cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The behavior of ferroelectric liquid crystalline compounds at the air-water interface

Abstract A ferroelectric side-chain polymer with a siloxane backbone and its constituent monomer have been prepared. The film forming properties at the air-water interface are described in terms of temperature dependence, stability, and hysteresis behavior. The ability to form Langmuir-Blodgett mono- or multilayers with different substrates was also investigated. The LB layers were characterized by use of polarized UV-vis, FTIR, and SAXS.
Comparison of Ramp and Stepwise Incremental Pacing in Assessment of Antegrade and Retrograde Conduction

. conduction. Conventional assessmenl of antegrade (AV) and retrograde (VA) conduction involves stepwise increments in pacing rates until block in conduction is observed. This study was designed to establish the comparative characteristics of ramp pacing, in which the rate is continuously and smoothly incremented until block occurs. Two hundred and ten patients participated in portions of this study. Stepwise pacing was performed in 10 beat/minute steps, with the rate held for at least 15 seconds at each step; if marked prolongation or variability in conduction was observed, the rate was held constant for up to 60 seconds to allow for accomodation. With ramp pacing, the rate was gradually increased at a steady 2–4 beats/minute/second. Whenever possible, both stepwise and ramp pacing were performed for assessment of both antegrade and retrograde conduction. All patients had conducted sinus rhythm as their baseline mechanism. Antegrade conduction was similar using incremental stepwise and ramp pacing. The AH interval at a cycle length (CL) of 500 ms, the maximum AH increment, the cycle length at AV block were all remarkably similar (p = NS). Assessment of retrograde conduction produced similar results, with insignificant differences between maximum conducted VA intervals, and cycle length at VA block using the two pacing techniques. Ramp pacing provides a useful and rapid alternative to conventional stepwise incremental pacing in the assessment of antegrade and retrograde conduction in patients using both normal and accessory pathways. Ramp pacing was better tolerated, and some correlations between antegrade and retrograde conduction were stronger with the ramp pacing technique.
Testing a Lithium Ion Battery as a Pulsed Power Source

Experiments were performed on a prototype very high power lithium-ion battery cell from Saft Batteries for its pulsed power capacity. The experiments were centered on a series of tests designed to exercise the battery for maximum power transfer and maximum charge/current transfer from battery to a load. The pulsing periods ranged from 0.5 ms to 50 ms. The maximum power obtained was 14.6 kW/kg for a 5 ms pulse. Battery output current measured at 5000 A was obtained for a 5 ms pulse under a 245 Omega load.
Don C. Ohadike: The Man, his Intellectual Legacy and African Historiography

It is difficult to completely understand the life history of an intellectual excluding an understanding of his family upbringing and formative years. Family upbringing and childhood environment, often the less known part of a life history, play crucial roles in shaping the ideas and values individuals espouse in their adult life. Notwithstanding, this paper is not concerned with Don C. Ohadike’s childhood. It rather focuses on the professional career of our able historian – that is the part of his life as revealed by his most outstanding published writings. Ohadike’s published works contain a wellspring of idioms that tell much about his values, quality of mind, and his mission as an African historian. Ohadike was a humanist, an African patriot, and a nationalist crusader. His entire philosophy centered on safeguarding his African identity in an emergent world of cultural imperialism.
Interference management for multiuser two-way relaying

We consider a multiuser two-way relay network where multiple pairs of users communicate with their pre-assigned partners, using a common intermediate relay node, in a two-phase communication scenario. In this system, a pair of partners transmit to the relay sharing a common spreading signature in the first phase, and the relay broadcasts an estimate of the XORed symbol for each user pair in the second phase employing the relaying scheme termed jointly demodulate-and-XOR forward (JD-XOR-F) in [1]. We investigate the joint power control and receiver optimization problem for this multiuser two-way relay system with JD-XOR-F relaying. We show that the total power optimization problem decouples into two subproblems, one for each phase. We construct the distributed power control and receiver updates in each phase which converge to the corresponding unique optimum. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the significant power savings of the multiuser two-way relay system with the proposed iterative power control and receiver optimization algorithms, as compared to the designs with a iquestone-wayiquest communication perspective.
Morbid obesity in pediatric diabetes mellitus: surgical options and outcomes

The current obesity epidemic has led to a dramatic increase in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus among adolescents, along with other obesity-related comorbidities, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, psychosocial impairment and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Medical treatment of severe obesity is effective in only a small percentage of adolescent patients. In light of the potentially life-threatening complications of obesity, bariatric surgery can be considered a treatment option for adolescent patients with morbid obesity. Indications for surgery rely on both BMI and comorbidity criteria, as well as the ability of the adolescents and their family to understand and comply with perioperative protocols. The long-term effects of bariatric surgery in adolescents are not known; therefore, participation in prospective outcome studies is important. The risk associated with bariatric surgery in adolescents seems to be similar to that observed in adult patients in the short term. Data suggest that bypass procedures successfully reverse or improve abnormal glucose metabolism in the majority of patients and may be more effective in adolescents than adults. This improvement in glucose metabolism occurs before marked weight loss in patients undergoing bypass procedures, suggesting a direct effect on the hormonal control of glucose metabolism.
Linguistic Nonimmediacy and Self-Presentation.

