cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Framing a Blaxicana Identity: A Cultural Ethnography of Family, Race and Community in the Valley Homes, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, 1955--1960

Framing a Blaxicana Identity: A Cultural Ethnography of Family, Race and Community in the Valley Homes, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, 1955-1960 by Ana Viola Thorne Claremont Graduate University: 2012 Framing a Blaxicana Identity: A Cultural Ethnography of Family, Race and Community in the Valley Homes, Lincoln Heights, Ohio, 1955-1960 (Blaxicana Identity) is set within the construct of identity formation, against a backdrop of color and culture clash, and the social construction of race. The author’s narrative will constitute contextual introductions to discussion topics and iterate direct correlations of her lived experience to larger community and cultural accounts that helped to shape aspects of her Blaxicana identity. The individual and community perceptions of what it means and what it feels like to grow up Negro, Mexican and female in an all black town will determine the scope and complexity of the identity formation factors that may be brought forth in Blaxicana Identity. Geographically situated in the Valley Homes housing projects located in Lincoln Heights, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati, this ethnography will engage the area’s background, environment and residents in a dialogue with the larger arenas of race and racism, history, migration, critical race theory, interracial marriage, cultural studies and black towns as they inform the aspects involved in the creation of the author’s Blaxicana identity. This multi-perspective engagement will produce a cultural ethnographic portrayal of the Valley Homes, its residents and the author and comprise the ways in which the social and cultural phenomenon of mixed-race identity may be constructed, observed and understood – a depiction that may differ from the historical concepts of identity formation based on color and race. This research will draw its conclusions regarding the construction of a Blaxicana identity by using a critical, self-reflexive method of inquiry that incorporates the author’s memories, impressions and artifacts from the 1950’s. The author’s interracial family experience, defined by an African American father from Nashville, Tennessee and a Mexican mother from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, presents the opportunity to examine what was then, considering the time and place, an uncommon combination.
A generalized method for correcting pulse-height spectra for the peak pile-up effect due to double sum pulses. Part I. Predicting spectral distortion for arbitrary pulse shapes

Abstract In a previous paper a method for calculating the distorted or observed high counting rate pulse-height spectra from spectrometry systems when the undistorted or true spectra are known from low counting-rate spectra was developed based on double sum pulses and approximation of the pulse shape by a parabola. The present Part I paper extends this to double sum pulses of any arbitrary shape by methods that are suitable for use on any spectrometry system. In Part II of this paper a method for performing the inverse calculation for obtaining true from observed spectra is developed that is based on the model predicting spectral distortion developed here and in the previous paper.
Low-voltage paper isotachophoresis device for DNA focusing

We present a new paper-based isotachophoresis (ITP) device design for focusing DNA samples having lengths ranging from 23 to at least 1517 bp. DNA is concentrated by more than two orders of magnitude within 4 min. The key component of this device is a 2 mm-long, 2 mm-wide circular paper channel formed by concertina folding a paper strip and aligning the circular paper zones on each layer. Due to the short channel length, a high electric field of ~16 kV m(-1) is easily generated in the paper channel using two 9 V batteries. The multilayer architecture also enables convenient reclamation and analysis of the sample after ITP focusing by simply opening the origami paper and cutting out the desired layers. We profiled the electric field in the origami paper channel during ITP experiments using a nonfocusing fluorescent tracer. The result showed that focusing relied on formation and subsequent movement of a sharp electric field boundary between the leading and trailing electrolyte.
Real-Options Valuation for a Biotechnology Company

Many companies in the biotechnology industry have significant valuations despite having no product revenue because their products are in early stages of development. In the past 10–15 years, investors have bid up the stock prices of companies showing promise of developing a blockbuster drug. We explain the decision-tree method and binomial-lattice method (which adds a growth option) and use them to value a biotechnology company, Agouron Pharmaceuticals, as the sum of the values of its drug-development projects. The growth option was added because the development of an initial new molecular entity (NME) is similar to purchasing a call option on the value of a subsequent NME. We compare our computed values of Agouron with actual market values at selected points in time during the development of Agouron's Viracept, a drug used to treat HIV-positive patients.
Mitigation of charged impurity effects in graphene field-effect transistors with polar organic molecules (Presentation Recording)

