cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Large scale testing of nitinol shape memory alloy devices for retrofitting of bridges

A large scale testing program was conducted to determine the effects of shape memory alloy (SMA) restrainer cables on the seismic performance of in-span hinges of a representative multiple-frame concrete box girder bridge subjected to earthquake excitations. Another objective of the study was to compare the performance of SMA restrainers to that of traditional steel restrainers as restraining devices for reducing hinge displacement and the likelihood of collapse during earthquakes. The results of the tests show that SMA restrainers performed very well as restraining devices. The forces in the SMA and steel restrainers were comparable. However, the SMA restrainer cables had minimal residual strain after repeated loading and exhibited the ability to undergo many cycles with little strength and stiffness degradation. In addition, the hysteretic damping that was observed in the larger ground accelerations demonstrated the ability of the materials to dissipate energy. An analytical study was conducted to assess the anticipated seismic response of the test setup and evaluate the accuracy of the analytical model. The results of the analytical simulation illustrate that the analytical model was able to match the responses from the experimental tests, including peak stresses, strains, forces, and hinge openings.
Electron-phonon effects in graphene and armchair (10,10) single-wall carbon nanotubes

The electron-phonon interaction in low-dimensional tight-binding systems is discussed. A sheet of graphite, which is two-dimensional, and an armchair single-wall carbon nanotube (SWNT), which is quasi-one-dimensional, are taken as examples. For the modulated hopping the matrix elements for both systems are derived in the context of a two parameter model for the phonon vibrational spectrum. It is found that they (for both structures) display a deformation type of potential, and are reduced by a factor of $(1\ensuremath{-}R),$ where R depends on the phonon parameters. It is also shown that the ordinary electron-phonon coupling displays a deformation type of approximation for both systems. Next, a different type of interaction is considered---the phonon modulated electron-electron interaction. It gives two contributions---random phase approximation with one phonon line and exchange interaction with one phonon line. We find that for the two-dimensional (2D) graphene and for the quasi-1D (10,10) SWNT, the modulated hopping and exchange coupling govern the electron transport at room temperatures.
The hothouse effect: a model for change in higher education

Purpose – To present a model of innovative change in higher education based on research into the factors behind the performance of highly creative historical communities.Design/methodology/approach – The article diagnoses current pressures under which academia is laboring, explains the hothouse effect, and proposes solutions based on the hothouse effect model.Findings – The article proposes restructuring of discipline‐based learning, developing new methods of strategic planning, adopting new assumptions about the social role of higher education, exploring modes of perception and cognition that are critical to education, and using digital technology to create learning communities and facilitate accelerated learning models. The model of organizational change emphasizes modest and numerous grass‐roots initiatives as the most efficient generator of broad cultural change.Research limitations/implications – The aim is to stimulate pilot initiatives and broad dialog on the issues raised. The research points the ...
Amyloid-beta binds Cu2+ in a mononuclear metal ion binding site.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is the principal constituent of plaques associated with Alzheimer's disease and is thought to be responsible for the neurotoxicity associated with the disease. Metal ions have been hypothesized to play a role in the formation and neurotoxicity of aggregates associated with Alzheimer's disease (Bush, A. I.; et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2003, 100, 11934). Elucidation of the chemistry through which transition-metal ions participate in the assembly and toxicity of Aβ oligomers is important to drug design efforts if inhibition of Aβ containing bound metal ions becomes a treatment for Alzheimer's disease. In this paper, we report electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic characterization of Cu2+ bound to soluble and fibrillar Aβ. Addition of stoichiometric amounts of Cu2+ to soluble Aβ produces an EPR signal at 10 K with observable Cu2+ hyperfine lines. A nearly identical spectrum is observed for Aβ fibrils assembled in the presence of Cu2+. The EPR parameters are consis...
Pyrimidine ribonucleoside monophosphokinase and the mode of RNA turnover in Bacillus subtilis.

A protein catalyzing the phosphorylation of CMP to CDP was purified and characterized. Kinase activity for UMP copurified during ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose and hydroxylapatite chromatography, and gel filtration on Sephadex G-75, the ratios of activities for the two substrates remaining constant. The purified product, possessing both activities was homogeneous as judged by the single band following polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The protein showed no kinase activity against purine nucleoside monophosphates or the other pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphates: dCMP, dUMP, and dTMP. Thus unlike the enteric bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium which have distinct enzymes which phosphorylate UMP and CMP, Bacillus subtilis produces a single pyrimidine ribonucleoside monophosphokinase. The Km values of this enzyme from B.subtilis are 0.04 and 0.25 mM for CMP and UMP, respectively, and 0.04 and 0.4 mM for ATP at saturating concentrations of CMP and UMP, respectively. The properties of this enzyme and the differences between enteric bacteria and B.subtilis with respect to the enzymes which phosphorylate CMP are consistent with the measurements which indicate that turnover of messenger RNA is largely hydrolytic in E.coli but largely phosphorolytic in B.subtilis.
FORMATION OF POILYCHLORINATED DIBENZO-p-DIOXINS BY CuCI2-CATALYZED CONDENSATION OF 2,6 CHLORINATED PHENOLS

