean, and the Winsorized mean. Additionally, it is shown that the C-T estimates can be used to implement various forms of minimum-distance classifiers for individual channels and for single-channel heterogeneous, multi-channel homogeneous, and multi-channel heterogeneous-homogenous ERP classification through decision fusion. The study also focuses on answering the following related questions: (a) How do the C-T ERP estimates compare with each other? (b) How do the performances of nearest-estimate classifiers compare with each other? (c) For a given ERP channel, do the heterogeneous nearest-estimate classifiers offer complementary information for improving performance through decision fusion? (d) Do the homogeneous nearest-estimate classifiers of different channels offer complementary information for improving performance through decision fusion? (e) Can the performance be improved by fusing the decisions of all or a selected subset of the entire classifier ensemble? These questions are answered by designing estimation and classification experiments using real 6-channel ERPs. It is shown that although the operations to compute the vector C-T estimates can be quite different, the ERP estimates are similar with respect to their overall waveform shapes and peak latencies. Furthermore, the results of the classification experiments show that by fusing homogeneous nearest-estimate classifier decisions across multiple channels, the classification accuracy can be improved significantly when compared with the accuracies of individual channel classifiers.
Adsorption and thermal decomposition of n-azopropane on Pt(111)

Abstract The adsorption and thermal decomposition of n-azopropane on Pt(111) were studied by using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and reflection–absorption infra-red spectroscopy (RAIRS). At low temperatures, n-azopropane chemisorbs molecularly on Pt(111), but it isomerizes into a cis configuration upon bonding to the surface and changes its adsorption orientation as a function coverage. Multilayer and monolayer molecular desorption occur about 130 and 170 K, respectively, and a new surface species – probably dipropyl hydrazine – forms upon annealing the remaining chemisorbed molecules above 175 K. Further heating of the sample leads to the desorption of small amounts of propylene and ethylene, at 240 and 275 K, respectively. Another surface transformation is identified by RAIRS around 275 K, possibly the conversion to an imine-type species, and propionitrile and small amounts of propyl and methyl amines are produced soon after that; they desorb at 320 and 330 K, respectively. Finally, a more extensive dehydrogenation of the remaining surface species takes place, and HCN desorbs in two stages around 525 and 600 K. The chemistry of propionitrile and propyl amine was also explored briefly by RAIRS and TPD for reference.
Fathers' reflections on parenting young children with type 1 diabetes.

Purpose To describe fathers' experiences in parenting and managing the care of their young children with type 1 diabetes. Design and methods This qualitative descriptive study used 16 open-ended, in-depth interviews with 14 purposively selected, involved, educated, stably employed fathers of 15 children younger than 10 years old. The fathers were asked to describe their perspective of the initial diagnosis, how they learned diabetes care, their day-to-day care and parenting experiences, and what strategies they used in the day-to-day management. Data were managed using NVivo software and analyzed using principles of naturalistic inquiry and qualitative content analysis. Results The overarching theme was "From sadness to action," with six categories emerging: (1) "shock and awe" (after diagnosis), (2) quick response to the diagnosis and learning diabetes care: "suck it up and do it," (3) "staying in the loop" (practicing the skills, tasks, and responsibilities of diabetes management), (4) "partnerships in care" (tag teaming or co-parenting), (5) active participation (being actively involved in their children's day-to-day care and benefiting from participating in this care), and (6) mantra for living with diabetes: child first, diabetes second. Clinical implications Nurses working with children with diabetes can use the results of this study to better understand the role of fathers in the care of these children. Fathers underscored the importance of practicing diabetes care-related tasks to improve their confidence when caring for children alone. Their practical and philosophical strategies for managing their children's chronic illness have recently been incorporated into a parent mentor intervention for children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
After-School Programs for Low-Income Children: Promise and Challenges.

Children's out-of-school time, long a low-level source of public concern, has recently emerged as a major social issue. This, in turn, has heightened interest in the heterogeneous field of after-school programs. This article provides a profile of after-school programs for low-income children, focusing on supply and demand, program emphases, and program sponsors and support organizations. It also discusses the major challenges facing the field in the areas of facilities, staffing, and financing. Details and examples are drawn from the ongoing evaluation of a specific after-school program initiative called MOST (Making the Most of Out-of-School Time), which seeks to strengthen after-school programs in Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. Looking ahead, the article highlights the pros and cons of options for increasing coverage to reach more low-income children, strengthening programs, expanding funding, and articulating an appropriate role for after-school programs to fill in the lives of low-income children.
The effects of smoking on the signal-averaged electrocardiogram in normal subjects.