Summary It has been previously shown that Ss accurately infer communicators' levels of negative affect on the basis of communicators' levels of linguistic nonimmediacy (the degree of verbal indirectness with which a communicator refers to himself or to that about which he communicates). It was hypothesized that Ss would also rely on communicators' levels of linguistic nonimmediacy for impression formation, specifically that Ss would perceive communicators using lower levels of linguistic nonimmediacy as more authoritative and as having a more positive character than communicators using higher levels of linguistic nonimmediacy. The hypothesis was partially confirmed in a study of 12 college students who rated samples of student speeches by means of McCroskey's impression formation instrument for public speakers. The results were discussed in terms of the role of language in self-presentation and the role of interpretative procedures in social interaction.
Human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells activate the survival protein Akt in cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells that limits apoptosis and necrosis during hypoxia.

We have previously reported that human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (HUCBC), which contain hematopoietic, mesenchymal, and endothelial stem cells, can significantly reduce acute myocardial infarction size. To determine the mechanism whereby HUCBC increase myocyte and vascular endothelial cell survival, we treated cardiac myocytes and coronary artery endothelial cells in separate experiments with HUCBC plus culture media or culture media alone and subjected the cells to 24 h of hypoxia or normoxia. We then determined in myocytes and endothelial cells activation of the cell survival protein Akt by Western blots. We also determined in these cells apoptosis by annexin V staining and necrosis by propidium iodide staining. Thereafter, we inhibited with API, a specific and sensitive Akt inhibitor, Akt activation in myocytes and endothelial cells cultured with HUCBC during hypoxia and determined cell apoptosis and necrosis. In cells cultured without HUCBC, hypoxia only slightly activated Akt. Moreover, hypoxia increased myocyte apoptosis by ≥226% and necrosis by 58% in comparison with myocytes in normoxia. Hypoxic treatment of endothelial cells without HUCBC increased apoptosis by 94% and necrosis by 59%. In contrast, hypoxia did not significantly affect HUCBC. Moreover, in myocyte + HUCBC cultures in hypoxia, HUCBC induced a ≥135% increase in myocyte phospho-Akt. Akt activation decreased myocyte apoptosis by 76% and necrosis by 35%. In endothelial cells, HUCBC increased phospho-Akt by 116%. HUCBC also decreased endothelial cell apoptosis by 58% and necrosis by 42%. Inhibition of Akt with API in myocytes and endothelial cells cultured with HUCBC during hypoxia nearly totally prevented the HUCBC-induced decrease in apoptosis and necrosis. We conclude that HUCBC can significantly decrease hypoxia-induced myocyte and endothelial cell apoptosis and necrosis by activating Akt in these cells and in this manner HUCBC can limit myocardial ischemia and injury.
Properties of selectively starved Euglena

Abstract It has been shown that starving Euglena for an essential nutrient causes it to reduce its nuclear and plastid complements by one-half. If pressed by extreme deprivation of the nutrient, the cell is finally pushed to discard its plastid complement which is gratuitous in the heterotrophic medium in which the cell is growing.
What's new in neurological surgery.

Abstract "What's New in Surgery" evolves from the contributions of leaders in each of the fields of surgery. In every instance the author has been designated by the appropriate Council from the American College of Surgeons' Advisory Councils for the Surgical Specialties. This feature will be presented in issues of the Journal throughout the year beginning in 2001 (formerly published in one issue, February, of each volume of JACS ).
Construction of optimal graphs for bit-vector compression

Bitmaps are data structures occurring often in information retrieval. They are useful; they are also large and expensive to store. For this reason, considerable effort has been devoted to finding techniques for compressing them. These techniques are most effective for sparse bitmaps. We propose a preprocessing stage, in which bitmaps are first clustered and the clusters used to transform their member bitmaps into sparser ones, that can be more effectively compressed. The clustering method efficiently generates a graph structure on the bitmaps. The results of applying our algorithm to the Bible is presented: for some sets of bitmaps, our method almost doubled the compression savings.
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the mouse T-cell receptor gene families.