CuCI2-catalyzed formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) from four 2,6 chlorinated phenols was studied in an isothermal flow reactor. Heated gas streams containing oxygen (8%, mole) and 2,6-dichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and pentachlorophenol vapor (300 ppmv, each) were passed through 1 cm particle beds containing CuCl2- Two gas velocities, 2·7 and 0·9cm/s, were studied, as well as effects of var3'ing the duration of experiments. PCDD yields were greatest between 300 °C and 450 °C, with 60%phenol conversion to PCDDs observed at low gas velocity. Over a range of conditions for which total PCDD product yields varied by two orders of magnitude, PCDD homologue and isomer distributions varied only slightly. The major PCDD product was 1,2,3,4,6,8-H6CDD, formed from 2,4,6-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol. This congener, and other PCDDs formed from the three 2,4,6 chlorinated phenols, are major constituents of incinerator PCDD distributions.
Does the addition of clomiphene citrate or letrazole to gonadotropin treatment enhance the oocyte yield in poor responders undergoing IVF

Purpose To evaluate the effect of adjunctive letrazole or clomiphene in IVF stimulation protocols.
Holism, contextual variability, and the study of friendships in adolescent development

This study treated a key relationship in the developmental ecology of adolescence, friendships, as multidimensional and context specific. First, it examined 4 characteristics of friends (academic achievement, alcohol use, emotional distress, and extracurricular participation) as independent factors and as components in holistic friendship group profiles. Longitudinal analyses of 9,224 adolescents (ages 12-20) revealed that multiple characteristics of friends predicted adolescent behavioral problems, as did membership in the best adjusted group profile. Second, the study examined whether the associations between friendship factors and adolescent behavior varied as a function of the larger peer network and school context, finding that network centrality, school academic press, and intergenerational bonding in schools conditioned the role of friends' characteristics and group profiles in positive and negative ways.
Interaction of scrape-off layer currents with magnetohydrodynamical instabilities in tokamak plasmas

A simple theoretical model is developed which describes how current eddies are excited in the scrape-off layer (SOL) of a large-aspect-ratio, low-β, circular cross-section tokamak by time-varying magnetohydrodynamical instabilities originating from within the plasma. This model is used to study the interaction of SOL currents with tearing modes and resistive wall modes in a typical tokamak plasma. SOL currents are found to be fairly effective at braking the rotation of tearing modes, and to have a significant destabilizing effect on resistive wall modes.
Double-Strand Break Repair in Yeast Requires Both Leading and Lagging Strand DNA Polymerases

Abstract Mitotic double-strand break (DSB)-induced gene conversion at MAT in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was analyzed molecularly in mutant strains thermosensitive for essential replication factors. The processivity cofactors PCNA and RFC are essential even to synthesize as little as 30 nucleotides following strand invasion. Both PCNA-associated DNA polymerases δ and e are important for gene conversion, though a temperature-sensitive Pol e mutant is more severe than one in Pol δ . Surprisingly, mutants of lagging strand replication, DNA polymerase α ( pol1-17 ), DNA primase ( pri2-1 ), and Rad27p ( rad27 Δ ) also greatly inhibit completion of DSB repair, even in G1-arrested cells. We propose a novel model for DSB-induced gene conversion in which a strand invasion creates a modified replication fork, involving leading and lagging strand synthesis from the donor template. Replication is terminated by capture of the second end of the DSB.
Platelets and depression in cardiovascular disease: A brief review of the current literature.

Platelets and depression in cardiovascular disease: A brief review of the current literature
Emergency department diagnosis of abdominal disorders in the elderly

To assess the accuracy of emergency department (ED) provisional diagnosis (ProDx) as compared with the hospital discharge diagnosis (HDDx) and the impact on hospital morbidity and mortality among nonelderly and elderly persons presenting with acute nontraumatic abdominal complaints, a retrospective review was conducted of 1,863 nonelderly (younger than 65 years) and 428 elderly (65 years or older) adults admitted to a university hospital from its ED. The sensitivity/ specificity of the ProDx was 82%/86% for patients younger than 65 versus 68%/76% for those 65 or older. When the ProDx and HDDx did not agree, the overall disease-related morbidity was 16% for patients younger than 65 versus 45% for those 65 or older (P < .02). There were no differences in mortality based on agreement of the ProDx and HDDx. Prospective studies to determine the factors that are most useful in the ED diagnosis of acute nontraumatic abdominal disorders in the elderly are needed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and reduce the incidence of morbidity in this high-risk group.
HPLC study of the binding of sulfinpyrazone to serum albumin

Hummel-Dreyer method was used to study the binding of sulfinpyrazone to bovine serum albumin. The technique involves our newly developed internal calibration method with the elution pattern consisting of two positive peaks and with the integrator to evaluate the area of second peak. From the area of the second peak the numerical value ofLb (the amount of drug bound to protein) was calculated. Sctachard-Rosenthal plot was used to estimate the binding parametersni (the number of binding sites) andki (the binding constants). The results are compared with those obtained by equilibrium dialysis.
Turn alternation in the pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare)

