cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remarks about the Phase Identification of Mesomorphic States

Abstract Experimental and conceptual problems associated with the identification of thermotropic mesophases are reviewed and discussed. Theories linking the observed optical properties of mesophases with their molecular building principle have considerable shortcomings. Therefore the identification of mesophases is mainly based on empirical rules pertaining to the optical behavior of characteristic textures. Certain ambiguities of a strictly optical approach may only challenge the ingenuity of the investigator, while other difficulties can prevent the determination of mesomesophase and liquid-mesophase transition temperatures. Since phase transitions are defined by variations of more general thermodynamic quantities, thermal analysis is suggested as a remedy. The requirements on temperature scanning thermal analysis necessary to insure detection of all mesophases of a given sample are specified. The significance and the determination of sample impurities by themal analysis are discussed. Comments are made...
The speciation of iodine in the salt impacted Black Butte soil series along the Virgin river, Nevada, USA

Abstract Salt-impacted soils occur in floodplains, wetlands and backswamps in arid climates. These soils become sinks or temporary storage sites for soluble salts and contaminants including agricultural chemicals, industrial pollutants and radionuclides such as 129I. The vertical distribution of I in the Black Butte soil series along the Virgin river was assessed and the distribution of I between I−, IO 3 - and organically bound I was determined. The speciation of I was compared to the organic C content, specific components of the organic C, and clay content. This study indicates that organic I was the most abundant form of I in these soil samples and that the content of organic I generally correlated to total organic matter and lignin (as measured by chemolysis) of the samples.
Power, efficiency, and thermal characteristics of type-II interband cascade lasers

High-performance mid-infrared type-II interband cascade lasers have been demonstrated under continuous-wave (CW) conditions with record-high wall-plug efficiencies (>14%) and output powers (>100 mW/facet) above 77 K. Device characteristics of these type-II interband cascade lasers are investigated systematically in terms of their output powers and efficiencies. Also, by comparing the temperature dependence of the threshold currents under pulsed and CW conditions, the thermal resistance and maximum heat sink temperature for CW operation are estimated for several mesa sizes. The limiting factors due to device heating for high-power/high-efficiency operation are identified and discussed in connection with device dimensions and packaging for the purpose of assessing further improvements.
Vibrational Spectroscopy of Intermediates in Benzene-to-Pheno Conversion by FeO+

Gas-phase FeO+ can convert benzene to phenol under thermal conditions. Two key intermediates of this reaction are the [HO-Fe-C6H5]+ insertion intermediate and Fe+(C6H5OH) exit channel complex. These intermediates are selectively formed by reaction of laser ablated Fe+ with specific organic precursors and are cooled in a supersonic expansion. Vibrational spectra of the sextet and quartet states of the intermediates in the O-H stretching region are measured by infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD). For Fe+(C6H5OH), the O-H stretch is observed at 3598 cm−1. Photodissociation primarily produces Fe++C6H5OH; Fe+(C6H4)+H2O is also observed. IRMPD of [HO-Fe-C6H5]+ mainly produces FeOH++C6H5 and the O-H stretch spectrum consists of a peak at ∼3700 cm−1 with a shoulder at ∼3670 cm−1. Analysis of the experimental results is aided by comparison with hybrid density functional theory computed frequencies. Also, an improved potential energy surface for the FeO++C6H6 reaction is developed based on CBS-QB3 calculations for the reactants, intermediates, transition states, and products.
Plume 1400 Meters High Discovered at the Seafloor off the Northern California Margin

On 17 May 2009, the Kongsberg EM302 multibeam echo sounder on board the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Okeanos Explorer was collecting bathymetry and water column acoustic data offshore of northern California when it suddenly imaged a previously undiscovered 1400-meter-high plume (Figure 1) rising from the seafloor at 40°32.13′N, 124°47.01′W. The ship was mapping in water depths of approximately 1830 meters and heading east up the northern California continental margin 20 kilometers north of the Gorda escarpment. The continental shelf in this area is known to have subsurface and water column thermogenic and methane gas, although no plumes from this area previously have been reported from deeper than the continental shelf.
A New Propagation Delay Time Bridge for the Study of Displacement Damage Effects in Bipolar Transistors

An entirely new bridge circuit for the measurement of the junction transistors total propagation delay time is described. Unlike previous methods, this bridge is calibrated in time units and thus it provides a direct readout of delay time. An experiment to evaluate the bridge as a one-test acceptance screening tool in neutron hardness assurance programs is described. Finally, a very brief discussion of propagation delay time and its interpretation is presented as an appendix.
Recurrent postdiskectomy low back pain: MR-surgical correlation

