cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A gene required for transfer of T-DNA to plants encodes an ATPase with autophosphorylating activity.

Abstract The virB operon of the Agrobacterium tume-faciens pTiA6NC plasmid likely plays a role in directing T-DNA transfer events at the bacterial membrane, as determined previously by mutagenesis and cellular fractionation studies and by DNA sequence analysis of the approximately 12-kilobase-pair operon. The DNA sequence analysis also revealed consensus mononucleotide binding domains in the deduced virB5 and virB11 gene products, suggesting that one or both of these proteins couple energy, by means of nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) hydrolysis, to T-DNA transport. In this report, the product of virB11, an essential virulence gene, was overproduced in Escherichia coli and purified by using immunoaffinity chromatography. The immunoaffinity purified protein, as well as NaDodSO4/polyacrylamide gel-eluted protein, bound and hydrolyzed ATP in the absence of DNA effectors. VirB11 protein also demonstrated in vitro autophosphorylation activity. VirB11 protein was localized primarily to the cytoplasmic membrane by immunoblot analysis of membrane fractions. The deduced VirB11 protein exhibits sequence similarity to comG ORF1, a protein required for uptake of DNA by competent Bacillus subtilis cells. These findings suggest that phosphorylation may serve to activate a component(s) of the A. tumefaciens T-DNA transport apparatus and may also represent a general activation mechanism of other bacterial DNA transport systems.
OH (ν, J) distributions from the reaction between CH4 and O (1D2), initiated in CH4·O3 clusters

Abstract The nascent OH rovibrational distribution for the reaction CH4·O3+hν266 nm→CH3+OH+O2 are reported. The population ratio between the vibrational levels was found to be ν(0)/ν(1) = 1.0±0.2 (2σ), ν(1)/ν(2) = 0.67±0.26, and ν(2)/ν(3) = 1.5±0.2; and significant rotational excitation was observed for all vibrational states. The asymmetric lambda doublet is populated to a greater extent than expected statistically, but no measurable spin—orbit propensity was observed. Both the rotational and vibrational distributions are somewhat cooler than those of the analogous ‘free’ reaction, CH4+O(1D2)→CH3+OH.
Effect of Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection on Hypersensitivity to Inhaled Micropolyspora faeni

Respiratory syncytial virus causes mild-to-severe respiratory disease in human infants and young children; a closely related bovine respiratory syncytial virus causes a similar disease pattern in calves. Increased disease severity in atopic children suggests that allergic reactivity may enhance the severity of RSV-induced disease. To examine the association between bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) infection and allergic reactivity two groups of calves were exposed to aerosolized Micropolyspora faeni (Mf) during an experimental BRSV infection. One group exposed to Mf concurrent with BRSV was challenge-exposed to Mf while infected a second time with BRSV, while the other similarly sensitized and infected group was mock challenged. A control group was exposed only to Mf aerosol and another control group was infected with virus but not exposed to Mf aerosol. Parameters examined included: clinical signs, Mf-specific IgG and IgE, BRSV-specific antibody and IgE, leukotrienes C4 and B4 prostaglandins E2, F2 alpha and D2, and lung pathology. While the initial BRSV infection failed to enhance sensitization to inhaled Mf, a second BRSV infection exacerbated clinical signs resulting from Mf aerosol. Consideration of eicosanoid and antibody profiles together with clinical signs suggests that mechanisms of both type I and type III hypersensitivity were operative during Mf challenge of sensitized calves.
Growth of thick GaN films on RF sputtered AlN buffer layer by hydride vapor phase epitaxy

High crystalline quality thick GaN films were grown by vapor phase epitaxy using GaCl3 and NH3. The growth rate was in the range of 10~15 Μm/h. GaN films grown at higher temperatures (960~ 1020‡C) were single crystalline with smooth surface morphologies. No chlorine impurity was incorporated in these films during growth. The best crystalline quality and surface morphology of grown films was achieved by sputtering a thin A1N buffer layer, prior to growth. According to reflection high energy electron diffraction and atomic force microscopy measurements, as-sputtered A1N buffer layer was amorphous with root means square roughness of 0.395 nm and then crystallized during the GaN growth. This improved the GaN growth due to more uniform distribution of GaN nucleation. Rutherford backscattering channeling experiments produced the lowest value from the GaN film grown on a-Al2O3 with a 500a A1N buffer layer at 1020‡C.
Global stabilization of cascade systems by C/sup 0/ partial-state feedback

This paper shows how the nonsmooth but continuous feedback design approach developed recently for global stabilization of nonlinear systems with uncontrollable unstable linearization, and the notion and properties of the input-to-state stability Lyapunov function can be effectively coupled, resulting in globally stabilizing C/sup 0/ partial-state feedback controllers for a class of cascade systems which may not be smoothly stabilizable, even locally.
Band structure of silicon by Pseudo-OPW