Summary o 1. After a pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare) is forced to make a turn, it turns in the opposite direction at the first choice point (turn alternation). 2. The mean angle of the pill bugs' alternating turn is a function of the angle of the initial forced turn. 3. The distance between the forced turn and choice point (5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm or 20 cm) or between the starting point and the forced turn (3 cm or 15 cm) does not affect the magnitude of the alternating angle of those animals that alternate. 4. Turn alternation in pill bugs does not seem to be controlled by any single sensory modality. 5. Turn alternation in pill bugs appears to be mediated by a form of short-term memory. 6. The functional significance of alternating behaviour may lie in the fact that it leads to temporary orientation toward vertical surfaces. 7. The electrophysiological study of alternating behaviour could provide a means of learning something about the neurological basis of short-term memory.
Mapping quantitative resistance loci for bacterial leaf streak disease in hard red spring wheat using an identity by descent mapping approach

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS; caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. translucens) has become a serious disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum) in the Midwest USA. This study was conducted to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) controlling resistance to BLS in spring wheat using an identity by descent (IBD) mapping approach. The mapping population consisted of 825 individuals representing 60 families. Resistance phenotyping was carried out in greenhouse and field research plots. QTL analysis was performed using both linkage and association-based approaches. Two genomic regions near the simple sequence repeat loci Xwmc522 and Xbarc134, on chromosomes 2A and 6B, respectively, were significantly associated with resistance in both greenhouse and field evalua- tions. The Xwmc291 and Xbarc3, loci were also significantly associated with greenhouse evaluations of resistance, and Xgwm550 was significantly associ- ated with field observations. Variance explained by the significant markers ranged from 0.56 to 29.56 %, Xwmc522 was most associated with resistance, and narrow-sense heritability for resistance was 0.28. This study demonstrates that the IBD mapping technique is a viable alternative to traditional bi-parental mapping for detecting markers associated with complex traits, like partial disease resistance in breeding populations. This information is potentially useful for marker- assisted selection and should ultimately accelerate development of resistant cultivars.
Zooarchaeological analysis of prehistoric vertebrate exploitation at the Grand Bay Site, Carriacou, West Indies

This paper discusses zooarchaeological analysis of vertebrate faunal specimens from Grand Bay, a Ceramic Age (ca.ad 400–1300) site on the island of Carriacou in the Grenadines, West Indies. Using faunal data to assess subsistence patterns of vertebrate exploitation during late site occupation, we can begin to better understand Grand Bay procurement strategies and coral reef exploitation. Preliminary zooarchaeological results imply that Grand Bay vertebrate exploitation emphasized marine resources over terrestrial resources, with particular emphasis on coral reef habitats and fish. The faunal data are discussed in relation to common patterns of prehistoric vertebrate exploitation in the Caribbean and fishing strategies. The Grand Bay faunal sample also provides a foundation from which to formulate future research foci and question zooarchaeological approaches to understanding prehistoric coral reef exploitation in the Caribbean.
Gene therapy of bone morphogenetic protein for periodontal tissue engineering.

Background: The reconstruction of lost periodontal support including bone, ligament, and cementum is a major goal of therapy. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have shown much potential in the regeneration of the periodontium. Limitations of BMP administration to periodontal lesions include need for highdose bolus delivery, BMP transient biological activity, and low bioavailability of factors at the wound site. Gene transfer offers promise as an alternative treatment strategy to deliver BMPs to periodontal tissues. Methods: This study utilized ex vivo BMP-7 gene transfer to stimulate tissue engineering of alveolar bone wounds. Syngeneic dermal fibroblasts (SDFs) were transduced ex vivo with adenoviruses encoding either green fluorescent protein (Ad-GFP or control virus), BMP-7 (Ad-BMP-7), or an antagonist of BMP bioactivity, noggin (Ad-noggin). Transduced cells were seeded onto gelatin carriers and then transplanted to large mandibular alveolar bone defects in a rat wound repair model. Results: Ad-noggin...
Atomistic Stress Fluctuation at Surfaces and Edges of Epitaxially Grown Silver Nanorods

Structural details of epitaxially grown silver nanorods on a ‚-MoTe2 surface have been investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. Atomicscale surface bending and surface reconstruction are directly observed at nanorod surfaces and edges. In agreement with a theoretical prediction, a stress fluctuation is observed in the two topmost atomic layers of nanorods. Due to a tensile stress the surface layers are occasionally bent while the subsurface layer experiences a compressive stress resulting in a novel surface reconstruction.
Cryptic intron activation within the large exon of the mouse polymeric immunoglobulin receptor gene: cryptic splice sites correspond to protein domain boundaries

