cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Efficient Multistep Photoinitiated Electron Transfer in a Molecular Pentad

A synthetic five-part molecular device has been prepared that uses a multistep electron transfer strategy similar to that of photosynthetic organisms to capture light energy and convert it to chemical potential in the form of long-lived charge separation. It consists of two covalently linked porphyrin moieties, one containing a zinc ion (PZn) and the other present as the free base (P). The metailated porphyrin bears a carotenoid polyene (C) and the other a diquinone species (QA-QB). Excitation of the free-base porphyrin in a chloroform solution of the pentad yields an initial charge-separated state, C-PZn-P.+.-QA--QB, with a quantum yield of 0.85. Subsequent electron transfer steps lead to a final charge-separated state, C.+-PZn-P-QA-QB.-, which is formed with an overall quantum yield of 0.83 and has a lifetime of 55 microseconds. Irradiation of the free-base form of the pentad, C-P-P-QA-QB, gives a similar charge-separated state with a lower quantum yield (0.15 in dichloromethane), although the lifetime is increased to ∼340 microseconds. The artificial photosynthetic system preserves a significant fraction (∼1.0 electron volt) of the initial excitation energy (1.9 electron volts) in the long-lived, charge-separated state.
Managing Nuclear Waste from Power Plants

National strategies to manage nuclear waste from commercial nuclear power plants are analyzed and compared. The current strategy is to try to operate a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to dispose storage at a centralized facility or next to nuclear power plants. If either of these is pursued now, the analysis assumes that a repository will be built in 2100 for waste not subsequently put to use. The analysis treats various uncertainties: whether a repository at Yucca Mountain would be licensed, possible theft and misuse of the waste, innovations in repository design and waste management, the potential availability of a cancer cure by 2100, and possible future uses of nuclear waste. The objectives used to compare alternatives include concerns for health and safety, environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and direct economic costs, as well as equity concerns (geographical, intergenerational, and procedural), indirect economic costs, as well as equity concerns (geographical, intergenerational, and procedural), indirect economic costs to electricity ratepayers, federal government responsibility to manage nuclear waste, and implications of theft and misuse of nuclear waste. The analysis shows that currently building an underground repository at Yucca Mountain is inferior to other available strategies by the equivalent of $10,000 million to $50,000more » million. This strongly suggests that this policy should be reconsidered. A more detailed analysis using the framework presented would help to define a new national policy to manage nuclear waste. 36 refs., 3 figs., 17 tabs.« less
Planar Multipolar Cells in the Cochlear Nucleus Project to Medial Olivocochlear Neurons in Mouse

Medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurons originate in the superior olivary complex and project to the cochlea, where they act to reduce the effects of noise masking and protect the cochlea from damage. MOC neurons respond to sound via a reflex pathway; however, in this pathway the cochlear nucleus cell type that provides input to MOC neurons is not known. We investigated whether multipolar cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus have projections to MOC neurons by labeling them with injections into the dorsal cochlear nucleus. The projections of one type of labeled multipolar cell, planar neurons, were traced into the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body, where they were observed terminating on MOC neurons (labeled in some cases by a second cochlear injection of FluoroGold). These terminations formed what appear to be excitatory synapses, i.e., containing small, round vesicles and prominent postsynaptic densities. These data suggest that cochlear nucleus planar multipolar neurons drive the MOC neuron's response to sound.
Sequence analysis in the E1 region of adenovirus type 4 DNA

Adenovirus type 4 (Ad4) is the sole member of adenovirus group E based on overall DNA sequence homology, restriction endonuclease cleavage patterns, and the size of capsid proteins. We cloned the BamHI-F fragment from the left end of Ad4 in pUC13-1 between the SalI and BamHI sites in order to carry out the structural analysis of the E1A region of Ad4. The complete sequence of the BamHI-F fragment (2042 bp) has been determined. From the DNA sequence, the splice sites for the putative 12 S and 13 S mRNAs, encoded by the E1A region of Ad4 were deduced. If protein synthesis initiates at the first available AUG triplet (position 575), these 12 S and 13 S mRNAs would code for polypeptides containing 226 and 257 amino acids, respectively. Comparison of Ad4- and Ad7-13 S mRNA-coded polypeptides indicates that there is 57% homology, whereas the homology is only 38% with Ad12 and 31% with Ad2-13 S mRNA-coded polypeptides. The structural analysis in the E1 region of Ad4 also includes the coding region for the E1B 19-kDa protein. Ad4 and Ad7 shows 65% homology in the coding regions for E1B 19-kDa protein. Comparison of the DNA sequence of Ad4 with those of Ad2, Ad7, and Ad12 by using a dot matrix computer program and by Southern hybridization revealed that Ad4 bears a stronger homology with Ad7 than with Ad2 and Ad12 in this region. Hydropathy plots and alignments of the putative polypeptides coded by this region in Ad4 with those from the corresponding regions of different serotypes to reveal the highly conserved domains also support the above conclusion.
Microwave ionization and excitation of Ba Rydberg atoms