Recent developments in monolayer graphene production allow its use as the active layer in field-effect transistor technology. Favorable electrical characteristics of monolayer graphene include high mobility, operating frequency, and good stability. These characteristics are governed by such key transport physical phenomena as electron-hole transport symmetry, Dirac point voltage, and charged impurity effects. Doping of graphene occurs during device fabrication, and is largely due to charged impurities located at or near the graphene/substrate interface. These impurities cause scattering of charge carriers, which lowers mobility. Such scattering is detrimental to graphene transistor performance, but our group has shown that coating with fluoropolymer thin films or exposure to polar organic vapors can restore favorable electrical characteristics to monolayer graphene. By partially neutralizing charged impurities and defects, we can improve the mobility by approximately a factor of 2, change the Dirac voltage by fairly large amounts, and reduce the residual carrier density significantly. We hypothesize that this phenomena results from screening of charged impurities by the polar molecules. To better understand such screening interactions, we performed computational chemistry experiments to observe interactions between polar organic molecules and monolayer graphene. The molecules interacted more strongly with defective graphene than with pristine graphene, and the electronic environment of graphene was altered. These computational observations correlate well with our experimental results to support our hypothesis that polar molecules can act to screen charged impurities on or near monolayer graphene. Such screening favorably mitigates charge scattering, improving graphene transistor performance.
INCIDENCE OF SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS) IN PRETERM MULTIPLES (TWIN, TRIPLETS, QUADS, AND QUINTS). 614

INCIDENCE OF SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME (SIDS) IN PRETERM MULTIPLES (TWIN, TRIPLETS, QUADS, AND QUINTS). 614
Nuclear Rotation in Heavy-Ion Scattering

The possibility is discussed that the observed energy dependence of the real part of the optical potential in $^{16}\mathrm{O}$-$^{16}\mathrm{O}$ elastic scattering arises from rotation of nuclei induced by their interaction. An estimate indicates that the effect may have the required magnitude.
HLAMMATCHMAKER: a molecularly based donor selection algorithm for highly alloimmunized patients.

TRANSPLANT candidates are generally considered highly alloimmunized if their serum panel-reactive antibody (PRA) activity exceeds 85%. Such patients can be transplanted successfully provided that the donor has no mismatched HLA antigens that react with the patient’s alloantibodies. Serum screening against HLA-typed panels must be done to determine the alloantibody specificity spectrum so that unacceptable HLA antigen mismatches can be identified. This approach, however, does not work if the patient’s serum has a very high PR A. Often, many highly sensitized patients remain on the waiting list with little prospect of a transplant because insufficient information is available about HLA mismatch acceptability and the probability of finding a zero antigen mismatch is very low. This report shows an alternative strategy for identifying potential donors for highly sensitized patients. HLAMATCHMAKER is a computer-based algorithm that addresses amino acid sequence polymorphisms as critical components of immunogenic epitopes that can elicit alloantibodies. Such amino acids reside in sequence positions accessible to alloantibodies, namely the a helices and b loops of the protein chain structure. The residues in the strands of the b-pleated sheets of the peptide-binding groove are excluded from this matching algorithm because they cannot make direct contact with alloantibodies. Many investigators have observed the presence of multiple amino acid–encoded antigenic determinants on the exposed parts of HLA class I molecules. This HLA matching algorithm is based on comparisons of linear sequences of amino acid triplets as motifs for potentially immunogenic epitopes.
Treatment regimens for patients with toxoplasmic encephalitis

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasitic protozoan that infects a variety of warm-blooded animals, including humans. Infection is usually asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals but may be devastating in immunocompromised individuals such as those with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Clinical manifestations of infection in immunocompromised patients include the development of encephalitis. It has been estimated that approximately 30% of patients with AIDS who are latently infected will eventually develop toxoplasmic encephalitis. The most common regimen used to treat toxoplasmic encephalitis is a combination of pyrimethamine 50 to 100 mg/d and sulfadiazine 4 to 8 g/d, with or without folinic acid 10 mg/d. This regimen, however, commonly leads to adverse effects or relapses. Other pharmacologic approaches include the use of clindamycin rather than sulfadiazine, the macrolide antibiotics, atovaquone, 5-fluorouracil, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, minocycline or doxycycline, trimetrexate with folinic acid, dapsone, rifabutin, pentamidine, and diclazuril. None of these alternative regimens has been proven to be more effective than the standard pharmacologic therapy. An evolving approach is the use of immunotherapy, such as interleukin-2, -6, and -12; interferon-gamma; and alpha-tumor necrosis factor. Restoring a competent immune system may be the only cure for toxoplasmosis and other opportunistic infections.
A fitness bottleneck in HIV-1 transmission

Identifying factors that determine the successful transmission of HIV-1 may help enable the development of better prevention measures. This is what makes the findings of Carlson et al. ( 1 ) so relevant. On page 178 of this issue, the authors provide evidence for a bottleneck in HIV-1 transmission that selects for high-fitness viruses. Fitness in this analysis would be reflected either in the infectiousness of each viral particle or in the number of particles produced by an infected cell (burst size). Thus, this fitness bottleneck would act during infection of the first cell or during the first few rounds of local viral replication at the site of transmission where the infection could be extinguished.
Sprites triggered by negative lightning discharges

