cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Properties of an Excess Electron in Liquid Helium: The Effect of Pressure on the Properties of the Negative Ion

The Wigner-Seitz model formerly used to calculate the adiabatic barrier to electron penetration of liquid helium is applied to the study of the bubble model for a localized electron in liquid helium. Calculations of the pressure dependence of the radius of the negative ion agree with the experimental results to within an atomic radius in liquid helium. Comparison is made with other methods, and predictions regarding further properties of the negative ion are presented.
Genoproteomic Mining of Urothelial Cancer Suggests γ-Glutamyl Hydrolase and Diazepam-Binding Inhibitor as Putative Urinary Markers of Outcome after Chemotherapy

Urinary biomarkers for the detection of bladder cancer have been developed, but no similar markers exist for prediction of clinical outcomes after receiving chemotherapy. Here we evaluate an approach that combines genomic, proteomic, and therapeutic outcome datasets to identify novel putative urinary biomarkers of clinical outcome after neoadjuvant methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MVAC). Using this method, we identified γ-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH), emmprin, survivin, and diazepam-binding inhibitor (DBI). Interestingly, GGH is a protein associated with methotrexate resistance, whereas emmprin, survivin, and DBI had been previously identified as predictors of outcome after platinum-containing chemotherapeutic regimens when assessed on tumor tissue. Using disease-free survival as a marker for clinical outcome, we evaluated the ability of GGH, emmprin, survivin, and DBI expression in tumor tissue to stratify 27 patients treated with neoadjuvant MVAC. DBI (P = 0.046) but not GGH (P = 0.190), emmprin (P = 0.066), or survivin (P = 0.393) successfully stratified patients. When GGH was used with DBI the significance of stratification improved (P = 0.024), whereas the addition of survivin or emmprin to this latter two-gene model reduced its significance (P = 0.036 and P = 0.040, respectively). Although these predictive results were obtained on tumor tissues, the presence of GGH and DBI in urine serves as a rationale for developing them as urinary markers of clinical outcomes for patients treated with neoadjuvant MVAC.
Paradoxical effects of the phage display-derived peptide antagonist IGF-F1-1 on insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor signaling.

Abstract The insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) represent a unique class of IGF antagonists regulating the bioavailability of the IGFs extracellularly. Accordingly, they represent an important class of proteins for cancer therapeutics and chemoprevention. IGF-F1-1 is a cyclic hexadecapeptide identified by high throughput phage display that binds to the IGFBP-binding domain on IGF-1. It acts as an IGFBP-mimetic, capable of inhibiting IGF-1 binding to the IGFBPs. To further examine the utility of IGF-F1-1 as an IGF-1 antagonist we tested its ability to inhibit IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-3 binding to IGF-1, 125 I-IGF-1 binding to IGF-1Rs and to block IGF-1 induced Akt activation, cell cycle changes and [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation in MCF-7 cells. These biological activities were inhibited by treatment with IGFBP-2, wortmannin or the IGF-1R tyrosine kinase inhibitor, NVP-AEW541, but not by IGF-F1-1. Our findings confirm previous studies indicating that IGF-F1-1 is a weak antagonist of IGF-1 binding to the IGFBPs and the IGF-1R and suggest that it does not effectively inhibit downstream events stimulated by IGF-1. We further demonstrated that IGF-F1-1 treatment of MCF-7 cells results in the paradoxical activation of Akt, S-phase transition and [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation. These results suggest that IGF-F1-1 is a weak agonist, exhibiting mitogenic actions. IGF-F1-1 may act in conjunction with IGF-1 at the IGF-1R or independently of IGF-1 at the IGF-1R or another receptor.
Deriving ontological structure from a folksonomy

In this paper we describe our investigation of tagging systems and the derivation of ontological structure in the form of a folksonomy from the set of tags. Tagging systems are becoming popular, because the amount of information available on some websites is becoming too large for humans to browse manually and the types of information (multimedia data) is unsuitable for the indexers used by conventional search engines to organize. However, tag-based search is very inaccurate and incomplete (low precision and recall), because the semantics of the tags is both weak and ambiguous. The basic problem is that tags are treated like keywords by search engines, which consider individual tags in isolation. However, there is additional semantics implicit in a collection of tagged data. In this paper, we innovate and investigate techniques to make the implicit semantics explicit, so that search can be improved in both precision and recall and additional utility can be derived from the tags that people associate with multimedia items (pictures, blogs, videos, etc.). Our approach is to propose hypotheses about the ontological structure inherent in a collection of tags and then attempt to verify the hypotheses statistically. We conducted more than one hundred experimental searches on Flickr with different tags and discovered by statistical analysis information about how tags are assigned by users and what ontological knowledge is implicit in these tags that can be made explicit, and ultimately, exploited.
A Systematic Investigation of the Effects of Microchannel Width, Depth, and Aspect Ratio on Convective Boiling Heat Transfer and Flow Regimes in Parallel Microchannels

