cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activated and unactivated platelet adhesion to monocytes and neutrophils

To examine the possible receptor-ligand pairs mediating adhesion of activated and “unactivated” platelets to leukocytes and the kinetics of leukocyte-platelet binding, we developed a flow cytometric assay using isolated cell fractions to accurately measure heterotypic cell adhesion, including both total leukocyte-platelet conjugate formation as well as the number of platelets bound per leukocyte. We have shown that (1) activated platelet binding to both polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and monocytes is dependent on both a specific epitope (blocked by monoclonal antibody G1) of granule membrane protein-140 (GMP-140) and the presence of divalent cations; (2) unactivated platelets bind to 87% of viable, resting monocytes but to only 34% of PMN; (3) the receptor(s) on unactivated platelets that mediate adhesion to PMN and monocytes do not require divalent cations and become nonfunctional after thrombin activation; and (4) the kinetics of platelet adhesion to monocytes and PMN indicate that monocyte adhesion is favored over neutrophil adhesion. We conclude that platelet- heterotypic cell adhesion is a dynamic process reflecting the activation status of the platelet and differential binding abilities of leukocytes.
Growth effects and metabolism of arginine in stationary and rapidly-dividing sugarcane cell suspensions

The effect of 300 μM arginine on growth of sugarcane cell suspensions was studied. Cells transferred to defined media in the stationary growth stage showed a greater requirement for exogenous arginine than cells similarly transferred in the rapidly dividing stage. Cell arginine levels, rates of arginine synthesis, and enzymes of arginine synthesis all decreased in cells entering the stationary stage. It is concluded that stationary stage cells are deficient in their ability to synthesize arginine and are therefore dependent upon an exogenous supply to resume growth in fresh media.
In Vitro Activity and Durability of a Combination of an Antibiofilm and an Antibiotic against Vascular Catheter Colonization

Catheter-associated infections can cause severe complications and even death. Effective antimicrobial modification of catheters that can prevent device colonization has the potential of preventing clinical infection. We studied in vitro the antimicrobial activities of central venous catheters impregnated with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antibiofilm agent, and a broad-spectrum antibiotic against a range of important clinical pathogens. NAC-levofloxacin-impregnated (NACLEV) catheters were also evaluated for their antiadherence activity. NACLEV catheters produced the most active and durable antimicrobial effect against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative isolates and significantly reduced colonization (P < 0.0001) by all tested pathogens compared to control catheters. These in vitro results suggest that this antimicrobial combination can potentially be used to combat catheter colonization and catheter-associated infection.
A light scattering investigation of the interaction of sodium desoxyribonucleate with bovine serum albumin.

Abstract The interaction of sodium desoxyribosenucleate and bovine serum albumin in phosphate buffers has been studied under various conditions of pH, by the technique of light scattering. Interpretation of the experimental data in terms of the theories of light scattering from large molecules and multi-component systems has permitted the determination of the composition of soluble nucleoprotein complexes as well as their size and shape. There is no reaction at pH 7.47 and 6.46. At pH 5.51 and ionic strength 0.1, the nucleic acid binds 35% of its own weight of bovine serum albumin in a 1:1 mixture, that is, each molecule of nucleic acid on the average binds 11 ± 2 molecules of the protein. The nucleic acid undergoes no appreciable changes of shape upon reaction.
The accuracy of map overlays: A reassessment

Abstract Despite warnings in an earlier report concerning map errors, map overlay is a growing part of landscape planning, particularly as a result of developments in automated geographic information systems. Map error is unavoidable, but this previous analysis of error needs to be revised. Theoretical assessments of expected error should be combined with the results of empirical tests. Errors encountered in careful use of automated map overlay can be substantially lower than have been predicted. Experience from actual applications shows that methods of checking layers against each other produce more reliable data.
Cotton carbon exchange, nonstructural carbohydrates, and boron distribution in tissues during development of boron deficiency

Abstract An adequate supply of boron (B) is critical for optimal cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) growth and yield development. A better understanding of the effect of B deficiency on plant physiology and metabolism will help refine the diagnosis of B deficiency and improve B fertilizer recommendations. Determining B distribution in plant tissues and change in the pattern during growth is fundamental for diagnosis of plant B deficiency. Growth chamber and field studies were conducted in 1999 and 2000 to determine the effects of B deficiency on cotton growth, leaf photosynthesis, and nonstructural carbohydrates. The chamber study mainly investigated changes in leaf blade nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and plant tissue B content during the development of B deficiency. The field study determined whether soil or foliar supplements of B could improve plant growth, carbon assimilation and translocation, and lint yield. In the growth chamber, B deficiency during the early growth of cotton decreased leaf CO2 exchange rate, increased leaf blade nonstructural carbohydrate concentration, and depressed photosynthate export from leaves to fruits, resulting in increased fruit abscission. Among plant parts, leaf blades had highest B concentration. Leaf blade B content accounted for more than 75% of plant total accumulating B under favorable growth chamber conditions. The critical B level of uppermost fully expanded main-stem leaf blades, which affected plant growth and physiological processes, was about 17–20 mg kg−1 during squaring and fruiting. Under our field study conditions, cotton did not respond to either soil or foliar B application due to sufficient soil B for plant growth (0.2 and 0.3 mg B kg−1 at two study sites). These results will provide useful information for cotton plant B diagnosis and B fertilizer recommendations in cotton production.
Computer-aided teniae coli detection using height maps from computed tomographic colonography images

Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is a minimally invasive technique for colonic polyps and cancer screening. Teniae coli are three bands of longitudinal smooth muscle on the colon surface. They are parallel, equally distributed on the colon wall, and form a triple helix structure from the appendix to the sigmoid colon. Because of their characteristics, teniae coli are important anatomical meaningful landmarks on human colon. This paper proposes a novel method for teniae coli detection on CT colonography. We first unfold the three-dimensional (3D) colon using a reversible projection technique and compute the two-dimensional (2D) height map of the unfolded colon. The height map records the elevation of colon surface relative to the unfolding plane, where haustral folds corresponding to high elevation points and teniae to low elevation points. The teniae coli are detected on the height map and then projected back to the 3D colon. Since teniae are located where the haustral folds meet, we break down the problem by first detecting haustral folds. We apply 2D Gabor filter banks to extract fold features. The maximum response of the filter banks is then selected as the feature image. The fold centers are then identified based on piecewise thresholding on the feature image. Connecting the fold centers yields a path of the folds. Teniae coli are finally extracted as lines running between the fold paths. Experiments were carried out on 7 cases. The proposed method yielded a promising result with an average normalized RMSE of 5.66% and standard deviation of 4.79% of the circumference of the colon.
Enhancing the Critical Current of a Superconducting Film in a Wide Range of Magnetic Fields with a Conformal Array of Nanoscale Holes.

This is a copy of an article published in the Physical Review B © 2013 American Physical Society. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.220501
The interaction between a dislocation and a crack: closure considerations

The interaction between an edge dislocation and a crack in the presence of uniform applied tension and shear is considered. Emphasis is placed on the effects of partial closure and crack-face friction. Representative results are given.
Assessing Teaching Effectiveness in a Basic Food Laboratory Setting: Phase One – Delphi Panel Study

To ensure a high standard of teaching effectiveness in the delivery of instruction, universities employ various methods. The student evaluation tool (SET) has become the most commonly used measure of teaching effectiveness in a classroom environment. However, the majority of food laboratory instructors insist that these same criteria are not appropriate or applicable to measuring teaching effectiveness in a basic food laboratory setting. The purpose of this project was to develop a SET for assessing teaching effectiveness in a basic food laboratory setting at senior level institutions. Given the exploratory nature of the research, the authors convened a Delphi panel of leading academicians to identify the most desirable competencies and to develop the criteria for measuring each competency.
Laser photoelectron spectroscopy of the formyl anion

The 488 nm photoelectron spectra of HCO− and DCO− show vibrational structure in the X 2A’ state of neutral formyl radical up to 10 000 cm−1 above the vibrational ground state. Electron affinities are found to be 0.313±0.005 eV for HCO and 0.301±0.005 eV for DCO. The CH bond strength and heat of formation of HCO− and the gas phase acidity of formaldehyde are derived from these data. A Franck–Condon analysis of the photoelectron spectra provides an estimate of the equilibrium geometry of the anion. Transitions to excited vibrational states of HCO enable the determination of a complete set of quadratic anharmonicities.
Storage proteins in ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae)

Storage proteins are a major feature of holometabolous development in insects, accumulating during the larval period and disappearing during metamorphosis. In ants (Hymenoptera:Formicidae), storage proteins also play important roles in adult females. Three types of storage proteins have been characterized from ants: hexamerins, proteins high in glutamine/glutamic acid, and very high density lipoproteins (VHDLs). The hexamerins have moderately high levels of aromatic amino acids and belong to the arthropod hemocyanin family of proteins. The proteins high in glutamine/glutamic acid can form hexamers under some conditions, but the subunit size is larger than that of typical hexamerins. The VHDLs are dimeric and share features with storage chromoproteins described from Lepidoptera. In Camponotus festinatus (Formicinae), storage proteins are found in adult ants in two situations. First, lack of brood stimulates workers to accumulate the same two storage hexamers found in larvae. Second, young virgin queens store large reserves of these proteins before mating. Protein storage by queens has been confirmed in two other subfamilies of ants, indicating it is widespread. The capacity to store proteins as adults enables queens to rear brood without leaving the nest and workers to store rich reserves and regulate larval diet seasonally.
Above the law and Beyond Its Reach: O'Reilly and Theoharis on FBI Intelligence Operations