We have investigated ionization and excitation of the Ba 6s n s1S0 and 6s n d1,3D2 series in strong microwave fields. The observed microwave ionization threshold fields, scaling as 0.28n−5, and the state mixing fields cannot be completely explained in terms of a single cycle Landau-Zener model. However, by taking into account multiphoton resonant transitions driven by many cycles of the microwave field we have been able to interpet the data. In particular, multi-photon transitions have been found to be responsible for apparent resonance structures and for the unexpectedly low mixing fields. Not surprisingly, doubly excited valence states introduce irregularities into both the microwave ionization and the state mixing field values.
Excessive drinking in rats’ adaptation to the schedule of feeding

Adaptation to the schedule of feeding as a requirement for the gradual development of polydipsia in rats was examined and rejected.
A backward angle-fire array antenna

A new type of array is described which consists of a grid or mesh structure situated parallel and close to a flat conducting sheet. It operates as a linearly polarized traveling-wave antenna with the main lobe of radiation in a backward angle-fire direction. The direction of the beam is a function of the frequency. Operation of the antenna is analyzed by simple array theory and comparisons are made between calculated and measured performance. An application of the array as a radio telescope antenna is mentioned.
Quantitation of Candida albicans Ergosterol Content Improves the Correlation between In Vitro Antifungal Susceptibility Test Results and In Vivo Outcome after Fluconazole Treatment in a Murine Model of Invasive Candidiasis

MIC end point determination for the most commonly prescribed azole antifungal drug, fluconazole, can be complicated by “trailing” growth of the organism during susceptibility testing by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards approved M27-A broth macrodilution method and its modified broth microdilution format. To address this problem, we previously developed the sterol quantitation method (SQM) for in vitro determination of fluconazole susceptibility, which measures cellular ergosterol content rather than growth inhibition after exposure to fluconazole. To determine if SQM MICs of fluconazole correlated better with in vivo outcome than M27-A MICs, we used a murine model of invasive candidiasis and analyzed the capacity of fluconazole to treat infections caused by C. albicans isolates which were trailers (M27-A MICs at 24 and 48 h, ≤1.0 and ≥64 μg/ml, respectively; SQM MIC, ≤1.0 μg/ml), as well as those which were fluconazole sensitive (M27-A and SQM MIC, ≤1.0 μg/ml) and fluconazole resistant (M27-A MIC, ≥64 μg/ml; SQM MIC, 54 μg/ml). Compared with the untreated controls, fluconazole therapy increased the survival of mice infected with a sensitive isolate and both trailing isolates but did not increase the survival of mice infected with a resistant isolate. These results indicate that the SQM is more predictive of in vivo outcome than the M27-A method for isolates that give unclear MIC end points due to trailing growth in fluconazole.
Presence of multiple laminin- and fibronectin-binding proteins in cell wall extract of Candida albicans: influence of dialysis

Candida albicans has been reported to express only one to three proteins that bind extracellular matrix proteins, such as laminin and fibrinogen. In those reports, cell wall extracts were subjected to various processing steps, such as dialysis and lyophilization, prior to Western blot analysis. Here, we demonstrate that dialysis for only 2 h of cell wall protein extracts results in a substantial loss (40–60%) of protein. With overnight dialysis, the loss was increased further. After 2 h of dialysis, wall extracts contained fewer laminin- and fibronectin-reactive proteins. In addition, the number of wall proteins in the extracts detected by a polyclonal anti-human fibronectin receptor antiserum decreased after dialysis. These results demonstrate that the C. albicans yeast cell wall contains multiple proteins capable of binding laminin and fibronectin and many of these proteins are not functionally detectable following dialysis.
A backward look for a forward plan

The present demand for trained individuals with good health and surplus energy has placed a new and greater emphasis on all phases of education. In this changed world, we are recognizing the need for reformulating the objectives of our educational system, for considering such departures as, for example, the provision of programs based on the aptitudes of the individual student and terminating when the limits of those aptitudes are reached instead of at four-year intervals. The opinions of some nationally known educators and employers of college graduates are cited in this article, which may be regarded as a straw in the wind.
Mechanical Design for Modularity of Laparoscopic Tools

Background: A functional analysis of current laparoscopic surgical technology prompted a redesign to provide multiple functionalities within a single tool. Novel mechanisms were needed to actuate and deploy functional tips to the surgical site from their storage locations. Methods: Functional Decomposition was used to determine problems with the current minimally invasive surgery (MIS) paradigm. Axiomatic Design was used to ensure an efficient design. Quality Function Deployment was used to mathematically determine important design criteria. Results: The actuation mechanism transfers squeezing motion from the hand through a gear train to the distal end of the tool where a pin-slot mechanism actuates the tool tip. An ergonomic slider mechanism translates linear thumb motion into rotation of the tool’s shaft through a gear train. A binary ratcheting mechanism is used to lock or unlock the tool with identical motions. Methods for indexing functional tips within the tool and interfacing the tips with a lead screw were designed for a modular tool. Rotary indexing of the tool cartridge is done using a Geneva-type mechanism and cam∕follower to provide positive locking once the tip is in place. Proper alignment of the tool tip with the actuation∕shuttling screw is accomplished using a screw∕wedge assembly. Conclusions: Benefits include multiple functionalities in a single tool, ergonomic benefits of an increased I∕O force scaling, decreased out-of-plane motion required to rotate the tool’s shaft and decreased cognitive effort required to lock and unlock the tool’s jaws.
The effects of temperature and nutrients on the growth and dynamics of toxic and non-toxic strains of Microcystis during cyanobacteria blooms