Tobacco smoking increases the risk of sudden cardiac death, possibly by altering the substrate for propagation or sustainment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. To test this hypothesis, 15 long-term smokers without known coronary artery disease abstained from tobacco smoking for 12 h, after which they underwent SAECG before, 15 min after and 30 min after smoking two cigarettes. Other than minor lengthening of filtered QRS duration, no significant change in time-domain SAECG parameters was noted. We conclude that late potentials are not produced by cigarette smoking and that ventricular arrhythmia substrate as measured by SAECG variables is not worsened in long-term smokers without evidence of coronary artery disease. (Chert 1991; 99:121–22)
Quantitation of nerve terminal populations: Synaptic vesicle‐associated proteins as markers for synaptic density in the rat neostriatum

This study has assessed the contributions of the corticostriatal fibers, the ascending striatopetal fibers, and the intrinsic neostriatal neurons to the nerve terminal population found in the rat neostriatum (caudatoputamen). For this purpose, we have analysed the levels of two different synaptic vesicle-associated proteins, synapsin I and protein p38 (also called synaptophysin), in the neostriatum after specific lesions. Our results indicate that 45–50% of the synaptic vesicle proteins in the rat neostriatum derive from the corticostriatal fibers, that approximately 25–30% of the synaptic vesicle proteins are present in kainic acid-sensitive structures, presumably intrinsic terminals and local collaterals, and that ascending fibers contain 20–25% of the vesicle-associated proteins in the neostriatum. These three neuronal populations therefore comprise 95–100% of the synaptic vesicle-associated proteins in the rat neostriatum, and thus make up most of the nerve terminals in this brain region. The results, which are in general agreement with previous morphometric studies on the rat basal ganglia, therefore indicate that nerve terminals in the central nervous system can be quantitated by use of these biochemical nerve terminal markers. The results also indicate that a somewhat higher percentage of neostriatal nerve terminals belongs to the corticostriatal fibers than previously believed.
A nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium model for forage yield of bermudagrass

A logistic equation was used to relate annual dry matter yield of Coastal bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] to applied N, P, and K. Yield data from 4 × 4 × 4 (N × P × K) factorial experiment were analyzed. The second order Newton-Raphson procedure for nonlinear regression was used to estimate the seven parameters of the model. A correlation coefficient of 0.9884 was obtained with the model for the 64 data points. A response surface for yield as related to N and K at P = 100 kg ha −1 was drawn from the model. Isoquants (constant yield) were drawn for annual yield of 10Mg ha −1 (...)
Averaging simplifies optimal population transfer problems

We consider energy-optimal population transfer problems for isolated finite dimensional quantum systems. In the limit when the transfer time is large compared to the time scale of the free dynamics, we show how the associated two-point boundary-value problem (TPBVP) can be reduced to a corresponding "averaged" TPBVP where the free dynamics has been averaged over. This approach offers significant computational and conceptual advantages to the solution of such problems.
Pablo Neruda e Isabel Allende: Las dos sagas de Joaquín Murieta

Resumen es: El proposito de este ensayo es contrastar la aparicion y trazar la evolucion de un heroe comun, Joaquin Murieta, en la obra de teatro de Pablo Neruda Fu...
The role of skeletal muscle mTOR in the regulation of mechanical load‐induced growth