The preoperative MR findings in 11 patients, all of whom had developed recurrent low back pain after surgery for herniated lumbar intervertebral disk, were correlated with the surgical findings to determine possible criteria for distinguishing recurrent disk herniation from postoperative scar (extradural fibrosis). The preoperative MR findings agreed with the surgical findings in seven of eight patients with recurrent disk herniation and in six of nine individuals with extradural fibrosis. The most important parameters in differentiating recurrent herniated disk from extradural scar were the configuration and margination of the extradural mass rather than its signal characteristics. The most reliable MR sign for recurrent herniated disk was the presence of a sharply marginated focal polypoid disk protrusion beyond the posterior margins of the adjacent vertebral bodies shown to best advantage on sagittal T1- and T2-weighted and axial T1-weighted spin-echo MR images. Disk herniations usually maintained isointensity with the intervertebral disk of origin, while extradural fibrosis exhibited variable signal intensity. The preoperative diagnosis of extradural fibrosis on MR was based primarily on its irregular configuration and extension. This study suggests that preoperative differentiation between scar and recurrent herniated disk is possible with MR when morphology and topography are considered in addition to signal intensity.
Post-silicon bug localization for processors using IFRA

IFRA, an acronym for Instruction Footprint Recording and Analysis, overcomes major challenges associated with a very expensive step in post-silicon validation of processors---pinpointing a bug location and the instruction sequence that exposes the bug from a system failure, such as a crash. Special on-chip recorders, inserted in a processor during design, collect instruction footprints---special information about flows of instructions, and what the instructions did as they passed through various microarchitectural blocks of the processor. The recording is done concurrently during the normal operation of the processor in a post-silicon system validation setup. Upon detection of a system failure, the recorded information is scanned out and analyzed offline for bug localization. Special self-consistency-based program analysis techniques, together with the test-program binary of the application executed during post-silicon validation, are used for this purpose. Major benefits of using IFRA over traditional techniques for post-silicon bug localization are (1) it does not require full system-level reproduction of bugs, and (2) it does not require full system-level simulation. Hence, it can overcome major hurdles that limit the scalability of traditional post-silicon validation methodologies. Simulation results on a complex superscalar processor demonstrate that IFRA is effective in accurately localizing electrical bugs with 1% chip-level area impact.
New Method to Evaluate the Nailing Performance of Extruded High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Cementitious Composites for Residential Applications

Extruded high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites offer a number of benefits over the materials currently used in residential construction, including improved strength, ductility and durability, increased design flexibility, improved safety in the event of natural hazards, and greater affordability. However, nailing extruded materials using conventional methods is difficult. To be used in residential applications, the nailability must be improved so that these composites can be nailed in the same manner as conventional materials. Current test methods assess nailing performance using a static nailing load rate. However, because cementitious materials are rate sensitive, such static methods are not representative of actual field nailing. Therefore, a dynamic nailing test was developed that simulates field nailing. Using this newly developed test, the nailability of extruded composites was evaluated and compared with commercially available materials that are known to be nailable. The results indicate that extruded composites should be suitable for use in residential applications, but that slight material modifications are still needed to improve the nailing performance.
Hand-to-Mouth Contacts Result in Greater Ingestion of Feces than Dietary Water Consumption in Tanzania: A Quantitative Fecal Exposure Assessment Model

Diarrheal diseases kill 1800 children under the age of five die each day, and nearly half of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Contaminated drinking water and hands are two important environmental transmission routes of diarrhea-causing pathogens to young children in low-income countries. The objective of this research is to evaluate the relative contribution of these two major exposure pathways in a low-income country setting. A Monte Carlo simulation was used to model the amount of human feces ingested by children under five years old from exposure via hand-to-mouth contacts and stored drinking water ingestion in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Child specific exposure data were obtained from the USEPA 2011 Exposure Factors Handbook, and fecal contamination was estimated using hand rinse and stored water fecal indicator bacteria concentrations from over 1200 Tanzanian households. The model outcome is a distribution of a child's daily dose of feces via each exposure route. The model results show that Tanzanian children ingest a significantly greater amount of feces each day from hand-to-mouth contacts than from drinking water, which may help elucidate why interventions focused on water without also addressing hygiene often see little to no effect on reported incidence of diarrhea.
2’-Deoxy-N4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl) ethoxycarbonyl]-5-azacytidine: a novel inhibitor of DNA methyltransferase that requires activation by human carboxylesterase 1

2'-Deoxy-N4-[2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethoxycarbonyl]-5-azacytidine (NPEOC-DAC), decitabine with a modification of the N4 position of the azacitidine ring can be used to inhibit DNA methyltransferase. This modification protects the azacitidine ring and can be cleaved by carboxylesterase to release decitabine. NPEOC-DAC was 23-fold less potent at low doses ( or = 10microM NPEOC-DAC was more effective at inhibiting DNA methylation. Theses differences between decitabine and NPEOC-DAC are dependent on the cleavage of the carboxylester bond, and could be potentially exploited pharmacologically.
Factors contributing to tooth loss among the elderly: A cross sectional study.