There is always the possibility that a secret police system may become a menace to free government and free institutions because it carries with it the possibility of abuses of power which are not always quickly apprehended or understood. The enormous expansion of federal legislation... has made a federal bureau of investigation a necessary instrument of law enforcement. But it is important that its activities be strictly limited to those functions for which it was created and that its agents themselves be not above the law or beyond its reach.'
Deuterium migration and trapping in uranium and uranium dioxide during D+ implantation

Abstract Uranium and UO2 have been implanted with deuterium ions in the energy range 30–85 keV. Subsequently, the near surface regions (100–9000 A) of these samples were quantitatively profiled for deuterium and oxygen using the method of ion beam microanalysis. Mean ranges and widths of the implanted ions were measured and compared with theoretical predictions. Fully oxidized samples were compared with those having only thin oxide films on their surfaces. While the deuterium appeared to migrate during its implantation in uranium, little or no migration appeared either during or after implantation in UO2. Further measurements suggest that thin surface oxide films strongly trap the deuterium migrating beneath the surface. It is suggested that the electronic energy loss of the ion beam lowers the effective activation energy for the formation of OD bonds near the target surface.
Predictors of Homelessness among Street Living Youth.

While few studies have identified predictors of exiting homelessness among adults, even fewer studies have attempted to identify these predictors among homeless youth. The current study explored predictors of change in homelessness among 180 homeless youth between the ages of 14 and 22, recruited through an urban drop-in center. All youth were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 months. The sample included 118 males and the reported ethnicity included Latino (n = 54), Anglo (n = 73), Native American (n = 24), African American (n = 6) and mixed ethnicity or “other” (n = 23). Four distinct patterns of change in homelessness were identified among youth which included those who (1) had fairly low rates of homelessness at each follow-up point, (2) started in the mid-range of homelessness, increased at 3 months and sharply declined at 6-months (MHL), (3) reported high rates of homelessness at baseline and low rates at each follow-up point (HLL), and finally, (4) remained consistently homeless across time (HMH). These patterns of change were most strongly predicted by social connections and engagement in HIV risk behaviors. The findings from this study suggest that developing trust and linkages between homeless youth and service providers may be a more powerful immediate target of intervention than targeting child abuse issues, substance use and mental health problems.
Self-engaging and disengaging CMOS-MEMS probes

CMOS-MEMS probes have the ability to interact with external surfaces mechanically and electrically through their conductive tips. Using only the electrothermal actuator of the probe, micro-Newton forces can be applied to make active probe contact with a conductive substrate. Measured cyclic contact resistance has a mean value of 7.4 kΩ and a standard deviation of 11.3 kΩ over 2450 cycles. When the probe actuator is repeatedly turned off, mechanical and electrical contacts are successfully disconnected. Piezoresistive sensors embedded within the probe cantilevers possess a resolution of 44 nm to detect when the tip has come into physical contact with an experimental surface and provide force feedback.
Novel targets for Spinal Cord Injury related neuropathic pain.

Millions of people suffer from spinal cord injury (SCI) with little known effective clinical therapy. Neuropathic pain (NP) is often accompanied with SCI, making clinical treatment challenging. Even though the key mediators in the development of NP have been discovered, the pathogenesis is still unclear. Some of the key mediators in the sustenance of NP include the inflammatory processes, cannabinoid receptors, matrix metalloproteases, and their tissue inhibitors. Animal models have shown promising results with modulation of these mediators, yet the clinical models have been unsuccessful. One such study with matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) has yielded encouraging results. The relationship between MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis and recovery of SCI and the CNS. Key factors that lead to the functional consequences of MMP activity are cellular localization, tissue distribution, and temporal pattern of MMP expression. Studies concluding that MMPs can be seen as contributors of tissue damage and as contributors in the repair mechanisms have provided a need to reexamine their roles after acute and chronic neuropathic pain
F ′ and K Centers in Additively Colored KCl Crystals

Measurements are reported on the $F\ensuremath{-}{F}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ process, and the $K$ band in additively colored KCl. The crystals are colored with distilled potassium, and subjected to repeated cycles of optical bleach with $F$ light (5450 A) at 170\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K and thermal bleach of the ${F}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ centers at room temperature. It is found that the optical quantum efficiency of conversion of $F$ to ${F}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ centers varies in two ways: (a) The quantum efficiency varies significantly for different specimens of colored KCl all cleaved from the same one-inch cube of KCl grown by the Harshaw Company. (b) The optical quantum efficiency drops significantly after each cycle of $F$-center bleach and subsequent thermal bleach of the ${F}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ centers. Ultimately, the quantum efficiency appears to decrease to a point where the crystal is essentially unaffected by $F$ light at 170\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. $K$ centers are influenced to a lesser degree, if at all, than $F$ centers by optical bleaching in the $F$ band at 170\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. All absorption measurements are made in the visible part of the spectrum.
In vitro alternatives to the draize eye irritation test