High altitude air breakdown, manifested as “red sprites,” is reported in close association with negative cloud-to-ground lightning (−CG) on at least two occasions above an unusual storm on August 29, 1998. Data from high speed photometry, low-light-level video, and receivers of lightning electromagnetic signatures in the frequency range 10 Hz to 20 kHz are used to establish the association and indicate that the causative −CG discharges effected unusually large vertical charge moment changes (ΔMQv) of up to 1550 C · km in 5 ms. The existence of sprites caused by −CG's, rather than the regularly associated +CG's, has immediate implications for sprite models and observations.
An Empirical Approach to Estimation of Critical Energies by Using a Quadrupole Ion Trap

A simple energy-resolved mass spectrometric technique is described for the estimation of critical energies for dissociation of ions via threshold collisional activation measurements in a quadrupole ion trap. The method is calibrated by using compounds with well-defined dissociation energies, and separate calibration curves must be constructed for radical ions that are bound by covalent bonds versus hydrogen-bonded complexes. For these sets of experiments, the threshold point is defined as the activation voltage required for the fragment ion intensity to be 10% of the total ion intensity. A plot of threshold activation voltage of the calibrant versus literature critical energies shows a near-linear function, and accuracies are estimated as better than ± 6 kcal/mol. The qz value during activation seems to have little effect on the threshold voltages as long as very low qz values that cause ion ejection are avoided. Activation periods that are substantially longer than 10-ms result in nonlinear behavior in the calibration curves for ions that have critical energies above 30 kcal/mol. This energy-resolved method was also useful for the estimation of critical energies of complexes bound by electrostatic forces, such as hydrogen-bonding interactions. A quantitative evaluation of proton-bound polyether-amine complexes showed that the number of available hydrogen-binding sites, the gas-phase basicities of the polyether and amine components, and the ability of the complex to attain the most favorable near-linear hydrogen bonds correlate with the threshold values.
The postmodern realism of Barth's ethics

In light of current discussions in theological ethics, Karl Barth's ethics can be understood within the dialectical relationship of ‘postmodern’ and ‘realism’. Barth shifts theological ethics beyond anthropocentric Kantian or naturalist inspired ‘modern realism’ on the one hand, and a nihilist or deconstructionist inspired ‘postmodern antirealism’ on the other. Beginning with the centrality of the Word of God, Barth deconstructs modern (anthropocentric) moral realism, while at the same time reestablishing this same moral realism on theological grounds, which ironically moves it beyond the claims of postmodern ism itself. What makes Barth's thought post -modern, then, is not his similarity to antirealist and deconstructionist thought, but his departure from its secular and anti-theological assumptions. Barth's ‘postmodern realism’, therefore, not only provides a way for contemporary theological ethics to dialectically be critical and hopeful, deconstructive and constructive, decentering and centering, but does so from the anti-anthropocentric and anti-secular standpoint of the Word of God.
A novel extracellular Hsp90 mediated co-receptor function for LRP1 regulates EphA2 dependent glioblastoma cell invasion.

Background Extracellular Hsp90 protein (eHsp90) potentiates cancer cell motility and invasion through a poorly understood mechanism involving ligand mediated function with its cognate receptor LRP1. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents one of the most aggressive and lethal brain cancers. The receptor tyrosine kinase EphA2 is overexpressed in the majority of GBM specimens and is a critical mediator of GBM invasiveness through its AKT dependent activation of EphA2 at S897 (P-EphA2S897). We explored whether eHsp90 may confer invasive properties to GBM via regulation of EphA2 mediated signaling. Principal Findings We find that eHsp90 signaling is essential for sustaining AKT activation, P-EphA2S897, lamellipodia formation, and concomitant GBM cell motility and invasion. Furthermore, eHsp90 promotes the recruitment of LRP1 to EphA2 in an AKT dependent manner. A finding supported by biochemical methodology and the dual expression of LRP1 and P-EphA2S897 in primary and recurrent GBM tumor specimens. Moreover, hypoxia mediated facilitation of GBM motility and invasion is dependent upon eHsp90-LRP1 signaling. Hypoxia dramatically elevated surface expression of both eHsp90 and LRP1, concomitant with eHsp90 dependent activation of src, AKT, and EphA2. Significance We herein demonstrate a novel crosstalk mechanism involving eHsp90-LRP1 dependent regulation of EphA2 function. We highlight a dual role for eHsp90 in transducing signaling via LRP1, and in facilitating LRP1 co-receptor function for EphA2. Taken together, our results demonstrate activation of the eHsp90-LRP1 signaling axis as an obligate step in the initiation and maintenance of AKT signaling and EphA2 activation, thereby implicating this pathway as an integral component contributing to the aggressive nature of GBM.
Robert McC. Netting and Human Ecology: An Appreciation

Robert McC. Netting, Regents' Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, died suddenly on February 4, 1995. I was asked to give a memorial lecture for him at the Fifth Common Property Conference in Bodo, Norway in May 1995. Netting had been president of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, which held the conference. Because he also had contributed to the development of the field of human ecology, I offer these remarks, excerpted and adapted from that talk.2
The proton spin content at small x