Chronic mechanical loading (CML) of skeletal muscle induces compensatory growth and the drug rapamycin has been reported to block this effect. Since rapamycin is considered to be a highly specific inhibitor of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), many have concluded that mTOR plays a key role in CML-induced growth regulatory events. However, rapamycin can exert mTOR-independent actions and systemic administration of rapamycin will inhibit mTOR signalling in all cells throughout the body. Thus, it is not clear if the growth inhibitory effects of rapamycin are actually due to the inhibition of mTOR signalling, and more specifically, the inhibition of mTOR signalling in skeletal muscle cells. To address this issue, transgenic mice with muscle specific expression of various rapamycin-resistant mutants of mTOR were employed. These mice enabled us to demonstrate that mTOR, within skeletal muscle cells, is the rapamycin-sensitive element that confers CML-induced hypertrophy, and mTOR kinase activity is necessary for this event. Surprisingly, CML also induced hyperplasia, but this occurred through a rapamycin-insensitive mechanism. Furthermore, CML was found to induce an increase in FoxO1 expression and PKB phosphorylation through a mechanism that was at least partially regulated by an mTOR kinase-dependent mechanism. Finally, CML stimulated ribosomal RNA accumulation and rapamycin partially inhibited this effect; however, the effect of rapamycin was exerted through a mechanism that was independent of mTOR in skeletal muscle cells. Overall, these results demonstrate that CML activates several growth regulatory events, but only a few (e.g. hypertrophy) are fully dependent on mTOR signalling within the skeletal muscle cells.
Nanolayer Ordering in an Epoxy-Exfoliated Clay Hybrid Composite

A new class of epoxy-clay nanocomposites have been prepared from alkylammonium exchanged fluorohectorite clays. These nanocomposites have usually large and regular basal spacings up to 105 A platelet separation. The extra large separation of the clay nanolayers results in reinforcement of the polymer matrix, the reinforcing effect being comparable to that of disordered phased nanocomposites. It is now possible to define two general classes of exfoliated clay nanocomposites, namely those with long range nanolayer ordering, and those with little or no long range ordering. Long range ordering is indicated by the XRD patterns that have multiple 001 harmonies whereas disordered composites exhibit little or no 001diffraction. Regardless of the presence of X-ray Bragg diffraction, exfoliated polymer-clay nanocomposites form when adjacent clay nanolayers are separated by a distance that precludes the possibility of interlayer communication through the association of galleries cations.
The Future of the U.S. Business Model and the Rise of Competitors

Executive Overview For at least two generations, the United States provided the most important model for organizing business activities. Explicit efforts to export U.S. ideas about economics were part of an effort to counter communism, but equally important were lessons about how to structure and operate individual business, transferred in part by U.S. multinationals but also through the power of example. The rise of extremely successful economic competitors operating with different business and economic models in the 2000s provided counterexamples to the U.S. approach and coincided with concerns about the merits of U.S. practices, driven first by accounting scandals in the late 1990s and accelerating with the Wall Street financial crisis of 2008. These twin developments have called into question the future role of the United States as a model for business in the rest of the world. The articles in this Exchange consider the future of the U.S. example in the competition for influence along with other model...
Thermal degradation of poly(α-methylstyrene) in solution

Abstract The thermal degradation of poly(α-methylstyrene) in solution was investigated at various temperatures (150–225 °C) and polymer concentrations (2.00–20.0 g/l) at 6.8 MPa (1000 psig). The molecular weight distributions (MWDs) of the reacted polymer at these conditions were examined at four different residence times. Experimental data indicated that the polymer degraded to its monomer, α-methylstyrene. No other degradation products were observed. Continuous-mixture kinetics was used to examine the MWDs and to obtain the rate coefficient for degradation and its activation energy. The rate was first order in polymer concentration with a rate coefficient at 225 °C of 0.01 min−1 and an activation energy of 66.5 kJ/mol (16.0 kcal/mol). The maximum conversion observed at 275 °C was 1.2%. Hydrogen-donor solvent, tetralin, had no effect on the degradation.
The status and future of 802.11-based WLANs

The main attraction of WLANs is their flexibility. They can extend access to local area networks, such as corporate intranets, as well as support broadband access to the Internet - particularly at "hot spots," public venues where people tend to gather. WLANs can provide quick, easy wireless connectivity to computers, machinery, or systems in a local environment where a fixed communications infrastructure does not exist or where such access is not permitted. These hosts can be stationary, handheld, or even mounted on a moving vehicle. Bandwidth considerations have thus far been secondary in WLAN design and implementation: the original 802.11 standard allowed a maximum channel bit rate of only 2 megabits per second, while the current 802.11 b standard supports an 11 Mbps maximum rate. However, the widespread deployment of 802.11a and 802.11g standards, which allow a bit rate of up to 54 Mbps, will pave the way for new types of mobile applications, including m-commerce transactions and location-based services.
Digestibility of Liquid Whey by Steers and Cows