AbstractThe Joint Government-Industry Workshop on Progress Towards Non-Animal Alternatives to the Draize Test was organized to provide a forum for the discussion of issues involved in the regulatory acceptance of data from alternative tests and for the discussion of recent progress towards that end. The uses of the Draize test data, the types of data generated by the Draize and selected alternatives, and the regulatory requirements were discussed in this presentation. The federal agencies, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, encourage the use of alternatives to animal tests and currently recommend a tiered approach to eye irritation testing. This includes the use of existing human or animal data, the skin corrosiveness data, and pH before conducting an eye irritation test. It was suggested that in a validation process the specific objectives such as the proposed use of the alternative (screening, adjunct to animal test, replacem...
Kinetics of sickle haemoglobin polymerization in single red cells

Kinetic studies on solutions of purified haemoglobin S indicate that the rate of intracellular polymerization is an important variable in the pathophysiology of sickle cell disease. Until now, however, no experimental technique has been available to measure directly the kinetics of intracellular polymerization. Indirect methods, which use visual determination of cellular shape changes or changes in filterability of red cell suspensions, have given apparently conflicting results. Here we report our initial results on the application of a laser-photolysis, light scattering technique to measure directly the kinetics of haemoglobin S polymerization in single red cells. In our experiment, deoxyhaemoglobin S is rapidly formed by photolysing the carbon monoxide complex with an argon ion laser focused inside the cell, and the change in scattered light is used to detect the appearance of polymer. We find a very wide distribution of delay times, ranging from 1 ms to greater than 100 s, indicating that the polymerization inside red cells proceeds by the same nucleation and growth mechanism as in solutions of purified haemoglobin S.
Temperature-dependent vibrational dephasing in molecular crystals: a picosecond cars study of naphthalene

Abstract The temperature dependence of picosecond CARS of vibrational excitons in naphthalene is presented. Below ≈40 K relaxation is dominated by spontaneous emission of phonons. Above 40 K high-frequency phonons induce dephasing. The results are consistent with a phonon-promoted energy transfer process.
The cross-cultural variation of predictors of human papillomavirus vaccination intentions.

Abstract Background: The influence of health beliefs on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptability have been extensively documented in past research. However, studies documenting the generalizability of prior findings to culturally diverse participants are lacking. The importance of generalizability studies is underscored by the immense disparities in cervical cancer rates across ethnicities. Moreover, theory in cultural psychology suggests that beliefs derived from personal expectations may not be the strongest predictors of intentions in individuals socialized in collectivist cultures. The purpose of this research was to investigate the strongest predictors of mothers' intentions to vaccinate their daughters across three cultural groups: Hispanic, non-Hispanic white, and African American. Methods: One hundred fifty mothers were recruited from Public Health Department clinics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mothers were asked to answer measures that assessed personal and normative predictors of intentions...
Can security beget insecurity? Security and crime prevention awareness and fear of burglary among university students in the East Midlands

Contrary to the heightened awareness surrounding university student safety and security in the United States, it is only recently that attention has been given to these issues in England. In 2002, the Home Office of England and Wales commissioned a study of student victimisation and fear of crime at nine universities in the East Midlands region. Using self-report data from this study, the present study examined the influence of student awareness of institutional security and crime prevention efforts on levels of student fear of burglary in university-owned or -operated accommodation. Awareness of some types of security features and crime prevention efforts was related to students being less fearful, whereas for others, students were more fearful of burglary. Awareness of measures designed to increase the efforts of would-be offenders generated mixed fear results, whereas measures to increase their risks were associated with less fear among those students who were aware of them. The awareness–fear of burglary relationship was particularly pronounced for women students. The implications for university security and crime prevention are discussed.
Chemoradiation in the management of cervix cancer: current status and future directions.

Cytotoxic chemotherapy has been shown to have only a very modest impact on outcome in recurrent, persistent, or metastatic cervix cancer. Despite this fact, when cisplatin is administered concurrently
Epitaxial growth of BaTiO3 thin films by organometallic chemical vapor deposition

Epitaxial BaTiO3 thin films were grown in situ on (100) LaAlO3 by low‐pressure organometallic chemical vapor deposition using the precursors Ba (hexafluoroacetylacetonate)2 (tetraglyme) and titanium tetraisopropoxide. The phase composition and epitaxial quality were sensitive to the reactant partial pressures and growth temperature. Deposition at 800 °C yielded [100]‐oriented BaTiO3 films. In‐plane epitaxy was confirmed for the BaTiO3 films by x‐ray diffraction.
Boundary conditions on continuum theories of granular flow