Abstract Background The present study evaluates the influence of several demographic, health, personal, and clinical factors on the number of missing teeth in old age sample. Methods The number of patients included was 259; they received a full mouth examination and answered a questionnaire provided by one examiner. All the variables related to teeth loss based on the literature were included. These variables focused on age, gender, race, marital status, clinical attachment level, pocket depth, year of smoking, number of cigarettes smoked per day, number of medications, root decay, coronal decay, health status, and year of education. Statistical analysis involved stepwise multivariate linear regression. Results Teeth loss was statistically associated with clinical attachment level (CAL)( p value 0.0001), pocket depth (PD) (0.0007) and education level (0.0048). When smoking was included in the model, age was significantly associated with teeth loss (0.0037). At least one of these four factors was also related to teeth loss in several specific groups such as diabetes mellitus, male, and White. The multiple linear regressions for all the proposed variables showed that they contributed to teeth loss by about 23%. Conclusions It can be concluded that less education or increased clinical attachment level loss may increase number of missing teeth. Additionally, age may cause teeth loss in the presence of smoking.
Bromocriptine in Parkinson disease Further studies

Bronnocriptine was administered to 66 patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD) and increasing disability despite optimal treatment with levodopakarbidopa (Sinemet®). Forty-five patients tolerated at least 25 mg per day of bromocriptine (the “adequately treated” group) in addition to Sinemet and had significantly decreased rigidity, tremor, bradykinesia, gait disturbance, and total score, but increased involuntary movements. Twenty-five of these 45 patients improved by at least one stage. Among the 45 patients, 27 had “on-off” effects, and in 19 the “on-off” effects decreased on bromocriptine. The mean dose ofbromocriptine in adequately treated patients was 47 mg, permitting a 10 percent reduction in the dose of levodopa. Twelve adequately treated patients received bromocriptine for at least 1 year, and 8 continued for longer than this. Bromocriptine was discontinued in 29 of 66 patients because of adverse effects, including mental changes (14 patients) and involuntary movements (9 patients). All adverse effects were reversible. Despite adverse effects, expense, and scarcity, bromocriptine, when added to levodopa, is useful in patients with advanced disease who no longer respond satisfactorily to levodopa, and for whom no other treatment is available.
Evidence for the Coupling of ATP Hydrolysis to the Final (Extension) Phase of RecA Protein-mediated DNA Strand Exchange

RecA protein promotes a limited DNA strand exchange reaction, without ATP hydrolysis, that typically results in formation of short (1-2 kilobase pairs) regions of hybrid DNA. This nascent hybrid DNA is extended in a reaction that can be coupled to ATP hydrolysis. When ATP is hydrolyzed, the extension phase is progressive and its rate is 380 ± 20 bp min-1 at 37°C. A single RecA nucleoprotein filament can participate in multiple DNA strand exchange reactions concurrently (involving duplex DNA fragments that are homologous to different segments of the DNA within a nucleoprotein filament), with no effect on the observed rate of ATP hydrolysis. The ATP hydrolytic and hybrid DNA extension activities exhibit a dependence on temperature between 25 and 45°C that is, within experimental error, identical. This provides new evidence that the two processes are coupled. Arrhenius activation energies derived from the work are 13.3 ± 1.1 kcal mole-1 for DNA strand exchange, and 14.4 ± 1.4 kcal mole-1 for ATP hydrolysis during strand exchange. The rate of branch movement in the extension phase (base pair min-1) is related to the kcatfor ATP hydrolysis during strand exchange (min-1) by a factor equivalent to 18 bp throughout the temperature range examined. The 18-base pair factor conforms to a quantitative prediction derived from a model in which ATP hydrolysis is coupled to a facilitated rotation of the DNA substrates. RecA filaments possess an intrinsic capacity for DNA strand exchange, mediated by binding energy rather than ATP hydrolysis, that is augmented by an ATP-dependent molecular motor.
Micromachined antennas with reduced effective dielectric constants

The objective of this work is to illustrate the capability to develop low cost microstrip antennas that offer improved performance on high dielectric materials by locally reducing the effective dielectric constant. Typically, patch antennas exhibit poor performance on high index materials due to pronounced excitation of surface waves. This paper presents the development and characterization of a microstrip antenna that has been fabricated using Si-based micromachining techniques. Two antennas are designed to operate at similar frequencies where one is implemented on a full thickness silicon substrate while the other is formed on an silicon-air substrate that has a 1:1 thickness ratio. The design and testing procedures are described herein, followed by measured results of the antenna performance.
Assemblage of multimetal complexes using the diphosphoxane (POP) linkage

Abstract Heterobimetallic complexes can be prepared using the monodentate diphosphoxane ligand in Mo(CO)5PPh2OPPh2. Reactions with Cr(CO)5CH3CN and Fe2(CO)9 yielded the corresponding bimetallic products. The structure of Mo(CO)5PPh2OPPh2Fe(CO)4 was established by a single-crystal X-ray study. Cell data: Space group P 1 , monoclinic, a 10.533(2), b 10.993(2), c 16.439(3) A; α 97.86(2), β 92.34(1), γ 116.20(1)°; Z = 2, Dc 1.561 g cm−3 RF is 0.037 for 3830 observed reflections. The diphosphoxane ligand was found to bridge an octahedral Mo and the axial site of a trigonal bipyramidal Fe. Reaction of two equivalents of Mo(CO)5PPh2OPPh2 with (PhCN)2PdCl2 produced the trimetallic complex trans-PdCl2[PPh2OPPh2Mo(CO)5]2. The trimetallic complexes P[OPR2Mo(CO)5]3 were prepared from the reaction of PCl3 with Na[OPR2Mo(CO)5] (R = Ph, OEt). Similarly, a bimetallic complex PhP[OP(OEt)2Mo(CO)5]2 can be prepared from PhPCl2. These products illustrate the usefulness of the diphosphoxane linkage in the synthesis of multimetal complexes.
An Efficient Method for Flow Computations for Bodies With Curved Boundaries