Experiments are conducted with a perfluorinated dielectric fluid, Fluorinert FC-77, to investigate the effects of channel width, depth, and aspect ratio on flow boiling heat transfer and flow patterns in microchannels. Experiments are performed for a fixed mass flux of 630 kg/m2 s with eleven different silicon test pieces containing parallel microchannels of widths ranging from 100 μm to 5850 μm and depths ranging from 100 μm to 400 μm. Flow visualizations are performed using a high-speed digital video camera to determine the flow regimes, with simultaneous local measurements of the heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. In recent work by the authors [1], it was shown that for a fixed channel depth, the heat transfer coefficient was independent of channel width for microchannels of width 400 μm and larger, with the flow regimes in these microchannels being similar; nucleate boiling was also found to be dominant over a wide range of heat fluxes. The aim of the present study is to expand the range of the microchannel dimensions considered, and specifically to investigate as independent parameters the effects of channel width and depth as well as the aspect ratio and cross-sectional area on boiling heat transfer in microchannels. Flow visualizations and heat transfer results show that the channel cross-sectional area is the important governing parameter determining boiling mechanisms and heat transfer in microchannels.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
The significance of the local electrode potential within pits, crevices and cracks

Abstract A reveiw of the experimental measurements of the electrode potential within pits, crevices and cracks shows a significant number of similar findings for several commercially important alloy systems. Recent results for crevicing in iron give further insight into the relationship of the important parameters within the cavity: IR drop, Flade or passivation potential and solution composition. The key relationship for stable crevice corrosion is that the electrode potential in the crevice is less oxidizing than the Flade potential of the crevice solution. The consequences of this finding are discussed for pitting corrosion, stress corrosion and corrosion fatigue. Some expected consequences regarding the initiation of localized corrosion are presented. In this mechanism, the modified solution compositions that are found inside occluded cells promote local cell action through their influence on the potential shift, e.g. acidification facilitates local cell action by shifting the Flade potential in the noble direction.
Tumor necrosis factor α blockers and malignancy in children: Forty-eight cases reported to the food and drug administration

Objective Malignancies reported in children using tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) blockers have raised concerns of a potential increased risk. This study was undertaken to investigate postmarketing reports of malignancy in children treated with TNF blockers. Methods The FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System was searched to identify malignancies associated with the use of infliximab, etanercept, and adalimumab in children in whom therapy was initiated between the ages of 0 and 18 years. The reporting rates for infliximab and etanercept were compared with the background rate of malignancy in the general pediatric population. Results Forty-eight reports of malignancy in children were identified: 31 following infliximab use, 15 following etanercept use, and 2 following adalimumab use. Half of the malignancies reported were lymphomas and included both Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The remaining reported cases involved a variety of different malignancies including leukemia, melanoma, and solid organ cancers. The majority of the reported cases (88%) involved the concomitant use of other immunosuppressants. Reporting rates for malignancy showed that infliximab had a consistently higher reporting rate when compared with background rates in the general pediatric population for lymphomas and all malignancies. The reporting rates for etanercept were elevated above background for lymphomas and were on par with background for all malignancies. Conclusion There is evidence that treatment with TNF blockers in children may increase the risk of malignancy. However, the cases were confounded by the potential risk of malignancy associated with underlying illnesses and the use of concomitant immunosuppressants; therefore, a clear causal relationship could not be established.
Surgical Management of Strabismus Associated with Chronic Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to describe the clinical characteristics and surgical management of strabismus associated with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Methods: The authors present four patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia and strabismus requiring extraocular muscle surgery, with attention to presenting symptoms, patterns of misalignment, results of surgical and nonsurgical therapies, and associated ocular or systemic conditions or both. Results: Three patients reported diplopia before surgery. One patient presented with an esotropia, one with an exotropia, and two with hypertropia. Three patients required only one strabismus surgery, and one patient required multiple surgeries. Conclusions: Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia may have clinical characteristics similar to those of myasthenia gravis or thyroid ophthalmopathy. Patients with chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia and strabismus frequently have diplopia in primary position and may benefit from extraocular muscle surgery to improve alignment. In addition, because these patients typically have poor motor fusion, prisms often are useful adjuncts to surgery.
Regional Perspectives on the Olmec

Regional Perspectives on the Olmec. Robert J. Sharer and David C. Grove, (editors). School of American Research Advanced Seminar Series. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1989. xxvi + 386 pp., illustrations, figures, notes, bibliography, index. $49.50 (cloth). ISBN 0–89089–260–1.
Radiative weak annihilation decays

