cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cyclophilin-like Domain of Ran-binding Protein-2 Modulates Selectively the Activity of the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System and Protein Biogenesis

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a critical role in protein degradation. The 19S regulatory particle (RP) of the 26S proteasome mediates the recognition, deubiquitylation, unfolding, and channeling of ubiquitylated substrates to the 20S proteasome. Several subunits of the 19S RP interact with a growing number of factors. The cyclophilin-like domain (CLD) of Ran-binding protein-2 (RanBP2/Nup358) associates specifically with at least one subunit, S1, of the base subcomplex of the 19S RP, but the functional implications of this interaction on the UPS activity are elusive. This study shows the CLD of RanBP2 promotes selectively the accumulation of a subset of reporter substrates of the UPS, such as the ubiquitin (Ub)-fusion yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) degradation substrate, UbG76V-YFP, and the N-end rule substrate, Ub-R-YFP. Conversely, the degradation of endoplasmic reticulum and misfolded proteins, and of those linked to UPS-independent degradation, is not affected by CLD. The selective effect of CLD on the UPS in vivo is independent of, and synergistic with, proteasome inhibitors, and CLD does not affect the intrinsic proteolytic activity of the 20S proteasome. The inhibitory activity of CLD on the UPS resides in a purported SUMO binding motif. We also found two RanBP2 substrates, RanGTPase-activating protein and retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator interacting protein-1α1, whose steady-state levels are selectively modulated by CLD. Hence, the CLD of RanBP2 acts as a novel auxiliary modulator of the UPS activity; it may contribute to the molecular and subcellular compartmentation of the turnover of properly folded proteins and modulation of the expressivity of several neurological diseases.
Mars for Earthlings: An Analog Approach to Mars in Undergraduate Education

Abstract Mars for Earthlings (MFE) is a terrestrial Earth analog pedagogical approach to teaching undergraduate geology, planetary science, and astrobiology. MFE utilizes Earth analogs to teach Mars planetary concepts, with a foundational backbone in Earth science principles. The field of planetary science is rapidly changing with new technologies and higher-resolution data sets. Thus, it is increasingly important to understand geological concepts and processes for interpreting Mars data. MFE curriculum is topically driven to facilitate easy integration of content into new or existing courses. The Earth-Mars systems approach explores planetary origins, Mars missions, rocks and minerals, active driving forces/tectonics, surface sculpting processes, astrobiology, future explorations, and hot topics in an inquiry-driven environment. Curriculum leverages heavily upon multimedia resources, software programs such as Google Mars and JMARS, as well as NASA mission data such as THEMIS, HiRISE, CRISM, and rover ima...
The annals of IGF binding proteins: Into the next millennium

From a small beginning 21 years ago, the investigation of the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) has grown to occupy a major part of the research on the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). A single abstract at the Endocrine Society in 1974 has grown into a torrent of more than 1400 papers published in the past two decades, and more than 200 in the past year alone. Instead of one possible binding protein for somatomedin we now have seven members of a homologous protein family that was completely uncharacterized only a decade ago. The Third International Symposium on IGF Binding Proteins clearly marked a milestone in the development of this field of research. Concentrated on the three days of this meeting was a rich collection of 50 oral presentations and 89 posters. The quality and breadth of the presentations proved that not only is research on the IGFBPs vigorous and healthy, but it is clearly dealing with important scientific issues. The publication of this collection of papers from the Third International Symposium on IGF Binding Proteins serves as a roadmap for where this field of research is now, and the likely direction for developments as we approach the third millennium.
Assessment of Phase Accuracy by Cross Validation: the Free R Value. Methods and Applications

Analogies between the free R statistic [Brunger (1992). Nature (London), 355, 472–474] and the statistical methods of cross validation and bootstrap are discussed. Several new applications which make use of the previously observed correlation between the free R value and the phase accuracy of crystal structures are presented. One application concerns the relative weighting of individual restraint classes in macromolecular refinement. The free R value provides an objective statistical basis for the optimal choice of the weights. The results for the refinement of a penicillopepsin crystal structure at 1.8 A resolution indicate that overall bond length and bond angle weights, derived from uncertainties observed in small-molecule crystal structures, appear to be transferable to macromolecules. In another application, the landscape of the R value around the crystal structure was investigated for unrestrained modeling of diffraction data with equal atomic scatterers. Others have suggested applications to ab initio phasing because of the simplicity of the liquid-like system of equal atomic scatterers. However, there are a large number of incorrect configurations of the scatterers whose R values at 1.8 A resolution are close to that of the correct configuration given by the positions of the non-hydrogen atoms in the penicillopepsin crystal structure. A substantial number of the incorrect configurations have higher free R values than the correct one. It is therefore conceivable that the free R value could be used as a selection criterion to distinguish between certain incorrect configurations and configurations close to the correct one.
Time Course of Hypertrophic Adaptations of the Anterior Latissimus Dorsi Muscle to Stretch Overload in Aged Japanese Quail

