cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expanding the Physician Care Team: Its Effect on Patient Care, Resident Function, and Education

Abstract Recent attempts to improve surgical resident working conditions have taken many forms. We evaluated a system in which a well-trained physician extender had been hired to assist residents taking call on a busy cardiothoracic teaching service. The physician extender ("night nurse," NN) helped with perioperative care using well-defined protocols. The NN, who was in-house Sunday-Friday, 7 pm-7 am, rounded with the residents at the beginning of the evening. Concerns were discussed and care plans formulated. Thereafter, all pages (except codes and extreme emergencies) were directed to the NN, freeing the residents to complete work-ups, patient assessments, or study. The NN assessed patients and initiated care plans including orders that followed either care protocols or plans previously arranged with the resident. For unanticipated concerns, the resident was notified for input and/or patient assessment. For 30 consecutive nights, the patient load and acuity were evaluated. Residents and NN kept diaries of all pages received. The residents also documented time slept and times awakened. Residents received 10 times fewer calls when the NN was available (21.8 ± 10.5 vs 2.9 ± 2.4) and slept an average of 2.5 hr more (135 ± 106.1 vs 286.2 ± 68.2 min). Care was maintained as judged by morbidity and mortality statistics. Such a system has allowed us to avoid cross coverage, thereby maintaining resident continuity of care and involvement in meaningful care plans, while providing increased time for patient evaluation, self-education, and increased uninterrupted sleep.
The reversible inability of isoproterenol‐activated parotid gland cells to initiate DNA synthesis in the hypocalcemic thyroparathyroidectomized rat

An intraperitoneal injection of the beta-adrenergic drug dl-isoproterenol hydrochloride (100 mg/kg body weight) into male (190-210 g) albino rats caused two cyclic AMP surges (peaking at 10 minutes and again between 8 and 12 hours) and the initiation of DNA synthesis (between 16 and 20 hours) in the parotid glands. The parotid cells in hypocalcemic thyroparathyroidectomized rats still responded to isoproterenol injection by generating the two cyclic AMP surges, but they did not initiate DNA synthesis unless a blood calcium-elevating combination of parathyroid hormone (50 USP units/100 g of body weight) and 1 alpha,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (200 pmoles/100 g of body weight) was injected along with the isoproterenol.
Production and analysis of repetitive sub-boiling laboratory reagents for purity enhancement

Abstract Purity enhancement of reagents is a requirement for the preparation of geological samples that are introduced into the University of Washington Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer. We describe production and analysis of repetitive sub-boiling distillation of laboratory reagents. Some of these techniques may be useful in the high-purity requirements associated with target making. Initial quartz-still distillation, prior to sub-boiling distillation in Teflon stills, is indicated for some reagents. Significant improvement in purity is obtained through two quartz-still distillations followed by a sub-boiling Teflon-still distillation; however, we find little further purification with additional two- or three-stage sub-boiling distillations in Teflon. For example, typical purities obtained for HCl are
An exterior point method for the convex programming problem

This paper gives a proof of convergence of an iterative method for maximizing a concave function subject to inequality constraints involving convex functions. The linear programming problem is an important special case. The primary feature is that each iteration is very simple computationally, involving only one of the constraints. Although the paper is theoretical in nature, some numerical results are included.
Determination of metal content of phthalocyanine chelates

Abstract Copper phthalocyanine chelate may be decomposed with repeated nitric acid-sulfuric acid digestion. The released copper is determined complexometrically at pH 3–5 using PAN as indicator. For silver phthalocyanine chelate, besides the nitric acid-sulfuric acid digestion, an additional nitric acid-perchloric acid digestion is required. The released silver is determined by indirect EDTA titration in the presence of potassium tetracyanonickelate, using lead as a back titrant at pH 7–10 and PAN as indicator. Excellent results were obtained with approximately 100 mg of sample. Both copper and silver form a 1:1 chelate with phthalocyanine.
Chick wing innervation. I. Time course of innervation and early differentiation of the peripheral nerve pattern

Anterograde transport of horseradish peroxidase was used to map the initial projection patterns of motor and sensory axons innervating the wing of the chick embryo. Injections which resulted in labeling large numbers of motor and sensory axons, separately or in combination, were used to define the time course of innervation and to visualize the progressive morphogenesis of the peripheral nerve pattern. Motor axons emerged from the spinal cord and accumulated near the ventromedial border of the myotome where they remained for up to 16 hours before growing into the plexus region and limb bud. Despite the known later time of sensory neuron production, the first sensory axons projected to the wing at the same time as motor axons. When axons first entered the wing bud, they were distributed in two loosely organized sheets of axon fascicles, one projecting to dorsal muscle mass, the other to ventral muscle mass. The width of the sheets was between one-third to one-half the width of the wing bud, and this distance was more than twice the diameter of the proximal nerve trunks measured at stage 28. In the proximal limb the basic pattern of peripheral nerves emerged gradually from stages 26 to 28. During these stages, the loosely organized sheets of axonal fascicles seen at younger stages were progressively transformed into several coherent nerve trunks and muscle nerves extended from common nerve trunks. The implication of these observations is that many outgrowing axons appear not to follow preformed pathways corresponding to the mature peripheral nerve branching pattern. This pattern may instead result from axonal recognition of cues within a largely undifferentiated limb bud, and from the subsequent bundling together of loosely organized axon fascicles. These events occur concurrently with limb growth and differentiation.
Graph works - pilot graph theory visualization tool