A class of meson decay modes sensitive to only one quark topology at leading G{sub F} order (annihilation of valence quarks through a W) is described. No experimental observations, or even upper limits, have been reported for these decays. This work presents a simpleminded (order-of-magnitude) calculation of their branching fractions, and compares to results of previous calculations where available. Although rare, one of these modes (D{sub s}{sup +}{yields}{rho}{sup +}{gamma}) might already be observable at charm experiments; two others (D{sup +}{yields}K{sup *+}{gamma}, B{sup +}{yields}D{sub s}{sup *+}{gamma}) should appear at the B factories, and the rest at hadron colliders. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society.
Nonlinear Evolution of Collisionless and Semicollisional Tearing Modes

The evolution of a single tearing mode is investigated. The ''collisionless'' and ''collisional'' tearing modes nonlinearly evolve into the ''semicollisional'' regime where the dynamics of the ''singular layer'' are dominated by electron along the perturbed magnetic surfaces. The ''semicollisional'' mode grows algebraically in the nonlinear phase as in the ''collisional'' calculation of Rutherford.
Neuromagnetic Evidence of Spatially Distributed Sources Underlying Epileptiform Spikes in the Human Brain

Neuromagnetic measurements were performed on 17 subjects with focal seizure disorders. In all of the subjects, the interictal spike in the scalp electroencephalogram was associated with an orderly extracranial magnetic field pattern. In eight of these subjects, multiple current sources underlay the magnetic spike complex. The multiple sources within a given subject displayed a fixed chronological sequence of discharge, demonstrating a high degree of spatial and temporal organization within the interictal focus.
Galls as habitats: the inquiline communities of insect galls

Summary Gall makers can be considered microhabitat engineers, because their galls provide both a food resource and a habitat that can be exploited by herbivorous and omnivorous organisms that do not feed on the galling insect. We compiled literature data on inquilines of insect-induced galls for 112 galler systems in order to examine physiological, ecological and taxonomic patterns of diversity. We measured inquiline species richness two ways, first as the number of inquiline species/number of natural enemy species + inquiline species for each system in order to attain a measure of relative diversity that was free of sampling bias across different systems, and second as the total number of species. A taxonomic list of gall systems containing inquilines is presented. We conducted quantitative analyses on the following independent variables: host plant architecture, latitude, gall size, gall type and gall maker taxon. Inquiline diversity was significantly correlated only with host plant architecture and latitude; galls on trees support the richest inquiline communities, and inquiline diversity is highest in the temperate zone. However, the relative paucity of inquiline data in the literature is reflected in our results, thus highlighting the need for further study on organisms that are potentially as important a component of galler communities as predators and parasitoids.
A panel session on the future grid to enable sustainable energy systems: Future grid enablers of sustainable energy Systems: A broad analysis of five issues

This paper reports work performed by researchers of the Power Systems Engineering Research Center to develop “broad analysis” white papers on five issues central to enabling the future grid for sustainable energy systems. These issues are primary and secondary control for high renewable penetrations, standards associated with dynamics, environmental issues, transmission design at the national level, and distributed vs. centralized generation.
Information-driven dynamic sensor collaboration

This article overviews the information-driven approach to sensor collaboration in ad hoc sensor networks. The main idea is for a network to determine participants in a "sensor collaboration" by dynamically optimizing the information utility of data for a given cost of communication and computation. A definition of information utility is introduced, and several approximate measures of the information utility are developed for reasons of computational tractability. We illustrate the use of this approach using examples drawn from tracking applications.
A notation for problematic architecture interactions

The progression of component-based software engineering (CBSE) is essential to the rapid, cost-effective development of complex software systems. Given the choice of well-tested components, CBSE affords reusability and increases reliability. However, applications developed according to this practice can often suffer from difficult maintenance and control, problems that stem from improper or inadequate integrate solutions. Avoiding such unfortunate results requires knowledge of what causes the interoperability problems in the first place. The time for this assessment is during application design. In this paper, we define problematic architecture interactions using a simple notation with extendable properties. Furthermore, we delineate a multi-phase process for pre-integration analysis that relies on this notation. Through this effort, potential problematic architecture interactions can be illuminated and used to form the initial requirements of an integration architecture.
Atom-to-solid core-level shifts for the rare-earth elements

Shifts of the lanthanide $2p$, $3d$, $4f$, and $5s$ core-level binding energies from the free atom to the metallic phase are reported. The shifts are obtained directly from relativistic Hartree-Fock calculations of the individual atomic and solid-state binding energies. Results for the $4f$ levels compare favorably with estimates derived from available photoemission and spectroscopic data. For Pr\char22{}Sm and Tb\char22{}Tm, elements which undergo a valence change on formation of the solid, the shifts are smaller and depend significantly on the $\mathrm{nl}$ core-state quantum numbers. One-electron analogs of the shifts share these attributes. Consequently, a unique shift characterizing all core states cannot be assumed when a configuration change involving the $4f$ electrons occurs on formation of the solid. The impact of the valence change is assessed by means of calculations for atoms having metal-like configurations.
Examining how gender and emoticons influence Facebook jealousy.