Abstract Continuum theories of highly agitated granular flows have recently been developed based on ideas from the kinetic theory of gases, with the fluctuation velocity of the grains corresponding to the temperature of the gas. Most often the boundary conditions for a granular system at a wall have been taken to be the same as the boundary conditions for a gas (i.e. the “no-slip” boundary conditions on the average flow velocity and the temperature). However, it is clear from experimental observations that a significant slip can exist in the average flow velocity and temperature at a wall. In this paper, a model of boundary conditions on granular flows will be presented which incorporates the following points: 1. 1. The average flow velocity of the grains at the wall does not equal the wall velocity, with the shear stress at the wall being proportional to the difference in these velocities (the “slip velocity”). 2. 2. Small-amplitude vibrations of the wall can be regarded as one factor in an effective wall “temperature”. The other factor is the effect of the roughness of the wall coupled with the slip velocity. The flux of “thermal” energy between the granular system and the wall is determined by the relative values of this effective wall “temperature” and the granular system “temperature”. 3. 3. Due to differences between grain-grain and grain-wall collisions, the density of the granular system may exhibit a “jump” at the wall. 4. 4. For walls of insufficient roughness, measured angles of effective internal friction may reflect more the effect of shearing at the wall than in the bulk. These boundary conditions are illustrated by solving a problem in Couette flow.
An output compression scheme for handling X-states from over-clocked delay tests

Faster-than-rated clock delay tests aimed at targeting small delay defects can generate a large number of unknown X values because the test response for all paths longer than the (over clocked) test clock period must be marked X. Current test compression techniques cannot efficiently handle such a large number of X responses. We propose a simple multiplexing scheme for output test data compression which avoids any compaction of the test response. Just as input test compression techniques take advantage of the fact that there are only a small number of “care” bits in the ATPG generated test inputs, our new approach leverages the fact that not all the output bits in the captured test response need be observed. In most cases, observing only selected 2–5% of the test response bits captured in the scan chains can still result in the same target test coverage as when all output bits are observed, albeit at the expense of requiring some additional TDF delay test vectors. Since no test result compaction is performed, the new approach is capable of handling an unbounded number of X-states during aggressive delay testing. Experimental results show that test time/data volume reduction of 10X or better appears viable.
Microwave Emission from an Anisotropy Instability in a High-Current Relativistic Electron Beam

A momentum anisotropy, created by injecting an electrostatically unneutralized annular electron beam through various foils, is shown experimentally to lead to high-power microwave emission. The radiation occurs at a frequency such that the phase velocities of cyclotron waves on the beam and the T${\mathrm{E}}_{01}$ mode in the guide are equal.
Quantitative characterization of plasmid instability inSaccharomyces cerevisiae using flow cytometry-cell sorting

The fraction of daughter cells ofS.cerevisiae YT76 born without plasmids increases significantly during the postexponential phase of batch growth. Plasmid segregation data presented is obtained using a new method based on rapid flow cytometry-cell sorting isolation of subpopulations consisting of newborn daughter cells and dividing mother cells.
Prediction of toxicology and pharmacology based on model toxicophores and pharmacophores using the new TOX‐MATCH–PHARM‐MATCH program

A unique computer program TOX-MATCH–PHARM-MATCH enables prediction of toxicology or pharmacology based on a reverse search strategy. It is logistically unfeasible to break each of the 5.5-6 million unique compounds indexed by Chemical Abstracts into all possible substructural fragments and then to try to match these to a list of substructural fragments known to cause certain toxicological or pharmacological effects. Rather, our program has a library of model chemical structural toxicophores or pharmacophores in a tree structure using our special chemical coding method (based on topology, topography, graph theory, and some special theories). This library is then followed by a library of the toxicological or pharmacological triggering events (ttes or ptes) (usually biochemical) caused by each model toxicophore or pharmacophore, the subsequent physiological events (spes) (also usually biochemical) and the observed physiological signs and symptoms (opsss) of each species. An unknown sample is input (also in the special chemical coding), and the model toxicophore or pharmacophore queries the sample compound to see how close the match is (hence, the reverse search strategy). Then, the program prints out the matches it finds and at what levels of the tree structure and the ttes or ptes, spes, and the opsss to be expected. The program also has a backtrack capability to trace from opsss back to the ttes or ptes and to the possible model toxicophores or pharmacophores. This program is open ended and extremely versatile and can be used for any toxicological or pharmacological problem.
Equipment Grounding for Reliable Ground-Fault Protection in Electrical Systems Below 600 V

Equipment grounding is one of the most important, but least understood, requirements for reliable ground-fault protection. This paper defines the basic objectives of equipment grounding and analyzes the role of equipment grounding conductors in providing ground-fault protection for electrical systems below 600 V.
DARTS: Techniques and Tools for Predictably Fast Memory Using Integrated Data Allocation and Real-Time Task Scheduling