The purpose of this study was to determine if aged Japanese quail demonstrated an altered time course of change in the morphology of the anterior latissimus dorsi (ALD) muscle during the first two weeks of hypertrophy induced by stretch overload. The left wing of adult (12 weeks of age) and aged (90 weeks of age) birds were weighted with 10% of their body weight; the right wing served as the intra-animal control. Thirteen to sixteen birds from each age group were killed after 7 and 14 days of stretch overload. Total fiber number was quantified by counting all the fibers in a transverse section from the mid-belly of the ALD muscle. The aged ALD retained the ability to increase the mass and total fiber number of the stretched ALD after 7 (82%, 16%) and 14 (102%, 19%) days of stretch overload. However, there was a main effect of age on the capacity to increase muscle mass and total fiber number after stretch overload. These results suggest that aging diminishes the increase and alters the time course of adaptation in fiber number and myofibrillar mass of the stretch overloaded ALD during the first two weeks of stretch overload.
Science, perception, and some dubious epistemological motives

IT IS frequently maintained that epistemologists who are concerned with the problem of perception have interests so radically different from those of scientific investigators of the same problem that the evidence turned up and the laws and theories formulated by the scientists are without direct significance for the epistemologists.1 I believe this view to be erroneous. On the assumption, which I freely endorse, that it is wrong for the philosopher arbitrarily to cut himself off from any source of knowledge, the onus of argument in a case like this is on whoever would deny the philosophic significance of scientific evidence and theories about perception. Accordingly, the task I set myself in this brief essay is not to argue a case for that philosophic significance but rather to inquire into the validity of four or five arguments purporting to deny it. Feeling as I do, I would scarcely have troubled to publish the essay unless I felt also that I had successfully impugned the validity of the arguments. I will first state the arguments, then my reasons for rejecting the arguments, and finally my feeling about some motives underlying the arguments.
Lipids of the retinal pigment epithelium in RCS dystrophic and normal rats.

The lipid composition of retinal pigment epithelial cells was determined for normal cells which have full phagocytic ability and for a genetic variant with impaired phagocytic function. Retinal pigment epithelial cells from 9–14-day-old congenic strains of normal (RCS-rdy+) and dystrophic (RCS-rdy/rdy) rats were separated from intact retinas and homogenized in 0·08 m Tris base, pH 7·4. The lipids were extracted using 2:1 chloroform-methanol. Fatty-acid methyl esters identified by gas chromatography were: 16:0, 17:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2ω6, 20:0, 20:2, 22:0, 20:4ω6, 22:4, 22:5, 22:6ω3. Major fatty acids for both normal and dystrophic cells were: 16:0, 18:0, 20:4ω6, 22:6ω3. One- and two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography was used to determine phospholipid composition of pigment epithelial cells at two different age groups. The relative amount of phosphatidylethanolamine was significantly higher in dystrophic RPE cells compared with normal cells (20·7% for 9–11-day-old and 17·3% for 12–14-day-old dystrophic rats). Cells from normal animals contained a higher level of phosphatidylethanolamine in the older age group whereas RPE cells from dystrophic animals contained a lower level of phosphatidylcholine in the older group. Anomalous phospholipid compsition of dystrophic pigment epithelial cells may be associated with a change in cellular membranes and a defect in the cellular processes involved in phagocytic function.
Uncountable Master Codes and the Jump Hierarchy

The Turing jump can easily be iterated any finite number of times. The challenge is posed by by transfinite iterations. a ( ω ) has an intuitively compelling definition: {‹ m, n ›: n ∈ a ( m ) }. Starting with Putnam et al. [1], [2], [9] and culminating in Jockusch-Simpson [8] and Hodes [6], recent work has justified this ω -jump and extended it through . Of great use are the master codes of Jensen [3], [7]. Briefly, a Δ n ( L β )-master code is a complete Δ n ( L β ) set of ordinals, with supremum as small as possible. Connections with classical recursion theory are tight. When the Δ n ( L β ) master codes are reals, they are Turing equivalent. If a is a Δ n ( L β ) MC, then a′ is a Δ n + 1 ( L β ) MC. Intuitively satisfying transfinite jumps, such as the ω -jump above, produce a Turing jump hierarchy equal to an initial segment of the master codes. Hodes capitalized on these facts by defining 0 α , α , set-theoretically as the degree of the α th MC which is a real, and then proving the equivalence of a jump-theoretic definition of 0 α . The successor codes are jumps of their predecessors, and for a limit λ , 0 λ is the minimum of a set of degrees associated with {0 α : α : λ }.
DEPOSITION OF URANIUM FROM THE OCEAN.