Abstract In two reversal experiments to determine digestibility of liquid acid whey by steers and cows, trials within each experiment consisted of an adjustment period followed by 10-day preliminary and 7-day collection periods. In Experiment 1 four Jersey steers received a daily basal diet of 7000g of hay plus 800g of soybean meal. Two of the steers received 45.4kg whey in addition to the basal diet within each trial. In Experiment 2 four mature, dry, nonpregnant cows (three Jersey and one Ayrshire) were offered 9000g of hay plus 300g of soybean meal daily. Two of the cows received 45.4kg whey in addition to the basal diet within each trial. Digestion coefficients of the basal and basal-plus-whey diets were determined directly, and digestibility of whey alone was determined by the difference of the two diets. Liquid acid whey had an average digestibility of dry matter, 82.6%, 68.8% of protein, and of organic matter 84.2%.
Understanding Social Adaptation in Children with Mental Retardation: A Social-Cognitive Perspective

We examined two social-cognitive processes, social perception (the encoding and interpretation of social cues) and the generation of social strategies, in 117 children with and without mental retardation (MR) in Grades 1 through 5. Children responded to videotaped vignettes of social conflicts. Children with MR had difficulty recognizing benign intention social cues that accompanied a negative event. When benign intention social cues were present in social conflicts involving peer entry, children with MR resembled younger children without MR in misinterpreting the other child's intentions as “being mean.” Children with MR had difficulty varying their social strategies to fit the social conflict and often suggested the strategy of using an appeal to authority. Results suggest that children with MR have difficulty focusing simultaneously on multiple social cues which are incongruent and in selecting appropriate social strategies. Recommendations focus on instructional strategies for improving social percept...
Neutron Transmission of a Single-Crystal MgO Filter

The neutron transmission probability through a single-crystal MgO filter has been measured at both liquid-nitrogen (77 K) and room (300 K) temperatures, as a function of wavelength, using a pulsed neutron source. The data show that a cooled MgO filter is superior to room-temperature sapphire for both thermal and cold neutrons, principally because the absorption probability is reduced by a factor of three at long wavelengths.
Privacy and coordination: computing on databases with endogenous participation

We propose a simple model where individuals in a privacy-sensitive population decide whether or not to participate in a pre-announced noisy computation by an analyst, so that the database itself is endogenously determined by individuals' participation choices. The privacy an agent receives depends both on the announced noise level, as well as how many agents choose to participate in the database. Each agent has some minimum privacy requirement, and decides whether or not to participate based on how her privacy requirement compares against her expectation of the privacy she will receive if she participates in the computation. This gives rise to a game amongst the agents, where each individual's privacy if she participates, and therefore her participation choice, depends on the choices of the rest of the population.We investigate symmetric Bayes-Nash equilibria, which in this game consist of threshold strategies, where all agents whose privacy requirements are weaker than a certain threshold participate and the remaining agents do not. We characterize these equilibria, which depend both on the noise announced by the analyst and the population size; present results on existence, uniqueness, and multiplicity; and discuss a number of surprising properties they display.
Crystallography and microstructure of TaRu

The solid-state phase transformations and crystallography of equiatomic TaRu were examined by conventional and in-situ high-temperature transmission electron microscopy, with complementary experiments using X-ray diffraction and dilatometry. This alloy undergoes two displacive phase transformations on cooling from the high-temperature B2-ordered cubic phase. The high-temperature cubic-to-tetragonal transformation produces a highly twinned microstructure similar to that observed in many shape memory effect alloys. The phase produced by the low-temperature transformation was shown by detailed microdiffraction to have a monoclinic symmetry rather than the orthorhombic symmetry which had been previously reported. The structure of this monoclinic lattice indicates the possibility of an ω-like transformation in this alloy.
The tethering complex HOPS catalyzes assembly of the soluble SNARE Vam7 into fusogenic trans-SNARE complexes