Abstract The polarized parton distribution functions are examined at small values of x and exact scaling relations are derived. In contrast to the unpolarized case, the evolution equations are no longer dominated by the gluon contribution. Experimental confirmation of the scaling forms is discussed.
Remediation of heavy metal contaminated solid wastes using agglomeration techniques

Abstract A process has been developed for the remediation of heavy metal contaminated, fine textured; solid wastes so that the treated material will meet EPA's TCLP and Total Extractable Metal Limits. The process involves the formation of strong aggregates using dry agglomeration methods. Remediation is achieved either by incorporating metal fixation agents into the agglomerates, or by leaching of heavy metal and other soluble salts by percolation through a packed bed of agglomerated soil. The handling problems encountered during solid liquid separations in conventional soil washing are overcome by agglomerating the fine textured solids. The newly developed process was applied to the remediation of a fine textured soil sample from a Dupont site contaminated with lead and a sediment from the Coeur d'Alene river, contaminated with Pb, Cd, and Zn. Because of low hydraulic flow-rates leaching of metals from unagglomerated solids was slow. The removal of metals from agglomerated feed occurred on the time scale of hours compared to days for the original materials. Batch column extraction studies showed that HCl, EDTA and citric acid were effective extractants for the removal of lead from the agglomerated material. The results of this study demonstrate that NRC's remediation process is suitable for the remediation of contaminated soil or soil like materials and has potential for commercialization.
THE BACTERICIDAL ACTION OF HUMAN SERUM ON HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCI : I. OBSERVATIONS MADE WITH SERUM FROM PATIENTS WITH ACUTE INFECTIONS AND FROM NORMAL INDIVIDUALS.

Sera obtained from patients at the time of acute active infections were found, in every instance, to be bactericidal for hemolytic streptococci. The observations were made with sera from twenty-five patients. The group consisted of cases of pneumococcus, hemolytic streptococcus, staphylococcus, meningococcus, tubercle bacillus, and malarial infections; the etiology of the diseases in other patients was either uncertain or may have been a mixed infection. In sera taken from the same group of patients, soon after recovery or marked improvement had taken place, the streptococcidal property was absent or greatly diminished in potency. By comparative tests made with sera from twenty healthy adults, the streptococcidal action was not demonstrable. Three different strains of Streptococcus hemolyticus of the beta type were employed in the experiments. Differences in susceptibility of the strains to the killing power of the serum were noted.
Papular and Plaque-like Mucinosis in a Puppy

— A case of a papular and plaque-like superficial dermal mucinosis with pruritus in a mixed-breed puppy is reported. The mucinosis and pruritus were non-responsive to glucocorticoid or antibiotic therapy and the dog was eventually euthanised at the owner's request. This type of mucinosis has not been reported in the dog to the authors' knowledge. It shares some similarities with discrete papular mucinosis and self-healing juvenile cutaneous mucinosis in people. Resume— Un cas de mucinose dermique superficielle en plaque et papuleuse avec prurit chez un chiot croise est decrit. La mucinose et le prurit ne repondirent pas a l'antibiotherapie et a la corticotherapie et le chien fut finalement euthanasiea la demande du propietaire. Ce type de mucinose n'a jamais ete decrit chez le chien a la connaissance de l'auteur. Zusammenfassung— Ein Fall einer papulosen und plaque-ahnlichen oberflachlichen dermalen Muzinose mit Pruritus bei einem Mischlingswelpen wird beschrieban. Muzinose und Pruritus sprachen nicht auf die Behandlung mit Glucocorticoiden oder Antibiotika an, und der Hund wurde schlieslich auf Wunsch des Besitzers euthanisiert. Diese Art der Muzinose wurde nach den Informationen des Autors beim Hund bislang nicht beschrieben. Resumen Se describe un caso de mucinosis dermica superficial pruriginosa de tipo papular y con formacion de pseudo placas en un cachorro mestizo. La mucinosis y el prurito no respondieron a la terapia con glucocorticoides ni a la terapia con antibiotico y el perro se eutanasio finalmente a peticion de los propietarios. Este tipo de mucinosis no se habia descrito previamente en el perro.
Oil splitting in industrial cleaning systems as studied by conductivity and interfacial tension

Characteristics of emulsion formation and splitting into aqueous and oily phases in simple and formulated surfactant systems were studied via conductivity. In systems composed of mixed nonionic ethoxylated alcohol surfactants, K2CO3, and emulsified n-hexadecane, conductivity decreased linearly with increasing oil volume fraction at HLB (hydrophile-lipophile balance) values of 12.9 and 13.9. The slope of the plot was ca. −3/2, in agreement with the Maxwell expression. At values less than or equal to an HLB of 11.3, conductivity first increased with a small addition of oil and then decreased nearly linearly with subsequent amounts. This was probably due to low HLB surfactants partitioning into the oily phase. When the type of oil was varied, the reduced conductivity also decreased linearly with volume fraction of emulsified oil. The slope was ca. −3/2 for oil weights ranging from very light (n-hexadecane) to very heavy (80W–90 gear oil), also in agreement with the Maxwell expression. Oil separation rates were measured by monitoring the change in conductivity in the lower region of the emulsion (where the aqueous layer formed) during splitting of the oily phase. Heavier oils were found to separate faster than light oils. Oils containing lubricity agents split at the slowest rate. Systems with lower HLB surfactants also displayed slower splitting rates. Splitting rates for a variety of systems, from simple oil and saline systems to more complex formulated systems, over temperatures from 23 to 75°C, were related to oil-aqueous interfacial tension values through a power law expression composed of the maximum splitting rate and the interfacial tension between saline and oil at 23°C.
Estimating degree of mixing in statistically multiplexed data

This paper examines the problem of determining the degree of mixing of two independent and different types of traffic streams from observations of their statistically multiplexed stream. A common example of a pair of such different stream types in networks would be one conforming to the conventional Poisson model and the other obeying long-range dependence characterized by a heavy-tailed distribution. We provide an expression for the probability density function of the inter-arrival time of the mixed stream in terms of those of the input streams for the general case. An approach is provided to estimate input parameters from the first and second order statistics of the output traffic for the specific case of multiplexing Poisson and heavy-tailed processes.
Review article: aminosalicylates in inflammatory bowel disease.

Summary Aminosalicylate therapy for ulcerative colitis remains a foundational strategy for the induction and maintenance of remission for mild to moderate disease. Although it seems clear that topical mesalazine (mesalamine) is the most efficacious approach to distal ulcerative colitis, recent trials with orally delivered azo conjugates suggest that there may be an advantage over pH-released mesalazine as a first-line approach to active disease. No such comparisons are available for azo products and the prolonged-release formulation, Pentasa. However, recent meta-analyses have demonstrated that, although there is little difference in systemic exposure between marketed products, luminal concentrations may vary. In maintenance therapy, aminosalicylates remain the standard approach after aminosalicylate-induced remission. A number of gaps remain in the evidence base with regard to the optimal dosing of oral mesalazine as a maintenance agent, whether oral mesalazine can maintain remissions after rectal mesalazine induction, and the dose–response and efficacy of aminosalicylates after steroid- or ciclosporin-induced remissions. Although aminosalicylates have been advocated for several decades in Crohn's disease, a number of controversies have evolved since the original trials with sulfasalazine in active Crohn's disease. The original trials demonstrated benefits for sulfasalazine in colonic involvement, but controlled trial evidence for the role of sulfasalazine as maintenance therapy has not been as firmly established. In addition, although oral mesalazine has been demonstrated in controlled trials to be superior to placebo in mild to moderate disease, it is less efficacious than corticosteroids at inducing remissions. The maintenance benefits of mesalazine appear to be limited to patients ‘induced into remission’ with mesalazine and in some post-operative settings.
Incremental compilation in Magpie

Magpie is an interactive, integrate programming environment that supports the development of Pascal programs a powerful, single-user workstation. Incremental compilation techniques are used to provide quick feedback on static errors and to ensure that a program is always ready for execution even while it is being edited. Magpie performs syntax and static semantic analysis with the unit of incrementality of a single character. Magpie uses incremental compilation to achieve performance levels that allow Pascal to be used interactively and as its own debugging language.
Voltage sensor conformations in the open and closed states in ROSETTA structural models of K+ channels

Voltage-gated ion channels control generation and propagation of action potentials in excitable cells. Significant progress has been made in understanding structure and function of the voltage-gated ion channels, highlighted by the high-resolution open-state structure of the voltage-gated potassium channel, Kv1.2. However, because the structure of the closed state is unknown, the gating mechanism remains controversial. We adapted the rosetta membrane method to model the structures of the Kv1.2 and KvAP channels using homology, de novo, and domain assembly methods and selected the most plausible models using a limited number of experimental constraints. Our model of Kv1.2 in the open state is very similar in overall topology to the x-ray structure of this channel. Modeling of KvAP in the open state suggests that orientation of the voltage-sensing domain relative to the pore-forming domain is considerably different from the orientation in the Kv1.2 open state and that the magnitude of the vertical movement of S4 is significantly greater. Structural modeling of closed state of Kv1.2 suggests gating movement that can be viewed as a sum of two previously suggested mechanisms: translation (2–4 A) plus rotation (≈180°) of the S4 segment as proposed in the original “sliding helix” or “helical screw” models coupled with a rolling motion of the S1–S3 segments around S4, similar to recent “transporter” models of gating. We propose a unified mechanism of voltage-dependent gating for Kv1.2 and KvAP in which this major conformational change moves the gating charge across the electric field in an analogous way for both channels.
A Study in Usability: Redesigning a Health Sciences Library's Mobile Site