Graph theory is an integral part of a discrete structures course required in computer science programs. Unfortunately, in the short time such courses devote to graph theory, students often do not appreciate and/or recognize how graph theory notions and theorems become problem modeling and problem solving tools. Graph Works is a visualization tool to show what properties of graph mean in terms of a particular graph and what properties and substructures fundamental theorems guarantee to exist in a graph. The tool is designed to help users understand and develop algorithms that use graph properties needed for problem solving or find and use particular subgraphs as part of the solution process.
Robust shift-invariant biometric identification from partial face images

Face identification must address many practical challenges, including illumination variations (not seen during the testing phase), facial expressions, and pose variations. In most face recognition systems, the recognition process is performed after a face has been located and segmented in the input scene. This face detection and segmentation process however is prone to errors which can lead to partial faces being segmented (sometimes also due to occlusion) for the recognition process. There are also cases where the segmented face includes parts of the scene background as well as the face, affecting the recognition performance. In this paper, we address how these issues can be dealt efficiently with advanced correlation filter designs. We report extensive set of results on the CMU pose, illumination and expressions (PIE) dataset where training filters are designed in two experiments: (1) the training gallery has 3 images from extreme illumination (2) the training gallery has 3 images from near-frontal illumination. In the testing phase however, we test both filters with the whole illumination variations while simultaneously cropping the test images to various sizes. The results show that the advanced correlation filter designs perform very well even with partial face images of unseen illumination variations including reduced-complexity correlation filters such as the Quad-Phase Minimum Average Correlation Energy (QP-MACE) filter that requires only 2 bits/frequency storage.
Research Opportunities in Simulation-based Medical Education Using Deliberate Practice

There are many opportunities for the academic emergency medicine (EM) community to engage in simulation-based educational research using deliberate practice (DP). This article begins by defining and giving examples of two key concepts: deliberate practice and mastery learning. The article proceeds to report six lessons learned from a research legacy in simulation-based medical education (SBME). It concludes by listing and amplifying 10 DP research opportunities in academic EM. A coda states that the research agenda is rich and ambitious and should focus on the goal of educating superb, expert clinicians.
Peptide mapping and disulfide bond analysis of myeloid progenitor inhibitory chemokine and keratinocyte growth factor by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

Abstract Peptide mapping and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) were conducted to characterize the human genome-based recombinant proteins. Accurate mass values for the deleted forms of the myeloid progenitor inhibitory factor chemokine (MPIF-1d23), and the keratinocyte growth factor (KGF-2d33) were measured as 8848.55 ± 0.25 and 16,175.87 ± 0.89 Da, respectively. The mass accuracy of delayed ion extraction MALDI-MS measurements was within 20 ppm of the cDNA predicted value. Reduction and alkylation of the chemokine showed the presence of six cysteine residues and three disulfide bonds. Additional confirmation of disulfide bonding among the cysteine residues of the chemokine was demonstrated by identifying the RP-HPLC separated tryptic and endoprotease Glu-C peptides. Three methionine residues of the chemokine were identified by MALDI-MS of its cyanogen bromide (CNBr) cleavage products. The KGF-2d33 growth factor, however, lacked the disulfide bonding between the two-cysteine residues and contained two free sulfhydryl groups. Direct analysis of the growth factor CNBr digest showed 7542.99, 4993.4, and 3107.7 Da peptides, which identified the methionine residues. Peptide mapping mass spectrometry indicated that host-specific posttranslational modifications had not influenced the gene expression work.
Neo‐Voluntarism: A New European Social Policy Regime?

Abstract: The essay begins with a recapitulation of core institutional properties of the European Union as they have evolved over several decades. The leading insight deriving from this exercise is that European social policy will always, for all practical purposes, be made simultaneously at two levels, a supranational one and a national one, and will be shaped by complex interactions between them and among the national systems situated in the integrated market economy of the Union. Proceeding from here, the remainder of the paper examines the two levels of social policy-making, beginning with the supranational and moving on to the national, in an effort to identify the kinds of policies that are most likely to emerge given the constraints and opportunities offered by the institutional framework.
Ultrasound-Guided Continuous Superficial Peroneal Nerve Block below the Knee for the Treatment of Nerve Injury

(CRPS) describes a constellation of symptoms including pain, trophic changes, hyperesthesia, allodynia, and dysregulation of local blood flow often following trauma. It is often confined to the extremities. Treatment of this disorder consists of a variety of modalities including systemic pharmacotherapy, local anesthetic injections or infusions, psychological nonpharmacotherapy, physical rehabilitation, and surgical intervention. Chronic pain not related to CRPS can also be treated with similar interventions. Despite the array of available therapies, it can still be difficult to manage. We report a case of a 19-year-old patient diagnosed by her surgeon as having CRPS Type II, secondary to foot trauma, which was treated with a continuous infusion of local anesthetic at the superficial peroneal nerve (SPN). While placement of peripheral nerve block catheters to augment chronic pain therapy is not novel, the application of a perineural catheter at the SPN has not been previously described.
Linear systems approach to the analysis of an induced drug removal process. Phenobarbital removal by oral activated charcoal.