We have studied the restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) found in the germline T-cell receptor genes of 25 inbred Mus musculus strains and 8 wild Mus species. Included in the inbred mice tested were several strains which spontaneously develop systemic autoimmune disease. Extensive polymorphism was evident for the variable (V) gene segments of the α gene family for both the inbred strains and wild mouse species. Changes in the total number of bands hybridizing with probes for V α gene segments suggest that members of a V α gene segment subfamily are not closely linked, but are interspersed with members of other subfamilies; that expansion and contraction of the multimembered subfamilies may be an important diversifying factor. Our data obtained with β gene probes revealed genomic diversity that is much more limited than that seen for the α locus. Analysis of inbred mice with probes for the γ gene locus revealed some RFLPs, but little evidence of expansion or contraction in the numbers of gene segments. Among the autoimmune mice, NZW, NZB, and BXSB/MpJ all display distinctive differences with α gene probes. NZW mice have a large deletion of the β gene family, which has been reported previously. We found no differences to distinguish the MRL/MpJ lpr/lpr mice from non-autoimmune strains.
Trends in mortality following mechanical thrombectomy for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in the USA

Background and purpose Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke has been growing in popularity while the therapeutic benefit of MT has been increasingly debated. Our objective was to examine national trends in mortality following MT. Methods We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (2012) and the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (2008–2011) for patients with a primary diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke that received MT. Temporal trends in mortality were examined using Spearman9s rank correlation. To account for confounding factors, mortality was further analyzed in binary logistic regression. Results Hospitals performing MT comprised 8% of all hospitals treating ischemic stroke. The percentage of stroke cases treated with MT increased from 0.6% of cases in 2008 to 1.1% in 2012, totaling 16 307 MT cases in a 5 year period. Inhospital mortality decreased over the study period from 25.4% in 2008 to 16.1% in 2012 (r=−0.081, p Conclusions Utilization of MT represents a small percentage of stroke cases, although the trend is increasing. Mortality following MT has been showing a steady decline over the past 5 years. This may be a result of a learning curve, improved patient selection, and/or device improvements. Randomized trials remain essential to evaluate the potential benefit of endovascular devices and identify the most appropriate patients.
Conductive atomic force microscopy study of MBE GaN films

We have used the techniques of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and conductive AFM (C-AFM) to investigate the morphology and localized current conduction of GaN films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) templates. The most common type of surface morphology consists of undulating spiral "hillocks" terminated by small pits. A low density of holes are interspersed between these hillocks with typical diameters of ~150 nm and densities on the order of 10 8 cm -2 . For C-AFM measurements, a Pt-coated AFM tip was brought into contact with the GaN surface to form a microscopic Schottky contact. In reverse bias, C-AFM shows localized current leakage at the centers of approximately 10% of spiral hillocks, which are presumably associated with screw dislocations. Shifts in forward-bias turn-on voltages and changes in the conduction mechanism are observed in these defect regions. Local I-V curves indicate a Frenkel-Poole mechanism for forward conduction on defect regions.
Minimum Pavement Temperature Modeling and Mapping for Alaskan Conditions

According to the Superpave design system, the selection of asphalt binder using performance-based binder specifications depends in part on the expected high and low pavement temperatures. For low-temperature cracking considerations, the binder should satisfy minimum pavement temperature requirements selected for design. In this case, knowledge of minimum pavement temperature during the design period is essential for proper binder selection. In this study, field temperature data for a number of sites were collected and analyzed. Correlations between minimum air and pavement temperature were established for different Alaskan climatic zones. Results indicate that the minimum pavement temperature could be lower or higher than minimum air temperature. However, for low temperature ranges the pavement temperature is generally warmer than air temperature by 2 to 7° C, depending on climate zone. Comparisons of minimum pavement temperature for Alaskan conditions with Superpave and the Asphalt Institute criteria for...
A Segment Level Analysis of Multi-Vehicle Motorcycle Crashes in Ohio Using Bayesian Multi-Level Mixed Effects Models

Multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes combine elements of design, behavior, and traffic. One challenge with working with motorcycle data are the inherit difficulties associated with missing data – such as motorcycle-specific: vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and average daily traffic (ADT). To address the challenges of the missing data, a random effects Bayesian negative binomial model is developed for the state of Ohio. In this study, the random effect terms improve the general model by describing the spatial correlation with fixed effects, the neighborhood criteria, and the uncorrelated heterogeneity for all the multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes that occurred on the 32,289 state-maintained roadway segments in Ohio. Some key findings from this study include regional data improves the goodness-of-fit, and further improvement of the models may be gained through a distance-based neighborhood specification of conditional autoregressive (CAR). In addition to the model improvement using the random effect terms, key variables such as smaller lane and shoulder widths, increases in the horizontal degree of curvature and increases in the maximum vertical grade will increase the prediction of a crash.
Parental Antecedents of Internal-External Control of Reinforcement

Two exploratory studies were conducted involving children's reports of parental behavior and parents' child-rearing and internal-external control (I-E) attitudes as antecedents of children's belief...
Sail Sound in Ebstein's Anomaly of the Tricuspid Valve

Ebstein's anomaly represents an anatomic, pathologic, and physiologic spectrum. There have been few hemodynamic correlates for the observed auscultatory events. Multiple components of the first sound and "ejection" sounds are frequently described. Cardiac catheterization, intracardiac sound-pressure studies (Telco), and cineangiograms were performed in three patients with Ebstein's anomaly who had a prominent early systolic sound. The right ventricular pressure pulse was abnormal in all; an initial delta-wave configuration, followed by a more rapid pressure rise, produced a prolonged rise to peak pressure. The right ventricular pressure pulse is not that of a conduction defect alone; rather it suggests that the altered pattern of ventricular contraction and abnormal leaflet placement are contributing factors. The early systolic sound was recorded in the atrialized right ventricle or right ventricle in all. It occurred just after the peak of the c wave in the atrialized right ventricle. In the right ventri...
A size scaling approach for mixed-size placement

