cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Flow cytometric detection of specific gene expression in prokaryotic cells using in situ RT-PCR.

Prokaryotic in situ RT-PCR was coupled with flow cytometry to detect mRNA transcripts of the toluene dioxygenase (todC1) gene in intact cells of the bacterium Pseudomonas putida F1. Recovery efficiency of fixed cells over the course of the entire in situ detection procedure was approximately 81% for both P. putida F1 and AC10R cells. It appeared that lysozyme treatment and PCR thermal cycling were the steps responsible for most of observed cell loss. Bacterial cells expressing the todC1 gene could be discriminated from negative control cells of the same size based on flow cytometrically-measured fluorescence and forward angle light scatter. According to flow cytometric analysis, the fluorescence intensity of positive cells was 4–5 times brighter than that of negative cells. The combination of flow cytometry and a prokaryotic in situ reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) approach make possible the rapid detection and enumeration of functional (based on mRNA) populations of microbial cells.
Induction and subcellular localization of two major stress proteins in response to copper in the fathead minnow Pimephales promelas.

In the present study we characterize the stress response induced by copper in the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. The fathead minnow epithelial cell line ATCC CCL 42 was used to examine the induced synthesis and subcellular localization of the two major stress proteins, stress70 and cpn60. Western blot analysis demonstrated increased stress70 in cells exposed to 400 and 500 μM Cu. Two-dimensional analysis revealed three isoforms of stress70, one of 70 kDa and two of 72 kDa, at the highest Cu concentration. Chaperonin60 abundance did not change over the same range of Cu concentrations. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that stress70 localized in the cytoplasm, particularly in the paranuclear region. Chaperonin60 was localized in mitochondria. Further, when we examined the stress response elicited by Cu in fathead minnow larvae in vivo, we found that Cu induced the stress response at nominal Cu concentrations that were more than an order of magnitude lower that in the cell culture. This disparity between the concentration of Cu, which induced the stress response in cells in culture and in vivo, may be the result of differences in Cu complexation that alter its availability, uptake and toxicity.
Child Welfare Workers' Adoption of Decision Support Technology.

Child welfare workers must process complex information in deciding to refer clients to appropriate mental health services. Decision support systems have been demonstrated in other fields to be an important tool, yet little research has been done in child welfare. This study focused on the adoption of a specific decision support system into child welfare practice. Quantitative analysis was used to demonstrate the diffusion of innovation process among a sample of state child welfare workers, while qualitative analysis was used to explain the facilitators and barriers to decision support systems adoption. Results indicate that for decision support systems to be widely adopted in child welfare practice, they should be integrated into the referral system and include workers' knowledge and experiences with referral resources. For successful adoption, decision support systems need to respect the natural logic and flow of worker interaction as well as organizational constraints.
Thermal Coefficient of Expansion of an Activated Vacancy in Zinc from High-Pressure Self-Diffusion Experiments

The coefficient of self-diffusion along the principal axes in zinc was obtained over the temperature range 300-400\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C, and over the pressure range 0-9 kbar. The unusually high precision of 2% in the measurement of the vacancy activation volumes was achieved by means of a novel technique that insured temperature reproducibility in the diffusion zone of \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.2\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C at high pressure. The activation volumes for diffusion, associated with the basal and nonbasal vacancy mechanisms are found to be temperature dependent, isotropic, and approximately proportional to $T$. Hence the thermal coefficient of expansion of an activated vacancy is given by ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{v}={T}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, and is about 15 times larger than the thermal coefficient of expansion of the perfect lattice. The activation entropy is pressure dependent, whereas the activation enthalpy is pressure independent to within the experimental uncertainty.
State of Qualitative Research in Engineering Education: Meta-Analysis of JEE Articles, 2005–2006

With recent calls for expanding the scope and rigor of engineering education research, use of qualitative methods to answer research questions that can not be answered through quantitative methods is taking on increasing significance. Well-designed qualitative studies often build on epistemological consistency across theoretical perspectives, research questions, and research methods. We examine recent articles published in the Journal of Engineering Education to determine the overall prevalence of qualitative articles and the extent to which they appear epistemologically and methodologically consistent with the goals of qualitative inquiry. We find that there are very few qualitative articles published, and even fewer which show epistemological consistency across different aspects of the research design. These issues may limit the rich, descriptive information that could be gained from qualitative inquiry, limiting the contributions qualitative studies could make to engineering education. We call on researchers to expand their use of qualitative methods and to design their studies with careful attention to epistemological consistency across the design.
Exploring Group Activity Therapy With Ethnically Diverse Adolescents

Group activity therapy has been promoted as an effective means of providing growth opportunities for adolescents through the use of structured, developmentally appropriate activities in a group setting. This article qualitatively explores outcomes of 12 sessions of group activity therapy with ethnically diverse adolescents in a school setting. The authors replicated procedures set forth by Packman and Bratton's (2003) structured group format that included an activity, free or self-directed play time, and a snack time. Definitions and literature related to group activity therapy and its conception are included, along with multicultural considerations.
An exploration of design opportunities for “gardening” end-user programmers' ideas