The fourth exon of the mouse polymeric immuno-globulin receptor (pIgR) is 654 nt long and, despite being surrounded by large introns, is constitutively spliced into the mRNA. Deletion of an 84 nt sequence from this exon strongly activated both cryptic 5' and 3' splice sites surrounding a 78 nt cryptic intron. The 84 nt deletion is just upstream of the cryptic 3' splice site; the cryptic 3' splice site was likely activated because the deletion created a better 3' splice site. However, the cryptic 5' splice site was also required to activate the cryptic splice reaction; point mutations in either of the cryptic splice sites that decreased their match to the consensus splice site sequence inactivated the cryptic splice reaction. The activation and inactivation of these cryptic splice sites as a pair suggests that they are being co-recognized by the splicing machinery. Interestingly, the large fourth exon of the pIgR gene encodes two immunoglobulin-like extracellular protein domains; the cryptic 3' splice site coincides with the junction between these protein domains. The cryptic 5' splice site is located between protein subdomains where an intron is found in another gene of the immunoglobulin superfamily.
VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED OSCILLATOR DESIGN USING FERROELECTRIC VARACTORS

ABSTRACT Ferroelectric capacitors made from Ba1−xSrxTiO3 (BST) are applied as varactors in tunable, high frequency circuit applications. In this context, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is studied. VCOs are integral parts of phase locked loops, clock recovery circuits and frequency synthesizers and thus are widely used in both discrete and on-chip applications. Ferroelectric varactors are capable of out-performing solid-state varactors at microwave frequencies, due to their lower parasitic series resistance that leads to a higher Q-factor. In VCO implementations, this higher Q leads in turn to lower phase noise, a critical quality for these circuits. A VCO design is presented and the performance of ferroelectric varactors is compared with solid-state varactors.
Signal change detection in sensor networks with artificial neural network structure

The paper describes a design and implementation of a novel intelligent sensor network protocol enhancing reliability and security by detecting a change in sensor signals. The change could be caused by the sensor or communication unit malfunctioning or by malicious altering of a measurement result. The protocol utilizes a neural network function prediction methodology to predict sensor outputs in order to determine if the sensor outputs have changed. The parameter choice and the relationship between the threshold values and false alarm and missing attack rates are studied. The protocol is implemented and tested in real life environments with sensor networks built from Crossbow MICA motes. The test results are analyzed and recommendations on applications are provided
An Inexpensive Demand Feeder for Cage‐Reared Tilapia

Abstract An inexpensive demand feeder was evaluated for rearing blue tilapia (Tilapia aurea) in floating cages. The feeder was tested in a farm pond over a 10-week period to estimate labor savings and to compare production of fish fed by demand feeder and fish fed by hand to satiation. Fish fed by demand feeders gained an average of 72% more weight than hand-fed fish. Feed conversion and survival rates were not significantly different between the two feeding methods.
Engaging Students In STEM Education

With the "flattening" of the global economy in the 21st century, the teaching of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) has taken on new importance as economic competition has become truly global. STEM education has evolved into a meta-discipline, an integrated effort that removes the traditional barriers between these subjects, and instead focuses on innovation and the applied process of designing solutions to complex contextual problems using current tools and technologies. Engaging students in high quality STEM education requires programs to include rigorous curriculum, instruction, and assessment, integrate technology and engineering into the science and mathematics curriculum, and also promote scientific inquiry and the engineering design process. All students must be a part of the STEM vision, and all teachers must be provided with the proper professional development opportunities preparing them to guide all their students toward acquiring STEM literacy. By focusing on student engagement, educators from institutions of higher education and K-12 schools can work together to develop pedagogical models that provide rigorous, well-rounded education and outstanding STEM instruction. This paper defines the necessary attributes of STEM programs designed to engage all students, describes a number of model programs focused on student engagement, and discusses assessments in progress.
Self-control: Beyond commitment

Self-control, so important in the theory and practice of psychology, has usually been understood introspectively. This target article adopts a behavioral view of the self (as an abstract class of behavioral actions) and of self-control (as an abstract behavioral pattern dominating a particular act) according to which the development of self-control is a molar/molecular conflict in the development of behavioral patterns. This subsumes the more typical view of self-control as a now/later conflict in which an act of self-control is a choice of a larger but later reinforcer over a smaller but sooner reinforcer. If at some future time the smaller-sooner reinforcer will be more valuable than the larger-later reinforcer, self-control may be achieved through a commitment to the largerlater reinforcer prior to that point. According to some, there is a progressive internalization of commitment in the development of self-control. This presents theoretical and empirical problems. In two experiments – one with pigeons choosing between smallersooner and larger-later reinforcers, the other with adult humans choosing between short-term particular and long-term abstract reinforcers – temporal patterning of choices increased self-control.
System-level synthesis of application specific systems using A* search and generalized force-directed heuristics

This paper presents a system-level approach to the synthesis of multi-task, hard real-time applications. The goal is to select a set of off-the-shelf processors with minimal cost while satisfying timing constraints. Our approach has three design phases: resource allocation, assignment, and scheduling. With the observation that the resource allocation is a search for a set of processors which requires the minimum cost, we adopted A* search based technique. For assignment we use a variation of the force-directed technique. Final task scheduling is based on the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) algorithm. Experimental results show that this approach is highly effective on a variety of examples.
Algorithmic bombardment for the iterative solution of linear systems: a poly-iterative approach