The difficulties of performing flow computations for bodies with arbitrary curved boundaries are well known. Many approaches have been advocated, but few have proven to be efficient, accurate, and simple to program. The earliest approach of using staircase boundaries to approximate curves is simple but crude, and would be prohibitively expensive if accurate, fine mesh results are desired. The use of meshes based on body-fitted curvilinear coordinates typically involve much more complex arithmetic and hence incur a high computational overhead. The inefficiency of curvilinear coordinates have spurred the current popularity of unstructured mesh formulations, which appear less restrictive but seem to lead to comparable overheads. The present paper describes a method based on returning to the intuitive concept of defining the boundary by placing boundary nodes on points of intersection of the boundary with the basic mesh lines. Such an arrangement creates locally acute non-uniform meshes which are well known to be ill-behaved. This is shown to be the consequence of singular behaviors in the limiting case of large “acuteness”, or the ratio of adjacent mesh increments. Differencing formulas and integration algorithms which are tolerant of such singularities, but retain the same order of accuracy as conventional nodes, are derived and used for all nodes adjacent to the boundary. In addition, algorithms for computing the normal and tangential gradients along the surface are also derived, based on vector combination of gradient components which can be easily evaluated from functions values at the nodes. Such gradients are needed for stress and pressure boundary conditions in flow computations. The method is demonstration by second order computations for the impersively started concentric cylinder Couette flow. It is shown that the method is efficient and produces accurate results.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Caribbean Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) Mortality Induced by Shrink-Wrapping Infested Mangoes

Shrink wrapping of mangoes, Mangifera indica L., infested with different immature stages of Caribbean fruit fly, Anastrepha suspense (Loew), was tested as a quarantine treatment. Each mango infested with eggs, 1-2-d-old larvae, or mature larvae was wrapped with two layers (one layer, 38.1 μm [1.5 mill thick) heat-shrinkable film. Wrapping for 3 d produced 98.67% mortality of all stages, but 99.9968% mortality (Probit 9) was predicted to require 16.3 d. According to results of previous studies, wrapping mangoes for 16.3 d may lower fruit quality.
Quantitative analysis of ether-linked lipids as alkyl- and alk-1-enyl-glycerol benzoates by high-performance liquid chromatography☆☆☆★

Abstract Methodology for the quantitative and qualitative analyses of alkyl- and alk-1-enyl-glycerols derived by Vitride reduction of ether-linked glycerolipids in the presence of an internal standard was developed. The procedure involved preparation of benzoate derivatives that were subsequently analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with detection at 228 nm. Separation of the glycerol ether dibenzoates on a C18 reverse-phase column allowed for the simultaneous quantitation and the determination of chain length of both alkyl- and alk-1-enyl-glycerols in a single chromatographic run of less than 15 min. The method was accurate (
The growth of Myriophyllum spicatum L. in relation to selected characteristics of sediment and solution

Abstract The growth of Myriophyllum spicatum L. was examined experimentally on a variety of sediments and in two ionically distinct solutions. The influence of solution on growth was greatest on sediments that provided optimum growth and least on sediments that retarded growth. In agreement with results of a related investigation involving another submersed macrophyte species, the growth of M. spicatum was relatively poor on highly organic sediments. The possibility that high-level accumulations of organic matter in sediments might be inhibitory to M. spicatum was substantiated in one experiment involving organic matter additions to sediment. In another experiment, the influence of ionic composition of solution on the growth of this species was demonstrated to involve differences in both exogenous calcium and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations. Through mechanisms similar to those investigated here, sediment and open water may interact in determining the growth of M. spicatum in natural systems. This interaction needs to be carefully considered in evaluating variations in the productivity and distribution of submersed macrophytes.
Distribution of serum transferrin in spot, Leiostomus xanthurus

Summary Serum transferrin distribution was studied in 128 spot, Leiostomus xanthurus, obtained from the lower Rappahannock River of Virginia. Three phenotypes designated as TfA, TfB and TfAB were observed. These are described as representing two codominant alleles at a single gene locus. Phenotypic distribution did not differ significantly from that predicted by Hardy-Weinberg analysis.
Citrus Peel Additives for One-Pot Triazole Formation by Decarboxylation, Nucleophilic Substitution, and Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions

This undergraduate organic laboratory experiment consists of three different reactions occurring in the same flask: a cycloaddition reaction, preceded by decarboxylation and nucleophilic substitution reactions. The decarboxylation and cycloaddition reactions occur using identical Cu(I) catalyst and conditions. Orange, lemon, and other citrus fruit peels and juices in the presence of CuSO4 lead to the Cu(I)-catalyzed decarboxylation of 3-phenyl-2-propynoic acid to give ethynylbenzene. These click chemistry conditions give Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) of 2-azido-1-phenylethanone with ethynylbenzene to afford 1-phenyl-2-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2-3-triazol-1-yl)ethanone regioselectively.
On the impacts of low rate DoS attacks on VoIP traffic

Low rate TCP DoS (Shrew) and reduction of quality (RoQ) attacks have been proven to be detrimental to TCP traffic in the Internet. In this paper, we investigate the effect of these attacks on QoS sensitive, real time UDP traffic, like VoIP. Both of these attacks are difficult to detect, as the average attack traffic is low. These stealthy RoQ attacks are especially hard to detect as their periodicity is not well-defined, and the attacks can contain spoofed source as well as destination IP addresses. Extensive ns2 simulations have been performed under realistic scenarios to validate the effects of these attacks on real time VoIP traffic using the G711 and G729a audio codecs. Forward Error Correction (FEC) is also considered in our analysis to recover packets from the packet loss caused by attacks. Without FEC, these attacks can drastically reduce the quality of VoIP traffic, leading to denial of service. To evaluate the perceptual quality of voice under attacks, the network losses are mapped to user's quality perception by using the ITU E-model. The MOS range of the E-model decreases from best to medium due to the low rate TCP DoS and RoQ attacks even when FEC is deployed. In some of the attack scenarios, the packet losses are bursty, which can lead to dropped calls. In addition, the stealthy RoQ attacks with higher burst lengths are as effective as the shrew attack in impairing VoIP traffic. We have also evaluated the effects of the attack on the VoIP traffic on the DETERLAB testbed, which has specifically been built for conducting network security research, and the results are consistent with the ns2 simulation results. We believe our investigation is important to remove the misconception about low rate TCP DoS and RoQ attacks that they affect only TCP traffic in the Internet. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A New Genus and Five New Species of Shrimps (Decapoda, Palaemonidae, Pontoniinae) From the Western Atlantic

[Die folgenden Taxa sind beschrieben: Periclimenes crinoidalis sp. n., als Commensal auf der Seelilie Nemaster bei Curacao in 38 m Tiefe; Periclimenes meyeri sp. n. auf einer Nemaster sp. bei Curacao in 24 m Tiefe; Periclimenes paivai sp. n., von Estado de Sao Paulo, Brasilien; Lipkebe holthuisi gen. n., sp. n., vom Golf von Mexiko in 119 m Tiefe; und Tuleariocaris neglecta sp. n., auf den Stacheln der Seeigel Diadema antillarum in Florida, Dominica, Barbados, und Curacao., Die folgenden Taxa sind beschrieben: Periclimenes crinoidalis sp. n., als Commensal auf der Seelilie Nemaster bei Curacao in 38 m Tiefe; Periclimenes meyeri sp. n. auf einer Nemaster sp. bei Curacao in 24 m Tiefe; Periclimenes paivai sp. n., von Estado de Sao Paulo, Brasilien; Lipkebe holthuisi gen. n., sp. n., vom Golf von Mexiko in 119 m Tiefe; und Tuleariocaris neglecta sp. n., auf den Stacheln der Seeigel Diadema antillarum in Florida, Dominica, Barbados, und Curacao.]
p-Type conductivity in the delafossite structure

Abstract Compounds of the type CuMO2 and AgMO2 have been doped in various ways to induce p-type conductivity. Most of the compounds have the delafossite structure which can exist in 2H and 3R polytypes. Both the 2H and 3R forms of CuScO2 have been intercalated with oxygen up to a formula of CuScO2.5. p-Type conductivity can also be induced in CuScO2 by substitution of Mg for Sc. Thin films of CuScO2 prepared by rf sputtering are transparent and show a conductivity of 30 S cm−1. Thin films of Mg-doped CuCrO2 are transparent and show a room-temperature conductivity of 220 S cm−1. Doping of AgMO2 compounds with M=Sc, In, Cr, and Ga have produced p-type conductivity, but never higher than about 0.01 S cm−1 at room temperature.
Oncogenic BRAF regulates β-Trcp expression and NF-κB activity in human melanoma cells

Mutational activation of BRAF is a frequent event in human malignant melanomas suggesting that BRAF-dependent signaling is conducive to melanoma cell growth and survival. Previously published work reported that melanoma cells exhibit constitutive anti-apoptotic nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) transcription factor activation triggered by proteolysis of its inhibitor IkappaB. IkappaB degradation is dependent upon its phosphorylation by the IkappaB kinase (IKK) complex and subsequent ubiquitination facilitated by beta-Trcp E3 ubiquitin ligase. Here, we report that melanocytes expressing a conditionally oncogenic form of BRAF(V600E) exhibit enhanced beta-Trcp expression, increased IKK activity and a concomitant increase in the rate of IkappaBalpha degradation. Conversely, inhibition of BRAF signaling using either a broad-spectrum Raf inhibitor (BAY 43-9006) or by selective knock-down of BRAF(V600E) expression by RNA interference in human melanoma cells leads to decreased IKK activity and beta-Trcp expression, stabilization of IkappaB, inhibition of NF-kappaB transcriptional activity and sensitization of these cells to apoptosis. Taken together, these data support a model in which mutational activation of BRAF in human melanomas contributes to constitutive induction of NF-kappaB activity and to increased survival of melanoma cells.
Water solubility in aluminosilicate melts