Despite recent advances in supporting end-user programmers, empirical studies continue to report barriers that end users experience in problem solving with programming environments. We hypothesize that an important barrier that still needs to be overcome is the lack of support for nurturing end-user programmers' ideas on how a program should be written or on how to solve programming difficulties. Therefore, in this paper, we present a qualitative empirical investigation and triangulate the results with theories from problem solving and creativity. Moreover, we explore design opportunities and a design space for “idea gardening”, a new approach to nurturing end-user programmers' ideas and to helping them gradually gain expertise as they overcome barriers. Our results suggest that nurturing end-user programmers' ideas is a fertile area for research with an interesting, multidimensional design space.
Both neuronal NO synthase and nitric oxide are required for PC12 cell differentiation: a cGMP independent pathway

PC12 cells are used as a model system to study neuronal differentiation. Nerve growth factor (NGF) triggers a differentiation pathway in PC12 cells. Neurite outgrowth (a morphological marker of differentiation) in PC12 cells is significantly reduced in the presence of the NOS inhibitor l-NAME, but not d-NAME, implicating NOS in the differentiation process. Previously we have shown that the neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) isoform is induced in PC12 cells in the presence of NGF. Thus, we wished to further evaluate the role of nNOS and NO in PC12 cell differentiation. When a dominant negative mutant nNOS expression vector was transiently transfected into NGF-treated PC12 cells, it significantly reduced PC12 cell neurite outgrowth. Thus, we concluded that the NO required for PC12 cell differentiation, in response to NGF, is produced by nNOS. NO alone was insufficient to induce differentiation as cells treated with the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside did not produce neurites. Treatment of PC12 cells with oxyhemoglobin (an NO scavenger) was also found to significantly reduce the number of neurites produced by PC12 cells treated with NGF. Thus, NO appears to be necessary, but not sufficient, to induce differentiation, and its mode of action appears to be extracellular. A well documented action of NO is to activate soluble guanylate cyclase. Thus, we determined the role of soluble guanylate cyclase activation as a means by which NO induces PC12 cell differentiation. However, in the presence of NGF (to prime PC12 cells for differentiation) and l-NAME (to specifically remove the NO component), 8Br-cGMP (a cGMP analog) failed to induce PC12 cell differentiation. In addition, blockade of sGC activity with specific inhibitors failed to block NGF-induced PC12 cell differentiation. We conclude that the NO required for PC12 cell differentiation is produced by nNOS and that the NO exerts its effects on surrounding PC12 cells in a sGC/cGMP independent manner.
A study of the physiological mechanisms contributing to neurotensin-induced hypothermia

Although central administration of neurotensin is known to produce marked hypothermia in the rat, there are no studies which have investigated the effects of neurotensin on oxygen consumption and heat exchange, the physiological mechanisms which are the principal contributors to changes in body temperature. We report a significant correlation between dose and the duration and degree of post-injection heat loss following central administration of neurotensin. Oxygen consumption does not appear to be affected by neurotensin. We suggest that it is this dose-dependent, post-injection heat loss which is responsible for neurotensin-induced hypothermia. Furthermore, the hypothermia does not appear to reflect a change in set point.
Optimal Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: The Search for the Magic Combination of Inhaled Bronchodilators and Corticosteroids

In this issue, Aaron and colleagues performed a randomized trial in which all patients with moderate to severe COPD received tiotropium with random assignment to placebo, a long-acting inhaled bron...
An intact centrosome is required for the maintenance of polarization during directional cell migration.

BackgroundEstablishing and maintaining polarization is critical during cell migration. It is known that the centrosome contains numerous proteins whose roles of organizing the microtubule network range include nucleation, stabilization and severing. It is not known whether the centrosome is necessary to maintain polarization. Due to its role as the microtubule organizing center, we hypothesize that the centrosome is necessary to maintain polarization in a migrating cell. Although there have been implications of its role in cell migration, there is no direct study of the centrosome's role in maintaining polarization. In this study we ablate the centrosome by intracellular laser irradiation to understand the role of the centrosome in two vastly different cell types, human osteosarcoma (U2OS) and rat kangaroo kidney epithelial cells (PtK). The PtK cell line has been extensively used as a model for cytoskeletal dynamics during cell migration. The U2OS cell line serves as a model for a complex, single migrating cell.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn this study we use femtosecond near-infrared laser irradiation to remove the centrosome in migrating U2OS and PtK2 cells. Immunofluorescence staining for centrosomal markers verified successful irradiation with 94% success. A loss of cell polarization is observed between 30 and 90 minutes following removal of the centrosome. Changes in cell shape are correlated with modifications in microtubule and actin organization. Changes in cell morphology and microtubule organization were quantified revealing significant depolarization resulting from centrosome irradiation.Conclusions/SignificanceThis study demonstrates that the centrosome is necessary for the maintenance of polarization during directed cell migration in two widely different cell types. Removal of the centrosome from a polarized cell results in the reorganization of the microtubule network into a symmetric non-polarized phenotype. These results demonstrate that the centrosome plays a critical role in the maintenance of cytoskeletal asymmetry during cell migration.
Determination of relative triplet sublevel populating rates during optical pumping using ODMR.