Many algorithms employing short recurrences have been developed for iteratively solving linear systems. Yet when the matrix is nonsymmetric or indefinite, or both, it is difficult to predict which method will perform best, or indeed, converge at all. Attempts have been made to classify the matrix properties for which a particular method will yield a satisfactory solution, but "luck" still plays large role. This report describes the implementation of a poly-iterative solver. Here we apply three algorithms simultaneously to the system, in the hope that at least one will converge to the solution. While this approach has merit in a sequential computing environment, it is even more valuable in a parallel environment. By combining global communications, the cost of three methods can be reduced to that of a single method.
Games, Rules, and Conventions

In a recent article in this journal, Del Mar offered two main criticisms of Marmor’s account of social conventions. The first took issue with Marmor’s claim that the constitutive rules of games and...
New approaches to Fourier analysis of ammonoid sutures and other complex, open curves

Attempts to use Fourier methods to quantify ammonoid suture shape have failed to yield robust, repeatable results because sutures are complex curves that violate the assumptions of Fourier mathematics. In particular, sampled sutures are artificially truncated such that the first and last sampled points are not equivalent, the folds are non-stationary, and a position along a horizontal reference axis may map to multiple amplitudes along the suture path. Here I introduce an alternative Fourier method—the windowed short-time Fourier transform (STFT)—that accommodates these characteristics of complex curves. For each suture, digitized landmarks were parameterized using a tangent angle function and then smoothed by convolving with an apodization function. Piece-wise Fourier transforms were then calculated and averaged, resulting in a robust, unique quantification of line morphology. STFT coefficients and estimated power spectra describing the relative weights of harmonics were generated for 576 Paleozoic-basal Triassic ammonoid genera, representative of the range of suture morphotypes. While insensitive to major episodes of taxonomic turnover (Frasnian/Famennian, end-Devonian, and Permian/Triassic extinctions), the summed power data support the previously observed trend toward increasing suture complexity through time. Moreover, partitioning the summed power statistic into harmonic ranges allows novel insight into Paleozoic suture evolution. In particular, the data show significant shifts in the dominant morphotypes during periods of rebound and radiation and suggest that basal Triassic ammonoids possessed unique suture morphotypes when compared with those of the Paleozoic.
A Memorial Address for Moses Finley

Cargill, a classic professor at Rutgers-New Brunswick, gave this address at the memorial service at the Kirkpatrick Chapel in November 1986. He enumerates Finley’s many contributions to classical scholarship.
A 36Cl chronology of lacustrine sedimentation in the Pleistocene Owens River system

We have used 36 Cl to date climatically sensitive saline-lake sediments from hydrologically closed basins in southeastern California, primarily sediments from Searles and Panamint basins. During wet periods of the past 2.0 m.y., lakes that formed in the closed basins fluctuated in size in direct response to the balance between runoff and evaporation. We have compiled a chronology for the KM-3 core from Searles Lake, based on ages determined by 36 Cl for the evaporites, together with those determined by 14 C and U-Th series for younger sediments, and by magnetostratigraphy for older sediments. This chronology, along with other criteria, such as correlations between Searles and Panamint basins, the chloride budget, and sedimentology, is used to reconstruct the history of lake fluctuations in the paleo-Owens River system. We infer that Searles Lake desiccated at most twice since 600 ka: during the interval around 290 ka, and from 10 ka to the present. The lake history curve shows that the Holocene Epoch is anomalously arid. Major overflows from Searles to Panamint occurred during the intervals between 1.3 Ma and 1.0 Ma, 750 ka and 600 ka, 500 ka and 400 ka, and 150 ka and 120 ka. Comparing the lake-fluctuation chronology to the δ 18 O record of marine foraminifera, we infer that the strongest similarity is in the periodicities of the cycles-40 to 50 kyr before the Matuyama/Brunhes magnetic reversal (730 ka) and 100 kyr thereafter. We find, however, that at Searles Lake this fluctuation in the lake chronology is modulated by longer-term cycles of aridity and humidity. Thus, although the mid-latitude Quaternary climate record reflects the mid- to high-latitude ice-volume fluctuations that dominate the marine 18 O record, it also contains evidence for climatic forcing of a different type.
Effect of field intensity and quantity of electricity upon counterion fixation by polyelectrolytes

Numerous transference experiments on polyelectrolytes have demonstrated that an appreciable fraction of the counterions move during electrolysis with the polyelectrolyte ion of opposite charge. The present studies were carried out to determine the effect of field intensity and the extent of electrolysis on the apparent degree of counterion fixation. It is found that the degree of ion binding depends upon the applied field and that up to a certain point the association diminishes with increasing field. The results are interpreted to mean that the ions are not all held equally firmly. Some ions are held loosely and move as a kind of atmosphere with the polymer ions only when the applied field is small. Other ions are firmly held and are carried along even in the presence of a strong field which would tend to cause separation of the oppositely charged ions. Using polyacrylic acid partially neutralized with sodium hydroxide, it is observed that from 10 to 20% of the ions that are bound are “loosely” bound and hence not carried along under strong fields. As might be expected, the different degrees of binding are observed to be functions of the degree of neutralization.
An SoC with automatic bias optimization of an RF oscillator