Abstract A modification of the procedure for calculating electronic energy band structures by the Orthogonalized Plane Wave method has been applied to silicon. An analytic set of core and valence electron wave functions for an sp 3 configuration of silicon has been obtained self-consistently and yields atomic scattering factors in close agreement with experimental values. This result is then used to improve the valence electron contribution to the potential used in the OPW calculations. This contrasts with the use of adjustments to experimental transition energies used in recent perturbed OPW calculations. The band structure determination has produced transition energies, effective mass parameters, and deformation potentials in good agreement with experimental values and with perturbed OPW calculations.
Task-selection and task-merging for directional and vision-based sensors

Many vision research projects involve a sensor or camera doing one thing and doing it well. Fewer research projects have been done involving a sensor trying to satisfy simultaneous and conflicting tasks. Satisfying a task involves pointing the sensor in the direction demanded by the task. We seek ways to mitigate and select between competing tasks and also, if possible, merge the tasks together to be simultaneously achieved by the sensor. This would make a simple pan-tilt camera a very powerful instrument. These two approaches are task-selection and task-merging respectively. We built a simple testbed to implement our task-selection and task-merging schemes. We use a digital camera as our sensor attached to pan and tilt servos capable of pointing the sensor in different directions. We use three different types of tasks for our research: target tracking, surveillance coverage, and initiative. Target tracking is the task of following a target with a known set of features. Surveillance coverage is the task of ensuring that all areas of the space are routinely scanned by the sensor. Initiative is the task of focusing on new things of potential interest should they appear in the course of other activities. Given these heterogeneous task descriptions, we achieve task-selection by assigning priority functions to each task and letting the camera select among the tasks to service. To achieve task-merging, we introduce a concept called "task maps" that represent the regions of space the tasks wish to attend with the sensor. We then merge the task maps and select a region to attend that will satisfy multiple tasks at the same time if possible.
Prostate-specific antigen and digital rectal examination in long-term follow-up of stage A1 prosttic carcinoma

Abstract Twenty-six individuals with Stage A 1 carcinoma of the prostate (≤5 %, Gleason score ≤4) diagnosed from 1969 to 1980 were evaluated with digital rectal examination (DRE) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). This unique cohort, sixty-one to eight-two years of age (median 72 years), had a mean interval from diagnosis of thirteen years (median 12.5 years). Abnormal findings on DRE were found in 6 individuals, whereas only one elevated PSA was detected. Ninety-six percent of the PSA levels were less than 3.0 ng/mL and nearly 60 percent of the group had 1.0 ng/mL or less. These levels compare favorably with healthy control subjects under forty years of age and with the limited data available for PSA in healthy men over seventy years of age (87% and 26%, respectively). While biopsy showed persistent or recurrent carcinoma in 2 of 5 individuals, further evaluation disclosed only localized disease. Though the PSA provided little additional information to DRE in the individual patient, it appears from an overview of this group that a low level of PSA in Stage A 1 prostatic carcinoma may be associated with long-term survival.
Modeling and analysis of a high-speed transmission with multi-path, elastomeric load-share gears

A model of a high-speed, four-path, load-share gear transmission system is developed which includes the dynamics of bearings, gear teeth and elastomeric load-share gears. Rigid-body and lumped-parameter approximations are used in developing the model. The modified Newton-Euler formulation is used and its advantages over the conventional Newton-Euler formulation for high-speed transmission modeling are demonstrated. The model is used to study the effects of load-share gear configurations on dynamic transmission loads and system behavior during operation of the system. It is found that small asymmetries in the load-share gears can cause significantly elevated dynamic loads and moments to act on the main transmission shaft.
Outcomes in treatment for intradural spinal cord ependymomas.

Purpose: Spinal cord ependymomas are rare tumors, accounting for <2% of all primary central nervous system tumors. This study assessed the treatment outcomes for patients diagnosed with spinal cord ependymomas within the Southern California Kaiser Permanente system. Methods and Materials: We studied 23 patients treated with surgery with or without external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). The local and distant control rates and overall survival rates were determined. Results: The overall local control, overall recurrence, and 9-year overall survival rate was 96%, 17.4%, and 63.9%, respectively. Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that en bloc gross total resection should be the initial treatment, with radiotherapy reserved primarily for postoperative cases with unfavorable characteristics such as residual tumor, anaplastic histologic features, or piecemeal resection. Excellent local control and overall survival rates can be achieved using modern microsurgical techniques, with or without local radiotherapy.
Enhancing the population impact of collaborative care interventions: mixed method development and implementation of stepped care targeting posttraumatic stress disorder and related comorbidities after acute trauma ☆