We propose a global placement algorithm that employs size scaling of circuit components to provide continuity during placement. In the context of mixed-size placement, size scaling is utilized to handle significant variations among the sizes of the components, thereby avoiding additional complexity that is often associated with multiple levels of smoothing. By using the optimal region approach to first determine an initial placement, the size scaling approach allows the global placement algorithm to converge to better placement solutions.
Hypoxia-induced angiogenesis is delayed in aging mouse brain

Chronic moderate hypoxia results in systemic and central nervous system adaptations that allow acclimatization. Long-term responses to hypoxia involve systemic physiological changes, metabolic regulation, and vascular remodeling. To investigate whether aging affects systemic and cerebral angiogenic adaptational changes in response to prolonged hypoxia, the present study assessed the responses of 4month old ("young") C57BL/6 mice and 24month old ("aged") C57BL/6 mice to chronic hypobaric hypoxia of 0.4atm (290torr). Compared to young mice, delayed body weight-loss recovery and a lag in polycythemic response were observed in aged mice. As previously shown, hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) accumulation was attenuated and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was decreased in the cerebral cortex of aged mice. Conversely, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-α (PGC-1α) protein upregulation were not affected in the aged mice. Despite an initial delay in cerebral angiogenic response in aged mice in the first week of hypoxia, no significant differences were observed in microvascular density between young and aged mice in normoxia and at 2 and 3weeks of hypoxia. Taken together, these observations indicate that, even though the HIF-1 response to hypoxia is greatly attenuated, HIF-1 independent compensatory pathways are eventually able to maintain baseline and cerebral angiogenic adaptational changes to chronic hypoxia in aged mice. The delayed adaptive response, however, may result in decreased survival in the aged cohort.
Cellular Stress Induces the Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Caveolin-1 (Tyr14) via Activation of p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase and c-Src kinase: EVIDENCE FOR CAVEOLAE, THE ACTIN CYTOSKELETON, AND FOCAL ADHESIONS AS MECHANICAL SENSORS OF OSMOTIC STRESS *

Environmental stressors have been recently shown to activate intracellular mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, such as p38 MAP kinase, leading to changes in cellular functioning. However, little is known about the downstream elements in these signaling cascades. In this study, we show that caveolin-1 is phosphorylated on tyrosine 14 in NIH 3T3 cells after stimulation with a variety of cellular stressors (i.e. high osmolarity, H2O2, and UV light). To detect this phosphorylation event, we employed a phosphospecific monoclonal antibody probe that recognizes only tyrosine 14-phosphorylated caveolin-1. Since p38 MAP kinase and c-Src have been previously implicated in the stress response, we next assessed their role in the tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1. Interestingly, we show that the p38 inhibitor (SB203580) and a dominant-negative mutant of c-Src (SRC-RF) both block the stress-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1 (Tyr(P)14). In contrast, inhibition of the p42/44 MAP kinase cascade did not affect the tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1. These results indicate that extracellular stressors can induce caveolin-1 tyrosine phosphorylation through the activation of well established upstream elements, such as p38 MAP kinase and c-Src kinase. However, heat shock did not promote the tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1 and did not activate p38 MAP kinase. Finally, we show that after hyperosmotic shock, tyrosine-phosphorylated caveolin-1 is localized near focal adhesions, the major sites of tyrosine kinase signaling. In accordance with this localization, disruption of the actin cytoskeleton dramatically potentiates the tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1. Taken together, our results clearly define a novel signaling pathway, involving p38 MAP kinase activation and caveolin-1 (Tyr(P)14). Thus, tyrosine phosphorylation of caveolin-1 may represent an important downstream element in the signal transduction cascades activated by cellular stress.
Acute toxicity and behavioral effects of acrylates and methacrylates to juvenile fathead minnows

A c r y l a t e and m e t h a c r y l a t e d a t a were n o t u sed in t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of t h i s QSAR. V e i t h round t h a t more p o l a r e s t e r s were more t o x i c t h a n would be p r e d i c t e d u s i n g a b a s e l i n e n a r c o s i s QSAR. A p r e v i o u s s t u d y by D i l l i n g h a m e t a l . (1983) c o n c l u d e d t h a t a c r y l a t e s and m e t h a c r y l a t e s bave a n o n s p e c i f i c , membranem e d i a t e d , mode of a c t i o n (MOA). Lawrence e t a l . (1972) r e a c h e d a s i m i l a r c o n c l u s i o n e x c e p t t h e y n o t e d t h a t i n c r e a s e d t o x i c i t y was o b s e r v e d f o r compounds w i t h an h y d r o x y l o r amino g roup a t t h e R 2 p o s i t i o n .
Keeping an Open Mind About Novel Concepts for Management of Prostate Cancer.