Abstract In temperate latitudes, toxic cyanobacteria blooms often occur in eutrophied ecosystems during warm months. Many common bloom-forming cyanobacteria have toxic and non-toxic strains which co-occur and are visually indistinguishable but can be quantified molecularly. Toxic Microcystis cells possess a suite of microcystin synthesis genes (mcyA–mcyJ), while non-toxic strains do not. For this study, we assessed the temporal dynamics of toxic and non-toxic strains of Microcystis by quantifying the microcystin synthetase gene (mcyD) and the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, 16S (an indicator of total Microcystis), from samples collected from four lakes across the Northeast US over a two-year period. Nutrient concentrations and water quality were measured and experiments were conducted which examined the effects of elevated levels of temperatures (+4 °C), nitrogen, and phosphorus on the growth rates of toxic and non-toxic strains of Microcystis. During the study, toxic Microcystis cells comprised between 12% and 100% of the total Microcystis population in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, and between 0.01% and 6% in three other systems. In all lakes, molecular quantification of toxic (mcyD-possessing) Microcystis was a better predictor of in situ microcystin levels than total cyanobacteria, total Microcystis, chlorophyll a, or other factors, being significantly correlated with the toxin in every lake studied. Experimentally enhanced temperatures yielded significantly increased growth rates of toxic Microcystis in 83% of experiments conducted, but did so for non-toxic Microcystis in only 33% of experiments, suggesting that elevated temperatures yield more toxic Microcystis cells and/or cells with more mcyD copies per cell, with either scenario potentially yielding more toxic blooms. Furthermore, concurrent increases in temperature and P concentrations yielded the highest growth rates of toxic Microcystis cells in most experiments suggesting that future eutrophication and climatic warming may additively promote the growth of toxic, rather than non-toxic, populations of Microcystis, leading to blooms with higher microcystin content.
Investigating retinitis pigmentosa: a laboratory scientist's perspective

Abstract A decade's search for the molecular basis of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) has uncovered an unexpected genetic heterogeneity. These experimental results raise again the fundamental question concerning the pathogenesis of RP: mutations in a number of different genes all result in a similar phenotype of the disease—the gradual loss of photoreceptors. At the very least, this genetic heterogeneity allows us to make one important inference: it is cellular mechanisms other than the genetic defect alone which bring on the symptoms and clinical course typical of RP. Furthermore, once they have begun to express themselves, this multitude of RP-inducing mutations seem to converge into a common set of cellular mechanisms that eventually lead to photoreceptor death. In those cases where the RP-inducing mutation is in a rod photoreceptor-specific gene, cell-cell interactions may lead to the death of normal cone photoreceptors. RP researchers are now confronted by three related challenges: to pinpoint the immediate physiologic effects of the various RP-inducing mutations; to identify the mechanisms directly causing photoreceptor death; and, to delineate the link between a specific mutation and the direct cause of photoreceptor death.
Wavelength-Dependent Photochemistry of W(CO)4(en) (en = Ethylenediamine): Evidence for Distinct Chemical Reactivities from Singlet and Triplet Ligand Field Excited States

Quantum yields for ligand substitution of CO in W(CO)4(en) are strongly dependent on the excitation wavelength in the 313−476-nm region. The results illustrate that the ligand field (LF) excited states undergo photosubstitution via separate photophysical pathways and that reaction from the lowest lying LF triplet level occurs with a greatly reduced photoefficiency.
Infrared study of the CO insertion reaction on reduced, oxidized, and sulfided Rh/SiO2 catalysts

The reaction of adsorbed CO with C2H4/H2 and ethylene hydroformylation over reduced, oxidized, and sulfided Rh/SiO2 catalysts has been investigated under reaction conditions by in situ infrared spectroscopy. Both reactions involve the CO insertion step resulting in the formation of propionaldehyde. The linear CO adsorbed on the Rh0 site of the reduced Rh/SiO2 and the linear CO adsorbed on the Rh+ site of the oxidized Rh/SiO2 are consumed and propionaldehyde is produced as the adsorbed CO reacts with C2H4 and H2. The results show that both single Rh0 atoms and Rh+ ion sites are active for the CO insertion reaction. In situ infrared observations of steady-state ethylene hydroformylation show that the oxidized Rh/SiO2 containing considerable amounts of Rh+ sites exhibits rate and selectivity for the formation of propionaldehyde higher than those of the reduced Rh/SiO2; the sulfided Rh/SiO2 comprising mainly single Rh sites shows rate and selectivity for the formation of propionaldehyde higher than that of the reduced Rh/SiO,. The low selectivity of the reduced Rh/SiO2 for ethylene hydroformylation is attributed to the high hydrogenation activity of the Rh crystallite surface on the reduced Rh/SiO2.
β-Arrestin-biased ligands at seven-transmembrane receptors