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to develop and implement a stepped collaborative care intervention targeting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related comorbidities to enhance the population impact of early trauma-focused interventions. Method We describe the design and implementation of the Trauma Survivors Outcomes and Support study. An interdisciplinary treatment development team was composed of trauma surgical, clinical psychiatric and mental health services “change agents” who spanned the boundaries between frontline trauma center clinical care and acute care policy. Mixed method clinical epidemiologic and clinical ethnographic studies informed the development of PTSD screening and intervention procedures. Results Two hundred seven acutely injured trauma survivors with high early PTSD symptom levels were randomized into the study. The stepped collaborative care model integrated care management (i.e., posttraumatic concern elicitation and amelioration, motivational interviewing and behavioral activation) with cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy targeting PTSD. The model was feasibly implemented by frontline acute care masters in social work and nurse practioner providers. Conclusions Stepped care protocols targeting PTSD may enhance the population impact of early interventions developed for survivors of individual and mass trauma by extending the reach of collaborative care interventions to acute care medical settings and other nonspecialty posttraumatic contexts.
FTIR Time-Resolved Spectroscopy: Pushing Back the Nanosecond Barrier

The use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) techniques for the study of time-dependent phenomena and transient states extends the benefits of interferometry to time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy.
Examining Evidence for External and Consequential Validity of the First Term General Chemistry Exam from the ACS Examinations Institute

Validity of educational research instruments and student assessments has appropriately become a growing interest in the chemistry education research community. Of particular concern is an attention to the consequences to students that result from the interpretation of assessment scores and whether those consequences are swayed by invalidity within an assessment. This study examines external and consequential validity of a first-term general chemistry exam from the ACS Examinations Institute. The measure was used as a final exam in the intended course at the research setting. As a result, student performance on the exam contributed to the grading decision in the course. Owing to the prerequisite relationship, this grading decision then informed the decision to permit student enrollment in second-semester general chemistry. This study evaluates the appropriateness of the first-term general chemistry exam to inform this decision. Results indicate that the exam offers meaningful information into students' performance in the follow-on course with a consistent decision process across student subgroups.
Surveillance of influenza isolates for susceptibility to neuraminidase inhibitors during the 2000–2002 influenza seasons

Abstract Neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NI) have recently been licensed for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza virus infection in humans. This study has utilized a new chemiluminescent (CL) neuraminidase assay to routinely monitor more than a thousand influenza field isolates collected worldwide during the 2000–2002 seasons for susceptibility to both licensed NIs, zanamivir, and oseltamivir by determining the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ). Our data demonstrated that influenza A viruses of the N2 subtype were less susceptible to zanamivir, but not oseltamivir, than those of the N1 subtype such that 41 of 45 confirmed H1N2 isolates could be reliably differentiated from H1N1 viruses based on their zanamivir susceptibility. Pre-titration of influenza A viruses appeared to have no effect on IC 50 determined for either NI, while pre-titration of influenza B viruses significantly reduced oseltamivir IC 50 and increased zanamivir IC 50 . Influenza B viruses were less susceptible to either compound than type A isolates. The CL assay is a rapid and reliable method for screening large numbers of influenza isolates for NI susceptibility. Reassortant viruses of the H1N2 subtype that started to circulate worldwide during the 2001–2002 season can be reliably separated from H1N1 viruses based on their zanamivir susceptibility, enabling large scale screening of H1 isolates for determining the prevalence of such reassortants.
Building An Artificial Membrane Protein: Design, Expression and Characterization in Micelles and Lipid Vesicles

High efficiencies and catalytic activities of natural oxido-reductases keep inspiring development of new enzymes with the goal to produce better catalysts, novel drug therapies, bioelectronics devices, bioremediation and alternative energy sources. However, the immense complexity of natural proteins and their very evident resistance and fragility to modification prevents scientists from deciphering what part of the protein structure is essential for reproducing the catalytic function itself apart from the many other demands made on a natural protein within a cell. To overcome this obstacle, we are designing general structural platforms (maquettes) that accommodate variety of oxido-reductase functions, including light energy harvesting, photochemical charge separation, oxygen transport, and oxidative metabolism. They also serve as models for understanding the fundamental properties of enzyme activity, stability, and folding. Here we will present a transmembrane maquette designed to form electron transfer chain across a lipid bilayer. This artificial membrane maquette contains four membrane spanning α-helices that are linked into a single chain. It has been expressed in high yields in inclusion bodies using E. Coli, purified and refolded in charged and uncharged detergent micelles, as well as in lipid vesicles. Circular dichroism studies revealed 70% α-helical nature in SDS and no melting in high temperatures and common denaturants, indicating its strong structural stability. We will present maquette assembly, stability, cofactor binding and redox characteristics in different membrane environments and how they compare to natural proteins.
Tumor Angiogenesis as a Prognostic Factor in Cervical Carcinoma