the bladder neck. In relation to existing focal therapy literature, these outcomes are comparable in terms of potency (54–100%) and slightly lower in terms of continence (95–100%) but slightly higher in terms of urethral stricture (0–5%) [4]. Some physicians may claim that the results in this study are promising, whereas others may claim they are not ideal. The authors’ state that they did not enrich the cohort with patients who had optimal functional status prior to focal therapy, perhaps explaining why the functional outcomes were not so laudable. We also do not know the details of the index lesion location of the treatment, which can largely affect functional outcomes. Urinary and erectile outcomes are largely dependent on the patient’s baseline functional status along with the location of the treatment zone. Men who present with better function are more likely to maintain it. Conversely, men
Moral Reasoning about Sexually Transmitted Diseases

The purpose of this research was to investigate moral reasoning related to sexual behavior that could lead to the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Using hypothetical dilemmas about situations in which STDs can be transmitted, respondents were asked to explain why they believed the characters should or should not engage in risky behaviors. 40 college freshmen (M = 18.3 years) and 32 college seniors (M = 22.3 years) participated. Using Kohlberg's moral stage theory and Gilligan's moral orientation model, the interviews were scored for moral stage and moral orientation. Results indicated that the older age group had a significantly higher stage of moral reasoning than the younger age group when responding to dilemmas about STDs. There was a significant difference in moral stage between dilemmas, reflecting the possible effect of dilemma content on moral reasoning. The overall pattern of results shows nonsignificant gender differences in stage of moral reasoning and moral orientation. Clinical and theoretical implications of these findings for understanding the role of moral reasoning in sexual risky behavior are discussed.
Advanced training tools for oil and gas industry personnel

Background: The pool of experienced oil, gas and chemical plant operators, mechanics and other plant personnel is not keeping pace with demand in active oil and gas hubs like in the State of Qatar. Many individuals new to the oil and gas and related industries are being hired. A premium is being placed on getting these individuals quickly trained and qualified to assume increasing job responsibilities. This places great pressure on training functions within existing production units. A solution to this challenge is to develop advanced training tools that could be specifically used in oil, gas and chemical plants. Objectives: This research effort, undertaken by ExxonMobil Research Qatar, aims to develop immersive 3D training simulators for training of personnel in oil and gas production, processing, and transportation facilities. Realistic training scenarios developed for simulators range from routine operations, to developing competencies and assuring operational excellence responding to high consequence/low probability events. Results: This research effort led to the development of 3D visualization platforms for use in training process operators and young engineers joining the workforce. The platform supports the development of small-scale 3D immersive training simulators that combine dynamic process simulators with fully functioning and interactive 3D models. 3D models include compressor skids, re-liquefaction plants and other small-scale processing units. Extensive libraries of 3D models for process equipment, instrumentation, piping and field structures were developed and leveraged to promote efficiency when developing further 3D models. The platform is designed for multiple field operators training simultaneously through connectivity with other 3D display systems. Ongoing software and hardware upgrades have enhanced performance, widened applicability and allow for more complex and ultradetailed 3D models. Work is ongoing to develop a full-scale training simulator of an actual LNG facility process unit located in the State of Qatar. Augmented reality work-aids, for procedure verification in the field, have been developed for training and competency assessment. The research effort yielded a patent application for novel and innovative developments in the field of 3D immersive simulators. Future work includes learning management systems to track progress and scoring for trainees and further enhancement of realism in 3D environments.
The elongation defective1 mutant of Arabidopsis is impaired in the gene encoding a serine-rich secreted protein

Coordinated cell growth and differentiation is crucial for the development of higher plants. Using the elongation defective 1-1 (eld1-1) mutant, we cloned the ELD1 gene, which encodes a serine-rich protein. Genes homologous to ELD1 can be found in plants, includingArabidopsis, rice, and tobacco, but not in other organisms. Using reverse genetics, we identified a new allele, eld1-2, which is phenotypically indistinguishable from eld1-1, but does not produce a detectable ELD1 transcript. The ELD1 gene sequence is the same as that of the KOBITO1 sequence. However, the kob1 mutants display weak phenotype relative to the two eld1 mutants, which are likely null alleles. KOB1 was reported to be a membrane protein involved in cellulose synthesis. However, based on ELD1-GFP localization in plasmolyzed cells, we found that ELD1 is localized to the cell wall/extracellular matrix, rather than the membrane. Thus, ELD1/KOB1 is a secreted protein involved in promoting cell growth. To investigate the relationship between ELD1 and Arabidopsis genes with high sequence similarity, we analyzed the possible subcellular location of their proteins as well as their amino acid sequence. The ELD1-related proteins in Arabidopsis were predicted to be localized to subcellular compartments different from that of ELD1. Thus, ELD1 is likely to be functionally distinct from related Arabidopsis genes. These results suggest that ELD1 is a single-copy gene which belongs to a small family of plant-specific genes with diverse function.
Programmable motion of DNA origami mechanisms