We have compiled water solubility data for a wide range of natural and synthetic aluminosilicate melts in a search for correlations between melt composition and solubility. The published data reveal some interesting systematics. For example, molar water solubility increases with decreasing silica content in binary and pseudobinary silicates, and much higher solubilities are associated with alkali systems compared to alkaline earth silicate melts. Water solubility increases regularly with decreasing silica content along the silica-nepheline join. From the limited data available for potassium and calcium aluminosilicate melts, these systems appear to behave differently to sodium aluminosilicates. The compiled data are not nearly extensive enough to begin to understand the effects of melt composition on solubility. We suggest that many more systematic studies for a wide range of aluminosilicate melts will be necessary before we can systematize and understand the compositional dependence of water solubility. We have also examined results of experiments designed to probe the details of the water dissolution mechanism, and discuss the present state of interpretation of these data. We conclude that although considerable progress has been made, the water dissolution process is still not well understood at the molecular level, and remains an important research problem.
Preferences for skill versus chance-determined activities: The influence of gender and task sex-typing

Abstract Three experiments tested the hypothesis that skill-chance activity preference by men and women is moderated by task sex relatedness. Men and women (total N = 368) opted to perform either skill or chance versions of masculine and feminine tasks, and then provided ratings of performance expectancy, importance of success, and perceptions of task characteristics. Results support the conclusion that men do not prefer skill and women chance as had been found previously, but rather that while men's skill preferences are higher than women's on a masculine taks, women prefer skill more than do men on a feminine task. Skill-chance preferences were primarily a function of the expectancy of success on skill tasks.
Quantitative capillary gel electrophoresis assay of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in pharmaceutical formulations

Quantitative capillary gel electrophoresis (QCGE) has been developed for the accurate quantitation of a 21-mer phosphorothioate oligonucleotide, ISIS 2922, and its degradation products in an intravitreal formulation. The electrokinetic mode of injection employed by CGE necessitates formulation of the external reference standard in a sample matrix similar to that of the drug product and the use of an internal standard for improved accuracy and precision. The analytical method detailed in this paper has demonstrated the necessary accuracy, precision, linearity, range, selectivity and ruggedness for use in routine drug product analysis and stability monitoring of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides.
Medical treatment of tic douloureux.

Abstract Experiences with the experimental agent carbamazepine in the treatment of tic douloureux have been described. This medication is effective in the medical treatment of this disease. Carbamazepine probably exerts its effects by inhibition of abnormal sensory synaptic activity in the brain stem. Tic douloureux may thus be viewed as an abnormality of synaptic activity involving the trigeminal nuclei of the upper spinal cord and brain stem. It is suggested that a diminution in cortical or subcortical inhibition upon such synaptic activity in the primary relay nuclei, occurring with advancing age, may be the primary defect in this disease.
Characterizing Spatial Databases via their Derivation: A Complement to Content Ontologies

Developing an ontology that succinctly describes the contents of a spatial database is a very difficult undertaking. Yet most current efforts to develop spatial ontologies remain focused on describing content. Ontologies describing other aspects of spatial databases may prove to be much easier to develop and nearly as useful as content ontologies, and yet these alternative ontologies have received little attention from the research community. This paper explores one such alternative, specifically, an ontology that describes how a spatial database may have been derived. Derivation ontologies are shown to be highly complementary to content ontologies, and in some cases can perform nearly identical tasks. It is also shown that derivation ontologies are much more straightforward to develop than are content ontologies. Finally, we present a genetic programming (GP)-based approach to automatically developing derivation ontologies for existing databases. It is concluded that while derivation ontologies cannot replace content ontologies, they are a useful and practical complement that offer their own unique set of strengths to the problem of semantically characterizing spatial data. Ke
Polarized Raman spectroscopy of aligned insulin fibrils

Amyloid fibrils are associated with many neurodegenerative diseases. The application of conventional techniques of structural biology, X-ray crystallography and solution NMR, for fibril characterization is limited because of the non-crystalline and insoluble nature of the fibrils. Here, polarized Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the orientation of selected chemical groups in aligned insulin fibrils, specifically of peptide carbonyls. The methodology is solely based on the measurement of the change in Raman scattered intensity as a function of the angle between the incident laser polarization and the aligned fibrils. The order parameters 〈 P2 〉 and 〈 P4 〉 of the orientation distribution function were obtained, and the most probable distribution of C=O group orientation was calculated. The results indicate that the peptides’ carbonyl groups are oriented at an angle of 13±5° from the fibril axis, which is in consistent with previously reported qualitative descriptions of an almost parallel orientation of the C=O groups relative to the main fibril axis.
Integrin-Mediated First Signal for Inflammasome Activation in Intestinal Epithelial Cells

How intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) recognize pathogens and activate inflammasomes at intestinal surfaces is poorly understood. We hypothesized that IECs use integrin receptors to recognize pathogens and initiate inflammation within the intestinal tract. We find that IECs infected with Yersinia enterocolitica, an enteric pathogen, use β1 integrins as pathogen recognition receptors detecting the bacterial adhesin invasin (Inv). The Inv-integrin interaction provides the first signal for NLRP3 inflammasome activation with the type three secretion system translocon providing the second signal for inflammasome activation, resulting in release of IL-18. During infection, Yersinia employs two virulence factors, YopE and YopH, to counteract Inv-mediated integrin-dependent inflammasome activation. Furthermore, NLRP3 inflammasome activation in epithelial cells requires components of the focal adhesion complex signaling pathway, focal adhesion kinase, and rac1. The binding of Inv to β1 integrins rapidly induces IL-18 mRNA expression, suggesting integrins provide a first signal for NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These data suggest integrins function as pathogen recognition receptors on IECs to rapidly induce inflammasome-derived IL-18-mediated responses.
Transcriptional Cross Talk within the mar-sox-rob Regulon in Escherichia coli Is Limited to the rob and marRAB Operons

Bacteria possess multiple mechanisms to survive exposure to various chemical stresses and antimicrobial compounds. In the enteric bacterium Escherichia coli, three homologous transcription factors—MarA, SoxS, and Rob—play a central role in coordinating this response. Three separate systems are known to regulate the expression and activities of MarA, SoxS, and Rob. However, a number of studies have shown that the three do not function in isolation but rather are coregulated through transcriptional cross talk. In this work, we systematically investigated the extent of transcriptional cross talk in the mar-sox-rob regulon. While the three transcription factors were found to have the potential to regulate each other's expression when ectopically expressed, the only significant interactions observed under physiological conditions were between mar and rob systems. MarA, SoxS, and Rob all activate the marRAB promoter, more so when they are induced by their respective inducers: salicylate, paraquat, and decanoate. None of the three proteins affects the soxS promoter, though unexpectedly, it was mildly repressed by decanoate by an unknown mechanism. SoxS is the only one of the three proteins to repress the rob promoter. Surprisingly, salicylate somewhat activates transcription of rob, while decanoate represses it a bit. Rob, in turn, activates not only its downstream promoters in response to salicylate but also the marRAB promoter. These results demonstrate that the mar and rob systems function together in response to salicylate.
Previous Work Experience And Organizational Socialization: A Longitudinal Examination

In an extension of research on organizational socialization, the relationship between previous work experience and the tasks and outcomes of the socialization process was examined using a longitudi...
Philosopher‐King or Polarizing Politician? A Personality Profile of Barack Obama

Although U.S. President Barack Obama received extensive media coverage during the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign and later during the first two years of his presidency, many people still perceive him as elusive, or even contradictory. Using biographical facts and objective at-a-distance measures, this article presents a personality profile of Obama. The profile is organized around a fourfold conception of personality. Personality can be understood as the residue of past and present social contexts and is publicly visible as traits or consistencies of style. Internal beliefs, values, and other cognitions, as well as implicit motives, can only be indirectly observed and so are measured through content analysis. The resulting profile is used to explain some outcomes, as well as paradoxes and puzzles of Obama’s performance as president. It also suggests predictions about the future course of his presidency.
Rethinking Fast Handover in Mobile IPv6 Networks with Enhanced DAR

We investigate existing mobile IPv6 scheme in network layer (e.g., FMIPv6) and in transport layer (e.g., mSCTP) again. We find that FMIPv6 easily causes packet forwarding process of access routers (ARs), buffering overhead, a few handover signaling costs and latencies. We also find that mSCTP can make the mobile client (MC) change its IP address dynamically without connectionless, but itpsilas handover latency and signaling cost can be further reduced and faulty tolerance of MC is neglected. Based on this, first, we make a potential change to mSCTP and propose a scheme named enhanced DAR FMIPv6 (EDAR-FMIPv6) to further reduce handover latency and promote faulty tolerance for MC in mobile IPv6 networks. The result of evaluation shows that the performance of EDAR-FMIPv6 outperforms others.
Methodological infrastructure in surgical ergonomics: a review of tasks, models, and measurement systems.