The theory of linear systems analysis is applied to the evaluation of induced drug removal processes. The rate and extent of removal are determined by deconvolution for the case of phenobarbital removal from the systemic circulation by orally administered activated charcoal. The proposed method is model independent in the sense that no specific models of intrinsic or induced pharmacokinetic processes are required, and it is readily adapted to the analysis of most types of induced removal processes (hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, etc.). Application of the approach indicates that phenobarbital was removed from the systemic circulation to an extent of 25–53% following multiple oral doses of activated charcoal in healthy human subjects.
Mechanisms regulating sea-surface temperatures and deep convection in the tropics

Scientific basis for the emergence of deep convection in the tropics at or above 28°C sea-surface temperature (SST), and its proximity to the highest observed SST of about 30°C, is explained from first principles of moist convection and TOGA-COARE data. Our calculations show that SST of 28-29°C is needed for charging the cloud-base airmass with the required moist static energy for clouds to reach the upper troposphere (i.e., 200 hPa). Besides reducing solar irradiation by cloud-cover, moist convection also produces cool and dry downdrafts, which promote oceanic cooling by increased sensible and latent heat fluxes at the surface. Consequently, the tropical ocean seesaws between the states of net energy absorber before, and net energy supplier after, the deep moist convection, which causes the SST to vacillate between 28° and 30°C. While dynamics of the large-scale circulation embodying the easterly waves and Madden-Julian Oscillations (MJOs) modulate moist convection, we show that the quasi-stationary vertical profile of moist static energy of the tropics is the ultimate cause of the upper limit on tropical SSTs.
Inhibition of Protein Synthesis: A Mechanism of Amebicide Action of Emetine and Other Structurally Related Compounds†

SYNOPSIS New amebicides usually have been discovered by empirical screening procedures while other drugs, such as emetine, were adopted after their clinical efficacy was demonstrated. Emetine, puromycin, and cycloheximide are amebicides recently shown to act as inhibitors of protein synthesis in animal cells; the present study was designed to determine the general relationship of this mode of action to amebicidal activity. Our results indicate that amebicides structurally related to emetine inhibit protein synthesis in Entamoeba histolytica. It seems likely that the lethality of many amebicides may be attributed to specific effects on macromolecular synthesis in E. histolytica.
Tourism models: the sociocultural aspects

Abstract Tourists are among the least understood collectivities, despite their ubiquitousness and still growing number worldwide. The purpose of this paper is to place the tourist, the subject of the tourism phenomenon, in the centre in order to construct a tourist model composed of six integrated components. The model is intended not only to facilitate an understanding of the tourist himself, but also to lead to the development of an expanded model of tourism as a phenomenon. These two models identify and label several areas for systemic research. Together they provide context for re-examination of the past research findings, design of new planning and marketing applications, and formation of a body of knowledge in tourism.
Experimental constraints on the strength of the lithospheric mantle

[1] To provide a better understanding of rheological properties of mantle rocks under lithospheric conditions, we carried out a series of experiments on the creep behavior of polycrystalline olivine at high pressures (∼4–9 GPa), relatively low temperatures (673 ≤ T ≤ 1273 K), and anhydrous conditions, using a deformation-DIA. Differential stress and sample displacement were monitored in situ using synchrotron X-ray diffraction and radiography, respectively. Experimental results were fit to the low-temperature plasticity flow law, . On the basis of this analysis, the low-temperature plasticity of olivine deformed under anhydrous conditions is well constrained by our data with a Peierls stress of σP = 5.9 ± 0.2 GPa, a zero-stress activation energy of Ek(0) = 320 ± 50 kJ mol−1, and AP = 1.4 × 10−7 s−1 MPa−2. Compared with published results for high-temperature creep of olivine, a transition from low-temperature plasticity to high-temperature creep occurs at ∼1300 K for a strain rate of ∼10−5 s−1. For a geological strain rate of 10−14 s−1, extrapolation of our low-temperature flow law to 873 K, the cutoff temperature for earthquakes in the mantle, yields a strength of ∼600 MPa. The low-temperature, high-stress flow law for olivine in this study provides a solid basis for modeling tectonic processes occurring within Earth's lithosphere.
Granulite facies amphibole and biotite equilibria, and calculated peak-metamorphic water activities