Hardware-managed caches introduce large amounts of timing variability, complicating real-time system design. One alternative is a memory system with scratchpad memories which improve system performance while eliminating such timing variability. Prior work introduced the DARTS approach, which combines static allocation of data into scratchpad memories, with task scheduling for preemptive multi-threaded, hard real-time embedded systems.This study offers several significant contributions. First, it introduces a method to split a stack frame across multiple memory units, offering fine-grain allocation of automatic memory variables with very low run-time overhead. This enables more effective use of fast memory, improving run-times. Second, it introduces the completed tool-chain based on DARTS, which reallocates static and automatic variables across multiple memory banks and now targets the ARM7 architecture. Third, it evaluates the performance improvement from DARTS using experimental results from the code running on real hardware in a preemptively scheduled RTOS-based multi-tasking environment. This hands-on experimental approach ensures a high level of confidence in the results; previous studies have generally stopped at estimating performance rather than building and measuring a real implementation.In our experiments the execution time of each task is reduced up to 24% from the baseline external SRAM configurations. We show that our methods improve task execution time to achieve 37% to 99% of the performance improvement of an ideal unlimited-capacity scratchpad memory system. Finally, we find our allocations provide on average 2/3 of the performance enhancement of the equivalently-sized cache yet with easily-predicted performance.
Soft x-ray spectro-microscope

An X-ray photoelectron microscope capable of providing both spatial and chemical information on the nature of a sample has been developed. Photons from the Aladdin Synchrotron are monochromatized by an extended-range Grasshopper monochromator covering the range from 40 to 1500 eV with an energy resolution between 10 and 200 meV. The monochromatized radiation generates photoelectrons in the sample, which is energy-analyzed with a resolving power E/delta E greater than 50,000 and imaged by a multichannel plate array. The visible image is transferred to a computer by a virtual-phase charge-coupled device camera with a dynamic range of 4096:1. Preliminary coarse measurements indicate a spatial resolution of the instrument better than 1 micron, although a limit of 600 A is possible. The instrument provides chemical shift-resolved images of low-lying core levels in a variety of samples.
High-resolution Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry for understanding high-resolution optoelectronic modulators

A high resolution Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry test bed has been constructed and calibrated that has unique capabilities for characterizing optoelectronic devices, such as liquid crystal modulators, PLZT modulators, quantum well modulators, and surface emitting lasers. Similarly, the instrument can perform end-to-end measurements on optoelectronic systems including optical computers, interconnects, and correlators. It addresses, at the systems level, the need for incorporating polarimetric analysis and measurement techniques into the design, alignment, and testing of photonics technologies. The polarimeter maps the polarization altering characteristics of optical devices and optical systems, producing means of the retardance, the diattenuation, and the depolarization. The polarization mappings may be obtained across individual pixels or across large pixel arrays. The data sets provide a wealth of information not otherwise accessible for characterizing device uniformity, operating parameters, angular bandwidth, as well as identifying non-ideal polarization characteristics.
O papel dos processos neurobiológicos na terapia de casal cognitivo-comportamental

Recently, the professional literature about couple relationships has been focused on the effect of genetics and neurobiology on interactional couple dynamics. Specific attention has been given to how emotional and behavioral patterns are affected by neurobiological components. This article provides a brief overview of this emergent issue. It also enlightens how neuropsychobiological processes can be crucial, in combination with cognitivebehavioral techniques, for helping some couples to deal with relational problems. A discussion section provides considerations for future research and development.
Cultivar variation in response of strawberry fruit to high carbon dioxide treatments

The influence of cultivar on responses of strawberry fruit to 20 kPa CO2 or air storage at 2 °C was measured for 7 days. CO2 storage increased firmness of all cultivars over air storage, but the degree of increase was affected by cultivar and days in storage. CO2-treated fruit were lighter colored and less intensely red than air-treated fruit. Accumulations of acetaldehyde, ethanol and ethyl acetate in CO2-treated fruit were strongly affected by cultivar, with those in ‘Annapolis’ having the lowest and those in ‘Governor Simcoe’ having the highest concentrations. Genetic variation in this response provides useful material for investigating the metabolic basis of CO2 effects in strawberry fruit. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
Adjuvant and salvage irradiation following radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