Abstract A method is introduced, based on optical detection of triplet state magnetic resonance (ODMR), to determine the relative populating rates of photoexcited triplet state sublevels during optical pumping. Phosphorescence transients induced by microwave rapid passage during optical pumping are analyzed globally utilizing kinetic parameters obtained from separate microwave-induced delayed phosphorescence measurements to obtain relative sublevel populating rates. Results are unaffected by phosphorescence from triplet populations that do not yield an ODMR response. The method is applied to the triplet state of the indole chromophore in various environments to reveal the effects of local interactions on the pattern of intersystem crossing. Enhanced spin–orbit coupling effects are attributed to interactions that reduce the planar symmetry of the indole chromophore.
Pulp and paper mill waste pollution in the Swale, a tidal channel on the east coast of England

The effect of pulp and paper mill waste discharges in the Swale, a tidal channel on the southeast coast of England, has been studied. A pulsing tidal movement in the Swale results in effluent being trapped within the estuary for up to 20 days. This has resulted in adverse effects on the quality of the water and sediment along a substantial part of the estuary with the greatest effect occurring east of the mill in the direction of the residual current. A reduction in the dissolved oxygen concentration occurred along a 13-km stretch of the estuary with mean values falling to 53 % saturation near the mill. High levels of organic matter in the sediment reflect the deposition of material from the mill effluent stream and loss on ignition values of up to 12 % were found east of the mill, falling to 5 % within 4 km northwest of the mill. The macrofauna of the intertidal mudflats was typical of a stressed environment with a low number of species and with a few being represented by large numbers of individuals. The dominant species was the sabellid polychaeteManayunkia aestuarina which reached peak numbers of over 1.5 million m−2, 1.5 km east of the mill. An increase in the total biomass near the mill is thought to be associated with organic enrichment from the mill wastes.
World Languages and Trade Opportunities.

ABSTRACT Students with a strong career orientation toward business are realizing that foreign language skills are a desirable asset in seeking employment. Before committing several years of study to acquiring a foreign language, they may seek measures of the economic activity and population distribution of world languages as well as information on the extent of possibilities for trade abroad in various languages. This paper presents an analysis of the population distribution and Gross National Product per capita of leading world languages and reviews briefly several readily available reports on world trade.
Phase-Modulated Hierarchical Surface Structures by Interfering Laser Beams

A high-energy laser interference direct modulation technique is proposed to develop surfaces for energy-efficient performance based on microstructure and physical parameter control. By producing the surface features or particles at the nano to micron scale in an orderly and/or parallel manner with a lateral long-range order, the surfaces can be configured for highly improved surface response for a host of properties, including wear and friction. Laser interference direct modulation can lead to an optimized composite of metallurgical (localized alloyed or composite regions) and topographic textures. The technique is rapid prototyping, low cost and one-step method that can be well-integrated into existing production lines without the need for any special atmosphere. It is usable for complex geometries of the components and the surface can be modulated for nano-micro scale features on large areas. The present paper describes the principle behind the laser interference technique configured for surface modulation and provides the definitions of surface structures (features) evolved. Some examples of laser-based surface modulation of materials systems are presented.
THE EFFECTS OF DIETARY DEFICIENCY OF IODIN UPON THE THYROID AND PARATHYROID GLANDS IN THE RAT

There is still difference of opinion concerning the relation between goiter and dietary deficiency of iodin. The literature on the question has been reviewed by Jackson (1, 2) and more recently by Hellwig (3, 4). The production of goiter in rats by low-iodin diets has been claimed by Hayden, Wenner and Rucker (5), Tanabe (6), and Krauss and Monroe (7). On the other hand, Hellwig (3, 4) has recently obtained only negative results. Further study of the question therefore appears desirable. The present experiments extended over a considerable period of time, with careful attention to the diet and to the technique of determining the effects upon the size and structure of the thyroid gland. Observations were made also upon the parathyroid glands.
HIV infection and AIDS: Definition and classification of disease

Abstract Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can result in a spectrum of laboratory abnormalities and clinical manifestations. The majority of persons with HIV infection are asymptomatic. However, a subset of these asymptomatic persons may have measurable signs of immune dysfunction such as skin test anergy or lymphopenia. When symptoms or signs develop, they may be a direct result of HIV infection or due to a secondary complication (e.g., opportunistic infection, neoplasm). Such complications can include the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), progressive generalized lymphadenopathy (PGL), or AIDS-related complex (ARC). Described herein are various classification systems which reflect what is known to date about the spectrum of HIV-induced disease. The use of such classification schemas lead to more precise stratification of patient groups and should lead to the decreased use of imprecise terms such as ARC. These classification systems are extremely important for studies such as ...
The organization of the electromotor nucleus and extraocular motor nuclei in the stargazer (Astroscopus y‐graecum)

The organization of the oculomotor and electromotor systems was examined in the stargazer, a teleost. The electromotor system in these animals is a derivative of the oculomotor system. The extraocular motor nuclei and nerves consist of approximately equal numbers of motoneurons and axons (about 100 per muscle). In contrast, electromotor axons appear to branch several times within the intracranial portion of the IIIrd nerve. The topographical organization of the motoneurons was examined using retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase injected into the electric organ or eye muscles. Electromotor and oculomotor neurons form distinct populations. Each electric organ receives a strong ipsilateral and a weak contralateral innervation. Individual eye muscles receive unilateral innervations with the expected laterality. Within the oculomotor nucleus there is some topographical separation of motoneurons innervating each muscle. Antidromic field potentials confirm the identity of the electromotor nucleus.
Fetal nucleated red blood cells in a rat model of intrauterine growth restriction induced by hypoxia and nitric oxide synthase inhibition

Objective Nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) in fetal circulation have been proposed as a marker of chronic hypoxia in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). We sought to determine the effects of chronic hypoxia, chronic nitric oxide inhibition with N G -nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), or both on NRBC counts, erythropoietin levels, and pathologic changes in an animal model of IUGR. Study Design We assigned timed pregnant adult Sprague Dawley rats to the following groups: (1) 21% oxygen + saline solution (n = 7); (2) 21% oxygen + l-NAME (n = 8); (3) 10% oxygen + saline solution (n = 6); and (4) 10% oxygen + l-NAME (n = 6). We inserted osmotic pumps that were prefilled with saline solution or l-NAME subcutaneously on day 17 of gestation. The animals were placed in a Plexiglas hypoxic chamber, which ensured a constant hypoxic environment. The animals were killed on day 21 of gestation before the onset of spontaneous labor. We collected maternal and fetal blood for measurement of NRBC and erythropoietin levels. The results were interpreted in relationship to maternal arterial blood gases and hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. Fetuses were examined for gross abnormalities and histological abnormalities that are characteristic of vascular disruptions by a blind examiner to experimental manipulation. Results Nitric oxide inhibition induced IUGR with maximal effect when both l-NAME and hypoxia treatments were combined. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis, but not chronic hypoxia, increased the number of fetal NRBCs and generalized hemorrhagic diathesis in utero. These features were aggravated significantly when the treatments were combined. Moreover, chronic hypoxia induced significant maternal metabolic acidosis and increased hematocrit and erythropoietin levels in maternal and fetal blood. Nitric oxide inhibition increased maternal hematocrit levels while decreasing maternal erythropoietin levels without significantly altering the maternal acid-base status. In contrast with chronic hypoxia, nitric oxide inhibition increased fetal NRBCs without affecting erythropoietin levels. Conclusion Our findings indicate that the number of NRBCs in fetal circulation does not serve as a specific marker of chronic hypoxia that accompanies IUGR or of elevated erythropoietin levels but are an epiphenomenon that is related to the inhibition of nitric oxide.
Effect of Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF) and Insulin-Like Growth Factors Type I (IGF-I) and Type II (IGF-II) on Adult Human Keratinocyte Growth and Fibronectin Secretion

Abstract Effects of growth factors on keratinocyte migration and proliferation are of interest as an indication of their potential use in acceleration of wound re-epithelialization. Various growth factors were examined for effects on normal adult human keratinocyte growth and fibronectin (Fn) secretion for cells cultured in serum-free medium. Accumulation of Fn in the medium of cells grown with H + I + EGF + BPE paralleled growth during the exponential phase and declined as the cells approached confluence. Cells maintained in low Ca ++ (0.15 mM) post-confluence and red daily to prevent cornification continued to accumulate Fn in the medium, while those grown continuously in 1.2 mM Ca ++ ceased Fn secretion at confluence. EGF, bFGF, and transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) stimulated keratinocyte Fn secretion in correlation with literature reports on the ability of these factors to stimulate the migration of these cells. In contrast, despite its marked effects on cell growth, BPE was found to consistently reduce the amount of Fn found in the medium when added to cultures containing either EGF or bFGF. Addition of BPE to cultures containing EGF or bFGF stimulated growth to the same extent, indicating that the effects of BPE on keratinocyte growth are not solely due to its content of bFGF.
Geach's 'Refutation' of Austin Revisited