Samples located near the Oregon Dome anorthosite massif in the south-central Adirondack Mountains, New York contain the fluid-buffering mineral assemblages: amphibole + clinopyroxene + orthopyroxene + quartz or biotite + quartz + orthopyroxene + K-feldspar. These rocks were metamorphosed under granulite-facies conditions (T=725°–750°C, P=7.5 kbar) during the Grenville orogeny. The Mg-rich nature of amphiboles, micas, and pyroxenes allow accurate calculation of water activities because corrections for the effects of solid solution are relatively small. The activity of water was low during the peak of granulite-facies metamorphism, with αH2O≈0.15±0.14. Wollastonite occurrences indicate that the αCO2 was low (<0.3) in nearby rocks, demonstrating that large quantities of CO2 did not infiltrate in a pervasive manner. The combination of low αH2O with low αCO2 is consistent with the hypothesis that magmatic processes were dominant, generating dry, fluid-absent conditions.
Tensor scale: An analytic approach with efficient computation and applications

Scale is a widely used notion in computer vision and image understanding that evolved in the form of scale-space theory where the key idea is to represent and analyze an image at various resolutions. Recently, we introduced a notion of local morphometric scale referred to as ''tensor scale'' using an ellipsoidal model that yields a unified representation of structure size, orientation and anisotropy. In the previous work, tensor scale was described using a 2-D algorithmic approach and a precise analytic definition was missing. Also, the application of tensor scale in 3-D using the previous framework is not practical due to high computational complexity. In this paper, an analytic definition of tensor scale is formulated for n-dimensional (n-D) images that captures local structure size, orientation and anisotropy. Also, an efficient computational solution in 2- and 3-D using several novel differential geometric approaches is presented and the accuracy of results is experimentally examined. Also, a matrix representation of tensor scale is derived facilitating several operations including tensor field smoothing to capture larger contextual knowledge. Finally, the applications of tensor scale in image filtering and n-linear interpolation are presented and the performance of their results is examined in comparison with respective state-of-art methods. Specifically, the performance of tensor scale based image filtering is compared with gradient and Weickert's structure tensor based diffusive filtering algorithms. Also, the performance of tensor scale based n-linear interpolation is evaluated in comparison with standard n-linear and windowed-sinc interpolation methods.
Inconsistency of the AIC rule for estimating the order of autoregressive models

We demonstrate the inconsistency of the Akaike information criterion (AIC) rule and its variants for estimating the unknown order of the autoregressive model obeyed by a time series. We also consider the case of time series which tony not obey AR models.
Shear-Induced Assembly of λ-Phage DNA

Abstract Recombinant DNA technology, which is based on the assembly of DNA fragments, forms the backbone of biological and biomedical research. Here we demonstrate that a uniform shear flow can induce and control the assembly of λ -phage DNA molecules: increasing shear rates form integral DNA multimers of increasing molecular weight. Spontaneous assembly and grouping of end-blunted λ -phage DNA molecules are negligible. It is suggested that shear-induced DNA assembly is caused by increasing the probability of contact between molecules and by stretching the molecules, which exposes the cohesive ends of the otherwise undeformed λ -phage DNA molecules. We apply this principle to enhance the kinetics and extent of DNA concatenation in the presence of ligase. This novel approach to controlled DNA assembly could form the basis for improved approaches to gene-chip and recombinant DNA technologies and provide new insight into the rheology of associating polymers.
Adolescents in foster care: Predicting readiness for independent living☆

Abstract This exploratory study of 152 randomly selected adolescents 16 years of age and older in foster care in Los Angeles County uses data from three different sources to identify significant predictors of readiness for independent living. These data were provided by the youths' caseworkers, their caretakers, and the youths themselves. Responsibility, self-care, supportive environment, and employment were the dimensions of independent living readiness analyzed. Stepwise regression results indicated that school performance, mental health problems, hours worked per week, total number of placements, contact with father, ethnicity, and caretaker perceptions of being asked for assistance were significant predictors of these dimensions. Implications are drawn for research on and service delivery to this population.
A compact Gas Core Nuclear Rocket for space exploration

The open cycle Gas Core Nuclear Rocket (GCR) possesses, in principle, outstanding propulsion characteristics that make it especially attractive for advanced space propulsion. With uranium as fuel and hydrogen as propellant, it can generate several thousand seconds of specific impulse and hundreds of kilonewtons of thrust. In its standard configuration, however, GCR is susceptible to hydrodynamic and acoustic instabilities, which if not adequately addressed, could lead to significant loss of fuel and severe limitation on its propulsion capabilities. In this paper we examine the potential utilization of americium in place of uranium, and study the effect of such fuel change on the size reduction of the system as well as its impact on the hydrodynamic stability question. We find that the same propulsion performance can be achieved at a comparable fuel density but with a radial size reduction of both core and moderator/reflector of about 70%, and a corresponding stabilizing effect on the KelvinHelmholtz instability which lies at the heart of turbulent mixing in this device. V'
Ethynyl and Propynylpyrene Inhibitors of Cytochrome P450