Seven-transmembrane receptors (7TMRs), the most common molecular targets of modern drug therapy, are critically regulated by β-arrestins, which both inhibit classic G-protein signaling and initiate distinct β-arrestin signaling. The interplay of G-protein and β-arrestin signals largely determines the cellular consequences of 7TMR-targeted drugs. Until recently, a drug's efficacy for β-arrestin recruitment was believed to be proportional to its efficacy for G-protein activities. This paradigm restricts 7TMR drug effects to a linear spectrum of responses, ranging from inhibition of all responses to stimulation of all responses. However, it is now clear that ‘biased ligands' can selectively activate G-protein or β-arrestin functions and thus elicit novel biological effects from even well-studied 7TMRs. Here, we discuss the current state of β-arrestin-biased ligand research and the prospects for β-arrestin bias as a therapeutic target. Consideration of ligand bias might have profound influences on the way scientists approach 7TMR-targeted drug discovery.
Plasma testosterone levels are higher in old mating rats than in old non-mating rats

Abstract About one-half of 96 aged rats mated at 20 months of age. Their plasma LH and proclatin concentrations were similar to those in non-mating old rats, but their plasma testosterone concentrations were significantly higher. Exogenous testosterone administration failed to change the sexual status of the non-mating group.
Application of reverse bias recovery technique to address PID issue: Incompleteness of shunt resistance and quantum efficiency recovery

Potential Induced Degradation (PID) has recently been identified as one of the major field durability issues of PV modules. The industry is attempting to address this issue at the module/cell production level by modifying the cell, glass and/or encapsulant properties and at the system level through the application of reverse bias voltage during the nighttime. However, there is a lingering question on the full recovery of the cells through the reverse bias application technique. The results obtained in this work indicate that the near-full recovery of efficiency at high irradiance levels can be achieved but the full recovery of efficiency at low irradiance levels, the shunt resistance and the quantum efficiency at low wavelengths could not be achieved.
The roles of EGF and Wnt signaling during patterning of the C. elegans Bγ/δ Equivalence Group

Background During development, different signaling pathways interact to specify cell fate by regulating transcription factors necessary for fate specification and morphogenesis. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the EGF-Ras and Wnt signaling pathways have been shown to interact to specify cell fate in three equivalence groups: the vulval precursor cells (VPCs), the hook competence group (HCG) and P11/12. In the VPCs, HCG and P11/12 pair, EGF and Wnt signaling positively regulate different Hox genes, each of which also functions during fate specification. In the male, EGF-Ras signaling is required to specify the Bγ fate within the Bγ/δ equivalence pair, while Notch signaling is required for Bδ fate specification. In addition, TGF-β signaling by dbl-1/dpp controls ceh-13/labial/Hox1 expression in Bγ.
Prevention of preterm birth

The preterm birth rate in the USA is nearing 13%. The recent rise has been attributed to increased indicated preterm births and multiple births following artificial conceptions. There are few obstetrical interventions that successfully delay or prevent spontaneous preterm birth or reduce the risk factors leading to indicated preterm birth. On the other hand, there are many strategies that have improved outcomes for those infants who are born preterm. These include the use of corticosteroids for fetal maturation and regionalization of perinatal care for high-risk mothers and their infants. Several interventions, including progesterone use and cerclage, demonstrate promise in reducing spontaneous preterm births. The most pressing need is to better define the populations of pregnant women for whom these and other interventions will effectively reduce preterm birth.
The Biological Reference Repository (BioR): A rapid and flexible system for genomics annotation

Motivation: The Biological Reference Repository (BioR) is a toolkit for annotating variants. BioR stores public and user-specific annotation sources in indexed JSON-encoded flat files (catalogs). The BioR toolkit provides the functionality to combine and retrieve annotation from these catalogs via the command-line interface. Several catalogs from commonly used annotation sources and instructions for creating user-specific catalogs are provided. Commands from the toolkit can be combined with other UNIX commands for advanced annotation processing. We also provide instructions for the development of custom annotation pipelines. Availability and implementation: The package is implemented in Java and makes use of external tools written in Java and Perl. The toolkit can be executed on Mac OS X 10.5 and above or any Linux distribution. The BioR application, quickstart, and user guide documents and many biological examples are available at http://
Birkeland currents in the Earth's magnetosphere

As a result of his polar expeditions at the beginning of this century, Kristian Birkeland determined that intense ionospheric currents were associated with the aurora. Birkeland suggested that these currents originated far from the Earth and that they flowed ointo and away from the polar atmosphere along the geomagnetic field lines. The existence of such field-aligned or ‘Birkeland’ currents was disputed because it was not possible to unambiguously identify current systems that are field-aligned (as suggested by Alfven, 1939, 1940) and those which are completely contained in the ionosphere (as developed by Vestine and Chapman, 1938) with surface magnetic field observations. The presence of Birkeland currents has been absolutely confirmed with satellite-borne particle and magnetic field experiments conducted over the past two decades. These satellite observations have determined the large-scale patterns, flow directions, and intensities of Birkeland currents in the auroral and polar regions, and their relationship to the orientation and magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field. The Birkeland currents are directly associated with visible and UV auroral forms observed with satellites. The results obtained from a variety of recently launched satellites are discussed here. These include Sweden’s first satellite, VIKING, which has provided evidence for resonant Alfven waves on the same geomagnetic field lines that guide stationary Birkeland currents. These observations demonstrate the important role that these currents play in the coupling of energy between the interplanetary medium and the lower ionosphere and atmosphere.
4-Coumarate-coenzyme-a ligase from loblolly-pine xylem-Isolation, characterization, and complementary-DNA cloning