A characteristic move of what is known as ‘ordinary language philosophy’ (OLP), as exemplified by J.L. Austin's discussion of knowledge in ‘Other Minds,’ is to appeal to the ordinary and normal use(s) of some philosophically troublesome word(s), with the professed aim of alleviating this or that philosophical difficulty or dispelling this or that philosophical confusion. This characteristic move has been criticized widely on the grounds that it rests on a conflation of ‘meaning’ and ‘use’; and that criticism has been quite successful in its effect: OLP is widely held nowadays within the mainstream of analytic philosophy to have somehow been refuted or otherwise seriously discredited. However, that the words in question do indeed have something referable to as ‘their meaning,’ which is not only conceptually distinguishable from their ordinary and normal uses, but also theoretically separable from these uses, in a way that renders misguided the ordinary language philosopher's characteristic appeal and validates the traditional concerns OLP set itself out to dispel, has for the most part merely been presupposed and insisted on, as opposed to argued for, by detractors of OLP.
SU‐GG‐T‐45: Use of MVCT with Image Registration for Planning HDR Treatments Using a Custom Oral Applicator with Lead Shielding

Purpose:Treatment planning for HDR brachytherapy can be difficult in cases in which it is necessary to create custom applicators that incorporate shielding for the protection of normal structures. This can be overcome by the use of MVCT, which reduces artifacts in the image set. Method and Materials: A custom oral applicator was created by a dentist for the treatment of a superficial recurrence of an oral tongue cancer. The applicator contained two interstitial catheters placed one cm. apart, along with approximately 2.1 mm of lead sheeting to shield the maxilla, mandible, and supporting structures. At time of simulation, the applicator was placed in the patient's mouth, with dummy strands inside the catheters, and an MVCT was performed on the Tomotherapy® system. Another MVCT was performed of just the applicator with dummy strands. The MVCT images were transferred to the Velocity ®system for image registration. The catheters were visualized on the scan of the applicator, and then the contours were transferred to the full MVCT set. The MVCT and contour DICOM sets were transferred to BrachyVision for HDR planning. Dwell times were manually optimized to cover the target volume, with a prescription of 32 Gy in 8 BID fractions. Results: Due to the lead shielding, 3DCT treatment planning would have been difficult without the use of MVCT. TLDs placed inside the applicator's tooth cavities for a test run showed that the lead shield reduced the dose by 65–75%, depending on the location of the TLD.Conclusion: The use of MVCT along with image registration software allows visualization of HDR applicators in the presence of shielding or other high‐Z materials. This work can be extended to the use of MVCT for planning treatments with standard applicators, such as T&O, which may not be kVCT compatible.
Advanced trend removal in 3D noise calculation

While it is now common practice to use a trend removal to eliminate low frequency xed pattern noise in thermal imaging systems, there is still some disagreement as to whether one means of trend removal is better than another and whether or not the strength of the trend removal should be limited. The dierent methods for trend removal will be presented as well as an analysis of the calculated noise as a function of their strengths will be presented for various thermal imaging systems. In addition, trend removals were originally put in place in order to suppress the low-frequency component of the Sigma VH term. It is now prudent to perform a trend removal at an intermediate noise calculation step in order to suppress the low frequency component of both the Sigma V and Sigma H components. A discussion of the ramications of this change in measurement will be included for thermal modeling considerations.
Protection against Schistosoma mansoni utilizing DNA vaccination with genes encoding Cu/Zn cytosolic superoxide dismutase, signal peptide-containing superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzymes

Abstract Protection against Schistosoma mansoni infection in C57BL/6 female mice was evaluated by two DNA vaccination strategies. Mice were either vaccinated by intramuscular injection with pcDNAI/Amp constructs encoding either Cu/Zn cytosolic superoxide dismutase (CT-SOD), signal peptide-containing SOD (SP-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPXbb) or a mutated form of GPX (GPXm), or primed with naked DNA constructs and boosted with recombinant vaccinia virus (RVV) containing the same genes. Animals were then challenged with S. mansoni and the level of protection was assessed as the reduction in worm burden. CT-SOD showed significant levels of protection compared to the control group, ranging between 44 and 60%, while SP-SOD exhibited from 22 to 45%. GPXbb showed levels of protection (23–55%) higher than GPXm (25–34%). The prime-boost strategy gave the same results as naked DNA or recombinant vaccinia virus alone except in the case of GPX, where the protection was 85%.
A Top-Down method for performance analysis and counters architecture

Optimizing an application's performance for a given microarchitecture has become painfully difficult. Increasing microarchitecture complexity, workload diversity, and the unmanageable volume of data produced by performance tools increase the optimization challenges. At the same time resource and time constraints get tougher with recently emerged segments. This further calls for accurate and prompt analysis methods. The insights from this method guide a proposal for a novel performance counters architecture that can determine the true bottlenecks of a general out-of-order processor. Unlike other approaches, our analysis method is low-cost and already featured in in-production systems - it requires just eight simple new performance events to be added to a traditional PMU. It is comprehensive - no restriction to predefined set of performance issues. It accounts for granular bottlenecks in super-scalar cores, missed by earlier approaches.
Photooxidation and Photodesorption in the Photochemistry of Isobutene on TiO2(110)