Abstract Anaerobic sediments from the upper continental slope in the eastern Pacific, the Gulf of California, and a Norwegian Fjord have been analyzed for their total uranium content and 234U/238U ratios by alpha-spectrometry. The uranium concentrations range from 4.8 to 39 ppm and are thus significantly higher than the average uranium content of 3 ppm in deep sea clays, stream sediments and soils. The 234U/238U ratios approach the sea water value of 1.15 in samples with high uranium content. These results indicate that uranium is being removed from sea water in near shore areas under certain conditions. If such conditions prevail in only 0.4% of the total area covered by the ocean, an amount of uranium equal to that supplied by streams (assuming 0.04 μg/l) can be removed from the ocean, on the basis of measured accumulation rates in the Gulf of California, off southern California, and in other areas. The effect of Pleistocene sea level fluctuations as a controlling factor in determining the concentration of uranium in sea water is diminished by the occurrence of extensive areas of uranium deposition below 200 m and by the very long residence time of uranium in the ocean.
Spectral energy effects in ESR bone dosimetry: Photons and electrons

The spectral energy-dependence of the radiation-induced ESR signal has been studied in ovine cortical bone. Crushed bone samples were irradiated using photon beams with effective energies in the range from 0.06 to 6 MeV, and electron beams with mean energies in the range from 2 to 10 MeV. The photon and electron data were normalized to a dose to bone of 50 Gy and the results are reported as response relative to the ESR signal for photon irradiation at 1.25 MeV (60Co). The photon irradiation results show that the ESR response is greatest at low energies with a relative value of 1.2 at 0.06 MeV. The relative response decreases, as the energy increases, to approximately 0.85 in the region of 2 to 3 MeV. These variations in the relative ESR responses are significantly less than the ESR energy-dependent responses reported in the literature for human tooth enamel and synthetic hydroxyapatite. An explanation for this difference is offered. For electron beam irradiations, the ESR signal is fairly constant with energy, and approximately equal to that at a photon energy of 1.25 MeV. Implications of these results are discussed.
Neurologic examination abnormalities in children with bipolar disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bipolar disorder (BPD) are frequently comorbid and overlapping diagnoses. To move beyond diagnosis toward unique pathophysiology, we evaluated both ADHD and BPD children for neurologic examination abnormalities (NEAs) in comparison with normal control (NC) children. Methods We performed the Revised Physical and Neurological Examination for Soft Signs in three groups (ADHD, BPD, NC). Then, a rater blind to diagnosis evaluated their motor performance. Results were analyzed with a multiple analysis of covariance. Results Subjects with ADHD were impaired on repetitive task reaction time. In contrast, pediatric BPD subjects, both with and without comorbid ADHD, were impaired on sequential task reaction time. Conclusions This differential pattern of NEAs by diagnosis suggests pathophysiologic differences between ADHD and BPD in children. Repetitive motor performance requires inhibition of nonrelevant movements; ADHD subjects’ impairment in this domain supports the hypothesis that ADHD involves a core deficit of fronto–striato–basal ganglia neurocircuitry. In contrast, BPD subjects’ impaired sequential motor performance is consistent with behavioral data showing impaired attentional set-shifting and reversal learning in BPD subjects. Further study, going beyond symptom description to determine pathophysiologic differences, is required to refine neuronal models of these often comorbid diagnoses.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy: a KKH case series

The incidence, presentation and risk factors of peripartum cardiomyopathy in Singapore are not known.
Unintentional Exposure to Online Sexual Content and Sexual Behavior Intentions Among College Students in China

This study examined the relations of unintentional exposure to Internet sexual content to intentions for sex and condom use and potential mediators of these relations, including attitudes, norms, and self-efficacy, among college students in China. A sample of 524 Chinese college students completed an online questionnaire. Mediation path analyses were conducted to test the theory of planned behavior as a model of the relations between unintentional exposure and intentions to have sex and use condoms. On average, students reported being unintentionally exposed to Internet sexual content about 3 to 4 times during the past month. Unintentional exposure was indirectly associated with intention to have sex, mediated through descriptive and injunctive norms. Descriptive norm was a stronger mediator for females than males. In contrast, unintentional exposure was unrelated to condom-use intention and mediators. The theory of planned behavior provides a model for the development of Internet-based interventions with these students. Language: en
Oxygen consumptions of interscapular brown adipose tissue homogenates from two species of Peromyscus raised in different thermal environments.

The oxygen uptakes of interscapular brown adipose tissue sucrose homogenates from two species of Peromyscus that were raised in the laboratory at environmental temperatures of 5 °C, 23 °C, and 33 °C were measured by direct Warburg manometry with β-hydroxybutyrate as substrate. Determinations were carried out at 37 °C on homogenates made from the tissues of animals remaining at the temperatures at which they were raised as well as on homogenates made from the tissues of animals that had been exposed for ninety minutes to the other temperatures of the study. Homogenates made from the interscapular brown adipose tissues of the northern species, P. maniculatus bairdii, raised at 23 °C and 33 °C consumed comparatively small amounts of oxygen, but tissue homogenate oxygen uptakes were significantly higher when P. maniculatus bairdii raised at 23 °C and 33 °C were exposed for short periods to 5 °C. Homogenates made from the interscapular brown adipose tissues of the southern species, P. polionotus, raised at 33 °C consumed small amounts of oxygen, but tissue homogenate oxygen uptakes were significantly higher following short term exposures of P. polionotus raised at 33 °C to both 5 °C and 23 °C. The comparatively high oxygen uptakes of homogenates made from the interscapular brown adipose tissues of both species raised at 5 °C and P. polionotus raised at 23 °C did not decrease when animals raised under these conditions were exposed for short periods to warmer environments. The results of the study indicate a cold adaptive role for interscapular brown adipose tissue that is consistent with the events of temperature acclimation in rodents as well as the fact that species specific differences in homogenate oxygen uptakes appear to be representative of genetically based environmental adaptations.
An experimental steady-state foliation

The history of the intensity and orientation of a grain-shape foliation was investigated in octachloropropane deformed in simple shear at 80% of its absolute melting temperature and a shear strain-rate of 4 × 10−5S−1. Foliation orientation, developed from the beginning of the deformation, remains steady throughout the deformation. Foliation intensity becomes steady after a bulk shear strain of about 0.9 has been accumulated. The steadiness of foliation orientation and intensity is achieved by some balance between foliation-strengthening and foliation-weakening processes. The main foliation- -strengthening process is intragranular plastic deformation. Foliation-weakening processes include dynamic recrystallization by migration of straight or or slightly wavy grain boundaries, grain dissection, rotational recrystallization, grain amalgamation, relative rigidity of hard grains and grain boundary sliding. A small but definite angle, although not constant, is observed between the foliation and the long axis of the bulk total strain ellipse. The average aspect ratio of grains is lower than that of the bulk total strain ellipse by a factor of about 0.4 at total shear strain of 1.3. The average grain size also stabilizes, becoming steady from a shear strain of 0.5 onwards. A steady grain-shape foliation may be a possible paleostress or a paleostrain-rate indicator, but cannot be a paleostrain indicator.
Over-the-wing model thrust reverser noise tests

Static acoustic tests were conducted on a 1/12 scale model over-the-wing target type thrust reverser. The model configuration simulates a design that is applicable to the over-the-wing short-haul advanced technology engine. Aerodynamic screening tests of a variety of reverser designs identified configurations that satisfied a reverse thrust requirement of 35 percent of forward thrust at a nozzle pressure ratio of 1.29. The variations in the reverser configuration included, blocker door angle, blocker door lip angle and shape, and side skirt shape. Acoustic data are presented and compared for the various configurations. The model data scaled to a single full size engine show that peak free field perceived noise (PN) levels at a 152.4 meter sideline distance range from 98 to 104 PNdb.
Improving multi-target tracking via social grouping

We address the problem of multi-person data-association-based tracking (DAT) in semi-crowded environments from a single camera. Existing tracklet-association-based methods using purely visual cues (like appearance and motion information) show impressive results but rely on heavy training, a number of tuned parameters, and sophisticated detectors to cope with visual ambiguities within the video and low-level processing errors. In this work, we consider clustering dynamics to mitigate such ambiguities. This leads to a general optimization framework that adds social grouping behavior (SGB) to any basic affinity model. We formulate this as a nonlinear global optimization problem to maximize the consistency of visual and grouping cues for trajectories in both tracklet-tracklet linking space and tracklet-grouping assignment space. We formulate the Lagrange dual and solve it using a two-stage iterative algorithm, employing the Hungarian algorithm and K-means clustering. We build SGB upon a simple affinity model and show very promising performance on two publicly available real-world datasets with different tracklet extraction methods.
Properties of the 18-MV photon beam from a dual energy linear accelerator.

The beam characteristics of the 18-MV photon beam of a Varian Clinac/sup X/ 1800 are presented. The clinically relevant parameters of central axis depth dose, tissue-phantom ratios, peak-scatter factors, and relative output factors are discussed and compared to 18-MV beam data previously reported. The nominal beam energy was found to be 18.3 +- 0.8 MV on the central axis. The beam symmetry and uniformity meet the manufacturer's specifications. The inverse-square law is applicable within 1.4% over the clinically useful range of distances and field sizes. An empirical fit equation for the central axis depth dose is presented.
Evidence for a direct peripheral effect of clonidine on the norepinephrine release in vivo in pithed rats.

To study in vivo peripheral effects of clonidine on sympathetic neuronal function we measured, after different doses of clonidine, plasma norepinephrine (NE) and blood pressure (BP) responses during electric stimulation of sympathetic outflow in pithed male Sprague-Dawley rats. In this preparation, clonidine produced dose-dependent inhibition of the sympathetic stimulation-induced pressor and plasma NE responses. The dose of clonidine inhibiting the NE response by 50% (ID50) was 14.2 ± 0.3 μg/kg i.v., while ID50 for the diastolic pressor response was 22.0 ± 0.2 μg/kg i.v. Since clonidine did not alter the relationship between NE released into the plasma and the pressor responses, the entire effect of clonidine in decreasing the pressor response to sympathetic stimulation may be attributed to its presynaptic α2-adrenoceptor-mediated inhibition of NE release.
Determinants of Schooling for Boys and Girls in Nigeria Under a Policy of Free Primary Education

Abstract This paper adds a measure of school costs to the model of determinants of schooling. Costs are estimated with controls for selection into school and the possibility of receiving free primary education (FPE). Controlling for costs, household wealth has a large, positive effect on primary school attendance with greater income elasticity for girls than boys. Girls’ attendance also depends on opportunity costs generated by providing child care for younger siblings and living on a family farm. Policies that increase household resources and reduce opportunity costs are recommended to complement free primary education.
Generation of 55 W infrared and 35 W green power from a picosecond rod fiber amplifier

A Yb rod amplifier that generates 2.7 ps pulses with 55 W power at 50 MHz repetition rate is reported. Amplified pulses exhibit minimal spectral distortion and high beam quality. Frequency-doubling yields 35 W green power.
Ethical aspects of informed consent in obstetric anesthesia—new challenges and solutions

Informed consent is a cornerstone and routine component of the ethical practice of modern medicine. Its full theoretical application to specific clinical situations, however, presents a number of ethical dilemmas for health care providers. Obstetric anesthesia, in particular, presents many unique challenges to the process of informed consent. In this review, the ethical background to the doctrine of informed consent within the context of "principlism" is explored and critiqued. The application of principlism to actual clinical situations, the limitations of principlism in the peculiarities of the patient-physician encounter, as well as possible alternative models of ethical discourse is discussed. The process of informed consent can be broken down into seven elements: Threshold elements or preconditions, which include 1) decision-making capacity or competency of the patient, 2) freedom or voluntariness in decision-making, including absence of over-riding legal or state interests; informational elements, including 3) adequate disclosure of material information, 4) recommendation, and 5) an understanding of the above; consent elements, which include 6) decision by the patient in favor of a plan and 7) authorization of that plan. Each of these elements is discussed in turn, and their implications, especially for the anesthesiologist and the obstetric patient, are addressed.
Cointegrations, relative cohomology for comodules, and coseparable corings

In this paper we introduce cointegrations from one bicomodule into another, a notion extending that of coderivation used by Nakajima [ 1 1 ] and Doi [3]. We show that in the category of comodules over a coring, the relative functor Ext is the derieved functor of cointegrations and, as a corollary, that the Hochschild cohomology of the coring is the derived functor of coderivations. These statements are analogues of the result of Kleiner [7], who proved that the relative functor Ext is the derived functor of integrations in the category of modules over an associative ring, and of the Barr-Rinehart [l] theorem stating that the Hochschild cohomology of an associative algebra is the derived functor of derivations. The proof is based on the existence of couniversal cointegrations and coderivations into an arbitrary comodule. As an application of the results on cohomology, we give a characterization of coseparable corings (Theorem 3.10). Coseparable, coalgebras have been studied in papers by Larson [IS], Nakajima [ 10, 111, and Doi [3], where coseparability is characterized in terms of coderivations. Our theorem extends these characterizations to corings, and gives some new ones, of which (vii) is particularly nice because it is an analogue of the characterization of finite-dimensional separable algebras over a field (cf, Cohn [2, Theorem 10.10.71). The cotensor product was first introduced by Milnor and Moore [9] for comodules over a coalgebra with a field as the ground ring. However, its behavior for corings is not well known, and coseparability seems to play an important role here (see Proposition 1.2, or the fact that cotensor product is not associative in general, but becomes so under some conseparability assumptions). The same remark applies to the functor Corn. (A detailed 211 OO21-8693/89 $3.OO
Texture and microstructure of emulsions prepared with soy protein concentrate by high-pressure homogenization

Abstract Oil-in-water emulsions containing a commercial fraction of soy protein concentrate (SPC) and 20 g of soybean oil/100 g emulsion were characterized by looking at stability, particle size, surface adsorption, microstructure and rheological properties. The effect of heating at 82°C for 2 min before homogenization at 80 MPa on the rheological properties and microstructure of the emulsions was also studied. All emulsions showed a gel-like behavior, stability to creaming and did not separate during quiescent storage for 20 days at 4°C. All emulsions with a concentration of 2 g of SPC/100 g were characterized by a creamy texture. No significant differences in microstructure and stability to creaming were shown between heated and unheated emulsions. However, heat treatment resulted in emulsions with higher elastic moduli (G′) than those of unheated emulsions. In addition, heat treatment caused preferential adsorption of the basic subunits of 11S protein onto the oil-in-water interface. The unique properties described in this work have never been reported for oil-in-water emulsions containing soy proteins. These findings may lead to the utilization of high-pressure homogenization of SPC in the development of novel soy-based foods.
Self-diffusion in indium antimonide and gallium antimonide

Self-diffusion measurements have been made in the semi-conducting interrnetallic compounds InSb and GaSb. The material was single crystal or slightly polycrystalline. A tracer technique was used, in which layer's were removed from the crystal progressively and the residual activity in the crystal was counted after each section was taken. A hold-up on the surface of most of the radioactive tracer and the small magnitude of the diffusion coefficients limits the precision of the measurements and the temperature range over which they can be made with reasonable annealing times (a range of 40°C was used for both compounds). The data yield different diffusion coefficients for the group III atoms and the group V atoms in both compounds. The following values of D0 and Q are obtained: (cm2/sec) Q (kcal/mole) InSb In 0.05 41.8 Sb 0.05 44.6 GaSb Ga 3.2 × 103 72.6 Sb 3.4 × 104 79.4 Full-size table Table options View in workspace Download as CSV The results allow the elimination of the following as possible mechanisms of self-diffusion in InSb and GaSb: 1. (a) direct interchange with nearest neighbors, 2. (b) a ring mechanism with equal numbers of group III and group V atoms in the ring, 3. (c) a vacancy mechanism with movements to vacancies in nearestneighbor positions only, 4. (d) interstitial diffusion in which the diffusing atoms always remain in interstitial positions or displace other atoms into an interstitial position if they re-enter the lattice. A reasonable mechanism for self-diffusion which accounts for the data in a consistent manner is vacancy diffusion in each of the face-centered cubic sublattices formed by the two constituents of InSb and GaSb. The product of grain-boundary width and grain-boundary diffusion coefficient in InSb was found to be 3.8 × 10−16cm3 sec at 502°C. Diffusion of antimony in isolated dislocations in GaSb has been observed at temperatures near 700°C, with a product of diffusion coefficient and square of the dislocation radius between 10−21 and 10−22 cm4/sec.
Design and Synthesis of Novel Hydrazide-Linked Bifunctional Peptides as δ/μ Opioid Receptor Agonists and CCK-1/CCK-2 Receptor Antagonists

A series of hydrazide-linked bifunctional peptides designed to act as agonists for δ/μ opioid receptors and antagonists for CCK-1/CCK-2 receptors was prepared and tested for binding to both opioid and CCK receptors and in functional assays. SAR studies in the CCK region examined the structural requirements for the side chain groups at positions 1‘, 2‘, and 4‘ and for the N-terminal protecting group, which are related to interactions not only with CCK, but also with opioid receptors. Most peptide ligands that showed high binding affinities (0.1−10 nM) for both δ and μ opioid receptors generally showed lower binding affinities (micromolar range) at CCK-1 and CCK-2 receptors, but were potent CCK receptor antagonists in the GPI/LMMP assay (up to Ke = 6.5 nM). The results indicate that it is reasonable to design chimeric bifunctional peptide ligands for different G-protein coupled receptors in a single molecule.
Constituents from Terminalia species increase PPARα and PPARγ levels and stimulate glucose uptake without enhancing adipocyte differentiation

Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance The fruits of Terminalia bellerica Roxb. (Combretaceae) and T. chebula Retz. (Combretaceae) are important components of triphala, a popular Ayurvedic formulation, for treating diabetes in Indian traditional medicine. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the constituents of T. bellerica and T. chebula fruit extracts on PPARα and PPARγ signaling/expression, cellular glucose uptake and adipogenesis. Materials and methods PPARα and PPARγ signaling and expression (luciferase assay and western blot) and the insulin-stimulated uptake of 2-NBDG were determined in HepG2 cells. The effects on adipogenesis were determined in 3T3-L1 cells by Oil red O staining and measurement of lipid content by AdipoRed reagent. Results Out of the 20 compounds, two ellagitannins, chebulagic acid ( 1 ) and corilagin ( 2 ), and three gallotannins, 2,3,6-tri-O-galloyl-β- d -glucose ( 3 ), 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β- d -glucose ( 4 ), and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β- d -glucose ( 5 ), showed the enhancement of PPARα and/or PPARγ signaling. Two of the gallotannins ( 4 and 5 ) also increased PPARα and PPARγ protein expression, while all three ( 3 – 5 ) enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake into HepG2 cells. Compound 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β- d -glucose ( 4 ) was the most potent in increasing cellular glucose uptake (9.92-fold increase at 50 μM). In the test for adipogenesis, 3 – 5 did not enhance the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes but inhibited the adipogenic effect of rosiglitazone. Conclusion Three gallotannins ( 3 – 5 ) from Terminalia fruits acting as enhancers of both PPARα and PPARγ signaling increased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake without inducing the adipogenesis, with 1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-β- d -glucose ( 4 ) being the most effective in stimulating glucose uptake and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-β- d -glucose ( 5 ) being most effective in increasing PPAR protein expression.
Measurements of plasma temperatures in H/sub 2//carbon/AR microwave plasma by UV emission spectroscopy

Summary form only given. We have developed a microwave plasma at atmospheric pressure in the mixtures of hydrogen, carbon, and argon in order to study the hydrogasification reaction of coal. A coal gasification is a newly highlighted research field because coal is abundant energy source for methane or hydrogen. However, the coal gasification process has encountered technical barriers because no reliable sulfur-tolerant chemical catalysts exist. Los Alamos National Laboratory has proposed a plasma catalyzed coal gasification concept, where plasma turns coal and reactant gases into highly reactive free radicals and excited species, which are believed to promote gasification reactions. Preliminary results showed that small amounts of CH4 , C2H2, and C2H4 are detected through the hydrogasification reaction. One of issues to be investigated is how a non-equilibrium property of the microwave plasma affects gasification reactions of coal. The excitation and rotational temperatures are obtained with measuring an Ar and C2 emission lines, respectively. Hydrogen atoms will be measured with NO 2 titration techniques. In this presentation, we will emphasize the mechanism of coal hydrogasification with characterizing the plasma properties and correlating these to hydrogasification reactivity
On Decidability of Distributed Diagnosis Under Unbounded-Delay Communication

In this note we show that the problem of distributed diagnosis under unbounded communication delay is decidable when there is no inferencing involved among the diagnosers. The notion of jointinfin-diagnosability is introduced to capture the diagnosability property in this setting. We show the equivalence of jointinfin-diagnosability and codiagnosability, which captures the diagnosability property in the decentralized setting (i.e., one involving no communication). Thus the decidability result follows from the decidability of codiagnosability established in a previous paper. We also show that the property of jointinfin-diagnosability is stronger than decentralized-diagnosability introduced in a previous paper
ALTERATIONS IN CARDIAC SYNCHRONY INDUCED BY THE CARDIAC SYMPATHETIC NERVES.

While pressures were recorded separately from the four chambers of the heart in openchest dog preparations, together with a standard limb lead of the ECG, the right and left stellate ganglia were stimulated. Measurements from the beginning of the P wave to the initial rise in chamber pressures revealed that pressure in the left ventricle began to rise approximately 20 msec prior to that in the right ventricle. This interval was significantly shortened during electrical stimulation of the stellate ganglion. Although the interval between P wave and the initial pressure elevations in the right atrium (RA) and the left atrium (LA) both shortened during stellate stimulation, P-RA decreased considerably more than P-LA. The P wave, PR interval, and the QRS complex all shortened markedly, indicating increased conduction velocity over the atria, the nodal conducting tissue, and the ventricles during stellate stimulation. These events occurred with or without alterations in heart rate and were correlated with large increases in the rate of change of ventricular pressures. Simple algebraic summation of individual muscle segment contractions may achieve significantly greater intraventricular pressure as the contractions become more synchronous. The total pressure developed is further augmented when each individual unit contracts with greater force and greater velocity. The recruitment of additional functional units would result in further summation and thus in still greater augmentation in total force and pressure. Alterations in pacemaker site are common during stellate stimulation.
Photoinduced charge transfer in BSO:Cr3+ homegrown single crystal at room temperature during grating formation under Ar+ laser illumination in EPR experiment

With a view to understand the microscopic origin of photoinduced charge transfer in the cubic BSO crystal, we have studied the EPR spectrum of BSO:Fe3+ and the effect of laser illumination on the EPR signal during photorefractive grating formation at liquid nitrogen and room temperatures. The BSO:Cr crystal was grown at Alabama A&M University using Czochralski technique and the EPR spectrum was recorded at room temperature. Three EPR signals were observed. The EPR signals are due to the main dopant Cr3+ and the weak presence of Fe3+ which is inherent in BSO crystal. The effect of Ar+ laser illumination revealed new facts about the behavior of Cr3+ under laser illumination which is opposite to the behavior of Fe3+ in BSO:Fe3+ under laser illumination. Forming a grid on the face of the crystal increases the light-induced charge transfer Cr2+/Cr4+ is equivalent to Cr3+. The use of laser illumination helped to shed more understanding on the assignment of the EPR signals as well as the dynamic behavior of the charge transfer processes.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The Black Mountains turtlebacks: Rosetta stones of Death Valley tectonics

The Black Mountains turtlebacks expose mid-crustal rock along the western front of the Black Mountains. As such, they provide keys to understanding the Tertiary structural evolution of Death Valley, and because of the outstanding rock exposure, they also provide valuable natural laboratories for observing structural processes. There are three turtlebacks: the Badwater turtleback in the north, the Copper Canyon turtleback, and the Mormon Point turtleback in the south. Although important differences exist among them, each turtleback displays a doubly plunging antiformal core of metamorphic and igneous rock and a brittle fault contact to the northwest that is structurally overlain by Miocene-Pleistocene volcanic and/or sedimentary rock. The turtleback cores contain mylonitic rocks that record an early period of top-southeastward directed shear followed by top- northwestward directed shear. The earlier formed mylonites are cut by, and locally appear concurrent with, 55-61 Ma pegmatite. We interpret these fabrics as related to large-scale, basement-involved thrust faults at the turtlebacks, now preserved as areally- extensive, metamorphosed, basement over younger-cover contacts. The younger, and far more pervasive, mylonites record late Tertiary extensional unroofing of the turtleback footwalls from mid-crustal depths. Available geochronology suggests that they cooled through 300 8C at different times: 13 Ma at Badwater; 6 Ma at Copper Canyon; 8 Ma at Mormon Point. At Mormon Point and Copper Canyon turtlebacks these dates record cooling of the metamorphic assemblages from beneath the floor of an ~11 Ma Tertiary plutonic complex. Collectively these relationships suggest that the turtlebacks record initiation of ductile extension before ~14 Ma followed by injection of a large plutonic complex along the ductile shear zone. Ductile deformation continued during extensional uplift until the rocks cooled below temperatures for crystal plastic deformation by 6-8 Ma. Subsequent low-angle brittle fault slip led to final exposure of the igneous and metamorphic complex. The turtleback shear zones can constrain models for crustal extension from map-view as well as cross-sectional perspectives. In map view, the presence of basement-involved thrust faults in the turtlebacks suggest the Black Mountains were a basement
A feature combination approach for the detection of early morning bathroom activities with wireless sensors