4-Coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL, EC 6.2.1.12) was purified from differentiating xylem of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.). The pine enzyme had an apparent molecular mass of 64 kD and was similar in size and kinetic properties to 4CL isolated from Norway spruce. The pine enzyme used 4-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, and cinnamic acid as substrates but had no detectable activity using sinapic acid. 4CL was inhibited by naringenin and coniferin, products of phenylpropanoid metabolism. Although the lignin composition in compression wood is higher in p-hydroxyphenyl units than lignin from normal wood, there was no evidence for a different form of 4CL enzyme in differentiating xylem that was forming compression wood. cDNA clones for 4CL were obtained from a xylem expression library. The cDNA sequences matched pine xylem 4CL protein sequences and showed 60 to 66% DNA sequence identity with 4CL sequences from herbaceous angiosperms. There were two classes of cDNA obtained from pine xylem, and the genetic analysis showed that they were products of a single gene.
STUDIES OF ARTHRITIS AND OTHER LESIONS INDUCED IN RATS BY INJECTION OF MYCOBACTERIAL ADJUVANT V. CHANGES AFFECTING THE SKIN AND MUCOUS MEMBRANES. COMPARISON OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS WITH HUMAN DISEASE

A generalized disease is induced experimentally in the rat by administration of Freund's adjuvant. The primary clinical and pathologic lesions are arthritis, periarthritis, peritendinitis, and periostitis in the joints of the extremities and tail. Accompanying the arthritis in some cases, and never observed in its absence, are other specific tissue lesions including iridocyclitis, nodular lesions in the glabrous skin (ear, genitalia, feet, tail), transient rashes, a chronic skin disease, genitourinary lesions, and diarrhea. These make up a striking and characteristic picture. The arthritis usually precedes the other lesions and, together with the skin disease may show a prolonged and fluctuating course. Visceral lesions do not occur. Histologically, the basic lesion is a lymphocytic and histiocytic infiltration, initially perivascular and subsequently more disseminated. In addition, in the region of the joints and in the corpora cavernosa of the penis, there is extensive proliferation of mesenchymal cells, especially fibroblasts. Foci of fibrinoid necrosis are seen in the articular and nodular lesions, and destructive lesions of the joints are common. Such a combination of tissue lesions has not previously been described in experimental pathology. The experimental disease is shown to have both similarities to and differences from Reiter's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and certain other disorders which occur in man.
Time development of electric fields and currents in space plasmas

Abstract. Two different approaches, referred to as Bu and Ej, can be used to examine the time development of electric fields and currents in space plasmas based on the fundamental laws of physics. From the Bu approach, the required equation involves the generalized Ohm's law with some simplifying assumptions. From the Ej approach, the required equation can be derived from the equation of particle motion, coupled self-consistently with Maxwell's equation, and the definition of electric current density. Recently, some strong statements against the Ej approach have been made. In this paper, we evaluate these statements by discussing (1) some limitations of the Bu approach in solving the time development of electric fields and currents, (2) the procedure in calculating self-consistently the time development of the electric current in space plasmas without taking the curl of the magnetic field in some cases, and (3) the dependency of the time development of magnetic field on electric current. It is concluded that the Ej approach can be useful to understand some magnetospheric problems. In particular, statements about the change of electric current are valid theoretical explanations of change in magnetic field during substorms.
Interactive ray tracing for isosurface rendering

We show that it is feasible to perform interactive isosurfacing of very large rectilinear datasets with brute-force ray tracing on a conventional (distributed) shared-memory multiprocessor machine. Rather than generate geometry representing the isosurface and render with a z-buffer, for each pixel we trace a ray through a volume and do an analytic isosurface intersection computation. Although this method has a high intrinsic computational cost, its simplicity and scalability make it ideal for large datasets on current high-end systems. Incorporating simple optimizations, such as volume bricking and a shallow hierarchy, enables interactive rendering (i.e. 10 frames per second) of the 1 GByte full resolution Visible Woman dataset on an SGI Reality Monster. The graphics capabilities of the Reality Monster are used only for display of the final color image.
THE PISTON CREVICE VOLUME EFFECT ON EXHAUST HYDROCARBON EMISSION

Abstract Exhaust hydrocarbon concentration reductions were determined for a revised design of spark ignition engine piston having a much narrower top land. Hydrocarbon concentrations with the revised design were 47 to 74 % lower than the production design, depending on engine speed and load. These results demonstrate the sizable reductions in exhaust hydrocarbon emission that are possible when the piston-bore-ring crevice volume is essentially eliminated. However, durability of the present design, while adequate for laboratory experiments, would be un-satisfactory in passenger car service.
Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell as a "Policy Window": A case for the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act