Abstract Angiogenesis, the induction of new capillaries and venules, has been associated with tumor growth. Increased tumor size and new vessel growth may further the opportunity for tumor cells to enter the circulation and potentiate metastatic disease. To investigate if tumor angiogenesis could serve as a prognostic factor in cervical carcinoma, we counted microvessels (capillaries and venules) in 29 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Surgical specimens were stained for endothelial cells specifically with Factor VIII to identify all vessels. The microvessels were counted by light microscopy (per 200× field) in tumor sections with the highest population of microvessels. This was performed by two investigators without knowledge of patient outcome or extent of disease. Microvessel counts in patients with squamous cell carcinoma were significantly different from those of control subjects: 56 ± 28.9 and 16.3 ± 3.3 (P = 0.013). There was no correlation between microvessel count and node status, parametrial involvement, depth of invasion, or gross disease. Microvessel count was significantly correlated with vascular space involvement (P = 0.017). Four patients who developed recurrent disease within 1 year had high microvessel counts and yet were node negative and VSI negative at surgery. As shown by Folkman in breast cancer, angiogenesis may also be an independent predictor for recurrent disease in squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. Microvessel counts could be of prognostic value in patients who do not have other risk factors for disease recurrence.
Detoxification of aquatic and terrestrial sites through binding of pollutants to humic substances

Abstract Pollutants can be bound to soil constituents by physical or chemical forces of varying strength. Organic matter or humic material appear to be the principal binding ligands and the ensuing stable chemical linkages reduce the toxicity of the respective pollutant. Consequently this phenomenon constitutes an effective and safe method for detoxifying the environment. The process can be initiated by an oxidative coupling reaction, which is catalyzed biologically by polyphenol oxidases and peroxidases and chemically by certain metals and clay minerals; this process may also occur by auto-oxidation. Coupling reactions involve the production of free radicals and result in the formation of CC, CO, CN and NN linkages between the humic substances and the pollutants. We investigated the catalytic effect of enzymes on phenols, aromatic amines and some pesticides and determined — whenever possible identified — the resulting oxidative coupling products. Certain humus constituents which are highly reactive towards phenoloxidases can interact with less reactive pollutants, resulting in a greatly enhanced coupling capacity. This method of detoxification through binding can be considered an alternative pollution control method which reduces or eliminates the toxicity of a pollutant by making it unable to enter the food chain.
OAI Service Providers

Abstract The Open Archives Metadata Harvesting Protocol … is simply an interface that a networked server … can employ to make metadata describing objects housed at … [a] server available to external applications that wish to collect this metadata. (Lynch, 2002)
Optimal, quasi-geostrophic wave analyses of MODE array data

Abstract A combination of horizontally propagating plane waves were fitted to observations of mid-ocean mesoscale eddies from the Mid-Ocean Dynamics (MODE-0 and MODE-I) Experiments. The former included only current meter measurements, most from beneath and main thermocline. The latter much larger data set-from current meters, moored temperature sensors, hydrographic stations, and float tracks-gave a more uniform depth distribution. The plane waves were solutions of the linearized equation for the conservation of quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity. The free parameters of the wave model were optimally chosen to minimize an error norm for the differences between the observations and the wave fit. The wave fits were judged to be successful, having high correlations with the data (0·7) and accounting for a considerable fraction of the observed signal (70% r.m.s.). The model vertical structure involved both the barotropic and first baroclinic modes. The observed temporal evolution was generally consistent with the propagation predicted by the wave dispersion relation. Separate wave fits to the velocity and density observations were similar, which indicates their compatibility with the geostrophic thermal wind relation. Non-linear interactions within the wave fits were found to be weak for MODE-0 and of marginal (but uncertain) importance for MODE-I.
Coexistence of stable ECM solutions in the Lang–Kobayashi system

The Lang‐Kobayashi system of delay differential equations describes the behavior of the complex electric field E and inversion N inside an external cavity semiconductor laser. This system has a family of special periodic solutions known as external cavity modes (ECMs). It is well known that these ECM solutions appear through saddle-node bifurcations, then lose stability through a Hopf bifurcation before new ECM solutions are born through a secondary saddle-node bifurcation. Employing analytical and numerical techniques, we show that for certain short external cavity lasers the loss of stability happens only after the secondary saddle-node bifurcations, which means that stable ECM solutions can coexist in these systems. We also investigate the basins of these ECM attractors.
Kinetics of rod outer segment renewal in the developing mouse retina.

The kinetics of rod outer segment renewal in the developing retina have been investigated in C57BL/6J mice. Litters of mice were injected with [3H]amino acids at various ages and killed at progressively later time intervals. Plastic 1.5 µm sections of retina were studied by light microscope autoradiography. The rate of outer segment disk synthesis, as judged by labeled disk displacement away from the site of synthesis, is slightly greater than the adult level at 11–13 days of age; it rises to more than 1.6 times the adult rate between days 13 and 17, after which it falls to the adult level at 21–25 days. The rate of disk disposal, as measured by labeled disk movement toward the site of disposal, is less than 15% of the adult level at 11–13 days of age; it rises sharply to almost 70% of the adult level by days 13–15 and then more gradually approaches the adult rate. The net difference in rates of synthesis and disposal accounts for the rapid elongation of rod outer segments in the mouse between days 11 and 17 and the subsequent, more gradual elongation to the adult equilibrium length reached between days 19 and 25. The changing rate of outer segment disk synthesis characterizes the late stages of cytodifferentiation of the rod photoreceptor cells.
Primary inhibition: a mechanism for sudden stoppage of metachrony in ctenophores

The ctenophores Beroe cucumis and Pleurobrachia pileus exhibit rapid stoppage of comb plate beating, without accompanying muscular contraction, in response to an orally applied mechanical stimulus. This phenomenon, termed ‘primary inhibition’ by Gothlin, was re-examined by high-speed video microscopy and intracellular recording. The most remarkable features of this event were that (1) inhibition was associated with only one or two comb plates in the row, (2) inhibition occurred nearly anywhere in the ciliary beat cycle, (3) the inhibited plate acted as a mechanical blockade to the propagation of additional metachronal waves, and (4) a single depolarizing post-synaptic potential occurred nearly simultaneously with comb plate inhibition. B. cucumis and P. pileus have evolved a neurally controlled behavior to rapidly stop comb plate metachrony.
Is artefactualness a value-relevant property of living things?

Artefacts are often regarded as being mere things that possess only instrumental value. In contrast, living entities (or some subset of them) are often regarded as possessing some form of intrinsic (or non-instrumental) value. Moreover, in some cases they are thought to possess such value precisely because they are natural (i.e., non-artefactual). However, living artefacts are certainly possible, and they may soon be actual. It is therefore necessary to consider whether such entities should be regarded as mere things (like most non-living artefacts) or as possessing intrinsic value (like many, if not all) living entities. That is, it is necessary to determine whether artefactualness is a value-relevant property with respect to the intrinsic value of living things.
The effect of vacancy dislocation loops on the void swelling rate

Abstract The results of the model developed in the preceding paper for evaluating the vacancy dislocation loop density produced by heavy-particle bombardment are applied to the void swelling problem. Approximate expressions for the maximum swelling rate are given which contain the effects of such loops and of self-interstitial injection in self-ion irradiations. The behavior of the swelling rate is derived in the different temperature regimes where vacancy thermal emission, excess interstitial capture or (if appropriate) where self-interstitial injection mainly determine the loop lifetime. An incubation effect in neutron irradiations at low temperatures and the swelling saturation in self-ion bombardments at high doses are analyzed. It is also shown that the results obtained herein provide a rationale for understanding the differing predictions of swelling rates which have been proposed on the basis of prior numerical analysis.
RRDistMaps: a UCSF Chimera tool for viewing and comparing protein distance maps.

Motivation: Contact maps are a convenient method for the structural biologists to identify structural features through two-dimensional simplification. Binary (yes/no) contact maps with a single cutoff distance can be generalized to show continuous distance ranges. We have developed a UCSF Chimera tool, RRDistMaps, to compute such generalized maps in order to analyze pairwise variations in intramolecular contacts. An interactive utility, RRDistMaps, visualizes conformational changes, both local (e.g. binding-site residues) and global (e.g. hinge motion), between unbound and bound proteins through distance patterns. Users can target residue pairs in RRDistMaps for further navigation in Chimera. The interface contains the unique features of identifying long-range residue motion and aligning sequences to simultaneously compare distance maps. Availability and implementation: RRDistMaps was developed as part of UCSF Chimera release 1.10, which is freely available at http://rbvi.ucsf.edu/chimera/download.html, and operates on Linux, Windows, and Mac OS. Contact: ude.fscu.lgc@darnoc
A study of vertical SiGe thyristor design and optimization

We present extensive measurement results investigating the design and optimization of vertical SiGe thyristors for use as ESD protection elements in RF integrated circuits. Experiments include variations of the anode material, contact geometry, and buried layer, as well as a detailed study of optimal area scaling. RF characterization using s-parameter data is presented.
Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation

This compilation of new information and summaries of earlier work emphasizes variability within marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago. From the Alaska Peninsula to Near Strait, net flow through the passes is northward, with four passes (Amukta, Amchitka, Buldir, and Near Strait) contributing most of the flow. East of Samalga Pass (169°W), waters derived from the Alaska Coastal Current predominate, whereas west of Samalga Pass, waters of the Alaskan Stream predominate. The pattern of storm tracks creates a climatological (interannual and long term) transition zone in weather features (e.g. surface air temperature) near 170°W. The marine ecosystem of the Aleutian Archipelago also has a strong discontinuity at Samalga Pass, where cold-water corals, zooplankton, fish, marine mammals and foraging seabirds show a step change in species composition. Diets of ground fish, Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) and some seabirds also change there. Lower growth rates of some fish species and stable isotope data indicate that productivity declines westward along the archipelago. The available data demonstrate considerable ecosystem variability over time scales of decades to millennia. Abrupt changes in composition of fish communities at several of the major passes suggest that Samalga Pass may mark only one of several ecological divisions of Aleutian waters. This spatial and temporal heterogeneity provides an important context within which to view recent declines in populations of Steller sea lions and other species, and has important implications for the management of regional marine resources. We conclude that the marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago are divided into at least two different ecological regions, with potential for a concomitant separation of some fishery resources. © 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Persistence and biological activity in soil of the insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis, especially from transgenic plants