The photochemistry of isobutene was examined on the rutile TiO2(110) surface as a function of the surface pretreatment condition and irradiation temperature using temperature programmed desorption (TPD) and photon stimulated desorption (PSD). Isobutene adsorbs molecularly on the clean TiO2(110) surface without detectable thermal decomposition. Preadsorption of oxygen, either as atoms or chemisorbed molecules, did not promote thermal reactions with isobutene, but instead blocked isobutene adsorption sites. Ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation of isobutene adsorbed on the clean surface led to depletion through photodesorption without significant photooxidation. Isobutene PSD yields increased with increasing surface temperature suggesting that photodesorbing molecules sampled the surface during photodesorption. Preadsorption of oxygen promoted partial photooxidation of adsorbed isobutene to acetone, methacrolein, and isobutanal. However, the form of oxygen available for isobutene photooxidation had a significa...
Short Term Cardiac Memory Results in Altered Regional Mechanical Function

Normal electrical activation begins in the sinoatrial node and propagates through the atrium to the atrioventricular node and into the ventricle. Some patients with abnormal electrical activation require a pacemaker with leads implanted into the ventricle. This pacing changes the activation sequence to initially activate the ventricle in the region closest to the pacing electrode. Pacing also decreases mechanical function around the electrode and creates a gradient of regional stroke work (RSW) with the least work done near the pacing site and increasing with distance from the pacing location[1].Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Measurement of the He Ground State Lamb Shift Via the Two-Photon 11S - 21S transition

We have extended two-photon Doppler-free spectroscopy to the vacuum ultraviolet spectral region, to accurately measure the He $^{1}1S\ensuremath{-}^{1}2S$ transition at 120 nm. Our result is 4 984 872 315(48) MHz. This yields a ground state Lamb shift of 41 104(48) MHz, in fair agreement with theory and other experiments. This approach has the potential for significantly better accuracy once improvements in the laser and the wavelength metrology are implemented.
Adult onset familial cervical dystonia: Report of a family including monozygotic twins

We report the first family with adult onset cervical dystonia in which monozygotic twins and multiple family members are affected. In this family, the disease exhibits an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern, and all affected members have only cervical dystonia. Five members have definite cervical dystonia, and five others have possible cervical dystonia. Although identical genotypically, the twins demonstrate some phenotypic variation. Despite long follow-up, no family members have shown progression from focal to generalized dystonia. This family may prove valuable in identifying a gene locus for cervical dystonia and hence determine whether a single gene locus exists for hereditable focal dystonia and generalized dystonia.
Hamiltonicity of 3-connected quasi-claw-free graphs

A graph G is called quasi-claw-free if it satisfies the property: d(x,y)[email protected]? there exists [email protected]?N(x)@?N(y) such that N[u]@?N[x]@?N[y]. Let G be a 3-connected quasi-claw-free graph of order n. If @d(G)>=(n+5)/5, then G is hamiltonian.
Peptide Nano-Capsules with Lipid Vesicle like Characteristics

In a recent publication (Gudlur et al., (2012) PLOS ONE, 7 (9) e45374), we described a nano-capsule made from the assembly of a mixture of two poly-cationic branched amphiphilic peptides bis(FLIVI)-K-K4 and bis(FLIVIGSII)-K-K4 that have a molecular architecture analogous to that of phospholipids. These peptides self-assemble in water to form hollow structures capable of trapping solutes. The ability of these peptides to assemble into bilayer-delimited spheres is a function of the unique nature of these peptide sequences - that reversibly transition from an alpha helical conformation in 2,2,2-Trifluoroethanol, to a beta sheet in water. These flexible capsules possess many of the properties of phospholipid vesicles such as fusion, solute encapsulation and an ability to be resized by membrane extrusion through polycarbonate filters with defined pore sizes. Here, we demonstrate the biophysical characteristics of these nano-capsules; including, their mode of assembly, the properties of the bilayer defined by the branched hydrophobic sequences, high thermodynamic stability, kinetics of fusion, and their ability to retain their cargo in cellular systems for an extended duration of time without any apparent degradation. The capsules can - like their lipid counterparts - not only be resized, but also maintained there at by reducing the temperature to 4° C, owing to what appears to be a temperature dependent conformational transformation. Moreover, these biomaterial constructs seem to retain their structural integrity even when subjected to alpha particle emissions. The versatility of these peptide nano-capsules lies in our ability to modify the individual peptide sequences with ligands and molecular markers; making these constructs potentially desirable as biocompatible vehicles for the targeted delivery of cargo into the cells.Biophysical Society Conference 2014.
Measurement of monoclonal antibody concentrations in hybridoma cultures: comparison of competitive inhibition and antigen capture enzyme immunoassays.