Though in its infancy, the discipline of surgical ergonom- ics is increasingly valued. Still, little has been written regarding this field's tasks, models, and measurement systems. These 3 critical experimental components are crucial in objectively and accurately assessing joint and postural control as exhibited by expert laparoscopic sur- geons. Such assessments will establish characteristic pat- terns important for surgical training. In addition, risk factors associated with both minimally invasive surgical instruments and the operating room environment can be identified and minimized. Our review focuses on evidence- based experimental ergonomic studies undertaken in the field of laparoscopic surgery. Publications were located through PubMed and other database and library searches. This article describes tasks, models, and meas- urement systems and considers their specific applica- tions and the types of data obtainable with the use of each. Advantages and limitations, especially those of measurement systems, are compared and discussed. Future trends and directions believed necessary for optimal investigation and results are also addressed.
Review of the native Hawaiian leafhopper genus Nesophrosyne (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) with description of eight new species associated with Broussaisia arguta (Hydrangeaceae)

A review of the native Hawaiian leafhopper genus Nesophrosyne (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) is presented. Specimens were examined from across the entire Hawaiian Archipelago, Nesophrosyne is redescribed, and the subgenus Nesoreias is synonymized with Nesophrosyne. Eight new species associated with the widespread host plant species Broussaisia arguta are described: N. heopoko sp. n. from Kaua’i; N. makaihe sp. n. from O’ahu; N. magnaccai sp. n. from Moloka’i; N. broussaisiai sp. n., N. ogradyi sp. n., and N. kaupoi sp. n. from Maui; and, N. aakokohaikea sp. n. and N. kanawao sp. n. from Hawai’i Island. Morphological and molecular characters were employed to delineate new species. Populations associated with B. arguta on different islands, individual volcanic mountains, and discrete geographic areas represent reciprocally monophyletic species. A monophyletic complex of five sibling species, morphologically cryptic on individual islands, were identified from Maui and Hawai’i Island. The kanawao species group is erected for these species and is further subdivided into two species subgroups based on monophyly, island endemicity, and morphology: broussaisiai species subgroup containing N. broussaisiai, N. ogradyi, and N. kaupoi on Maui; and, aakokohaikea species subgroup containing N. aakokohaikea and N. kanawao on Hawai’i Island.
A network model that can learn reward timing using reinforced expression of synaptic plasticity

Recent experimental results indicate that cells within theprimary visual cortex can learn to predict the time ofrewards associated with visual cues [1]. In this work, dif-ferent visual cues were paired with rewards at specific tem-poral offsets. Before training, neurons in visual cortexwere active only during the duration of the visual cue.After sufficient training neurons developed persistentactivity for a time period correlated with the timing ofreward.Recurrent connections in a neural network can be con-structed to set a desired network time constant that is dif-ferent from the time constants of the constituent neurons.However, it is not known how such a network can learnthe appropriate recurrent weights. A plasticity model thatis able to accomplish this must be sensitive to the timingof reward events that, at least initially, occur seconds afterthe activity in the network returns to its basal level. Inorder to learn the appropriate dynamics, this networkneeds to solve a temporal credit assignment problem. Inour model plasticity is an ongoing process changing therecurrent synaptic weights as a function of their activity; inthe absence of a reward signal this plasticity rapidlydecays. External reward signals allow permanent expres-sion of preceding plasticity events, reinforcing only thosewhich predict the reward. As a result, the network dynam-ics are altered and it develops time constants correlatedwith the timing of different rewards. As in other reinforce-ment learning models the reward signal is inhibited by thenetwork activity to produce a stable activity pattern.We have implemented these ideas in both abstract passiveintegrator networks and in more realistic integrate and firenetworks and obtained results that are qualitatively simi-lar to the experimental results. Further, we examine theimplications of different possible biophysical mecha-nisms and propose experiments to test which specificmechanism are involved.Support: NSF CRCNS grant number 0515285.
Hall measurements on trap states in n-channel Si MOSFETS at 77 K

Abstract We report here on Hall studies of transport in n -channel MOSFETs at 77 K. We find a fraction of the carriers are localized in trap states lying within the conduction band. These states are not effective as scattering centers.
Development of iron-containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes for MR-guided laser-induced thermotherapy

Aims: To test iron-containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as bifunctional nanomaterials for imaging and thermal ablation of tumors. Materials & Methods: MWCNTs entrapping iron were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The T2-weighted contrast enhancement properties of MWCNTs containing increasing amounts of iron were determined in vitro. Suspensions of these particles were injected into tumor-bearing mice and tracked longitudinally over 7 days by MRI. Heat-generating abilities of these nanomaterials following exposure to near infrared (NIR) laser irradiation was determined in vitro and in vivo. Results: The magnetic resonance contrast properties of carbon nanotubes were directly related to their iron content. Iron-containing nanotubes were functional T2-weighted contrast agents in vitro and could be imaged in vivo long-term following injection. Iron content of nanotubes did not affect their ability to generate thermoablative temperatures following exposure to NIR and significant tumor regre...
Is potential coordination of alkali metal ions to stereodefined polyoxygenated cyclohexanes an adequate driving force for fostering the adoption of axial conformers

Inositol orthoesters have been developed as precursors to stereodefined hexakis polyoxygenated cyclohexanes. The objective of the study was to determine if all-trans systems could be coaxed by alkali metal ions into adopting the all-axial coordinative features. This high level coordination cannot be matched by epimers whose only option is to experience monocomplexation. Only very low levels of coordination were exhibited in solution by the ligands in question. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was also used to evaluate the metal complexation properties of the inositol ligands based on competition experiments involving each ligand and one or more metals.