The single-crystal X-ray structures and in vivo activities of three aryl acetylenic inhibitors of cytochromes P450 1A1, 1A2, 2A6, and 2B1 have been determined and are reported herein. These are 1-ethynylpyrene, 1-propy-nylpyrene, and 4-propynylpyrene. To investigate electronic influences on the mechanism of enzyme inhibition, the experimental electron density distribution of 1-ethynylpy-rene has been determined using low-temperature X-ray diffraction measurements, and the resulting net atomic charges compared with various theoretical calculations. A total of 82,390 reflections were measured with Mo Kα radiation to a (sinθ/λ)(max) = 0.985 A(-1). Averaging symmetry equivalent reflections yielded 8,889 unique reflections. A least squares refinement procedure was used in which multipole parameters were added to describe the distortions of the atomic electron distributions from spherical symmetry. A map of the model electron density distribution of 1-ethynylpyrene was obtained. Net atomic charges calculated from refined monopole population parameters yielded charges that showed that the terminal acetylenic carbon atom (C18) is more negative than the internal carbon (C17). Net atomic charges calculated by ab initio, density functional theory, and semi-empirical methods are consistent with this trend suggesting that the terminal acetylenic carbon atom is more likely to be the site of oxidation. This is consistent with the inhibition mechanism pathway that results in the formation of a reactive ketene intermediate. This is also consistent with assay results that determined that 1-ethynylpyrene acts as a mechanism-based inhibitor of P450s 1A1 and 1A2 and as a reversible inhibitor of P450 2B1. Crystallographic data: 1-ethynylpyrene, C(18)H(10), P2(1)/c, a = 14.571(2) A, b = 3.9094(5) A, c = 20.242(3) A, β = 105.042(2)°, V = 1,113.5(2) A(3); 1-propynylpyrene, C(19)H(12), P2(1)/n, a = 8.970(2) A, b = 10.136(1) A, c = 14.080(3) A, β = 99.77(2)°, V = 1,261.5(4) A(3); 4-propynylpyrene, C(19)H(12), Pbca, a = 9.904(1) A, b = 13.174(2) A, c = 19.401(1) A, V = 2,531.4(5) A(3).
Should Patients with Alzheimer's Disease Be Told Their Diagnosis?

SHOULD patients in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease be told their diagnosis? We became interested in this subject in the course of evaluating and caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease and dealing with their care givers and families. Unlike patients with other chronic illnesses in which signs and symptoms prompt the patients to seek consultation on their own, our patients are often brought by family members who suspect the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Often our evaluation is preceded by impassioned pleas from the family not to disclose our findings to the patient should this diagnosis be confirmed. Intent on . . .
Demonstration of a polarization grating imaging spectropolarimeter (PGIS)

ABSTRACT We have introduced the concept of a snapshot imaging spectropolarimeter based on anisotropic diractiongratings known as Polarization Gratings (PGs). This instrument can acquire both spectral and polarizationinformation of an object by using the unique optical properties of PGs, which create a diraction pattern on asingle focal plane array. In this paper we develop a system matrix for reconstructing the object information fromthis diraction pattern. This matrix is extendable to various congurations containing several PGs. Moreover,we demonstrate an imaging spectropolarimeter based on this approach, that was used to reconstruct both screengenerated scenes and outdoor objects. Reconstructed objects are sampled at 100 × 100 × 51 (x, y, ) with 4 nmspectral resolution.Keywords: Spectrometry, polarimetry, spectropolarimeter, imaging spectrometry, polarization grating, liquidcrystals, reactive mesogens, remote sensing 1. INTRODUCTION The purpose of our imaging spectropolarimeter is to acquire spatial ( x,y ), spectral ( ), and polarimetric ( S
Analysis of chromatin assembled in vivo using exogenous histones in Physarum polycephalum

Histones are involved in the regulation of almost all events within the eukaryotic cell nucleus that utilize DNA as a substrate. We have developed a novel approach for examining the function of histone proteins and specific domains of these proteins in these various nuclear processes, and in particular assembly of chromatin throughout the cell cycle. This approach exploits several unique characteristics of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, including the natural synchrony of all (approximately 10(8)) nuclei throughout the cell cycle and the ability of this organism to take up exogenous proteins. Here, culture techniques and biochemical procedures for the incorporation of exogenous core histones into Physarum chromatin in vivo are described. The procedures for subsequent verification of the assembly of exogenous proteins into bona fide nucleosomes are also described.
Quality electric power

The author discusses an electricity supply problem in a hospital to introduce the concept of power quality. The term power quality describes how an electric power system and the loads connected to it work together. The author discusses the kind of disturbances to a power system that affect power quality and the measures that can be taken to improve the quality of the power delivered. Another example of power quality problems, concerned with telephone lines, is discussed. >
Improvement in Early Recognition of Deteriorating Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Patients

s / Biol Blood Marrow Transplant 19 (2013) S167eS177 S173 Results: Significant reduction in lumen contamination; enhanced patient satisfaction. No contaminations since February 2012. Discussion: Ongoing review and process improvements needed. In 2013 mandatory review of TAC/CSA process in skills lab; new TAC/CSA competency required for all BMTstaff within 3 months of hire.
Streptomyces lividans RNA polymerase recognizes and uses Escherichia coli transcriptional signals.