Abstract Competitive inhibition and antigen capture enzyme immunoassays were compared for the measurement of mouse monoclonal IgG1 antibody produced by a hybridoma culture. Both methods yielded standard curves that were linear over several orders of magnitude, and both were comparable in sensitivity (10 ng/ml). However, the slope of the antigen capture curve was flatter than the slope for competitive inhibition. This difference in slope, coupled with a larger average standard deviation for each point on the standard curve for antigen capture, resulted in a significantly larger range of variability in IgG1 levels. It is concluded that the competitive inhibition enzyme immunoassay method is better suited to the precise quantification of mouse monoclonal antibodies in hybridoma culture supernatants.
An Integrated Approach Toward the Dynamic Analysis of High-Speed Spindles: Part 2—Dynamics Under Moving End Load

This paper presents an integrated study of a rotor/bearing structure, with specific interests toward high-speed spindle systems under rotating end loads. Considering the coupling between the rotating shaft and the nonlinear bearings, an iterative method is developed to derive the system equilibrium configuration for given operating conditions. With moving end loads, structural instability caused by high rotational speed is analyzed. The critical speeds and unstable speed regions are discussed. Machining chatter instability lobes are also derived using the spindle model. It is shown that significant errors will occur in predicting spindle characteristics and stability if the speed and load effects on the shaft/bearing dynamics are neglected.
Estimating population growth rates from stochastic Leslie matrices

Abstract Stochastic versions of exponential growth models predict that even when r or λ values calculated from mean vital statistics indicate exponential growth, most of the individual populations may become extinct. Several recent papers have considered this problem and some misunderstanding has arisen due to the difference between mathematical expectation of population size and most likely course of population growth. We replicated Boyce's (1977, 1979) simulations of population growth with age structure and a single randomly varying vital statistic, and reconciled some of these differences. Mean number can be projected using the dominant eigenvalue of the mean Leslie matrix, but the modal number may be considerably lower. We compared several measures of the rate of growth of the geometric mean or median of numbers and conclude that Tuljapurkar's α is an acceptable measure.
Beyond proof-of-compliance: security analysis in trust management

Trust management is a form of distributed access control that allows one principal to delegate some access decisions to other principals. While the use of delegation greatly enhances flexibility and scalability, it may also reduce the control that a principal has over the resources it owns. Security analysis asks whether safety, availability, and other properties can be maintained while delegating to partially trusted principals. We show that in contrast to the undecidability of classical Harrison--Ruzzo--Ullman safety properties, our primary security properties are decidable. In particular, most security properties we study are decidable in polynomial time. The computational complexity of containment analysis, the most complicated security property we study, varies according to the expressive power of the trust management language.
Electron tunneling through proteins

1. History 3422. Activation barriers 3432.1 Redox potentials 3442.2 Reorganization energy 3443. Electronic coupling 3454. Ru-modified proteins 3484.1 Reorganization energy 3494.1.1 Cyt c 3494.1.2 Azurin 3504.2 Tunneling timetables 3525. Multistep tunneling 3576. Protein–protein reactions 3596.1 Hemoglobin (Hb) hybrids 3596.2 Cyt c/cyt b5 complexes 3606.3 Cyt c/cyt c peroxidase complexes 3606.4 Zn–cyt c/Fe–cyt c crystals 3617. Photosynthesis and respiration 3627.1 Photosynthetic reaction centers (PRCs) 3627.2 Cyt c oxidase (CcO) 3648. Concluding remarks 3659. Acknowledgments 36610. References 366Electron transfer processes are vital elements of energy transduction pathways in living cells. More than a half century of research has produced a remarkably detailed understanding of the factors that regulate these ‘currents of life’. We review investigations of Ru-modified proteins that have delineated the distance- and driving-force dependences of intra-protein electron-transfer rates. We also discuss electron transfer across protein–protein interfaces that has been probed both in solution and in structurally characterized crystals. It is now clear that electrons tunnel between sites in biological redox chains, and that protein structures tune thermodynamic properties and electronic coupling interactions to facilitate these reactions. Our work has produced an experimentally validated timetable for electron tunneling across specified distances in proteins. Many electron tunneling rates in cytochrome c oxidase and photosynthetic reaction centers agree well with timetable predictions, indicating that the natural reactions are highly optimized, both in terms of thermodynamics and electronic coupling. The rates of some reactions, however, significantly exceed timetable predictions; it is likely that multistep tunneling is responsible for these anomalously rapid charge transfer events.
SparTag.us: a low cost tagging system for foraging of web content

Tagging systems such as del.icio.us and Diigo have become important ways for users to organize information gathered from the Web. However, despite their popularity among early adopters, tagging still incurs a relatively high interaction cost for the general users. We introduce a new tagging system called SparTag.us, which uses an intuitive Click2Tag technique to provide in situ, low cost tagging of web content. SparTag.us also lets users highlight text snippets and automatically collects tagged or highlighted paragraphs into a system-created notebook, which can be later browsed and searched. We report several user studies aimed at evaluating Click2Tag and SparTag.us.
Fractal dimension of radial fingering patterns