This paper argues that the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) in the United States represents a policy window that would lend itself to the passage of a federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Although attitudes towards lesbian, gay, and bisexual workers are changing, no comprehensive federal legislation to protect these workers currently exists. Using John Kingdon's policy analysis model, our paper considers the history and evolution of public attitude that led to the repeal of DADT. Further, how this evolution has opened a window of opportunity for the passage of a federal ENDA is also considered. Implications for workplace advocates, including considerations for policy, practice, and research, are explored.
Role of the Vacuolar-ATPase in Sindbis Virus Infection

Bafilomycin A(1) is a specific inhibitor of the vacuolar-ATPase (V-ATPase), which is responsible for pH homeostasis of the cell and for the acidification of endosomes. Bafilomycin A(1) has been commonly used as a method of inhibition of infection by viruses known or suspected to follow the path of receptor-mediated endocytosis and low-pH-mediated membrane fusion. The exact method of entry for Sindbis virus, the prototype alphavirus, remains undetermined. To further investigate the role of the V-ATPase in Sindbis virus infection, the effects of bafilomycin A(1) on the infection of BHK and insect cells by Sindbis virus were studied. Bafilomycin A(1) was found to block the expression of a virus-encoded reporter gene in both infection and transfection of BHK cells. The inhibitory effects of bafilomycin A(1) were found to be reversible. The results suggest that in BHK cells in the presence of bafilomycin A(1), virus RNA enters the cell and is translated, but replication and proper folding of the product proteins requires the function of the V-ATPase. Bafilomycin A(1) had no significant effect on the outcome of infection in insect cells.
Effect of pathologist agreement on evaluating a computer-aided assisted system: Recognizing centroblast cells in follicular lymphoma cases

In this paper, a novel automated method to recognize centroblast (CB) cells from non-centroblast (non-CB) cells in follicular lymphoma cases is developed and its performance is evaluated against consensus of 30 board-certified hematopathologists. Morphometric and color texture features are used in the training and testing of a supervised quadratic discriminate analysis (QDA) classifier. The novelty of our method resides in the identification of the CB cells with prior information, and the introduction of the principal component analysis (PCA) in the spectral domain to extract texture color features. A graphical user interface was developed to display CB and non-CB cells without the computer-classification to the hematopathologists and their responses were recorded by the software. Our automated grading system performed well when compared to consensus diagnosis of 30 hematopathologists. Automated classification can identify centroblast cells (CB) from non-centroblast cells (non-CB) with a sensitivity and specificity of 81.8%, 86.4%, respectively. The developed system was tested on an independent set of cases with a consensus of 16 or 20 hematopathologists. The sensitivity and specificity of the developed system is higher when the ground truth is based on the consensus of 20 pathologists.
LD-DVS: load-aware dual-speed dynamic voltage scaling

The goal of dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) is to maximise the energy savings while ensuring that applications' real-time requirements are met. Accurate predictions of task run-times are necessary to compute an appropriate CPU frequency that achieves high energy savings, avoids deadlines misses and reduces the overheads caused by frequent changes between different frequency levels. This paper experimentally explores an architecture based on the XScale PXA255 processor and shows that workload-awareness is not only required for accurate predictions of utilisation, but also that in systems with a discrete number of frequency levels, the energy savings achieved by existing dual-speed DVS approaches (where an optimal theoretical CPU speed is computed and then approximated by choosing the two neighbouring discrete speed levels) are suboptimal. As a consequence, this work introduces an online approach to dual-speed DVS that formulates a model for speed selection based on the workload characteristics of the current task set and computes a frequency pair that yields the best possible energy savings for a given task set and workload.
Inkjetted Organic Transistors using a Novel Pentacene Precursor

Pentacene is one of the most promising organic materials for organic transistor fabrication, since it offers higher mobility, better on-off ratio, improved environmental stability, and better reliability than most other organic semiconductors. However, its severe insolubility renders it useless for the solution-based fabrication of electronic devices. Solution-based processing is the key to enabling ultra-low-cost circuit fabrication, since it eliminates the need for lithography, subtractive processing, and vacuum-based film deposition. Using a recently developed soluble pentacene precursor, we demonstrate the first inkjet-printed pentacene transistor fabricated to date. This is achieved using a substrate-gated transistor structure in conjunction with an inkjetprinted pentacene precursor active layer. After deposition, the precursor is converted to pentacene via heating, through the decomposition of the Diels-Alder product. As the anneal temperature increases above 120°C, performance increases dramatically. The process is therefore compatible with numerous low-temperature plastics. As the anneal time is increased to several minutes, performance likewise increases through increased precursor decomposition. However, exposure to excess temperatures or times tends to degrade performance. This is caused by morphological and chemical changes in the pentacene film. Optimization of the anneal process alone has resulted in the demonstration of transistors with an on-off ratio of >10 5 and field-effect mobility of >0.01cm 2 /V-s, attesting to the great promise of this material.
Genetic and morphological characterization of a Fusarium verticillioides conidiation mutant