A mobile site redesign was conducted at a medium-sized academic health sciences library with the goal of creating a site that meets the mobile information needs of its users. The redesign phases included (1) needs assessment, (2) usability testing, and (3) site design. The survey results showed that Apple devices were the most prevalent; the most desirable activities performed on a mobile site were searching for articles, accessing full-text articles and e-books, searching databases, and searching the catalog. These activities guided the development of the usability testing tasks and the redesign. All phases were completed within six months, and the total project cost was $50 for incentive purchases.
Interior point methods for linear complementarity problems

A short survey of interior point methods for linear complementarity problems with emphasis on algorithms that have both polynomial complexity and superlinear convergence is presented. Some recent results obtained by the author and his collaborators are briefly summarized and several directions of future research are proposed. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A structural study of very high-density amorphous ice

Abstract Neutron and X-ray structure factor functions of very high-density amorphous (VHDA) ice have been measured and compared with those of the high- and low-density amorphous forms. The principal peak in the VHDA structure factor is sharper than that observed in the HDA ice form. Radial distribution functions (rdfs) indicate the local O⋯O separation is 2.83 A, close to 2.85 A estimated from earlier Raman measurements, but larger than that observed by empirical potential structure refinement simulation of neutron data. Perhaps more importantly the rdfs indicate a greater extent of ordering in VHDA ice, with observable coordination shells extending to at least 20 A.
Improving the Topography of Sample Surface by Controlling Redeposition Effects

The FIB system utilizes ions (gallium, normally) produced by a liquid-metal source to scan over a sample surface and sputter away bulk material. It has been extensively utilized for specimen preparation for a wide range of analytical techniques owning to its capability of high spatial resolution imaging, milling, and deposition. Here, we demonstrate a novel way to control the redeposition effects during FIB milling. Significantly improved sample surfaces are shown and the results are verified by high magnification scanning electron microscopy.
The Microbiological Aspects of a Duck Processing Plant

Abstract A study was conducted to determine the number of bacteria in each specific area of a duck processing plant. The equipment, environment and ducks were all tested by the rinse-swab method; the air was tested by the exposure plate method; and bags and boxes were tested using the modified rinse method. Each designated station in the federally inspected duck processing facility was tested once a week for 15 weeks. The highest bacterial counts came from areas where the ducks were still alive. The counts decreased through the plant and were almost negligible by the end of the processing procedure. In general, bacterial numbers on ducks were lower than results reported in other research projects dealing with chickens and turkeys. Feathers appeared to be one of the primary sources of contamination in duck processing. The sanitation employed in the plant surveyed provided a high quality, marketable carcass for the consumer.
Superconducting qubits: Atomic physics with a circuit

Inspired by ideas and techniques for cooling atomic gases, an experiment demonstrates how the temperature of micrometre-scale electronic devices can be lowered using solid-state quantum circuits.
Administering rural development: Have goals outreached organizational capacity?

In a comparative analysis of 15 rural development projects the author finds five problem areas in their administration: project economics; design and location of infrastructure; design of project technical outputs (‘software’); support services; and maintenance and management of infrastructure. All but one of the projects reviewed were severely hampered by one or more of these problems. The author suggests that these problem areas are caused by three general patterns: disjunction between project designers and managers' working models of reality and reality in the field; goal conflict among diverse agencies involved; and the simple technical complexity of the rural development task. The author concludes by noting these three patterns are found throughout developed countries as well as the less developed, but may have more severe consequences in the less developed because of the absence of organizational and social redundancy to catch, correct and circumvent these perhaps unavoidable features of centraliy administered, complex projects. Fewer, but more organizationally enriched, projects may do more for rural development than the current pattern where many donors each design many projects, overwhelming at times the organizational capacity of less developed countries.
Reflections on the Growing Influence of Good Agricultural Practices in the Global South

EurepGAP is a pioneering field level food safety protocol called ‘good agricultural practices’ currently exercising influence over the global food quality assurance system. Developed by a consortium of major European retailers, this private standard enforces codes of conduct that address issues of health and safety for producers and consumers, as well as working conditions and environmental management on the farmland. Despite various merits and benefits that the standard is premised to offer, the institutional design gives a financial edge to powerful large farms and exporters while diminishing opportunities for smaller growers and exporters to remain in the profitable agricultural export sector of the Global South. This paper explores the institutional origin and evolution of EurepGAP, discusses entry barriers and risks that EurepGAP imposes on the global value chain stakeholders, as well as the ethical implications from broader theoretical perspectives. Subsequently, it examines the evolving nature of a new trend in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector, i.e., the rise of public GAP standards. Promoted by some governments in the Global South, these GAP standards emphasize support for horizontal partnerships among value chain stakeholders, farmer participation, and less capital-intensive agricultural innovations. The paper argues that, within certain limitations, these GAP standards have the potential to be the major alternative GAP approach by encouraging a much broader inclusion of small-scale producers towards the attainment of various social, economic, and environmental benefits.
Semiempirical Pseudopotential Calculation of Electronic States of CdSe Quantum Rods

The dependence of electronic states on the length and diameter of CdSe quantum rods is investigated using semiempirical pseudopotential calculations. Energy levels cross as the aspect ratio increases due to their different dependence on length. The crossover between the highest occupied levels leads to a transition from plane-polarized to linearly polarized light emission at aspect ratio ca. 1.3. Further increasing aspect ratio results in levels with similar symmetry converging and forming “bands”. This calculation demonstrates the transition of electronic structure from zero-dimensional quantum dots to one-dimensional quantum wires.
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE: PROVIDING NEW INSIGHTS ON THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF LIVING CELLS.