We present a novel scheme for optimizing an RF oscillator's current to ensure MOS device reliability and improve performance of a wireless SoC. The proposed method calculates the variance of the digitized phase error samples by a time-to-digital converter (TDC) in an all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL) to estimate oscillator noise as a function of the current setting. The entire calibration mechanism is autonomous and fully internal to the SoC and is aided by the available on-chip processor associated with the radio modem. This concept is incorporated in a commercial single-chip radio SoC fabricated in 90-nm CMOS for GSM/EDGE mobile handsets, where it ensures compliance with the targeted phase-noise performance across temperature and process variations.
Pharmacologic Perspectives for Once-Daily Antiretroviral Therapy

OBJECTIVETo contrast available once-daily antiretroviral agents and combinations of these agents from a clinical pharmacologic viewpoint.DATA SOURCESData were extracted from publications and major HIV conference proceedings cited in MEDLINE (1966–March 2004) using the search terms antiretroviral therapy, combination therapy, once-daily therapy, and pharmacokinetics. Additional references were obtained from the bibliographies of these sources.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTIONInformation pertaining to pharmacologic perspectives for once-daily antiretroviral agents was selected.DATA SYNTHESISMaximal and durable suppression of plasma HIV RNA, the principal goal of therapy, depends on the intrinsic antiviral activity of the antiretroviral regimen. A favorable tolerability/toxicity profile is also fundamentally important. All once-daily agents exhibit some pharmacologic limitations or lack adequate long-term follow-up. Of available agents, efavirenz has a long and distinguished efficacy record, with reasonabl...
Expression of a human cell adhesion molecule, MUC18, in prostate cancer cell lines and tissues.

BACKGROUND Over expression of huMUC18, a cell adhesion molecule in the immunoglobulin gene superfamily, causes a non-metastatic human melanoma cell line to become metastatic in a nude mouse system. To determine if MUC18 expression correlates with the malignant progression of prostate cancer, we investigated differential expression of human MUC18 (huMUC18) in normal prostate epithelial cells, prostate cancer cell lines, and prostatic normal and cancer tissues. METHODS RT-PCR and Western blot analyses were used to analyze the expression of MUC18 mRNA and protein in four human prostate cancer cell lines, cultured primary normal prostate epithelial cells, normal prostate and malignant prostate tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of MUC18 antigen in prostatic tissues at different stages of malignancy. RESULTS Human MUC18 mRNA and protein was expressed in three different prostate cancer cell lines (TSU-PR1, DU145, and PC-3), but not in one prostate cancer cell line (LNCaP.FGC). HuMUC18 protein was also expressed at high levels in extracts prepared from tissue sample sections containing high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), but weakly expressed in extracts prepared from either cultured primary normal prostatic epithelial cells or the normal prostate gland. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that huMUC18 was expressed at higher levels in the epithelial cells of high-grade PIN and prostatic carcinomas and in cells of a lymph node metastasis compared to that in normal or benign hyperplastic epithelium (BPH). CONCLUSIONS We therefore conclude that MUC18 is expressed at higher levels in pre-malignant and malignant prostatic epithelium, including metastasis. We suggest that over-expression of MUC18 may be a new marker of human prostate cancer and also implicates its possible role in development and progression of prostate cancer. Prostate 48:305–315, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Solid state lithiation–delithiation of sulphur in sub-nano confinement: a new concept for designing lithium–sulphur batteries

We investigate the detailed effects and mechanisms of sub-nano confinement on lithium-sulfur (Li-S) electrochemical reactions in both ether-based and carbonate-based electrolytes. Our results demonstrate a clear correlation between the size of sulfur confinement and the resulting Li-S electrochemical mechanisms. In particular, when sulfur is confined within sub-nano pores, we observe identical lithium-sulfur electrochemical behavior, which is distinctly different from conventional Li-S reactions, in both ether and carbonate electrolytes. Taken together, our results highlight the critical importance of sub-nano confinement effects on controlling solid-state reactions in Li-S electrochemical systems.
A Tumor Mitochondria Vaccine Protects against Experimental Renal Cell Carcinoma

Mitochondria provide energy for cells via oxidative phosphorylation. Reactive oxygen species, a byproduct of this mitochondrial respiration, can damage mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and somatic mtDNA mutations have been found in all colorectal, ovarian, breast, urinary bladder, kidney, lung, and pancreatic tumors studied. The resulting altered mitochondrial proteins or tumor-associated mitochondrial Ags (TAMAs) are potentially immunogenic, suggesting that they may be targetable Ags for cancer immunotherapy. In this article, we show that the RENCA tumor cell line harbors TAMAs that can drive an antitumor immune response. We generated a cellular tumor vaccine by pulsing dendritic cells with enriched mitochondrial proteins from RENCA cells. Our dendritic cell-based RENCA mitochondrial lysate vaccine elicited a cytotoxic T cell response in vivo and conferred durable protection against challenge with RENCA cells when used in a prophylactic or therapeutic setting. By sequencing mtDNA from RENCA cells, we identified two mutated molecules: COX1 and ND5. Peptide vaccines generated from mitochondrial-encoded COX1 but not from ND5 had therapeutic properties similar to RENCA mitochondrial protein preparation. Thus, TAMAs can elicit effective antitumor immune responses, potentially providing a new immunotherapeutic strategy to treat cancer.
Perceptions of Undocumented Status and Possible Selves Among Latino/a Youth