Insecticidal proteins produced by various subspecies (kurstaki, tenebrionis ,a ndisraelensis )o fBacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bound rapidly and tightly on clays, both pure mined clay minerals and soil clays, on humic acids extracted from soil, and on complexes of clay and humic acids. Binding reduced susceptibility of the proteins to microbial degradation. However, bound proteins retained biological activity. Purified Cry1Ab protein and protein released from biomass of transgenic Bt corn and in root exudates of growing Bt corn (13 hybrids representing three transformation events) exhibited binding and persistence in soil. Insecticidal protein was also released in root exudates of Bt potato (Cry3A protein) and rice (Cry1Ab protein) but not in root exudates of Bt canola, cotton, and tobacco (Cry1Ac protein). Vertical movement of CrylAb protein, either purified or in root exudates or biomass of Bt corn, decreased as the concentration of the clay minerals, kaolinite or montmorillonite, in soil increased. Biomass of transgenicBt corn decomposed less in soil than biomass of near-isogenic non-Bt corn, possibly because biomass of Bt corn had a significantly higher content of lignin than biomass of non-Bt corn. Biomass of Bt canola, cotton, potato, rice, and tobacco also decomposed less than biomass of the respective near-isogenic non-Bt plants. However, the lignin content of theseBt plants, which was significantly less than that ofBt corn, was not significantly different from that of their near-isogenic non-Bt counterparts, although it was consistently higher. The Cry1Ab protein had no consistent effects on organisms (earthworms, nematodes, protozoa, bacteria, fungi) in soil or in vitro. The Cry1Ab protein was not taken up from soil by non-Bt corn, carrot, radish, or turnip grown in soil in which Bt corn had been grown or into which biomass of Bt corn had been incorporated.
A low voltage op-amp with constant-Gm rail-to-rail input and high swing self-biasing super cascode output stage

Probably the most important building block in a mixed-signal system is the operational amplifier. Power consumption is a critical performance characteristic in fast op-amp designs. Low power supplies have become dominant in modern mixed-signal VLSI systems. Unlike CMOS digital modules, which are functionally insensitive to power supply variations, traditional analog cells not only fail to achieve the expected performance characteristics but may also become totally inoperative. This fact, together with the requirement of high density mixed analog-digital VLSI systems, urges the research of new analog architectures capable of achieving high performance characteristics in exceedingly noisy environments, where the presence of digital circuitry is abandoned. Therefore, power supply insensitive, self-biasing architectures are highly advantageous, successfully limiting the design, layout and routing effort and guaranteeing the product success.
Ethanol Ingestion Reduces Antipneumococcal Activity of Rat Pulmonary Surfactant

Because chronic ethanol ingestion decreases pulmonary clearance of Streptococcus pneumoniae in rats, and extracellular antipneumococcal factors in rat surfactant are important in the early clearance of pneumococci from the rat alveolus, the effects of ethanol ingestion on surfactant bactericidal activity were investigated. Normal surfactant from chow-fed rats showed potent anti-pneumococcal activity, even against bacteria growing in nutrient-rich media under favorable conditions. In contrast, surfactant from ethanol-fed rats and from calorie-restricted control-fed rats had significantly reduced antipneumococcal activity compared with surfactant from chow-fed rats. The reductions in surfactant bactericidal activity produced by ethanol ingestion or caloric restriction did not appear to be mediated through changes in either the total amount or the distribution of fatty acids, the antipneumococcal factors in normal surfactant. Rather, ethanol ingestion, and to a lesser extent caloric restriction, produced a surfactant inhibitor of free fatty acids that was partially characterized as a hydrophobic protein.
Heat Exchanger Fundamentals

A heat exchanger can be defined as an engineering device whose primary function is to transfer heat from one fluid to another. The previous chapter focused on the flow of a single stream that exchanges heat with its environment. This chapter considers the exchange of heat between two streams at different temperatures separated by a solid barrier. The aim is to develop a simplified modeling approach that can be used as a preliminary design tool. A closed-form 2-node model is developed that captures the key relationships between fluid types, their flow rates and temperatures, and the heat transfer surface between them. A more detailed model of a specific design configuration (a tube in a tube, or double-pipe) is developed as a case study for a more detailed investigation. There are many different configurations in engineering practice, and there are numerous resources available to obtain more comprehensive treatments of heat exchangers. In the end, practitioners and designers must learn how to interpret manufacturer specifications, which can be presented in various forms. A good fundamental understanding of the key principles involved facilitates that practice.
Measurements of gluon spin-sensitive quantities at the Z[sup 0] resonance