Abstract Facebook use among young adults is widespread, and understanding how it affects romantic relationships has practical, real world implications. Both gender and amount of time spent on Facebook have been associated with online jealousy. Emoticons can be used online to clarify messages and are often used in mixed gender interactions. A series of studies was used to examine whether gender and emoticons interacted to influence Facebook jealousy. Interestingly, results differed based on qualitative and quantitative responses. With quantitative responses, a main effect was found only for gender. Females displayed more Facebook jealousy than males. With qualitative responses, an interaction was found. Males were more jealous when a winking emoticon was present, while females were more jealous when no emoticon was present. This research supports evolutionary work in suggesting that specific cues may differentially influence jealousy responses in males and females. It should be mentioned that although diff...
Fractionation and characterization of the lipide stain, Sudan black B.

Abstract Sudan Black B has been separated chromatographically into ten component fractions, and the spectral characteristics of the isolated fractions are given. All the fractions have been shown to stain lipide material. A technique for determining the relative staining ability of the fractions, which utilized paper chromatographic methods, has been devised. The relative staining ability of the different components has been determined by means of the technique which was developed.
Final examination scheduling

A method for scheduling final examinations to yield a minimal number of student conflicts is described. The “minimization” is achieved by repetitively evaluating a nonlinear set of equations. Imbedded in the process is a random or Monte Carlo selection of assignments. As in such heuristic techniques, the solution may not be optimum and many solutions may be found which yield locally minimal results. Computer programs are described and empirical results given.
A matrix isolation FT–IR and quasirelativistic density functional theory investigation of the reaction products of laser-ablated uranium atoms with NO, NO2 and N2O

The reaction products of laser-ablated uranium atoms with nitrogen oxide reagent gases were trapped in excess argon at 6–7 K. Infrared spectra of the resulting matrices revealed the presence of several new product species. Major bands at 983.6 and 818.9 cm−1 in the infrared spectra of the reaction products of U atoms with 14N16O are due to the U–N and U–O stretching vibrations, respectively, of the linear NUO molecule. Weaker absorptions at 845.9 cm−1 and 718.3 cm−1 in similar experiments are indicative of a “T” shaped NUO2 species. A weaker 1017.0 cm−1 band provides evidence for the cation/anion pair [NUO]+[NO]−. Several possible products of the reaction of uranium atoms with nitrogen oxides have been further characterized by quasirelativistic density functional calculations.
Prediction of sprinkler rates for night-time radiation frost protection

Abstract Past equations developed to predict the application rate of water when sprinkling for frost protection did not take into consideration the effects of humidity. Equations and predictions developed in this report account for humidity and show that the errors encountered in neglecting humidity can result in significant underdesign of a system.
Prostaglandin generation from gastroduodenal mucosa: regional and species differences.

Abstract Regional and species differences in prostaglandin synthesis from gastroduodenal mucosa were assessed radiometrically. In the presence of excess added arachiodonic acid substrate, corporal mucosa generated more prostanoid product per DNA than did antral or duodenal mucosa whether the whole homogenate or the microsomal fraction was used as an enzyme source. This appeared to be secondary to variability in cyclooxygenase activity and could not be explained by regional differences in the activity of enzymes competing for arachidonic acid substrate, in free endogenous arachidonic acid levels, in prostaglandin catabolizing activity, or in homogenate inhibitors. The qualitative product profile differed between species but not between regions within a species.
Characterization of the A2B adenosine receptor from mouse, rabbit, and dog.

We have cloned and pharmacologically characterized the A2B adenosine receptor (AR) from the dog, rabbit, and mouse. The full coding regions of the dog and mouse A2BAR were obtained by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and the rabbit A2BAR cDNA was obtained by screening a rabbit brain cDNA library. It is noteworthy that an additional clone was isolated by library screening that was identical in sequence to the full-length rabbit A2BAR, with the exception of a 27-base pair deletion in the region encoding amino acids 103 to 111 (A2BAR103-111). This 9 amino acid deletion is located in the second intracellular loop at the only known splice junction of the A2BAR and seems to result from the use of an additional 5′ donor site found in the rabbit and dog but not in the human, rat, or mouse sequences. [3H]3-Isobutyl-8-pyrrolidinoxanthine and 8-[4-[((4-cyano-[2,6-3H]-phenyl)carbamoylmethyl)oxy]phenyl]-1,3-di(n-propyl)xanthine ([3H]MRS 1754) bound with high affinity to membranes prepared from human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells expressing mouse, rabbit, and dog A2BARs. Competition binding studies performed with a panel of agonist (adenosine and 2-amino-3,5-dicyano-4-phenylpyridine analogs) and antagonist ligands identified similar potency orders for the A2BAR orthologs, although most xanthine antagonists displayed lower binding affinity for the dog A2BAR compared with A2BARs from rabbit and mouse. No specific binding could be detected with membranes prepared from HEK 293 cells expressing the rabbit A2BAR103-111 variant. Furthermore, the variant failed to stimulate adenylyl cyclase or calcium mobilization. We conclude that significant differences in antagonist pharmacology of the A2BAR exist between species and that some species express nonfunctional variants of the A2BAR due to “leaky” splicing.
Fishing success in a regulated commons

The success of commercial fishermen and their attitudes about that success are dimensions which require consideration in implementing management regulations designed to limit entry, improve the liv...
Identical 3'-termini of the four RNA species of cucumber mosaic virus.