Purpose: We performed a retrospective analysis to assess the durability of benefit derived from irradiation after prostatectomy for pT3N0 disease, and the possibility of cure. Methods and Materials: We studied 88 patients who were irradiated after prostatectomy and had available prostate specific antigen ( PSA ) data, no known nodal or metastatic disease, no hormonal treatment, and follow-up of at least 12 months from surgery. Forty patients received adjuvant therapy for a high risk of local failure with undetectable PSA. Forty-eight patients received salvage therapy for elevated PSA levels. Mean follow up was 44 months from date of surgery and 31 months from irradiation. Biochemical failure was strictly defined as a confirmed rise in PSA of >10%, or as the ability to detect a previously undetectable PSA value. Results: After salvage irradiation, 69% of patients attained an undetectable PSA. Eighty-eight percent of adjuvant patients were biochemically and clinically free of disease (bNED) at 3 years from prostatectomy. Sixty-eight percent of those receiving salvage irradiation were bNED 3 years after surgery. On univariate analysis, treatment group (adjuvant or salvage), pre-operative PSA, and the status of seminal vesicles were significant prognostic factors. The extent of PSA elevation in the salvage group was also significant. We did not demonstrate a significant difference between those salvage patients referred for persistently elevated PSA as compared to those with a late rise in PSA. On multivariate analysis, the only significant predictor of outcome was treatment group, with adjuvant irradiation having better outcome than salvage. Conclusion: More than two-thirds of this group of patients remain biochemically disease free at 3 years following irradiation, attesting to a number of potential cures. For patients with stage pT3N0 prostate cancer following radical prostatectomy, our data support the use of either routine postoperative adjuvant irradiation or close PSA follow-up with early salvage treatment.
Yeast 14-3-3 Protein Functions as a Comodulator of Transcription by Inhibiting Coactivator Functions

In eukaryotes combinatorial activation of transcription is an important component of gene regulation. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Adr1-Cat8 and Adr1-Oaf1/Pip2 are pairs of activators that act together to regulate two diverse sets of genes. Transcription activation of both sets is regulated positively by the yeast AMP-activated protein kinase homolog, Snf1, in response to low glucose or the presence of a non-fermentable carbon source and negatively by two redundant 14-3-3 isoforms, Bmh1 and Bmh2. Bmh regulates the function of these pairs at a post-promoter binding step by direct binding to Adr1. However, how Bmh regulates transcription after activator binding remains unknown. In the present study we analyzed Bmh-mediated regulation of two sets of genes activated independently by these pairs of activators. We report that Bmh inhibits mRNA synthesis when the second activator is absent. Using gene fusions we show that Bmh binding to the Adr1 regulatory domain inhibits an Adr1 activation domain but not a heterologous activation domain or artificially recruited Mediator, consistent with Bmh acting at a step in transcription downstream of activator binding. Bmh inhibits the assembly and the function of a preinitiation complex (PIC). Gene expression studies suggest that Bmh regulates Adr1 activity through the coactivators Mediator and Swi/Snf. Mediator recruitment appeared to occur normally, but PIC formation and function were defective, suggesting that Bmh inhibits a step between Mediator recruitment and PIC activation.
Transdetermination: A New Trend in Cellular Reprogramming

Ever since Briggs and King first reported nuclear transfer in Rana pipiens,1 somatic cell reprogramming has been actively studied both for its therapeutic potential and to advance the frontiers of developmental, cell, and molecular biology. Recent efforts in somatic cell reprogramming have culminated in the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, wherein defined transcription factors are used to reprogram fibroblasts into embryonic stem (ES)-like cells.2 iPS cells, like ES cells, have the potential to serve as a source of cells for different tissues but evade problems related to allogeneic rejection. Although extraordinary, iPS cells, like ES cells, face the same hurdles concerning efficacy and applicability for transplantation therapy and other in vivo applications. All in all, though, these studies underscore the crucial role of transcription factors in the molecular control of nuclear reprogramming. So, why not go straight to another cell type instead of going through an ES cell–like pluripotent state? Yechoor et al. demonstrated this in their recent report, but with a twist.3 They show that administration of the endocrine transcription factor neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) and betacellulin (Btc, an islet growth factor) results in a long-term reversal of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes in mice, via formation of insulin-producing cells in the liver. Furthermore, they present convincing evidence that the cells that are receptive to long-term islet-lineage reprogramming are progenitor cells, not differentiated cells in the liver, i.e., the hepatocytes. They liken this phenomenon to a transdetermination process, one that is similar to cell-fate switching of imaginal disc cells in Drosophila.4
The first report of human illness associated with the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia species: a case report

Introduction Two species of Ehrlichia are known to cause human illness. Several other species have been discovered in ticks and animals, and recent reports suggest that some of these Ehrlichia species might be human pathogens. We report here the first association of a recently discovered pathogen, the Panola Mountain Ehrlichia species, with a case of human illness.
A pyroxene geotherm