Although only a portion of Latina/o adolescents in the United States are undocumented, the social perception of legal status may influence Latina/o youth living in immigrant communities more broadly. This perception has implications not only for how Latina/o youth understand themselves but also for how they construct their aspirations. Qualitative interviews and consensual qualitative research protocols were utilized to understand how perceptions of legal status might change images of possible selves for 14 Latina/o adolescents in an emerging immigrant community. Students described their hopes and worries for themselves as well as the prospects for a “typical” Latina/o peer and an undocumented Latina/o peer. Themes show more hopefulness for students’ own sense of self, a mixed opinion on the possibilities for a “typical” peer, and a hopeless view of the future for an undocumented youth. Implications for promoting hopeful possible selves within the constraints of the social context are offered.
Influence of Cladophora–Quagga Mussel Assemblages on Nearshore Methylmercury Production in Lake Michigan

Recent spread of invasive mussels in Lake Michigan has altered primary productivity in the nearshore zone, resulting in proliferation of filamentous benthic green algae (Cladophora glomerata). In areas of dense Cladophora and quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) assemblages, as well as in regions where sloughed Cladophora accumulates, methylmercury (MeHg) production is enhanced. A shoreline transect from a river mouth through waters overlying Cladophora/quagga-rich zones showed that aqueous MeHg concentrations increased, despite river dilution. Cladophora, as primary producers, ranged from 0.6 to 7.5 ng g(-1) MeHg [4-47% of total mercury (Hg) as MeHg], and were higher than MeHg concentrations in offshore-collected seston. Concentrations of MeHg in decaying Cladophora accumulated onshore ranged from 2.6 to 18.0 ng g(-1) MeHg (18-41% as MeHg) and from 0.1 to 3.0 ng g(-1) MeHg (2-21% as MeHg) in deposits of recently sloughed and accumulated Cladophora in a nearshore topographical depression. Relative to offshore open waters, interstitial waters within decaying Cladophora from onshore and nearshore deposits were elevated in MeHg concentration, 1000- and 10-fold, respectively. Percent Hg as MeHg was also elevated (65-75% and 9-19%, respectively for onshore interstitial water and nearshore interstitial water, compared to 0.2-3.3% as MeHg for open water). Quagga mussels collected within growing Cladophora beds in the nearshore zone were significantly higher in MeHg than offshore counterparts. Our combined results suggest that recent changes in nearshore primary production contributes to MeHg production and bioaccumulation in Lake Michigan.
Nonemployee Access to Worksites: A State or Federal Solution?

In 'Restoring Unions in America by Reforming Nonemployee Union Representative Access Rights to Employer Property,' Jesse Dill criticizes some of the proposals I have made in previous work regarding labor law’s analysis of nonemployees’ right to access employer property and, more generally, workplace federalism. This piece is a rebuttal to that criticism.Nonemployees’ ability to access a worksite to communicate with employees remains a significant issue in labor law. Such communications are often a prerequisite to the core right of the NLRA: the ability of employees to choose whether to engage in collective action. As Dill and I agree, the status quo following Lechmere falls woefully short of providing the access needed for employees to truly enjoy this right. How to address that shortcoming is where we differ.Despite opposition from Dill and others, I remain convinced that expanding states’ role in enforcing labor law is the wrong approach. Although certain states would expand access, many others would not, and the overall effect would be to further complicate an already complex analysis. A better solution would be to reduce the reliance on state law, whether through my proposed rule or - even better - federal legislation that overturned Lechmere. This legislation, however, must provide broad access, including access to property that is not typically accessible to the public. It is only by giving employees at virtually all worksites the opportunity to communicate with nonemployees that the right to collective action will have any relevance for most employees.
Chitosan Coagulation to Improve Microbial and Turbidity Removal by Ceramic Water Filtration for Household Drinking Water Treatment