The fusion of yeast vacuolar membranes depends on the disassembly of cis-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) complexes and the subsequent reassembly of new SNARE complexes in trans. The disassembly of cis-SNARE complexes by Sec17/Sec18p releases the soluble SNARE Vam7p from vacuolar membranes. Consequently, Vam7p needs to be recruited to the membrane at future sites of fusion to allow the formation of trans-SNARE complexes. The multisubunit tethering homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) complex, which is essential for the fusion of vacuolar membranes, was previously shown to have direct affinity for Vam7p. The functional significance of this interaction, however, has been unclear. Using a fully reconstituted in vitro fusion reaction, we now show that HOPS facilitates membrane fusion by recruiting Vam7p for fusion. In the presence of HOPS, unlike with other tethering agents, very low levels of added Vam7p suffice to induce vigorous fusion. This is a specific recruitment of Vam7p rather than an indirect stimulation of SNARE complex formation through tethering, as HOPS does not facilitate fusion with a low amount of a soluble form of another vacuolar SNARE, Vti1p. Our findings establish yet another function among the multiple tasks that HOPS performs to catalyze the fusion of yeast vacuoles.
Adrenomedullin 2/Intermedin Regulates HLA-G in Human Trophoblasts

Adrenomedullin 2 (ADM2), also referred to as intermedin (IMD), is expressed in trophoblast cells in human placenta and enhances the invasion and migration of first-trimester HTR-8SV/neo cells. Further infusion of ADM2 antagonist in pregnant rat causes fetoplacental growth restriction, suggesting a role for ADM2 in maintaining a successful pregnancy. This study was undertaken to assess whether ADM2 protein is present in decidual tissue and colocalized with HLA-G-positive cytotrophoblast cells and natural killer cells; to assess whether ADM2 regulates expression of HLA-G in trophoblast cells; and to identify whether mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway is involved in ADM2-induced trophoblast cell invasion and migration. Using immunohistochemical methods and RT-PCR, this study shows that ADM2 protein is colocalized with HLA-G-expressing cytotrophoblast cells as well as with NCAM1 (CD56) immunoreactivity in human first-trimester decidual tissue, and that ADM2 mRNA is expressed in peripheral blood natural killer cells. Further, ADM2 dose dependently increases the expression of HLA-G antigen in HTR-8SV/neo cells as well as in term placental villi explants, suggesting involvement of ADM2 in the regulation of HLA-G in trophoblast cells. In addition, interference with the activity of RAF and MAPK3/1 by their inhibitors, manumycin and U0126, respectively, reduces ADM2-induced HTR-8SV/neo cell invasion and migration. In summary, this study suggests a potential involvement for ADM2 in regulating HLA-G antigen at the maternal-fetal interface in human pregnancy and facilitating trophoblast invasion and migration via MAPK3/1 phosphorylation.
The project ENABLE II randomized controlled trial to improve palliative care for rural patients with advanced cancer: baseline findings, methodological challenges, and solutions.

Objective: There is a paucity of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate models of palliative care. Although interventions vary, all have faced a variety of methodological challenges including adequate recruitment, missing data, and contamination of the control group. We describe the ENABLE II intervention, methods, and sample baseline characteristics to increase intervention and methodological transparency, and to describe our solutions to selected methodological issues. Methods: Half of the participants recruited from our rural U.S. comprehensive cancer center and affiliated clinics were randomly assigned to a phone-based, nurse-led educational, care coordination palliative care intervention model. Intervention services were provided to half of the participants weekly for the first month and then monthly until death, including bereavement follow-up call to the caregiver. The other half of the participants were assigned to care as usual. Symptoms, quality of life, mood, and functional status were assessed every 3 months until death. Results: Baseline data of 279 participants were similar to normative samples. Solutions to methodological challenges of recruitment, missing data, and “usual care” control group contamination are described. Significance of results: It is feasible to overcome many of the methodological challenges to conducting a rigorous palliative care RCT.
A comprehensive evaluation of multicategory classification methods for microbiomic data

Recent advances in next-generation DNA sequencing enable rapid high-throughput quantitation of microbial community composition in human samples, opening up a new field of microbiomics. One of the promises of this field is linking abundances of microbial taxa to phenotypic and physiological states, which can inform development of new diagnostic, personalized medicine, and forensic modalities. Prior research has demonstrated the feasibility of applying machine learning methods to perform body site and subject classification with microbiomic data. However, it is currently unknown which classifiers perform best among the many available alternatives for classification with microbiomic data. In this work, we performed a systematic comparison of 18 major classification methods, 5 feature selection methods, and 2 accuracy metrics using 8 datasets spanning 1,802 human samples and various classification tasks: body site and subject classification and diagnosis. We found that random forests, support vector machines, kernel ridge regression, and Bayesian logistic regression with Laplace priors are the most effective machine learning techniques for performing accurate classification from these microbiomic data.
Cleburne and the Pursuit of Equal Protection for Individuals With Mental Disorders.