We present preliminary measurements of scaled jet energies and the Ellis-Karliner angle in 3-jet hadronic events from the Z{sup 0}decay. Good agreement is found between the data and the QCD prediction. A scalar gluon model is clearly excluded.
Contrast ultrasound imaging of the aorta alters vascular morphology and circulating von Willebrand factor in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) are microbubbles encapsulating inert gases that serve to enhance the echogenicity of blood for cardiovascular imaging applications.1 The interaction of ultrasound (US) with circulating UCAs introduces the potential for unique biological effects. These bioeffects must be fully characterized and assessed before recommendations can be made regarding the appropriate uses of UCAs, and progress is urgently needed. The importance of medical imaging for early diagnosis is underscored by the fact that 2300 Americans die each day of cardiovascular disease by current estimates.2 Many in vitro and in vivo bioeffects of UCAs have been noted, including hemolysis,3 capillary rupture,4 endothelial cell damage,5 and elevations in troponin T, a biomarker of cardiac damage.6 Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated UCA-induced arterial endothelial and vascular smooth muscle injury7 and cardiac arrhythmias.8 These results suggest that the interactions of US with UCAs in the cardiovascular system may have important consequences, especially if exposure to contrast US hastens the onset or increases the severity of atherosclerosis in patients at risk. To this end, we used a cholesterol-fed rabbit model to evaluate the biological effects of the UCA Definity (Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc, North Billerica, MA) when used in conjunction with US to image the descending aorta. To assess these bioeffects, we chose to focus on the biomarker von Willebrand factor (vWF), a multimeric protein produced and stored within endothelial cells and secreted both across the basolateral endothelial membrane into the vascular intima9 and across the apical membrane into the vessel lumen, where it circulates in the blood.10 von Willebrand factor has a physiologic role in platelet plug formation during thrombosis.11 In addition to its physiologic function, elevated vWF is a biomarker of endothelial damage12 and a clinical predictor of adverse cardiovascular events.13 It is positively associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and cardiac death in epidemiological studies,14,15 and it has been shown to increase experimentally in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.16 We hypothesized that plasma vWF would increase when rabbits consumed a cholesterol-containing diet, and any further increase after US exposure would indicate endothelial damage due to the contrast US procedure.
The Relationship between Maternal Gatekeeping, Paternal Competence, Mothers' Attitudes about the Father Role, and Father Involvement:

This study explored the relationships between maternal gatekeeping, mothers' perceptions of father competence, mothers' attitudes about the father role, and amount of father involvement. The sample consisted of 30 nonresidential and 72 residential fathers. The results of path analysis revealed that residential status of the father had a direct link to mothers' gatekeeping behavior. Father competence was indirectly and directly linked to amount of father involvement with children. Gatekeeping mediated the relationship between father competence and involvement. Maternal gatekeeping was causally linked to amount of father involvement.
INFLUENCE OF MALE DIET ON MALE MATING SUCCESS AND LONGEVITY AND FEMALE REMATING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) UNDER LABORATORY CONDITIONS

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary protein on the mating behavior and survival of male Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies), Ceratitis capitata (Wied.), as a means of enhancing the effectiveness of mass-reared males in sterile release programs to suppress wild populations. Conducted in the laboratory, our study addressed three main questions: 1) Does the inclusion of protein in the adult diet affect mating success of wild and mass-reared males? 2) Are copulation duration and remating tendency of wild females affected by the strain (wild versus mass-reared) and diet (protein-fed versus protein-deprived) of their initial mating partner? 3) Does the inclusion of protein in the adult diet affect the longevity of mass-reared males? In mating trials involving wild flies, protein-fed males had a mating advantage over protein-deprived males. However, the addition of protein to the diet did not boost the mating success of mass-reared males in competition with wild or mass-reared males for wild females. The inclusion of protein in the male diet had no apparent effect on female remating tendency, copulation duration, or male longevity. Independent of male diet, we found no difference between wild and mass-reared males in the duration of copulations with wild females, and wild females mated initially to wild and mass-reared males displayed similar remating propensity. The implications of these findings for SIT are discussed.
Disturbance from a circularly symmetric load spreading over an acoustic half-space

abstract An exact closed form solution for the disturbance due to a circularly symmetric load spreading arbitrarily from a point on the surface of an acoustic half-space is presented using the Laplace and Hankel transforms. The pressure distribution inside the loaded area is assumed uniform at each time. Wave-front surfaces are discovered and analyzed. Explicit expressions for stress and surface displacement fields are obtained. Simple formulas for the stresses on the axis of symmetry and at the wave front are given.
Outcomes evaluation of the athletic elbow