In the last decade, the atomic force microscope (AFM) has emerged as a powerful tool to study molecular dynamics in fluid. The atomic force microscope is unique in its capability to obtain the surface topology of objects in fluid, allowing for the first time examination of macromolecular changes from crystal growth to biomolecular interactions and enzymatic reactions. Only recently, the tremendous scope of the AFM to study structure–function of live cells in physiological buffer has been noticed and just begun to be explored. A wide variety of dynamic cellular processes, such as cytoskeletal rearrangement, cellular movement, membrane spreading and exocytosis, have been successfully investigated. Some of these studies demonstrate the use of the AFM in obtaining images of cellular dynamics at nanometer resolution in time. Conventional microscopes using light, are limited in their resolution capabilities by the wavelength of light used to image the object (at least two orders of magnitude lower than the AFM). The full potential of the AFM however, on structure–function studies on live cells have yet to be realized. In this Special Issue of Cell Biology International, entitled ‘AFM in the Study of Live Cells’, we have tried to cover several aspects in the use of the AFM to study cellular function. Studies from whole cell dynamics to the interaction between biomolecules, all helping us understand cellular structure–function, are represented in this issue. Elastic properties of samples play a critical role in image formation by the AFM. The harder the cell or object the less it is depressed by the AFM tip, providing better resolution images. Therefore, the measurement and a clear understanding of the elasticity of the object provides a better interpretation of images obtained using the AFM. As reported by Rotsch et al., actin network is suggested to play an important role in contributing to the elastic properties as well as to the micro-
The response of human adrenocorticotrophic hormone and growth hormone to surgical stress.

ABSTRACT Under general anesthesia, patients undergoing cholecystectomy or inguinal herniorrhaphy demonstrated a rise, as measured by radioimmunoassay, in both HGH and ACTH one hour following the incision; the rise in HGH was not significant, however, in the obese females undergoing cholecystectomy. By contrast, herniorrhaphy under spinal anesthesia evoked no HGH or ACTH rise. The changes in HGH appear to be independent of blood sugar concentrations. It is concluded that the stimulation of ACTH and HGH during stress is mediated through a common afferent pathway in the spinal cord.
Novel fire resistant matrixes for composites from cyclic poly(butylene terephthalate) oligomers

The objective of the work is to exploit the processing advantages of c-PBT oligomers, essentially required in industrial practice to produce new, robust, multifunctional hybrid copolymers of c-PBT oligomers in a single reaction-molding step, which will be suitable for the use in continuous fiber composites with excellent flame retardant properties. In this article a series of copolyesters were synthesized by using in situ polymerization of cyclic poly(butylene terepthalate) oligomers (c-PBT) and hydroxyl terminated bisphenols and hydroxylated siloxanes in the presence of a tin catalyst at a moderate temperature. The in situ copolymerization was conducted with various c-PBT/tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BPADGE) and Carbinol PDMS feed ratios respectively. The copolyesters were characterized by GPC, NMR, and DSC techniques. Pyrolysis-combustion flow calorimeter (PCFC) and pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (PyGC/MS) studies were performed to characterize the fire retardant properties of the copolymers during combustion. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1536–1543, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers
What's New in the Transplant OR?

Advancements in transplantation offer promising treatment options for a variety of diseases. Organ donation, an essential part of organ transplantation, may be performed at hospitals even if the facility is not a transplant center; therefore, perioperative nurses should be aware of developments in transplantation and the implications for patient care at their facilities. Considerations for organ transplant protocols include the type of documentation required, the elements of the transplant OR time out, and the use of intraoperative anti-rejection medications. Considerations for organ donation protocols include issues specific to a deceased donor, a living donor, or a donation after cardiac death. Newer developments in the transplant OR include laparoscopic kidney donation and transplantation, kidney paired donation transplantation, other living donor procedures, and transplantation procedures using robotic technology.
The electrocardiogram in interatrial septal defects and its correlation with hemodynamics

Abstract The authors have presented an electrocardiographic study in 44 patients with interatrial septal defects and established a correlation with the hemodynamic data. Changes in the electrocardiogram after the closure of the defect under
A cyclic peptide–polymer probe for the detection of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxin serotype A