We have measured the fractal dimension of radial fingering patterns in a smooth Hele-Shaw cell over a range of almost 2 orders of magnitude in the dimensionless driving force. After taking on the diffusion-limited-aggregation dimension 1.71 through much of the lower half of the observed range, the dimension reaches an apparent asymptotic value of 1.79\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04 through the upper half. No evidence of progress toward a dense-branching morphology is observed in the range of this experiment.
Childhood Abuse, Head Injuries, and Use of Medical Emergency Services in People with Severe Mental Illness

People with severe mental illness (SMI) report high rates of traumatic experiences. This study analyzes data collected from 183 people diagnosed with SMI on reports of childhood trauma, head injuries, and emergency room (ER) services. More than half the cohort (56.7%) reported 3 to 7 cooccurring categories of childhood abuse (CAB). People who reported 6 and 7 categories of CAB had a 5-fold risk of experiencing a head injury. If they have used the ER for reasons other than psychiatric illness they endorse more traumatic experiences in their childhood when compared to those who did not. People with SMI and cooccurring CAB experiences might be predisposed to a higher risk of head injuries and more frequent use of the ER.
An X-ray radial distribution study of amorphous calcium phosphate

Abstract A series of amorphous calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite samples synthesized under different preparative conditions were studied by the x-ray radial distribution method. The results indicate that amorphous calcium phosphate has a reproducible structure independent of a wide variety of preparation conditions. Detail in the RDF of amorphous calcium phosphate diminishes rapidly for atomic separations greater than 9.5 A, suggesting ordered domains or clusters of about this size. It is proposed that amorphous calcium phosphate is an amorphous cluster or microcrystallite material rather than a random network structure. Small-angle x-ray scattering and dehydration studies indicate that the ACP water of constitution is interstitial to the domains. Finally, hydroxyapatite prepared at 25°C has lower perfection of atomic order than material prepared at 100°C.
A CLASS OF MICROPULSES AND ANTIPERSISTENT FRACTIONAL BROWNIAN MOTION

Abstract We begin with stochastic processes obtained as sums of “up-and-down” pulses with random moments of birth τ and random lifetime w determined by a Poisson random measure. When the pulse amplitude e → 0, while the pulse density δ increases to infinity, one obtains a process of “fractal sum of micropulses.” A CLT style argument shows convergence in the sense of finite dimensional distributions to a Gaussian process with negatively correlated increments. In the most interesting case the limit is fractional Brownian motion (FBM), a self-affine process with the scaling constant 0 1 2 . The construction is extended to the multidimensional FBM field as well as to micropulses of more complicated shape.
Prognostic value of left ventricular apical tissue removed for HeartMate II left ventricular assist device placement

Abstract Background With the increasing use of left ventricular assist devices, the left ventricular apical core has become a more frequently encountered surgical pathology tissue. We investigated the prognostic value of this cardiac tissue in short-term patient mortality. Previous studies have shown that the degree of cardiac fibrosis correlates with improvements in ejection fraction and the likelihood of weaning from an assist device. Methods Left ventricular apical core tissues from 29 sequential subjects who received a HeartMate II continuous axial flow left ventricular assist device were studied retrospectively to determine whether interstitial fibrosis, replacement fibrosis (scar), the presence of mural thrombus, or other histopathologic findings were associated with hemodynamic changes or mortality in this population. Patients received left ventricular assist devices as bridges to transplantation or as destination therapy. Interstitial fibrosis was determined by observer scoring and digital scoring methods. Before and after left ventricular assist device procedure, right heart catheterizations were reviewed for clinical cardiac data. Results The presence of replacement fibrosis in the apical core tissue significantly correlated with decreased improvement in pulmonary capillary wedge pressure after left ventricular assist device placement (P=.02). Ten subjects died over the course of this study. No specimen variables, including scar, interstitial fibrosis, and the presence of mural thrombosis, correlated with patient mortality. Conclusions Pathologic findings in left ventricular apical cores have little prognostic utility in guiding patient management as related to overall 1-year mortality, but may indicate patients who are more likely to positively remodel their hearts.
A Comparative Study of Bootstrap Application to Subjective Clustering

In order to develop successful products in today’s competitive market, it is essential to analyze customer needs accurately. Since the number of customer needs collected using marketing survey tends to be large, it is necessary to group similar needs and identify a small number of representative needs. Subjective Clustering is a statistical method that uses Hierarchical Clustering algorithm to group similar customer needs into clusters. This paper compares Subjective Clustering (SC) and Bootstrap applied to Subjective Clustering (BS-SC) for determining how accurately these methods estimate population primary clusters. In order to investigate inherent characteristics in the two methods, this paper proposes a simulation-based comparative study. The result suggests that BS-SC estimates population primary cluster more accurately than SC when the sample size is small relative to population size; however, as sample size increases, SC estimate is more accurate than BS-SC.© 2006 ASME