Enteroblastic phialidic conidiation by the corn pathogen Fusarium verticillioides (teleomorph Gibberella moniliformis) produces abundant, mostly single-celled microconidia in distinctive long chains. Because conidia might be critical for establishing in planta associations, we characterized a spontaneous F. verticillioides conidiation mutant in which phialides were incapable of enteroblastic conidiogenesis. In- stead of producing a conidium, the phialide apex de- veloped a determinate, slightly undulating, germ tube-like outgrowth, in which nuclei rarely were seen. Electron microscopy showed that the apical out- growth possessed a thick, rough, highly fibrillar outer wall layer that was continuous with the thinner and smoother outer wall layer of the phialide. Both the inner wall layer and plasma membrane also were con- tinuous between the apical outgrowth and phialide. The apical neck region of mutant phialides lacked both a thickened inner wall layer and a wall-building zone, which were critical for conidium initial forma- tion. No indication of septum formation or separa- tion of the apical outgrowth from mutant phialides was observed. These aberrations suggested the apical outgrowth was not a functional conidium of altered morphology. The mutation did not prevent perithe- cium development and ascosporogenesis. Genetic analyses indicated that a single locus, designated FPH1 (frustrated phialide), was responsible for the mutation. The conidiogenesis mutants were recov- ered only during certain sexual crosses involving wild-type conidiating parents, and then only in some perithecia, suggesting that mutation of FPH1 might be meiotically induced, perhaps due to mispairing
Sodium Pentazolate: a Nitrogen Rich High Energy Density Material

Abstract Sodium pentazolates NaN5 and Na2N5, new high energy density materials, are discovered during first principles crystal structure search for the compounds of varying amounts of elemental sodium and nitrogen. The pentazole anion ( N 5 − ) is stabilized in the condensed phase by sodium Na+ cations at pressures exceeding 20 GPa, and becomes metastable upon release of pressure. The sodium azide (NaN3) precursor is predicted to undergo a chemical transformation above 50 GPa into sodium pentazolates NaN5 and Na2N5. The calculated Raman spectrum of NaN5 is in agreement with the experimental Raman spectrum of a previously unidentified substance appearing upon compression and heating of NaN3.
Analysis of transient phase conjugation in photorefractive media

The response of a photorefractive phase conjugator to time-varying signals is examined. Maxwell’s equations are coupled to the material equations followed by linearization using a strong undepleted pump approximation and simplification by the slowly varying envelope approximation. The resulting set of equations is solved by frequency-domain techniques. The solution is expressed in terms of a transfer function that relates the complex frequencies of the probe and the conjugate field. Limiting forms of the transfer function are derived, and a comparison with a Kerr material is made. The effects of various parameters on the fidelity and stability of the conjugation process are determined. Numerical results are presented showing the distortion of time-varying signals owing to the nonideal conjugation process.
Corona-discharge treatment of polymeric films, II: Chemical studies

Polymeric films, chiefly polyethylenes, were subjected to corona-discharge treatment in a continuous treater at commercial rates in a program covering wide ranges of the main processing factors. Electron-spin-resonance measurements on freshly treated films found no free radicals. We studied the reactions of the treated surfaces with a free-radical compound, diphenyl picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), focusing mainly on the rate effects. The evidence indicates that corona treatment produces fairly stable peroxide structures of the forms RO/sub 2/R and RO/sub 3/R on polyethylene surfaces. RO/sub 3/R reacts rapidly with DPPH alone, while RO/sub 2/R undergoes a slower reaction after addition of the catalyst, triethylene diamine. DPPH is capable of detecting as few as 10/sup 13/ peroxide groups per square centimeter. Activation energies were 12 kcal/mole for the uncatalyzed reaction and 16 kcal/mole for the amine-catalyzed reaction. As with the physical effects reported earlier, the production of peroxides is most strongly dependent on the energy delivered to the film during treatment. This energy is proportional to the quotient of corona current and web speed, I/S. Regression analysis showed that air-gap thickness, relative humidity, and number of electrodes used also were significant factors, while dielectric thickness and corona frequence were not. We found that ..gamma../submore » S//sup P/, the polar component of surface energy of the treated film, which is nearly zero for untreated polyethylenes, is exponentially related to the concentrations of both RO/sub 2/R and RO/sub 2/R with a correlation coefficient for 92 specimens tested of 0.88.We believe this is the first strong evidence linking treatment factors, at commercial levels of treatment, to chemistry of the treated surface and linking both of those to changes in physical behavior of the surface.« less
PURGATORIUS (PLESIADAPIFORMES, PRIMATES?, MAMMALIA), A PALEOCENE IMMIGRANT INTO NORTHEASTERN MONTANA: STRATIGRAPHIC OCCURRENCES AND INCISOR PROPORTIONS