Abstract We report here the use of a novel genetic approach for the study of transcriptional control in Streptomyces lividans . Using up-promoter mutants of the ampC s-lactamase gene of Escherichia coli , we have shown that mutations in each of the regions that define the major determinants of promoter strength in E. coli —i.e., the −35 region, the −10 region, and the intervening “spacer” region—lead to increased synthesis of ampC mRNA in S. lividans , just as they do in their host of origin. Results are also presented showing that the ampC transcriptional terminator is functional in S. lividans . Taken together, these findings indicate that Streptomyces have an RNA polymerase that recognizes and uses the various components of E. coli transcriptional signals, and imply that, notwithstanding the high GC content (i.e., 73%) of the Streptomyces genome, these organisms have indigenous promoters similar to those found in E. coli .
Bermuda Bio-Optics Project (BBOP) data processing system

The shear volume of profiling spectroradiometer data is increasing dramatically as global change research programs are placing more emphasis on the evaluation of spatial and temporal structure of ocean biogeochemical cycles. These vast amounts of data must be calibrated, processed, reduced, analyzed, and interpreted in a timely manner. Here, we present a computer data processing for efficiently achieving this goal, in terms of both computational and human resources. The processing system is comprised of a suite of ANSI C++ programs that read and operate on a specified file format, the lowest common denominator (LCD) data file. The LCD file contains all relevant data and metadata in a single ASCII file. UNIX shell scripts are used in the control of data flow as well as error and log handling. The final product is a binned spectroradiometer data set with relevant derived parameters included that may be disseminated to other groups or data bases. At UCSB, we have been using the BBOP system for the past two years and the system is available for use by other research groups.
Parametric Evaluation of a Solid-Lubricated Ball Bearing

Parametric evaluations, based on analytical simulations of the dynamic performance of a solid-lubricated ball bearing, indicate that, for prescribed operating conditions and lubricant traction behavior at the ball/race contact, a reduction in the ball/cage pocket and cage/race guiding land clearances result in an increased frequency of collision both at the ball/cage and cage/race interfaces. The actual magnitudes of the collision forces are relatively insensitive to these clearances. The reduced clearances also lead to a coning motion of the cage and tight clearances at both the cage pocket and guiding land result in adverse cage/race interaction, when the cage is outer-race guided for the typical turbine engine bearing considered in the paper. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASLE/ASME Lubrication Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, October 18–20, 1983
Does a Scientist Need Foreign Languages

Glenn A. Crosby (Ph.D., University of Washington) is a professor of chemistry and chemical physics at Washington State University, Pullman. This column is based on his address at the 1985 joint conference of the Washington and Oregon Associations of Foreign Language Teachers in Tacoma, WA.
Subjective, multidimensional modularity with korz

Korz is a new computational model that provides for context-oriented programming by combining implicit arguments and multiple dispatch in a slot-based model. This synthesis enables the writing of software that supports contextual variation along multiple dimensions, and graceful evolution of that software to support new, unexpected dimensions of variability, without the need for additional mechanism such as layers or aspects. With Korz, a system consists of a sea of method and data slots in a multidimensional space. There is no fixed organization of slots into objects – a slot pertains to a number of objects instead of being contained by a single object – and slots can come together according to the implicit context in any given situation, yielding subjective objects. There is no dominant decomposition, and no dimension holds sway over any other. IDE support is essential for managing complexity when working with the slot space and with subjectivity, allowing the task at hand to dictate what subspaces to isolate and what dominance of dimensions to use when presenting nested views to the user. We have implemented a prototype interpreter and IDE, and used it on several examples. This early experience has revealed much that needs to be done, but has also shown promise. It seems that Korz's particular combination of concepts, each well-known from the past, is indeed more powerful than the sum of its parts.
An RNA processing activity that debranches RNA lariats

The excised introns of pre-messenger RNA's (pre-mRNA's) and intron-containing splicing intermediates are in a lariat configuration in which the 5' end of the intron is covalently joined by a 2',5'-phosphodiester bond to a specific adenosine residue near the 3' end of the intron. A 2',5'-phosphodiesterase activity in HeLa cell extracts has been detected that debranches RNA lariats, converting them to linear RNA molecules by specific cleavage of the 2',5'-phosphodiester bond. This lariat debranching activity is distinct from previously reported 2',5'-phosphodiesterases with regard to its biochemical and substrate requirements as well as its stringent cleavage specificity. The debranching activity is observed only if the RNA lariats generated during in vitro processing are deproteinized and added back to the extract. These results suggest that during the normal in vitro splicing reaction the 2',5'-phosphodiester bond of RNA lariats is protected from cleavage by the lariat debranching activity.
Effects of CaO and burnout on the kinetics of no reduction by beulah zap char