Abstract A Botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT/A) ELISA detection system was developed based upon an 11-mer cyclic peptide, termed C11-019, that was identified through peptide phage display technology. The assay employs a sandwich format using the C11-019 cyclic peptide attached to a PEMA (poly(ethylene maleic anhydride)) matrix as the capture phase and anti-BoNT/A polyclonal antibodies as the detection phase. Results reported demonstrate that the C11-019 peptide–polymer can specifically bind to BoNT/A with no cross-reactivity to other serotypes examined in assay buffers and a variety of body fluids and foodstuffs. When a highly sensitive chemiluminescent substrate was engaged, the detection of 1 pg/mL could be readily achieved within 3 h with a linear range of 0.1–1 ng/mL. These results demonstrate that an inexpensive peptide–polymer-based capture ELISA system can be used for rapid, sensitive and highly specific BoNT detection.
Measurement of diffusion and random motion effects with fast magnetic resonance imaging

In fast MR imaging with a steady-state free precession (SSFP) pulse sequence the coherent signal that forms just before each rf pulse depends entirely on echoes from previous pulses. When moderate strength field gradient pulses are applied, this signal is very sensitive to random motions such as diffusion. A theoretical analysis of the full effects of diffusion in SSFP imaging is in good agreement with preliminary experimental results in a water phantom, but a previously used approximation does not adequately account for the qualitative or quantitative features of these effects.
Activation of autoreactive B cells by CpG dsDNA

The proliferative response of autoreactive rheumatoid factor (RF) B cells to mammalian chromatin-containing immune complexes (ICs) results from the sequential engagement of the B cell receptor (BCR) and Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). We have used ICs constructed from anti-hapten antibodies and defined haptenated dsDNA fragments to determine the form of mammalian DNA that mediates this process. Despite their relatively low abundance in mammalian DNA, we found that inclusion of hypomethylated CpG motifs in these ICs was necessary for effective activation. In the absence of antibody, the same fragments could efficiently stimulate low-affinity hapten-specific and DNA-reactive 3H9 B cells, but not RF B cells. These results extend the BCR/TLR9 coengagement paradigm to a second major class of autoreactive B cells, further confirm the critical role of the BCR in chromatin ligand delivery to TLR9, and implicate hypomethylated CpG motifs as ligand elements necessary for the initiation of systemic autoimmune disease.
The expression pattern of thyroid hormone response genes in remodeling tadpole tissues defines distinct growth and resorption gene expression programs

Thyroid hormone (TH) induces dramatic skeletal and tissue remodeling of the anuran head and body at metamorphosis. The expression pattern of TH up-regulated genes has been correlated with tissues that either grow or resorb at metamorphosis. Whereas the expression of the thyroid hormone receptors in Xenopus laevis tadpoles is ubiquitous, the locations where many of the TH up-regulated genes are activated fall into distinct classes. Genes in the early response class are expressed predominantly in cartilage and brain regions undergoing cell proliferation and at a higher level in the remodeling and growing body than in the resorbing tail. In contrast, expression of genes in the delayed response class is highest in resorbing tissues and higher in the tail than in the body within the subepidermal fibroblast layer, further indicating that this single cell layer is involved in tissue resorption. The expression boundary of delayed response class genes in the subepidermal fibroblasts in the body correlates with epidermal lamella invasion and subsequent adult skin differentiation. Differences in the expression patterns of stromelysin-3 and the delayed response proteinases in the head delineate separate programs of tissue resorption, one for the loss of epithelial structures, and one for the loss of cartilages. Expression of the type III deiodinase is up-regulated in growing tissues nearing completion of their metamorphic changes, suggesting a role for the deiodinase in modulating the influence of TH on these tissues.
The Intrinsic DNA Helicase Activity of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum ΔH Minichromosome Maintenance Protein

Minichromosome maintenance proteins (MCMs) form a family of conserved molecules that are essential for initiation of DNA replication. All eukaryotes contain six orthologous MCM proteins that function as heteromultimeric complexes. The sequencing of the complete genomes of several archaebacteria has shown that MCM proteins are also present in archaea. The archaea Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum contains a single MCM-related sequence. Here we report on the expression and purification of the recombinantM. thermoautotrophicum MCM protein (MtMCM) in bothEscherichia coli and baculovirus-infected cells. We show that purified MtMCM protein assembles in large macromolecular complexes consistent in size with being double hexamers. We demonstrate that MtMCM contains helicase activity that preferentially uses dATP and DNA-dependent dATPase and ATPase activities. The intrinsic helicase activity of MtMCM is abolished when a conserved lysine in the helicase domain I/nucleotide binding site is mutated. MtMCM helicase unwinds DNA duplexes in a 3′ → 5′ direction and can unwind up to 500 base pairs in vitro. The kinetics, processivity, and directionality of MtMCM support its role as a replicative helicase inM. thermoautotrophicum. This strongly suggests that this function is conserved for MCM proteins in eukaryotes where a replicative helicase has yet to be identified.