Abstract The 3′-ends of the four main RNA species isolated from purified cucumber mosaic virus were labeled with tritium by periodate oxidation, followed by reduction with [ 3 H]borohydride. Each RNA species, fractionated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, was digested with alkali and the resultant 3′-termini were analyzed by phosphocellulose column chromatography. All of the four RNA species have a nonphosphorylated adenosine residue at their 3′-end.
High- T c superconducting Bi(Al)-Ca-Sr-Cu-O glass-ceramic fibres drawn from glass preforms

Bi(Al)-Ca-Sr Cu-O glass-ceramic fibres over 100 cm in length were successfully drawn from a glass preform above the crystallization temperature,T x. The diameters of the uniformly drawn fibres with circular cross-section could be controlled in the range from 25–200 μm and the drawing speed was as high as 200 cm min−1. In this work Al2O3 was used to modify the properties of the glass. It increased the glass transition and crystallization temperatures but did not significantly increase the glass working range. Shrinkage and increase of density during heat treatment of the glass fibres were observed. The annealed (825°C/12 h in air) Bi4Al0.1Ca3Sr3Cu4Oy glass-ceramic fibre showed aT c(onset) of 82 K and aT c(zero) of 71 K.
Periodic review and joint replenishment in stochastic demand environments

In this paper we consider periodic review systems under stochastic demands. First, we study the single product periodic review problem and propose a simple solution procedure which is near optimal. Then, given the existence of this simple procedure, we study the joint replenishment problem for multiple items under stochastic demands and suggest simple heuristics which provide very good results. We find the simple procedures combined with the robustness of the cost function to be very attractive in other applications which require coordination of cycle times under stochastic demands.
KRAS: feeding pancreatic cancer proliferation

Oncogenic KRAS mutation is the signature genetic event in the progression and growth of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), an almost universally fatal disease. Although it has been appreciated for some time that nearly 95% of PDAC harbor mutationally activated KRAS, to date no effective treatments that target this mutant protein have reached the clinic. A number of studies have shown that oncogenic KRAS plays a central role in controlling tumor metabolism by orchestrating multiple metabolic changes including stimulation of glucose uptake, differential channeling of glucose intermediates, reprogrammed glutamine metabolism, increased autophagy, and macropinocytosis. We review these recent findings and address how they may be applied to develop new PDAC treatments.
Penicillinase from Micrococci Isolated from Soft Cheeses. II. Formation of β-Lactamase

Abstract Penicillinases formed by micrococci isolated from soft cheeses were examined for β -lactamase and penicillin amidase activities. Results of techniques involving the reaction of products formed with iodine, hydroxylamine, and phenylacetylchloride indicate the presence of β-lactamase in purified enzyme preparations. These findings were supported by data obtained with infrared spectroscopy and paper chromatography. Penicilloic acid appears to be the only product formed during the reaction. Added 6-amino penicillanic acid was not hydrolyzed.
Functional significance of CD23- on CD23-transfected Th2 clone.

Abstract CD23, a low-affinity IgE Fc receptor, is not displayed on most resting T cells but its expression has been shown to be transiently induced in vivo and in vitro on some CD4 + T cells [1–4] and in vivo on CD8 + T cells by IgE-secreting hybridoma tumors [5]. To investigate the functional role of CD23 on T cells, we inserted a CD23 construct into an expression vector driven by a CD2 promoter and transfected it into a murine Th2 clone D10.G4.1 (D10). We stimulated the transfected D10 cells (D10.3M.24) with anti-TCR antibody in the presence or absence of IgE, and measured IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 production in the culture supernatants. Activation of D10.3M.24 cells by anti-TCR antibody induced greater levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 production, when the TCR and CD23 were co-crosslinked by TNP anti-TCR and IgE anti-TNP antibodies. IgG anti-TNP antibody did not enhance lymphokine production by D10.3M.24 cells. The enhanced lymphokine production by IgE was blocked by monoclonal anti-CD23 antibody. IgE anti-TNP antibody did not enhance lymphokine production by the wild-type D10 cells induced by TNP anti-TCR antibody. These studies show that when co-crosslinked with the TCR, CD23 can modulate the lymphokine production in activated Th2 cells. Since CD23 binds to IgE and also binds to CD21 [6], a complement receptor commonly expressed on B cells, T-cell CD23 could play an immunoregulatory role during cognate T-B cell interaction and during IgE antibody responses.
Isotope ratios and abundance sensitivity obtained with an inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight mass spectrometer

Isotope ratios and abundance sensitivities have been determined with an inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ICP-TOFMS). Abundance sensitivities are at least in the 10(6) range for low abundance ions that precede high abundance ions. Three methods of detection for isotope-ratio measurement have been compared. The three systems involve gated detection followed by analog integration, analog averaging, or ion counting. Gated ion counting offers excellent precision-between 0. 64 and 1. 00% relative standard deviation (RSD). These values approach those predicted from counting statistics and are comparable to those reported for other inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instruments. In addition, a greater number of accumulated counts or longer analysis times would afford precisions of 0. 1% with stable gating electronics. The accuracy of the counting method is in the 1-10% range if no correction for mass bias is performed. However, this ion counting method suffers from a limited dynamic range due to pulse pileup. Constant-fraction discrimination gated integration and commercial boxcar averager techniques offer a broader dynamic range because of their analog nature, but the attainable RSD values are limited by drift in the detection systems and by the methods employed to calculate an accurate ratio. Overall, mass bias in the ICP-TOFMS is more severe than previous work in ICP-MS due primarily to detection system bias.
Cretaceous intrusions in the Commerce Mountain and adjacent areas of southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Alberta

An older oversaturated monzonitic and a younger undersaturated syenitic suite of Cretaceous igneous rocks are present at Commerce Mountain and adjacent areas of the southern Canadian Rockies. The u...
Design and Implementation of an 11-Level Inverter With FACTS Capability for Distributed Energy Systems

In this paper, a new single-phase wind energy inverter (WEI) with flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) capability is presented. The proposed inverter is placed between the wind turbine and the grid, same as a regular WEI, and is able to regulate active and reactive power transferred to the grid. This inverter is equipped with distribution static synchronous compensators option in order to control the power factor (PF) of the local feeder lines. Using the proposed inverter for small-to-medium-size wind applications will eliminate the use of capacitor banks as well as FACTS devices to control the PF of the distribution lines. The goal of this paper is to introduce new ways to increase the penetration of renewable energy systems into the distribution systems. This will encourage the utilities and customers to act not only as a consumer, but also as a supplier of energy. Moreover, using the new types of converters with FACTS capabilities will significantly reduce the total cost of the renewable energy application. In this paper, modular multilevel converter is used as the desired topology to meet all the requirements of a single-phase system such as compatibility with IEEE standards, total harmonic distortion (THD), efficiency, and total cost of the system. The proposed control strategy regulates the active and reactive power using power angle and modulation index, respectively. The function of the proposed inverter is to transfer active power to the grid as well as keeping the PF of the local power lines constant at a target PF regardless of the incoming active power from the wind turbine. The simulations for an 11-level inverter have been done in MATLAB/Simulink. To validate the simulation results, a scaled prototype model of the proposed inverter has been built and tested.
Recognition of Embedded Generation Within Distributed Power Systems in the USA: The New Centre at the NREL.

INTRODUCTION Electricity generated from wind power, as from most other renewable energy resources, is generated at dispersed locations and is of variable output. This contrasts with conventional power, usually of much larger scale and generated centrally. Both types of system require grid distribution sy stems to service consumers, however the control and power flow within each type is clearly different. A s renewables develop, the power enters grids designed for central distribution and there can be incompatibility. Such ‘embedded generation’ is often significant and so reconsideration of the grid is necessary. The challenge concerning the compatibility of renewables supplying electricity power grids and gas distribution networks has been recognised recently in the USA by the establishment of a special centre at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at Golden. This is an important recognition of the changes taking place in energy delivery and will have favourable implications for the increase use of wind power and other renewable sources in main market power generation. The normal expectation is for wind power to be electricity generation and immediate dispersal in a power grid. However the policy of the Center to include the distribution of hy drogen and other gases, gives the possibility for wind power to be dispersed in this form also, thereby allowing the power to be stored and dispersed. NREL is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory managed by Midwest Research Institute, Battelle and Bechtel. Beyond its w ork on distributed power, the lab is a leading centre for research into photovoltaics, wind energy, plantand waste-derived fuels, chemicals, and electric power, energy -ef ficient buildings, advanced vehicle design and hydrogen fuel cells.
Scintillation Response of Activated Inorganic Crystals to Various Charged Particles