The heterogeneous reaction of NO with char is important in understanding the formation and reduction of NOx from coal combustion processes. The kinetics of NO reduction by North Dakota lignite char (NDL), its acid-washed char (NDW), and its calcium-reloaded char (NCa) were investigated in a packed-bed reactor at temperatures from 723 to 1073 K. The results show that the reaction rate of NO with char increases significantly as the CaO content of the char increases. They also indicate clearly that the reaction is first order with respect to NO pressure and that there is a sharp increase in the apparent activation energy with increasing temperature. In the low temperature regime, the activation energies for all three char types are essentially the same (22–26 kcal/mol): in the high temperature regime, they are all higher, but decrease from 60 to 45 kcal/mol as the CaO content increases. The temperature at which the shift takes place also decreases as the CaO content increases. Using a series of six NDL chars, the effect of char burnout level on the reaction of NO with char was also studied. The transition temperatures and apparent activation energies were found to be independent of char burnout, but both the reaction rate constant and CaO surface area (determined by CO2 uptake at 573 K) decreased as char burnout level increased from 0 to 80%. When the reaction rates are normalized by CaO surface area, they become essentially independent of burnout level, which suggests the importance that CaO sites play in the reduction process. The correlation of rate with CaO surface area is quantitative and also holds for the three char types (NDL, NDW, and NCa) in the low-temperature regime. It does not hold for the three char types in the high-temperature regime.
An improved test for the quantitative determination of trypsin, trypsin-like enzymes, and enzyme inhibitors.

Abstract A modification of the Bratton-Marshall test (10) developed by Goldbarg and Rutenburg (9) for the assay of amino peptidase has been adapted to the determination of naphthylamine released from the specific trypsin substrate benzoylarginine-β-naphthylamide (3). Advantages of this method over others used in similar procedures include specificity, sensitivity, good reproducibility, easy colorimetric assay, lack of interference by contaminants present in crude enzyme preparations, tissues, and fluids, and the possibility of using the same substrate for parallel histochemical tests. The procedure has been applied to the determination of trypsin itself, other enzymes with similar specificity for arginine side chains, and the trypsin-like cathepsin B enzymes of liver, kidney, spleen, muscle, and other tissues. It has also been used to assay trypsin inhibitors, in particular those found in tissues.
Source and aftershock properties of the 1996 Flores Sea Deep Earthquake

The June 17, 1996 (Mw 7.8) Flores Sea event is one of the largest deep earthquakes, and also produced an energetic aftershock sequence, allowing study of the spatial relationships between moment release, aftershock occurrence, and slab geometry. The locations of the mainshock, rupture sub-events, aftershocks, and background slab seismicity are determined using a relative location algorithm. The event occurred at the edge of a 150 km wide aseismic region that represents a tear in the lowermost part of the Indonesian slab. The aftershocks define a 90 km long region parallel to slab strike. Two other aftershocks locate 10–25 km outside the previously active slab. The mainshock propagated about 75 km eastward along an E-W striking, southward dipping plane, with a rupture velocity of 3.5 km/s. There was a substantial change in focal mechanism during the rupture, with the fault plane strike changing by about 25°. Overall, the Flores Sea deep earthquake shows numerous large aftershocks, and a moderate rupture velocity (3.5 km/s) and stress drop (∼ 7-20 MPa.) These characteristics are similar to the 1994 Tonga deep earthquake, but different from the 1994 Bolivia event, suggesting they may be typical of large deep earthquakes in colder slabs. Systematic differences in rupture parameters for deep earthquakes in warm and cold slabs suggest that the rupture mechanism is highly sensitive to temperature.
A numerical study of the laminar flame speed of stratified methane/air flames

Freely propagating laminar methane/air flames were modeled for spatially stratified equivalence ratio conditions at atmospheric pressure. The GRI 2.11 mechanism was used with a modified version of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory HCT code to describe the reaction kinetics. Results showed that the laminar flame speed was strongly affected by the equivalence ratio gradient and by the burned gas composition and temperature. Production of molecular hydrogen from the original fuel and its transport to the reaction zone as well as heat transfer from the burned to the fresh gases are key factors in understanding the influence of stratification on laminar flame speed. Combinations of different mixture stratification conditions can either enhance or reduce the flame velocity when compared with homogeneous mixtures. Mixture stratification is also responsible for higher flame resistance to extinction both on the lean and rich sides of the equivalence ratio. The importance of heat and mass transfer on the observed results implies that their extrapolation to high pressure and to turbulent systems must be made with care.
The effect of bimetallic catalyst preparation and treatment on behavior for propane hydrogenolysis

Abstract This study examined the effect of bimetallic catalyst preparation techniques and subsequent pre-treatments on alumina-supported Pt/Sn, Ir/Sn and Pt/Ir catalyst behavior for propane hydrogenolysis. Comparisons were made of conventional co-impregnated catalysts and “composite” catalysts, i.e. pellets in which a porous binder connected separately impregnated/calcined powders. The pre-treatments studied included sintering, Cl2-induced redispersion, and pre-sulfiding with H2S. Relative to platinum, iridium was confirmed to be much more active for hydrogenolysis and more sensitive to pre-sulfiding. Propane hydrogenolysis over Ir/Al2O3 appeared to be structure-sensitive, probably due to an ensemble effect. Results indicated alloy cluster formation for co-impregnated Pt/Ir, but the effect of tin in Pt/Sn and Ir/Sn was too weak to allow a firm conclusion regarding alloy cluster formation.
Phase noise and phase modulation in optical coherence tomography