In this paper we investigate the use of wearable accelerometers and wireless home sensors for the detection of early morning daily activities to assist people with cognitive impairments. In particular we focus on the detection of brushing, washing face and shaving activities by using a wireless accelerometer sensor attached to the right wrist of the subjects to collect the hand movement data. We extracted time and frequency domain features of the accelerometer data for activity recognition. In order to compare the efficiency of different frequency domain features, we used fast Fourier transform and autoregressive modeling. The extracted time and frequency domain features are input to an ensemble of Gaussian mixture models (GMM) which represent individual activities we focus on. Finally, they are post processed by a finite state machine for classification. We show promising experimental results from 7 subjects while completing washing face, shaving and brushing activities. The proposed system achieved 93.5%, 92.5% and 95.6% classification accuracy in the recognition of these three tasks respectively.
Multi-Method Evaluation of Instruction in Engineering Classes

Student evaluation of instruction in college and university courses has been a routine and mandatory part of undergraduate and graduate education for some time. A major shortcoming of the process is that it often relies exclusively on the opinions or qualitative judgments of students rather than the learning or transfer of knowledge that takes place in the classroom. To develop a more objective system of assessment, this research focused on a learning-centered approach to course work and teaching evaluation. Standardized testing tools were developed suitable for measuring the content knowledge of students in a representative group of undergraduate courses. Course evaluations were conducted using two systems of assessment: the traditional student questionnaire feedback system and one based on the learning-centered approach using a computer-based question bank and on-line testing. Significant performance differences were evident in pretest/posttest comparisons of student learning. Favorable ratings of instruction are reflected in opinions on student questionnaires. No relationship was demonstrated between learning and traditional course evaluation outcomes. Our hypothesis that the learning-centered approach provides information that is not available using the traditional student feedback system was supported.
Variations in Hospitalization Outcomes in Children Admitted With Seizures Between 2003 and 2006

Economic factors play an increasingly important role in the management of medical conditions. This study evaluated the economic impact of seizures in children in the United States using a large national data set known as the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID). The aim of this study was to characterize hospitalizations including total costs, length of stay, and variations in care. There were 63,719 pediatric seizure discharges in the 2003 and 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database. The mean hospital cost was $4105 in 2003 and $4553 in 2006. Patients with government insurance as the primary payer had a significantly longer length of stay compared with private insurance or self-pay patients (P < .0001); however, there was no significant difference in the total costs of hospitalization between the different payer groups. This analysis highlights multiple disparities of health care utilization in pediatric seizure management. In a stressful economic climate, all health care entities must focus on cost management of pediatric seizure.
Effect of Angiotonin and Renin on Glomerular Circulation in Frog Kidney

SummaryAngiotonin, when applied directly or administered intravenously produced transient vasoconstriction with cessation of activity of the glomerular circulation for about one minute. This was followed by moderate engorgement of the glomeruli which lasted about 8 minutes. When angiotonin was administered subcutaneously, moderate engorgement of the glomeruli was produced without an initial cessation of glomerular circulatory activity. With successive administrations of angiotonin, the blanching effect disappeared but the glomerular engorgement was observed consistently.Renin had no detectable effect on the renal circulation in the frog.
Size-dependent antimicrobial effects of novel palladium nanoparticles.

Investigating the interactions between nanoscale materials and microorganisms is crucial to provide a comprehensive, proactive understanding of nanomaterial toxicity and explore the potential for novel applications. It is well known that nanomaterial behavior is governed by the size and composition of the particles, though the effects of small differences in size toward biological cells have not been well investigated. Palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) have gained significant interest as catalysts for important carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom reactions and are increasingly used in the chemical industry, however, few other applications of Pd NPs have been investigated. In the present study, we examined the antimicrobial capacity of Pd NPs, which provides both an indication of their usefulness as target antimicrobial compounds, as well as their potency as potential environmental pollutants. We synthesized Pd NPs of three different well-constrained sizes, 2.0±0.1 nm, 2.5±0.2 nm and 3.1±0.2 nm. We examined the inhibitory effects of the Pd NPs and Pd2+ ions toward gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacterial cultures throughout a 24 hour period. Inhibitory growth effects of six concentrations of Pd NPs and Pd2+ ions (2.5×10−4, 10−5, 10−6, 10−7, 10−8, and 10−9 M) were examined. Our results indicate that Pd NPs are generally much more inhibitory toward S. aureus than toward E. coli, though all sizes are toxic at ≥10−5 M to both organisms. We observed a significant difference in size-dependence of antimicrobial activity, which differed based on the microorganism tested. Our work shows that Pd NPs are highly antimicrobial, and that fine-scale (<1 nm) differences in size can alter antimicrobial activity.