Abstract The earliest unquestionable records of Purgatorius (Plesiadapiformes, Primates?, Mammalia) in northeastern Montana and other areas of the Western Interior of North America are of early Paleocene, specifically middle or late Puercan (Pu 2–3 Interval Zones, undifferentiated) North American Land Mammal Age (NALMA). The report of an occurrence of Purgatorius in the Late Cretaceous (Lancian NALMA) was based on an isolated, worn lower molar found in a channel filling that is now recognized as containing a time-averaged assemblage of Lancian and earliest Puercan (Pu 1 Interval Zone) fossils. Purgatorius has not been found in large samples of other local faunas of either Pu 1 or Lancian age. In contrast, Purgatorius is abundantly represented in Pu 2–3 local faunas in the northern Western Interior suggesting that it dispersed into the area during the interval between ca. 64.75 and 64.11 Ma. Fragmentary dentaries provisionally referred to Purgatorius janisae from the Garbani Channel fauna (Pu 2–3) document...
Chapter 15 The Stemona Alkaloids

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses experimental studies focusing on Stemona alkaloids. Kaneko extended the early work of Schild on tuberosternonine, demonstrating the presence of a C-ethyl group and two lactone rings. Spectroscopic methods were used to elaborate this investigation. Bisdehydrotuberostemonine, the product of silver oxide oxidation, was shown to contain a pyrrole ring substituted. The NMR-spectrum of this compound confirmed the presence of the C-ethyl group. In addition, it was deduced that the second lactone ring was substituted, with a possible further carbon–carbon bond at position 3. Tuberosternonine contained the corresponding pyrrolidine dilactone system and that it was saturated and pentacyclic. Experimental studies also showed that tuberostemonane, an important product from the dehydrogenation (Pd, charcoal) of tuberostemonine, had a UV-absorption spectrum similar to that of indole. When oxidized with chromic acid, it gave a product having an isatin-like absorption spectrum. IR- and NMR-spectroscopic evidence showed that tuberostemonane had only one unsubstituted position on the benzenoid ring and that the β-position of the indole ring was free. In another study, isotuberostemonine, C 22 H 33 O 4 N, was isolated from Stemona tuberosa Lour.
Parrondo's Paradox-Hope for Losers!

discuss Russell's paradox, at least some of my students seem to gain a greater appreciation for the intricacies of set theory (the others just give me a baffled look). I can now add another paradox to my repertoire of paradoxes that I can use to try to get students interested in mathematics. This paradox is one that has only recently come to light and is being called Parrondo's paradox, after physicist Juan Parrondo [2]. The paradox involves the playing of two games, both of which are losing games (i.e., if played repeatedly, one should expect to lose more often than win). The paradox, however, is this: if we play a third game, which consists of randomly switching between playing the two losing games, we actually end up with a winning game (i.e., if we randomly play the two losing games repeatedly, switching between the two games, one can expect to win more often than lose). In this article, I will demonstrate how Parrondo's paradox works, and provide an explanation of the mathematics underlying it. I will first describe how each of the three games is played. Each of the games involves flipping a coin, with heads a win and tails a loss. We will assume that we start each game with $0 and the gain or loss in a round is $1. Game 1 Game 1 consists of flipping a biased coin one time. The coin is weighted so that the probability of winning is slightly less than 0.5, say 0.5 - a. Then the probability of losing is 0.5 + a. Clearly, this is a losing game.
Engineering the glutamate transporter homologue GltPh using protein semisynthesis.

Glutamate transporters catalyze the concentrative uptake of glutamate from synapses and are essential for normal synaptic function. Despite extensive investigations of glutamate transporters, the mechanisms underlying substrate recognition, ion selectivity, and the coupling of substrate and ion transport are not well-understood. Deciphering these mechanisms requires the ability to precisely engineer the transporter. In this study, we describe the semisynthesis of GltPh, an archaeal homologue of glutamate transporters. Semisynthesis allows the precise engineering of GltPh through the incorporation of unnatural amino acids and peptide backbone modifications. In the semisynthesis, the GltPh polypeptide is initially assembled from a recombinantly expressed thioester peptide and a chemically synthesized peptide using the native chemical ligation reaction followed by in vitro folding to the native state. We have developed a robust procedure for the in vitro folding of GltPh. Biochemical characterization of the ...
Discovery of two clinical histamine H(3) receptor antagonists: trans-N-ethyl-3-fluoro-3-[3-fluoro-4-(pyrrolidinylmethyl)phenyl]cyclobutanecarboxamide (PF-03654746) and trans-3-fluoro-3-[3-fluoro-4-(pyrrolidin-1-ylmethyl)phenyl]-N-(2-methylpropyl)cyclobutanecarboxamide (PF-03654764).

The discovery of two histamine H3 antagonist clinical candidates is disclosed. The pathway to identification of the two clinical candidates, 6 (PF-03654746) and 7 (PF-03654764) required five hypothesis driven design cycles. The key to success in identifying these clinical candidates was the development of a compound design strategy that leveraged medicinal chemistry knowledge and traditional assays in conjunction with computational and in vitro safety tools. Overall, clinical compounds 6 and 7 exceeded conservative safety margins and possessed optimal pharmacological and pharmacokinetic profiles, thus achieving our initial goal of identifying compounds with fully aligned oral drug attributes, “best-in-class” molecules.