The signal in optical coherence tomography is often modulated either in phase or by use of the Doppler modulation generated by a depth-scanning mechanism. The effect of each type of modulation on the signal’s amplitude is evaluated. The advantages of each type of modulation in terms of immunity to phase noise and penetration depth are discussed in relation to two envelope detection schemes, i.e., lock-in detection and rms-to-dc conversion. Phase noise due to drifts and demodulation instabilities causes distortion of the signal envelope and can be responsible in part for the speckle appearance of the image.
Computational studies of thermoelectric MHD driven liquid lithium flow in metal trenches

Abstract The LiMIT system (Lithium/Metal Infused Trenches) is an innovative plasma-facing component for tokamak divertors, recently proposed at the University of Illinois. Thanks to the coupling of two metals having different Seebeck coefficients, the device is able to generate internal thermoelectric currents as a response to an incoming heat flux from the plasma. One of the two metals is liquid lithium and the second metal is a solid composing the trenches (tungsten, or molybdenum, or stainless steel, etc.). Together with the high toroidal magnetic field, the liquid lithium is propelled by a JxB electrodynamic force inside the solid trenches. In the present work we present a numerical characterization of the device. The diffusion–advection of heat is solved together with the Navier–Stokes equations forced by the JxB electrodynamic force, comprising the thermoelectric contribution. We report parametric plots to show the influence of the toroidal magnetic field and of the plasma heat flux. It is found that the average flow velocity of the liquid lithium peaks at a critical magnetic field, always lower than 1.0 T, and then decreases with an inverse law in the range of tokamak-relevant fields. The flow velocity of the lithium increases with a square-root law versus an increasing heat flux. The heat transfer coefficient of the cooling channels is parametrically investigated, revealing that coefficients higher than >4000 W/m2 K are needed for the device in order to withstand heat fluxes of 10 MW/m2.
Epitaxial hard-soft magnetic heterostructures as model exchange-spring magnets

We present investigations of the magnetization reversal process in exchange-spring permanent magnets. Utilizing magnetic heterostructures, such as coupled hard-soft bilayers and multilayers whereby the deposition process provides nanometre-scale control of thickness and magnetic anisotropy, we have constructed a model system for studying the exchange hardening mechanism. Comparison of the experimental results with numerical simulations indicates that the exchange-spring behaviour can be understood from the intrinsic parameters of the hard and soft layers. The simulations are extended to estimate realistically the ultimate gain in performance that can potentially be realized in permanent magnets based on the exchange-spring principle.
CHEIROCYSTIS FULTONENSIS, A NEW GLYPTOCYSTITOID RHOMBIFERAN FROM THE UPPER ORDOVICIAN OF THE CINCINNATI ARCH—COMMENTS ON CHEIROCRINID ONTOGENY

Abstract A new glyptocystitidoid rhombiferan, Cheirocystis fultonensis, is described from the contact zone between the Point Pleasant Formation and lower Kope Formation exposed 50 km south east of Cincinnati, Ohio. This species, the second known glyptocystitidoid rhombiferan from the Cincinnatian Series and the youngest known species of Cheirocystis, shows significant suture modification where pectinirhombs are placed. Growth of large pectinirhombs along vertical sutures results in an unusual bowing-out of thecal plate sutures that is also seen in the related species Cheirocystis anatiformis. A juvenile specimen shows that ontogenetically the lateral shared ambulacra become less pronounced, pectinirhombs are added until the eight standard positions are expressed, and the periproct becomes proportionately smaller with age.
Surrogate markers in aids and cancer trials

There is significant need for rapid yet reliable evaluation of promising new interventions for the treatment of patients with cancer or HIV infection. Considerable attention has been given to identifying replacement or ‘surrogate’ endpoints for the true clinical efficacy endpoints, in order to reduce the cost, size and duration of clinical trials. We discuss issues which affect the validity of surrogate markers. The reliability of the CD4 lymphocyte count marker is carefully considered in clinical trials of anti-retroviral agents in HIV infected individuals. The nature of surrogate markers and their reliability is discussed in cancer prevention, screening and treatment trials. Some suggested uses of marker information are also considered.
A model of nonlinear all-optical switching in doped fibers

A theoretical model of switches utilizing the resonantly enhanced nonlinearity present in doped fibers is presented. It establishes the dependence of the switching pump power, fiber length, residual resonant signal loss, and response time of the switch on the dopant spectroscopic parameters. Simple factors of merits are derived for the power and the length requirements and are evaluated for selected rare-earth transitions. The most promising candidates require only a fraction of a mW and a few cm of fiber for full switching. Similar power characteristics, but with considerably shorter response times (ns) and lengths (sub-mm), are predicted for dopants with a high oscillator strength transition, or a power-length product ten orders of magnitude smaller than for switches based on the Kerr effect in undoped silica fibers. >