Experimental studies of the response of activated ionic crystals such as NaI(Tl) and CsI(Tl) to heavy charged particles indicate decreasing scintillation efficiency with increasing particle mass, and a nonlinearity in pulse height versus energy for heavier particles. Recent experiments indicate that the scintillation efficiency to electrons, however, is less than that to protons. In an attempt to account for these effects, this paper presents a calculation based on a model of the process of energy transfer from the incoming particle to the activator sites. In this model, the energy carriers are taken to be excitons resulting from recombination of electronhole pairs in the wake of the particle. The migration of carriers to activator sites is described by a one-velocity diffusion equation in which the density of unoccupied activator sites, ${N}_{a}$, is a function of space and time. The diffusion equation is coupled with a second differential equation describing the time dependence of ${N}_{a}$. The solution to these equations indicates that the depletion of available activator sites by a particle with high $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ can account for observed saturation effects. This model further contains the activator concentration as a parameter, and permits a prediction of scintillation efficiency as a function of both $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ and concentration. The low scintillation efficiency to electrons is predicted as a consequence of the smaller recombination probability for particles of very low $\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$. Finally, for a low-$\frac{\mathrm{dE}}{\mathrm{dx}}$ particle in a crystal of 0.1-mole-percent activator concentration the diffusion length of energy carriers is found to be of order 20 A.
A potential link between autoimmunity and neurodegeneration in immune-mediated neurological disease

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients make antibodies to heterogeneous nuclear ribonuclear protein A1 (hnRNP-A1), a nucleocytoplasmic protein. We hypothesized this autoimmune reaction might contribute to neurodegeneration. Antibodies from MS patients reacted with hnRNP-A1-'M9', its nuclear translocation sequence. Transfection of anti-M9 antibodies into neurons resulted in neuronal injury and changes in transcripts related to hnRNP-A1 function. Importantly, RNA levels for the spinal paraplegia genes (SPGs) decreased. Changes in SPG RNA levels were confirmed in neurons purified from MS brains. Also, we show molecular interactions between spastin (the encoded protein of SPG4) and hnRNP-A1. These data suggest a link between autoimmunity, clinical phenotype and neurodegeneration in MS.
Two distinct enkephalinases: solubilization, partial purification and separation from angiotensin converting enzyme.

Abstract We have examined enkephalin degradation by solubilized membrane fractions of rat brain. Three distinct enkephalin degrading activities can be partially purified and chromatographically resolved. Aminopeptidase activity gives rise to free tyr, an enzyme designated enkephalinase A generates tyr-gly-gly while a newly reported enzyme activity, enkephalinase B, produces the tyr-gly fragment. Enkephalinase A activity can be completely resolved by DEAE column chromatography from angiotensin converting enzyme activity. This finding, together with a differential sensitivity of angiotensin converting enzyme and enkephalinase A activity to various reagents and salts, demonstrates that they are distinct enzymes.
On the Use of Regression Analysis with a Qualitative Dependent Variable

Akin, Fields, and Neenan have attempted to provide a socioeconomic explanation of consumer attitudes toward budgetary actions by applying regression analysis to the results of a consumer survey. Each of their four regression equations has as its dependent variable the coded responses to one or more survey questions dealing with actual or potential government policies. The system used to code these responses embodies very special and highly restrictive definitions of the attitudes which the authors seek to explain, and, more importantly, the empirical results obtained may not apply to any but these very narrow operational definitions.
A novel strategy for generating platelet-like fragments from megakaryocytic cell lines and human progenitor cells

Transfusion of allogeneic platelets is the mainstay of therapy for patients with thrombocytopenic hemorrhage. However, donated platelets can only be stored for 5 days and are maintained at room temperature, increasing the risk of bacterial growth. Developing a method to produce functional platelets in vitro would greatly advance transfusion therapy. During our studies to understand megakaryocyte development, we discovered that a Src kinase inhibitor, SU6656, induces cellular enlargement, polyploidization, and cytoplasmic fragmentation of several hematopoietic cell lines. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that these fragments possess platelet-like activity. We studied a megakaryocytic cell-line, UT-7/TPO, and immature human primary megakaryocytes. After 6 days in the presence of thrombopoietin and SU6656, the majority of cells became polyploid and started shedding platelet-like fragments. These fragments were tested for aggregation and analyzed by electron microscopy. The platelet-like fragments did not undergo spontaneous activation but did show rapid and sustained aggregation in response to each of the standard agonists collagen, arachidonic acid, adenosine diphosphate, and epinephrine. Platelet-like fragments generated in SU6656 had higher amplitude and more prolonged aggregation in each of three experiments. Primary progenitors developed demarcation membranes within 72 h and evidence of dense granules and platelet-like fragments after 6 days. These cell fragments demonstrated properties consistent with platelet aggregation in response to multiple agonists without spontaneous aggregation. These studies provide evidence that SU6656 promotes megakaryocytic differentiation and thrombopoiesis in vitro.
A Dry Heat-Induced Effect of Using Silver in CIGS Gridlines

The ease with which screen-printed silver is deposited and its high conductivity make it an appealing choice for gridline material on CIGS-based photovoltaic devices. However, present results suggest silver diffusion into the device can cause severe reductions in efficiency after as little as 200 h at 85 °C. Dramatic reductions in fill factor, characterized by unusual inflections in the power quadrant of current-voltage curves, are observed for devices with silver gridlines but not for those with nickel or aluminum gridlines. The shape of the current-voltage curves demonstrate that the degradation mode is not simply due to changes in resistance but is consistent with the creation of a secondary barrier near the device junction.
Novel Methods of Enhanced Retention in and Rapid, Targeted Release from Liposomes.