The use of porous ceramic filters is promoted globally for household water treatment, but these filters are ineffective in removing viruses from water. In order to increase virus removal, we combine a promising natural coagulant, chitosan, as a pretreatment for ceramic water filters (CWFs) and evaluate the performance of this dual barrier water treatment system. Chitosan is a non-toxic and biodegradable organic polymer derived by simple chemical treatments from chitin, a major source of which is the leftover shells of crustacean seafoods, such as shrimp, prawns, crabs, and lobsters. To determine the effectiveness of chitosan, model test water was contaminated with Escherichia coli K011 and coliphage MS2 as a model enteric bacterium and virus, respectively. Kaolinite clay was used to model turbidity. Coagulation effectiveness of three types of modified chitosans was determine at various doses ranging from 5 to 30 mg/L, followed by flocculation and sedimentation. The pre-treated supernatant water was then decanted into the CWF for further treatment by filtration. There were appreciable microbial removals by chitosan HCl, acetate, and lactate pretreatment followed by CWF treatment, with mean reductions (95% CI) between 4.7 (±1.56) and 7.5 (±0.02) log10 for Escherichia coli, and between 2.8 (±0.10) and 4.5 (±1.04) log10 for MS2. Turbidity reduction with chitosan treatment and filtration consistently resulted in turbidities < 1 NTU, which meet turbidity standards of the US EPA and guidance by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to WHO health-based microbial removal targets for household water treatment technology, chitosan coagulation achieved health protective targets for both viruses and bacteria. Therefore, the results of this study support the use of chitosan to improve household drinking water filtration processes by increasing virus and bacteria reductions.
Reaction of 5-(CH3)2S-6-[((CH3)3Si)2CCH]B10H11 with Cyclopentadienylnickel Carbonyl Dimer

The reaction of the known alkenyldecaborane 5-(CH3)2S-6-[((CH3)3Si)2CCH]B10H11 with [(η5-C5H5)Ni(CO)]2 results in the formation of two nickelacarboranes, 1-(η5-C5H5)-2-[((CH3)3Si)2CH]-1, 2-NiCB10H10 (I) and 1-(η5-C5H5)-7-[((CH3)3Si)2CH]-1, 7-NiCB10H10 (II). A preliminary X-ray study helped to establish the structure of compound II, although the diffraction of the crystal was poor for an accurate determination of interatomic bond distances and bond angles. Experimental details of this reaction and characterization of these compounds are presented.
The spatial pattern of climate change during the spread of farming into the Aegean

Abstract I examine the relationship between the spatial pattern of aridification in the northeastern Mediterranean ca 8600 years ago and the spread of Neolithic farmers into the region surrounding the Aegean Sea. I use a generalized additive model to downscale winter rainfall from a state-of-the-art paleoclimate simulation. The model performs well at reproducing the present-day pattern of rainfall in the northeastern Mediterranean, and it generates physically-interpretable estimates of past rainfall consistent with global and regional proxy records of early Holocene climate. Comparing modeled rainfall with Neolithic settlement patterns reveals spatially-heterogeneous regional impacts of this period of global aridification. Only the humid regions of the Aegean coast experienced major drought, while more inland zones temporarily experienced more rainfall. The result of this spatially heterogeneous climate event was, conversely, more homogeneous regional rainfall. Neolithic colonists from southwest Asia would have encountered new landscapes with a more familiar, and predictable, precipitation regime.
NF-κB Is Active in Mcl-1 Promoter Regulation in Human CLL.

Abstract The NF-κB family of transcription factors is linked to neoplasia due to its role in increasing cell proliferation as well as inhibiting apoptosis. NF-κB has been reported to be constitutively active in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but the mechanism underlying this this activation is not fully understood and the critical target genes involved have not been identified. To further define the mechanism(s) by which NF-κB promotes survival in CLL, we investigated the role of this transcription factor in the regulation of the myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) gene. The promoter region of Mcl-1 contains a putative NF-κB binding site, and increased expression of the Mcl-1 protein has been related to rapid disease progression and resistance to apoptosis in CLL. However, a direct link between NF-κB and Mcl-1 transcriptional regulation has not yet been established in B-cells or human CLL. We demonstrate here that NF-κB binding is a critical event in the transcriptional regulation of Mcl-1, as deletion of the NF-κB binding site in the promoter results in decreased activity of an Mcl-1-luciferase reporter construct. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB reduced p65 nuclear localization and binding of NF-κB to the Mcl-1 promoter. Interestingly, when CLL patient samples were exposed to an IKK inhibitor, Bay-11, the extent of Mcl-1 inhibition varied in patients. We therefore examined whether the effect on Mcl-1 correlated with in vitro cell survival, a result that might be expected given that NF-κB expression has been previously reported to correlate with CLL cell survival. We found that CLL patient cells more sensitive to Bay-11-induced apoptosis also showed a larger decrease in Mcl-1 mRNA, suggesting that Mcl-1 message level may be a useful diagnostic to predict patients that will respond to NF-κB targeted therapy. Furthermore, different inducers of the NF-κB signaling pathway (CD40L, immune stimulatory CpG-ODN and TNF-α), promote differential effects on Mcl-1 regulation in CLL patient cells. Although all three treatments increase NF-κB nuclear localization and DNA binding, Mcl-1 RNA and protein increased with CpG and CD40L treatment, but not TNFα. This result provides evidence of stimulus-specific regulation of Mcl-1 by NF-κB. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that there is a direct link between NF-κB DNA binding and transcriptional control of Mcl-1, and that this gene could serve as a pharmacodynamic endpoint to monitor the efficacy of NF-κB inhibitors in CLL cells. Additionally, a direct link of NF-κB activity to Mcl-1 expression and cell survival provide further justification for targeting this transcription factor for treatment in CLL.