DNA origami enables the precise fabrication of nanoscale geometries. We demonstrate an approach to engineer complex and reversible motion of nanoscale DNA origami machine elements. We first design, fabricate, and characterize the mechanical behavior of flexible DNA origami rotational and linear joints that integrate stiff double-stranded DNA components and flexible single-stranded DNA components to constrain motion along a single degree of freedom and demonstrate the ability to tune the flexibility and range of motion. Multiple joints with simple 1D motion were then integrated into higher order mechanisms. One mechanism is a crank–slider that couples rotational and linear motion, and the other is a Bennett linkage that moves between a compacted bundle and an expanded frame configuration with a constrained 3D motion path. Finally, we demonstrate distributed actuation of the linkage using DNA input strands to achieve reversible conformational changes of the entire structure on ∼minute timescales. Our results demonstrate programmable motion of 2D and 3D DNA origami mechanisms constructed following a macroscopic machine design approach.
Selection Biases in Likelihood Arguments

AbstractMost philosophers accept some version of the requirement of total evidence (RTE), which tells us to always update on our complete evidence, which often includes ‘background information’ abo...
The myristoyl-electrostatic switch: a modulator of reversible protein-membrane interactions

Hydrophobic insertion of the acyl chain into the bilayer is necessary but not sufficient for the membrane binding of a myristoylated protein. The myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate (MARCKS), Src, ADP-ribosylation factor and human immunodeficiency virus-1 matrix proteins also contain a cluster of basic residues that bind to acidic phospholipids; the hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions act together to anchor the protein to a membrane. For MARCKS, and perhaps other proteins, phosphorylation of serines within its basic cluster reduces the electrostatic attraction, producing translocation of the protein from the membrane to the cytosol by a simple 'electrostatic switch' mechanism.
Attenuation characteristics of a new compensator material: Thermo-Shield for high energy electron and photon beams

A new thermoplastic material with extremely desirable physical and radiation shielding properties is presented. The material softens between 108 degrees F and 132 degrees F and can then be easily molded to any desired shape. As it cools down it hardens at about 102 degrees F, retaining its molded shape. It is very light (rho = 1.66 g/cc), compared to most other compensating and shielding materials used in the clinic. Its photon and electron attenuation characteristics have been measured and are compared with other materials relevant to radiotherapy. Possible applications as a bolus material, compensator and partial or total shielding material in clinical radiation therapy are discussed.
Fast approximate curve evolution

The level set method for curve evolution is a popular technique used in image processing applications. However, the numerics involved make its use in high performance systems computationally prohibitive. This paper proposes an approximate level set scheme that removes much of the computational burden while maintaining accuracy. Abandoning a floating point representation for the signed distance function, we use the integral values to represent the interior, zero level set, and exterior. We detail rules governing the evolution and maintenance of these three regions. Arbitrary energies can be implemented with the definition of three operations: initialize iteration, move points in, move points out. This scheme has several nice properties. First, computations are only performed along the zero level set. Second, this approximate distance function representation requires only a few simple integer comparisons for maintenance. Third, smoothness regularization involves only a few integer calculations and may be handled apart from the energy itself. Fourth, the zero level set is represented exactly removing the need for interpolation off the interface. Lastly, evolution proceeds on the order of milliseconds per iteration using conventional uniprocessor workstations. To highlight its accuracy, flexibility and speed, we demonstrate the technique on standard intensity tracking and stand alone segmentation.
Effects of Broiler Litter Volatiles and Ammonia on Fungal Spore Germination

Abstract The effects of broiler litter volatiles on spore germination of 12 fungal species were determined. The volatiles inhibited spore germination of all species except Scopulariopsis brevicaulis. The inhibitory effect was fungistatic. The inhibitory volatile substances in litter were higher in built-up litter than in freshly used litter and were soluble in an acid solution. Ammonia was identified by infrared analysis as a fungal inhibitory substance in litter. The effect of various concentrations of ammonia produced from ammonium chloride (NH4 Cl) was studied, and it was determined that concentrations of ammonia below 150 μg/g dry weight of litter were fungistatic for most species. At higher concentrations, ammonia was fungitoxic, with the exception of S. brevicaulis whose spore germination was not inhibited at this high concentration. Fungitoxic levels of ammonia were not found in the litter samples, but broiler house conditions necessary to produce fungitoxic levels are discussed.
Regulated transcription of Clostridium difficile toxin genes.

The Clostridium difficile toxA and toxB genes, encoding cytotoxic and enterotoxic proteins responsible for antibiotic-associated colitis and pseudomembranous colitis, were shown to be transcribed both from gene-specific promoters and from promoters of upstream genes. However, the gene-specific transcripts represented the majority of tox gene mRNAs. The 5′ ends of these mRNAs were shown to correspond to DNA sequences that had promoter activity when fused to the Escherichia coliβ-glucuronidase (gusA) gene and introduced into C. perfringens. The appearance of tox mRNA in C. difficile was repressed during exponential growth phase but increased substantially as cells entered stationary phase. When glucose or other rapidly metabolizable sugars were present in the medium, the stationary phase-associated induction was inhibited, indicating that the toxin genes are subject to a form of catabolite repression. This glucose effect was general to many toxinogenic strains having varying levels of toxin production.
DEMAND FOR MONEY AND CURRENCY SUBSTITUTION: THE CASE OF PORTUGAL

The existence of a stable relation between the demand for real cash balances and some few variables relating it to real economic activity is one of the cornerstones of the monetarist approach. Such a relation permits us not only to analyze the impact of monetary change on economic activity but, since it is stable, it also has important predictive content. A better insight is then possible on the analysis of the effects of monetary policy. On this basis, it has been shown that money really matters and that the money supply is, with regard to economic stability, a powerful but also a dangerous weapon when heedlessly used by governments.
Structure and bonding in α-copper phthalocyanine by electron diffraction

Energy-filtered quantitative electron diffraction at liquid nitrogen temperature has been used to examine the atomic structure and bonding of metastable α-Cu phthalocyanine crystals. Three theoretical methods (kinematic, kinematic with excitation errors and Bloch wave) were employed for the intensity calculations. The Bloch-wave method was found to account for dynamical effects by greatly reducing the residual factor between experimental and simulated results. A new method for calculating electron scattering factors for partially charged ions is proposed and the sensitivity of electron diffraction to charge transfer is discussed. The atomic charge states were analyzed for α-Cu phthalocyanine using a charge cloud model in which the Gaussian bond charge is positioned along the bonds. Spot patterns were collected in the Kohler mode at two beam energies to reduce error. Using the best-fitting model, a deformation charge-density map is produced and compared to the neutral-atom model. From this, the main features of atomic charge transfer in the α-Cu phthalocyanine structure can be seen in the (010) plane.
The role of copper twin boundaries in cryogenic indentation-induced grain growth

Abstract Nanostructured Cu films with and without a high density of twins were indented at approximately 77 K with a load of 0.5 N. Utilizing precession-enhanced electron diffraction in the transmission electron microscope, the crystallographic texture, grain size, and grain-to-grain misorientation were quantified. In both orientations, the nanotwinned Cu underwent grain growth in the pile-up region of the indent, with the 〈100〉 oriented nanotwinned Cu having marked increases in the Σ3 and Σ5 boundary fractions as compared to the 〈111〉 orientated nanotwinned Cu. The Cu film without twin boundaries predominately experienced grain distortion and refinement. The twinned grain structure seems to facilitate the observed grain growth, either as a result of the increased mobility of the twin boundaries through a complex mechanically-induced detwinning mechanism and/or microstructure dependent dynamic recrystallization.
The effect of raised inspired carbon dioxide on normal retinal vascular development in the neonatal rat

PURPOSE. Raised arterial carbon dioxide levels have been suggested as a risk factor for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We investigated the effect of raised inspired CO 2 on normal postnatal vasculogenesis in the neonatal rat retina. METHODS. One hundred fifty newborn rat pups were divided among 15 mothers (n = 10 for each litter). Five litters were exposed to low CO 2 (0.2%), 5 litters exposed to 6%, and 5 litters to 10% CO 2. On day 7 of life the rats were sacrificed and the total retinal and vascularized retinal areas analyzed. RESULTS. The vascularized retinal area and ratio of vascularized to total retinal area were reduced in rats exposed to 6% and 10% CO 2. CONCLUSIONS. Raised inspired CO 2 was associated with retardation of normal retinal vascular development and increased peripheral avascular area in neonatal rats. Raised CO 2 may be a risk factor for the development of abnormal neovascularization such as in ROP.
A Series of Dinuclear Copper Complexes Bridged by Phosphanylbipyridine Ligands: Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Electrochemistry

The phosphanylbipyridine ligands 6-(diphenylphosphanyl)-4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine (PPh2-Me2-bipy, a), 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-6-(diphenylphosphanyl)-2,2′-bipyridine (PPh2-tBu2-bipy, b), and 6-(diisopropylphosphanyl)-2,2′-bipyridine (PiPr2bipy, c) and the corresponding dinuclear copper complexes [Cu2(μ-PPh2-Me2-bipy)2(NCCH3)2](PF6)2 (1), [Cu2(μ-PPh2-tBu2-bipy)2(NCCH3)2](PF6)2 (2), [Cu2(μ-PiPr2bipy)2(μ-NCCH3)](PF6)2 (3), and [Cu2(μ-PiPr2bipy)2{μ-CNCH(CH3)2}](PF6)2 (4) were synthesized. The X-ray structures of 1–4 show that the complexes are dinuclear with the bidentate bipyridine coordinating to one copper atom and the phosphane moiety coordinating the other copper center. Complexes 3 and 4 possess short Cu–Cu distances with bridging acetonitrile and isocyanide ligands. The cyclic voltammograms of 1–4 were examined under N2 and CO2. Under N2, 1–3 show four quasi-reversible 1e– reductions, and under CO2, they show current enhancement at the second reduction. In comparison, complex 4 shows four irreversible reductions under N2 and no current enhancement under CO2.
Transient electroosmosis: the momentum transfer coefficient

Comparaison de 2 methodes, permettant de prevoir l'ecoulement electro-osmotique provisoire, a la solution exacte obtenue lorsque la distribution de charges est decrite par l'equation de Poisson-Boltzmann linearisee
Origin and development of lateral roots in Typha glauca.

Here we report the origin, organization, emergence, and developmemnt of the lateral roots from their parental adventitious roots in T. glauca, with emphasis on the lateral root meristem at all stages of growth
Dating surface assemblages using pottery and eggshell: assessing radiocarbon and luminescence techniques in Northeast Asia

The vast majority of known archaeological sites in arid Northeast Asia are surface assemblages containing few or no organic remains. The lack of stratified sites and a relative absence of organic remains in surface assemblages hinders our ability to date sites, create local chronologies, and contextualize technological and socio-economic change. Such problems are common in arid regions around the world. New radiocarbon and luminescence dates on collections from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia and China are used here to assess the potential for direct dating of commonly occurring artefacts like ostrich eggshell and pottery. Direct dating also allows for the identification and sorting of mixed-age assemblages. Here, we compare dates derived from Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) on ostrich eggshell, AMS on pottery, and luminescence on pottery. Our findings show that AMS and luminescence are highly complementary methods and produce results consistent with expected archaeological ages, while ostrich eggshell dates were older than the associated site assemblages.
Application of Portfolio Theory for the optimal choice of dairy veterinary management programs

Abstract Portfolio theory, an established technique in the selection of stocks and financial instruments for investment purposes, was used as a means of selecting an economic mix of veterinary interventions in a dairy herd. The expected return on investment in six veterinary services and the associated standard deviations (as measures of risk) were calculated using computer simulation modeling techniques. Mathematical programming techniques were applied to identify the optimal combinations of veterinary interventions which maximize expected financial returns while minimizing risk. Parametric analysis was used to show how risk (standard deviation) increases as the required expected return is increased along the efficient risk-return frontier of these optimal combinations. This exercise emphasizes the importance of regarding risk in addition to expected return when considering investment in veterinary services.
Synthesis of Cyclocholates and Derivatives

Abstract A synthesis of bile acid cyclooligomers by the Yamaguchi method is described. Cyclotrimerization is the principal reaction route for the cholic acid system, and cyclotetramerization is the principal reaction route for the 24-norcholic acid.
Competitive Advantage Through People: Unleashing the Power of the Work Force

This article presents a review of the book “Competitive Advantage Through People: Unleashing the Power of the Work Force,” by Jeffrey Pfeffer.
The microstructural evolution of a silver-containing spray deposited 1223 Tl–Ca–Ba–Cu oxide superconductor

This paper reports a study of the microstructural evolution of Ag-containing 1223 Tl--Ca--Ba--Cu oxide superconductors in spray-deposited films. The films were formed by spray depositing nitrates of Ca, Ba, Cu, and Ag onto a polycrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia substrate. These deposits were then converted to a mixture of oxides (calcia, calcium-copper oxide, and barium cuprate) and metallic silver by heating in oxygen. When thallium oxide vapor was passed over the film, the thallium was incorporated into the film and the 1223 phase was formed. The evidence strongly suggests that the development of the 1223 superconductor involves the formation of a liquid phase. Our analysis suggests that the initial phase to form a liquid is CaO that contains thallium, barium, copper, and silver. Once this initial liquid is formed, it incorporates more thallium which, in turn, allows it to dissolve other types of oxides present in the film. In this way the liquid spreads across the surface. The equilibrium 1223 phase precipitates from it.
Trajectory Control for General Solar Sails

In this paper a control strategy for maintaining a general solar sail, with arbitrary but flxed geometry, on a halo orbit is studied. A numerical method for computing sub-L1 halo orbits for a solar sail is presented and used to obtain a reference orbit on which to test the trajectory controller. The trajectory controller consists of two parts: one for controlling the sun-sail distance along the x-axis and the second part for simultaneously controlling the y and z positions. This controller assumes that the sail performance is higher than the nominal trajectory requires; thus, the original mission goals can be achieved despite initial sail modeling errors.
Ultra-low loss laser communications technique using smart beamforming optics

Abstract Theory and design is presented for a technique for ultra-low loss laser communication that uses a combination of strong and weak thin lens optics, hence obeying the paraxial approximation. As opposed to conventional laser communication systems, the Gaussian laser beam is prevented from diverging at the receiving station by using a weak thin lens that places the transmitted beam waist mid-way between a symmetrical transmitter–receiver link design. The weak lens can be a fixed optic for static link distances or programmable for mobile scenarios. The programmable weak optic can be a single pixel or multi-pixel lens made by liquid crystal or mirror technologies. The proposed link design is appropriate for low air turbulence links such as short-range or indoor links and space based links.