The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution has been the foundation for judicial rulings against discriminatory laws affecting racial minorities, women, and other groups. However, it has had only limited application in mental health law, even though individuals with
The Research Proposal in Biomechanical and Biological Engineering Courses.

Students in four biochemical and biological engineering courses for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students were required to write a research proposal. Breaking the requirements down into segments (such as a summary with specific aims, rough draft, and final draft) due on different dates helped make the assignment more manageable for the students. By the final draft, a great majority of the students were able to produce a proposal without major problems.
Can We Agree on the Force, and Call it God?: Multidisciplined Evidence and Organizational Implications

For a variety of reasons, most people do not know that the preponderance of scientific and humanistic evidence demonstrates the existence of God. Since it does, organizations should proceed, in their policies and practices, under this assumption, just as they would any other scientific finding. This paper briefly summarizes the evidence for God from the fields of philosophy, physics, neuroscience, biology, psychology, and management. Next, materialism is critiqued, establishing that people who choose not to believe in God are doing so because their worldview does not allow for non-materialist explanations, even when the preponderance of evidence points in that direction. The paper concludes with an exploration of how organizations might function differently if the existence of God is acknowledged.
Systemic consideration of some heterophyid trematodes in the subfamilies Haplorchinae and Stellantchasminae.

(1949). Systematic Consideration of Some Heterophyid Trematodes in the Subfamilies Haplorchinae and Stellantchasminae. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology: Vol. 43, No. 3-4, pp. 304-312.
Alkaline Phosphatase during Development of the Black Carpet Beetle

The specific activity of alkaline phosphatase in soluble and mitochrondrial fractions from the black carpet beetle, Attagenus megatoma (F.) was age dependent. During larval development the lowest and the maximum specific activities for the soluble fraction were recorded in the 2- and 9-month-old larvae, respectively. The soluble fraction underwent a striking decrease with the onset of pupation. The specific activity of the mitochondrial fractions did not exceed that of the corresponding soluble fractions during the larval and the pupal development. Transition from the pupal to the adult stage was accompanied by an increase in the activities of both fractions. However, a decrease in the specific activity of soluble fraction was observed in 13-day-old adults.
Electron Spin Resonance Scanning Probe Spectroscopy for Ultrasensitive Biochemical Studies

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy’s affinity for detecting paramagnetic free radicals, or spins, has been increasingly employed to examine a large variety of biochemical interactions. Such paramagnetic species are broadly found in nature and can be intrinsic (defects in solid-state materials systems, electron/hole pairs, stable radicals in proteins) or, more often, purposefully introduced into the material of interest (doping/attachment of paramagnetic spin labels to biomolecules of interest). Using ESR to trace the reactionary path of paramagnetic spins or spin-active proxy molecules provides detailed information about the reaction’s transient species and the label’s local environment. For many biochemical systems, like those involving membrane proteins, synthesizing the necessary quantity of spin-labeled biomolecules (typically 50 pmol to 100 pmol) is quite challenging and often limits the possible biochemical reactions available for investigation. Quite simply, ESR is too insensitive. Here, we...
Effects of complete and incomplete hypophysectomy on basal metabolism of pigeons.

Within 10-20 days after complete hypophysectomy the B.M.R. of the adult pigeon undergoes a pronounced decrease, but the extent of the indicated decrease is much influenced by the environmental temperature at which measurement is made. At the critical temperature (30°C.) the B.M.R. of 9 pigeons was decreased by 33% in 7 pigeons measured at 20°C. the decrease was only half as much, or 17%. Seven incompletely hypophysectomized birds (less than 4% of pituitary present) measured at 30° provide data which confirm the important role of temperature and further indicate that the B.M.R. of such birds is practically the same as that of the completely hypophysectomized pigeon. Pituitary fragments representing 10-25% of the total gland usually only partially sustain the normal rate of heat production. B.M.R. measurements made at 20° did not distinguish partial from complete hypophysec-tomies, and this provides a further indication that a truer measure of effect of hypophysectomy is obtained from tests made at the animal's critical temperature.