Liposomes are single bilayer capsules with distinct interior compartments in which hydrophilic drugs, imaging agents, diagnostics, etc. can be sequestered from the exterior environment. The polar parts of the individual lipids face the water compartments, while the hydrophobic parts of the lipid provide a barrier in which hydrophilic or charged molecules are poorly soluble. Hydrophobic molecules can be dissolved within the bilayer. The bilayers are typically from 3 – 6 nm thick and the liposome can range from about 50 nm - 50 microns in diameter. The question asked in this review is if any one bilayer, regardless of its composition, can provide the extended drug retention, long lifetime in the circulation, active targeting to specific tissues and rapid and controllable drug release at the site of interest. As an alternative, we review methods of self-assembling multicompartment lipid structures that provide enhanced drug retention in physiological environments. We also review methods of externally targeting and triggering drug release via the near infrared heating of gold nanoshells attached to or encapsulated within bilayer vesicles.
Between Data, Mathematical Analysis and Physical Theory: Research on Earth’s Magnetism in the 19th Century

This article examines how researchers in the nineteenth century formulated relationships between data, theory and mathematical analysis in research regarding Earth’s magnetism. Primary characters in this story include Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), Christopher Hansteen (1784–1873) and Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855). Their geomagnetic investigations provided models for generations of researchers. Their approaches transformed this broad area of research from one which combined speculative physical theories and a seemingly Baconian quest for magnetic data into one which developed new instrumental procedures and a new approach to mathematical analysis which constrained and directed both physical theory and data collection. Although both physical theorizing and extensive data collection continued after Humboldt and Gauss, the character of these activities and their relationships had changed.
Connection management in a Lakes environment

Lakes is an architecture for collaborative working developed to support a wide range of collaborative applications of the `same time/different place' variety across different platforms and communication media. When applications wish to share data in such an environment, connections must be established and channels created to provide the necessary communication links. As new nodes join or leave the conference, new connections must be made or broken. If an application is using several distinct channels for different types of data, the management and control of these channels can be a complex task. This paper presents an overview of the Lakes architecture and focuses on two particular features which have been designed to reduce the burden of connection and channel management on the application programmer: (1) the ability of one particular Lakes application, the call manager, to provide flexible connection management on behalf of other applications; and (2) the facility to request that channels are automatically created and destroyed as applications are shared into or unshared from calls.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Simulating biodegradation of toluene in sand column experiments at the macroscopic and pore-level scale for aerobic and denitrifying conditions

Abstract Heterotropic bacteria can degrade organic substrates utilizing different terminal electron acceptors. The sequence of electron acceptor utilization depends on the energy yield of the individual reaction pathway, which decreases as the redox potential decreases. Due to these differences in energy yield, and an inhibiting activity of oxygen on some enzymatic processes, the simultaneous utilization of oxygen and nitrate as terminal electron acceptors may not occur for many degradation processes, unless the oxygen concentration falls below a given threshold level (about 0.2 mg/l). Two sand column experiments were conducted, with toluene as the carbon source, and showed an apparent simultaneous utilization of oxygen and nitrate as electron acceptors in regions where the oxygen concentration was significantly higher (⩾1.1 mg/l) than the above mentioned threshold concentration. Results from aerobic and anaerobic plate-count analyses showed growth of both aerobes and denitrifiers in the zone of the column where simultaneous utilization of oxygen and nitrate was observed. From these observations, it was postulated that the porous media contained oxygen-free microlocations where the denitrifiers were able to degrade the toluene. To simulate the observed dynamics, a dual biofilm model was implemented. This model formulation assumes that the biofilm is composed of two distinct layers, where the outer layer is colonized by aerobic bacteria and the inner layer by denitrifying bacteria. The thickness of the aerobic layer is such that oxygen is depleted at the boundary of these two layers, resulting in oxygen-free microlocations that allows denitrification to proceed, even though oxygen is still present in the bulk fluid phase. The model simulations compared well to the experimental profiles. Model analyses indicated that changes in physical, chemical, and hydrologic parameters could change the length and location of the zone where at the macroscopic level, oxygen and nitrate are utilized simultaneously. Comparisons of the proposed model to macroscopic modeling approaches showed that a dual biofilm model is able to describe the simultaneous utilization of oxygen and nitrate more accurately.