The high-level athletic population poses difficulty when evaluating outcomes in orthopedic surgery, given generally good overall health and high function at baseline. Subtle differences in performance following injury or orthopedic surgery are hard to detect in high-performance athletes using standard outcome metrics; however, attaining these subtle improvements after injury or surgery are key to an athletes' livelihood. Outcome measures serve as the cornerstone for critical evaluation of clinical outcomes following orthopedic surgery or injury. In the age of "evidence-based medicine" and "pay-for-performance" accountability for surgical intervention, understanding clinically relevant outcome measures is essential for careful review of the published literature, as well as one's own critical review of surgical performance. The purpose of this manuscript is to evaluate clinical outcome measures in the context of the athletic elbow. An emphasis will be placed on evaluation of the 5 most clinically relevant outcome measures for sports-related elbow outcomes: (1) American Shoulder and Elbow Committee; (2) Mayo Elbow Performance Index; (3) Andrews-Timmerman [and its precursor the (4) Andrews-Carson]; and (5) Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic overhead athlete score. A final outcome measure that will be analyzed is "return to play" statistics, which has been published in various studies of athletes' recovery from elbow surgery, as well as, the outcomes metric known as the "Conway-Jobe scale." Although there is no perfect outcomes score for the athletic elbow, the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic score is the only outcomes tool developed and validated for outcomes for elbow injuries in the overhead athlete, as compared with the Andrew-Timmerman and Conway-Jobe metrics, which were not validated outcome measures for the elbow in this patient population. Despite the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, Hand (DASH) (and DASH-Sport module) being validated in the general population, this upper extremity scale is not specific for elbow function.
C2 Hydroxyl Group Governs the Difference in Hydrolysis Rates of Methyl-α-d-glycero-d-guloseptanoside and Methyl-β-d-glycero-d-guloseptanoside

A computational investigation into the hydrolysis of two methyl septanosides, methyl-α-d-glycero-d-guloseptanoside and methyl-β-d-glycero-d-guloseptanoside was undertaken. These septanosides were c...
Lesse Greeke? Homer in Jonson and Shakespeare

Throughout their careers both Jonson and Shakespeare often encountered Homer, who left a deep impress on their works. Jonson read Homer directly in Greek but Shakespeare did not, or if he did, he left no evidence of that reading in extant works. Both Jonson and Shakespeare encountered Homer indirectly in Latin recollections by Vergil, Horace, Ovid and others, in English translations, in handbooks and mythographies, in derivative poems and plays, in descendant traditions, and in plentiful allusions. Though their appropriations differ significantly, Jonson and Shakespeare both present comedic impersonations of Homeric scenes and figures – the parodic replay of the council of the gods (Iliad 1) in Poetaster (1601) 4.5 and the appearance of “sweet warman” Hector (5.2.659) in the Masque of the Nine Worthies (Love's Labor's Lost, 1588–97). Homer's Vulcan and Venus furnish positive depictions of love and marriage in The Haddington Masque (1608) as do his Hector and Andromache in Julius Caesar (1599), which featu...
Association of the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymor-phism with the risk of laryngeal cancer

OBJECTIVE To study genetic polymorphism of XRCC1Arg399Gln and the laryngeal cancer risk.METHODS A case-control study of 1:1 pair matching was conducted.Forty patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and 40 healthy controls were chosen for this study.The two groups were matched by sex and age.Polymerase chain reaction and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism was used to explore the polymorphism of DNA repair gene XRCC1c.399.RESULTS The frequency of XRCC1c.399Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln genotypes in the case group was higher than that in the control group(P0.01).There was a 3.50 fold increased risk of laryngeal cancer for individuals carrying XRCC1c.399Arg/Gln+Gln/Gln genotypes(OR=3.50,95 %CI=1.39～8.84),compared with subjects carrying Arg/Arg genotype.CONCLUSION The polymorphism of XRCC1Arg399Gln might be associated with the susceptibility of laryngeal cancer.The mutation of XRCC1c.399 Arg →Gln might lead to a increased risk of laryngeal cancer.
Survey and analysis of vaccine inoculation rate of National Immunization Programs in Linxia Prefecture of Gansu Province

Objective To understand vaccination status of National Immunization Program(NIP) in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province, to identify problems associated with vaccination coverage and to promote sustainable development of immunization program in minority areas. Methods With lot quality assurance sampling method(LQAS),household survey was conducted among 4 704 children selected in 560 villages of 112 townships in 8 counties. Results The inoculation rate of NIP vaccines was more than 95% except for DTP4, MCV2, JEV2 and Hep A. Qualified inoculation rate of basic five vaccines was over 90.00%(except for MCV1), while the inoculation rate was all less than 90.00% for all doses of the rest NIP vaccines, and less than 85.00% for the new vaccines(except for MPV-A1), with the qualified rate of expanded program on immunization of 80.55% and total drop-out rate of 2.96%. Total standardized rate of NIP vaccines was76.70% by township. The inoculation rate and qualified vaccination rate were higher in children of Han nationality than in children of minorities such as Hui, Dongxiang and so on, with statistical difference among areas(χ2=13.10-24.29, P0.05).Conclusions The inoculation rate of EPI vaccines was over 90.00%. However, the qualified inoculation rate were relatively low. There are disparities between survey coverage results and the national immunization goals of the twelfth five-year plan.Poor immunization coverage is found in some areas and there is obvious difference among counties, NIPVs and doses of series NIP vaccines. It is important to maintain and improve vaccination services to improve the timeliness of vaccination, especially focus on weak groups and counties/cities to strengthen the propaganda and training, standardize the implementation of vaccination and improve inoculation rate.