Phase equilibria determined in high-pressure studies of the systems Mg2Si2O6-CaMgSi2O6 and MgSiO3-Mg3Al2Si3O12 can be used to estimate equilibration conditions of ultramafic rocks containing the assemblage enstatite + diopside + garnet. Garnet lherzolite nodules from kimberlites in northern Lesotho appear to have equilibrated in the upper mantle at depths ranging from 100 to 200 km and at temperatures in the range 900–1400°C. Temperature-depth points for these lherzolites form a trend that is interpreted as a segment of a fossil geotherm. The trend is inflected to higher temperatures at its deep end. Lherzolites that plot on the shallow limb of the geotherm have a granular texture whereas those that plot on the deep limb are intensely sheared. It is suggested that the shearing took place in response to plate movements during the break-up of Gondwanaland and that the sheared lherzolites were stress-heated as much as 300°C above their ambient, preshearing temperatures. The point of inflection of the geotherm may mark the top of the low-velocity zone beneath Lesotho in Late Cretaceous time.
The lead-zirconium system: binary phases and a series of interstitial compounds of the host Zr5Pb3

The Pb-Zr system contains the phases Zr∼5.8Pb (Cr3Si-type), Zr5Pb3 (Mn5Si3) and Zr5Pb4 (Ti5Ga4). Zr5Pb4 has a substoichiometric region above approximately 800°C, extending to about Zr5Pb3.65 at 1000°C. Reactive powder sintering in sealed Ta containers at 1000–1350°C is the most effective route for the synthesis of pure phases of both the binaries and the interstitial derivatives Zr5Pb3Z. Twenty examples of the latter were obtained with Z — Al, Si, P, S, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Gc, As, Sc, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, Te, (Pb), (second period Z were not investigated). Single crystals for Z — Al, Cd, Zb, Pb0.87, Pb0.94 were obtained by metal flux or vapor phase transport reactions, and the last three were quantified by X-ray crystallography. Volume trends as a function of group and period follow metal/covalent radii trends for Z fairly well.
Tests of labor market rigidities and the Roy Model

Abstract Previous studies examining labor market rigidities using the Roy Model have not incorporated the demand side. In this paper, I show that when the demand side is included, selection models of labor market rigidities based on the Roy Model in general lead to the prediction of mean wage differentials across sectors. This result is not surprising since the allocation of workers between sectors is determined by the marginal worker, not the mean or median worker, and an inducement differential may be necessary for demand to equal supply in each sector of the labor market. Previous tests of labor market rigidities are tests of the joint null hypothesis that under competition wages would be equalized across sectors and that wages are in fact equalized across sectors. They may, therefore, attribute differences in wage structure to rigidities that are, in fact, the result of equalization of supply and demand within the inducement model developed. An example is presented from the paper of [Dickens, W., Lang K., 1985. A test of the dual labor market theory. American Economic Review, 75(4), 792–805] using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics.
Vigilant Spirit Control Station (VSCS) "The Face of COUNTER"

Abstract : The basic concept behind the Cooperative Operations in Urban Terrain (COUNTER) program was one of layered sensing involving a small Unmanned Air System (UAS) over an urban area that was capable of dispensing smaller Micro UAS's to fly at lower altitudes and take closer looks at partially obscured targets. This paper focuses on the Vigilant Spirit Control Station user interface that was enhanced to allow one operator to simultaneously control multiple UAS's during COUNTER simulations and flight tests.
Dopaminergic neurons in rat ventral midbrain express brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin‐3 mRNAs

Studies of the trophic activities of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 indicate that both molecules support the survival of a number of different embryonic cell types in culture. We have shown that mRNAs for brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 are localized to specific ventral mesencephalic regions containing dopaminergic cell bodies, including the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area. In the present study, in situ hybridization with 35S-labeled cRNA probes for the neurotrophin mRNAs was combined with neurotoxin lesions or with immunocytochemistry for the catecholamine-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase to determine whether the dopaminergic neurons, themselves, synthesize the neurotrophins in adult rat midbrain. Following unilateral destruction of the midbrain dopamine cells with 6-hydroxydopamine, a substantial, but incomplete, depletion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 mRNA-containing cells was observed in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area. In other rats, combined in situ hybridization and tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the vast majority of the neurotrophin mRNA-containing neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area were tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive. Of the total population of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells, double-labeled neurons constituted 25-50% in the ventral tegmental area and 10-30% in the substantia nigra pars compacta, with the proportion being greater in medial pars compacta. In addition, tyrosine hydroxylase/neurotrophin mRNA coexistence was observed in neurons in other mesencephalic regions including the retrorubral field, interfascicular nucleus, rostral and central linear nuclei, dorsal raphe nucleus, and supramammillary region. The present results demonstrate brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-3 expression by adult midbrain dopamine neurons and support the suggestion that these neurotrophins influence dopamine neurons via autocrine or paracrine mechanisms. These data raise the additional possibility that inappropriate expression of the neurotrophins by dopaminergic neurons could contribute to the neuropathology of disease states such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia.