cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasmonic detectors and sources for THz communication and sensing

Plasma wave electronics approach has a potential for achieving efficient THz emission and sensitive detection using IIIV- based, III-N-based, graphene, Si, SiGe and diamond devices and nanostructure arrays. The physics of these THz plasmonic devices involves collision-dominated, quasi-ballistic, and viscosity dominated regimes of the electron or hole transport. THz plasmonic room temperature detectors have demonstrated excellent performance with potential applications for THz communication and sensing. THz plasmonic emitters based on the Dyakonov-Shur instability and on the “plasmonic boom” concept have promise of achieving high powers at reasonable efficiencies but still should be demonstrated.
Random Walk on an Interval

The purpose of this section is to review1 certain aspects of the absorption problem for simple random walk. This problem has quite a long mathematical history, which is not surprising as we shall recognize it as a boundary value problem of the simplest possible type. It is discrete, and the transition function, which plays the role of a second-order difference operator, is symmetric. Therefore we shall be able to reduce the problem to the diagonalization of certain symmetric matrices.
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE FOR BUILDINGS

The thermal energy storage capacity of a building may be employed to optimize efficiencies and to suppress the heating and cooling energy costs for the full diversity of space conditioning technologies and strategies. These include fossil fuel-fired heaters, heat pumps, active and passive solar collectors, economizer modes, application of off-peak electrical energy rate structures and general strategies associated with low energy requirement buildings. The physical bases for these results are delineated and a number of illustrative applications considered.
Large-scale Top-down Proteomics Using Capillary Zone Electrophoresis Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Capillary zone electrophoresis-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (CZE-ESI-MS/MS) has been recognized as a useful tool for top-down proteomics that aims to characterize proteoforms in complex proteomes. However, the application of CZE-MS/MS for large-scale top-down proteomics has been impeded by the low sample-loading capacity and narrow separation window of CZE. Here, a protocol is described using CZE-MS/MS with a microliter-scale sample-loading volume and a 90-min separation window for large-scale top-down proteomics. The CZE-MS/MS platform is based on a linear polyacrylamide (LPA)-coated separation capillary with extremely low electroosmotic flow, a dynamic pH-junction-based online sample concentration method with a high efficiency for protein stacking, an electro-kinetically pumped sheath flow CE-MS interface with extremely high sensitivity, and an ion trap mass spectrometer with high mass resolution and scan speed. The platform can be used for the high-resolution characterization of simple intact protein samples and the large-scale characterization of proteoforms in various complex proteomes. As an example, a highly efficient separation of a standard protein mixture and a highly sensitive detection of many impurities using the platform is demonstrated. As another example, this platform can produce over 500 proteoform and 190 protein identifications from an Escherichia coli proteome in a single CZE-MS/MS run.
Euler characteristics of local systems on $\mathcal{M}_2$

We calculate the Euler characteristics of the local systems S^k(V) \otimes S^l\Wedge^2(V) on the moduli space M_2 of curves of genus 2, where V is the rank 4 local system R^1\pi_*C.
Transport maps for β-matrix models in the multi-cut regime

We use the transport methods develop in [F. Bekerman, A. Figalli and A. Guionnet, Transport maps for β-matrix models and universality, Commun. Math. Phys. 338(2) (2013) 589–619] to obtain universality results for local statistics of eigenvalues in the bulk and at the edge for β-matrix models in the multi-cut regime. We construct an approximate transport map inbetween two probability measures from the fixed filling fraction model discussed in [G. Borot, A. Guionnet and K. K. Kozlowski, Large-N asymptotic expansion for mean field models with coulomb gas interaction, Int. Math. Res. Not. (2015)] and deduce from it universality in the initial model.
The Golden Hour: a quality improvement initiative for extremely premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit

Following delivery, extremely premature infants are vulnerable to rapid development of hypothermia and hypoglycemia. To reduce local rates of these morbidities, a multidisciplinary team developed a protocol standardizing evidence-based care practices during the first hour after birth. Using quality improvement methodology, the Golden Hour protocol was implemented for all inborn infants <27 weeks’ gestation. Data were collected (2012–2017) over three phases; pre-protocol (n = 80), Phase I (n = 42), and Phase II (n = 92). There were no significant differences in infant characteristics. Improvements in hypothermia (59% vs 26% vs 38%; p = 0.001), hypoglycemia (18% vs 7% vs 4%; p = 0.012), and minutes to completion of stabilization [median (Q1,Q3) 110 (89,138) vs 111 (94,135) vs 92 (74,129); p = 0.0035] were observed. Implementation of an evidence-based, Golden Hour protocol is an effective intervention for reducing hypothermia and hypoglycemia in extremely premature infants.
Optimum rates of surface-applied coal char decreased soil ammonia volatilization loss.

Fertilizer N losses from agricultural systems have economic and environmental implications. Soil amendment with high C materials, such as coal char, may mitigate N losses. Char, a coal combustion residue, obtained from a sugar factory in Scottsbluff, NE, contained 29% C by weight. A 30-d laboratory study was conducted to evaluate the effects of char addition on N losses via nitrous oxide (N2 O) emission, ammonia (NH3 ) volatilization, and nitrate (NO3 -N) leaching from fertilized loam and sandy loam soils. Char was applied at five different rates (0, 6.7, 10.1, 13.4, and 26.8 Mg C ha-1 ; char measured in C equivalent) to soils fertilized with urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) at 200 kg N ha-1 . In addition, there were two negative-UAN control treatments: no char (no UAN) and char at 26.8 Mg C ha-1 (no UAN). Treatment applied at 6.7 and 10.1 Mg C ha-1 in fertilized sandy loam reduced NH3 volatilization by 26-37% and at 6.7, 10.1, and 13.4 Mg C ha-1 in fertilized loam soils by 24% compared with no char application. Nitrous oxide emissions and NO3 -N leaching losses were greater in fertilized compared with unfertilized soil, but there was no effect of char amendment on these losses. Because NO3 -N leaching loss was greater in sandy loam than in loam, soil residual N was twofold higher in loam than in sandy loam. This study suggests that adding coal char at optimal rates may reduce agricultural reactive N to the atmosphere by decreasing NH3 volatilization from fertilized soils.
Landmark Aided GPS-Denied Navigation for Orchards and Vineyards

Robots have played an increasingly important role in the process of agricultural operations. This technology depends on the robots ability to localize in its environment. This is generally accomplished by relying on global position signals such as GPS. However, some agricultural environments like orchards and vineyards can obstruct GPS signals and therefore require a different navigation aid. This work proposes a navigation framework that incorporates perception measurements to objects in the environment that follow an expected structure to maintain accurate localization in GPS-denied environments. The work uses measurements to tree trunks or vineyard posts as navigation aids to maintain accurate localization estimates.
Can Distributed Nuclear Power Address Energy Resilience and Energy Poverty

Alex Gilbert is a Project Manager at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance, where he oversees technical and regulatory work on commercializing advanced reactors. He is also a non-resident Fellow at the Payne Institute, where he conducts research on energy markets, climate policy, and outer space resources governance, and Adjunct Faculty at Johns Hopkins University. Alex has a Master of Energy Regulation and Law and Certificate in Climate Law from Vermont Law School and a BA in Environmental Studies and International Relations from Lake Forest College. Dr. Morgan Bazilian is the Director of the Payne Institute and a Professor of public policy at the Colorado School of Mines. Previously, he was lead energy specialist at the World Bank. He has over two decades of experience in the energy sector and is regarded as a leading expert in international affairs, policy, and investment. He is a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Dr. Bazilian has testified before the U.S. Senate and the Irish Oireachtas on issues of energy security.
Primacy of plants in driving the response of arthropod communities to drought

Drought threatens arthropod communities worldwide. Water limitation affects the quantity and quality of plants available to herbivores as food, and can also affect higher trophic-level consumers through variability in prey quality and reduced availability of suitable habitats. Our study assessed the response of an arthropod community to water limited wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a field setting. We used rainout shelters to exclude precipitation, irrigated raised bed plots to create three levels of water availability, and monitored arthropod community development over 8 weeks. First, we compared arthropod communities in habitats with different levels of water limitation and found that community composition was reliant on the magnitude of the water stress. This difference was largely due to the loss of piercing–sucking herbivores and predators in high-stress environments. Next, we focused on aphids and their natural enemies to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving community responses using structural equation modeling (SEM). Aphid abundance was negatively affected by water limitation, and this response was primarily associated with stress-induced plant physiological changes and not plant biomass or natural enemy abundance. Natural enemy abundance was also reduced in water-limited habitats, but natural enemies responded to plant biomass and not prey availability. These effects were exacerbated as water stress increased. The absence of natural enemy effects on aphids indicates that top–down predation effects were dampened by strong bottom–up effects of plant water limitation. This study revealed the importance of considering water stress intensity when predicting outcomes of droughts for arthropod communities.
Inhibition of CDK4/6 Overcomes Primary Resistance to PD-1 Blockade in Malignant Mesothelioma

ABSTRACT Background Despite the profound number of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients now treated with PD-1 blockade, insight into the underpinnings of rational therapeutic strategies to treat resistance to checkpoint immunotherapy remain unrealized. Our objective was to develop a novel therapeutic approach to overcome primary resistance to PD-1 blockade in MPM. Methods We generated a transcriptome signature of resistance to PD-1 blockade in MPM patients treated with nivolumab (4 responders and 4 non-responders). We used the TCGA MPM cohort (N=73) to determine what genomic alterations were associated with the resistance signature. We tested whether regulation of identified molecules could overcome resistance to PD-1 blockade in an immunocompetent mouse malignant mesothelioma model. Results Immunogenomic analysis by applying our anti-PD-1 resistance signature to the TCGA cohort revealed that deletion of CDKN2A was highly associated with primary resistance to PD-1 blockade. Under the hypothesis that resistance to PD-1 blockade can be overcome by CDK4/6 inhibition, we tested whether CDK4/6 inhibitors could overcome resistance to PD-1 blockade in subcutaneous tumors derived from Cdkn2a(−/−) AB1 malignant mesothelioma cells, which were resistant to PD-1 blockade. The combination of daily oral administration of CDK4/6 inhibitors (abemaciclib or palbociclib) and intraperitoneal anti-PD-1 treatment markedly suppressed tumor growth, compared with anti-PD-1 or CDK4/6 inhibitor alone. Conclusions We identified a novel therapeutic target, CDK4/6, to overcome primary resistance to PD-1 blockade through comprehensive immunogenomic approaches. These data provide a rationale for undertaking clinical trials of CDK4/6 inhibitors in the more than 40% of patients with MPM who demonstrate loss of CDKN2A.
Neurological Manifestations of COVID-19 Within the Intensive Care Unit During a Military Deployment for the Early Pandemic Surge in New York City

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in a worldwide pandemic that at the time of this writing has caused over 400,000 deaths within the United States During the pandemic surge in New York City, NY, a number of military Medical Corps (MC) and Nurse Corps (NC) providers were mobilized in direct support of critical care capabilities through expansion intensive care units In the course of the deployment, high rates of neurological-related manifestations associated with COVID-19 infection were directly observed by our military provider teams which will be described and supporting literature highlighted This is organic information absorbed in real time during the early stages of the pandemic in New York City The neurological manifestations of COVID-19 varied in presentation and severity Cerebral vascular injuries documented included strokes, iatrogenic intraparenchymal hemorrhage, hypoxia-related changes and sequelae, as well as acquired diseases secondary to delayed treatment of other primary neurologic disease states Hypercoagulable and inflammatory markers (d-dimer, C-reactive protein, etc) were commonly elevated, and anticoagulation became a key factor in disease treatment and to help mitigate the downstream neurologic sequelae associated with this disease Here we present these initial findings to lay the groundwork for more robust clinical studies moving forward
Is my User Impaired? Designing Adaptive Automation that Monitors the User’s State

According to the United States Department of Justice, 28 people in the United States die every day because of drunk driving. As self-driving vehicles become more prevalent, the ability for automated cars to determine when the driver is impaired and to then take control, could save many lives. Past research has looked at the certain indicators for impaired driving, but to date there has been relatively little consideration of the potential interaction between an impaired driver and a self-driving vehicle. In this paper, we will review the existing literature in order to recap the possible approaches vehicle manufacturers could take in establishing that a driver is impaired: physiological, behavioral, and vigilance monitoring. These approaches will be contrasted with one another. Following the review, we will propose several design solutions to be developed and tested. These solutions include a ‘full’, ‘partial’, and ‘supervisory’ takeover by the vehicle. Our full takeover proposed design will provide no opportunity for driver input at any point. Our partial takeover proposed design will involve a full takeover, but with additional impairment tests that the driver can perform in order to demonstrate capacity to drive. Finally, our supervisory takeover proposed design will involve the system actively monitoring performance in order to more quickly engage safety procedures (e.g. lane keep and emergency braking). The relative benefits and consequences of each design will be discussed with an eye towards existing theories on human-automation interaction. Finally, we will propose a path forward for design and testing. Taken together, this paper will present a novel consideration of a new avenue for human-machine teaming. Such considerations could be instrumental in saving thousands of lives each year, and helping to prevent countless other injuries.
COVID-19 Related Daily Stressors, Coping, and Suicidal Ideation in Psychiatrically Hospitalized Youth.

Given reports of the adverse effects of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health, it is critical to understand how it impacts psychiatrically hospitalized youth who may be particularly vulnerable to its effects. This study aimed to advance our understanding of high-risk adolescents’ experiences of COVID-19, including COVID-19-related stress, changes in daily functioning, and coping as they relate to suicidal ideation (SI). Participants were 107 youth (ages 11–18; M = 15.06, SD = 1.79) admitted to an adolescent psychiatric inpatient unit during the time when the initial COVID-19 safety measures (i.e., school closure, stay-at-home- order) and reopening initiatives (Phase I, II, and III) were implemented in Rhode Island between March 13th and July 19th 2020. Adolescents completed measures of COVID-19-related stress, coping, functioning, and SI at the time of admission. Nearly half of the sample (43%) reported a negative impact of COVID-19 on daily functioning. Youth who endorsed COVID-19-related decline in functioning evidenced higher levels of SI compared to youth with no change or improvement in functioning due to COVID-19. Overall levels of stress were not associated with SI. Greater coping repertoire, but not the use of specific coping strategies was associated with higher levels of SI. Findings demonstrate the importance of examining COVID-19-related changes in functioning and broadening repertoire of coping strategies among adolescents at high risk for SI.
Low power all-optical switching in a gallium arsenide photonic molecule

We demonstrate low power all-optical switching in a gallium arsenide (GaAs) photonic molecule with resonances near the material band edge. The enhanced nonlinear effects in this spectral region result in a low estimated switching energy of a few femtojoules with 45% transmission contrast.
SQL/LPP+: A Cascading Query Language for Temporal Correlation Verification

In this paper, we present SQL/LPP+, a temporal correlation verification language for time series databases. SQL/LPP+ is an extension of SQL/LPP[6] and inherits its ability to define time series patterns. SQL/LPP+ enables users to cascade multiple patterns using one or more of Allen's temporal relationships, and obtain the desired aggregates or meta-aggregates of the composition. The issues of pattern composition control are also discussed.
Dynamics of precursors in activated dissociative chemisorption systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the dynamics and mechanisms involved in precursor-mediated dissociative chemisorption, with a particular emphasis on the dynamics of precursors in “activated” dissociative chemisorption systems. It defines the facile and activated systems and other items relevant to the discussion of dissociative chemisorption. It provides a review of the existing literature regarding the precursor-mediated chemisorption for facile systems. It also discusses the dynamics of precursors in activated chemisorption systems. In particular, research and results by various investigators on the CH 4 /Ir and O 2 /Pt systems is presented and the various conclusions drawn are compared and contrasted. For a variety of the adsorption systems investigated in the literature, it has been demonstrated that chemisorption proceeds, primarily, by two mechanisms: a direct dissociative mechanism and a precursor-mediated mechanism. Direct dissociative chemisorption occurs when an impinging gas molecule possesses enough kinetic energy to overcome the reaction potential energy barrier to dissociate and chemisorb directly to the surface. Thus, through this pathway, the probability of dissociative chemisorption to be primarily a function of energy of the molecule is seen, increasing as the energy of the molecule increases. In precursor-mediated chemisorption, the impinging gas molecule loses enough energy upon impact to become trapped in a precursor state, typically within the physical adsorption potential well of the surface.
Control of Cardiac Development by the MEF2 Family of Transcription Factors

Publisher Summary Recent studies in fruit flies and mice have demonstrated that members of the myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors play multiple roles in cardiac myogenesis and morphogenesis. This chapter discusses the multiple functions of MEF2 factors in heart development and speculates about the potential mechanisms whereby these transcription factors control different sets of target genes at multiple steps in the cardiogenic pathway. It is found that diversity of MEF2 proteins in vertebrates is likely to account for the numerous potential roles played by MEF2 factors in the differentiation of muscle, heart, and neural lineages. In addition to the role of MEF2 factors in tissue-specific differentiation, certain splice variants of MEF2 may be important in cell proliferation. Recently, a ubiquitous isoform of MEF2D was shown to regulate the serum inducibility of the c-jun promoter. Likewise, MEF2 protein expression was shown to be up regulated upon proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells following balloon injury. Thus, the presence of four reef2 genes with numerous splice variants and the possibility of heterodimerization among MEF2 factors creates multiple different mef2 products with numerous potential roles in the transcriptional control of genes important in a variety of cellular processes.
Effects of the nonlinearly-induced timing and amplitude jitter on the performance of different modulation formats in WDM optical fiber communications systems

We compare the CRZ, RZ, and NRZ modulation formats in WDM systems. We identify the physical phenomena responsible for the performance advantages and disadvantages of these formats during transmission and in the receiver.
Analysis of cross-resistance of the selective estrogen receptor modulators arzoxifene (LY353381) and LY117018 in tamoxifen-stimulated breast cancer xenografts.

Purpose: Cross-resistance is the primary issue facing the evaluation of new antiestrogens to treat metastatic breast cancer because they may be tested, initially, in populations of patients that have failed long-term adjuvant tamoxifen (Tam) therapy. Experimental Design: We have tested the benzothiophene derivatives, arzoxifene (Arzox; LY353381) and LY117018 in two models of Tam-stimulated tumor growth derived from either MCF-7 (M. M. Gottardis and V. C. Jordan, Cancer Res., 48: 5183–5187, 1988) or T47D (J. MacGregor Schafer et al. , Clin. Cancer Res., 6: 4373–4380, 2000) breast cancer cells. Results: Using the MCF-7:Tam model, we found that both Arzox and LY117018 (1.5 mg/day) resulted in tumor growth and, therefore, were partially cross-resistant with Tam. Next, using the T47D:17β-estradiol (E 2 ) model, we compared the antiestrogenic/antitumor properties of Arzox and LY117018 and determined that neither Arzox nor LY117018 caused T47D:E 2 tumor growth after 21 weeks. In addition, we determined that long-term treatment does not result in failure and subsequent development of transplantable Arzox- or LY117018-stimulated tumors. To establish whether Arzox and LY117018 are cross-resistant in T47D:Tam tumors, mice were treated with Arzox or LY117018 (1.5 mg/day), and, again, we found that neither resulted in the growth of transplantable tumors. Lastly, we showed that Arzox and LY117018 were only partially able to compete with postmenopausal E 2 (0.3 cm silastic capsule) in T47D:Tam tumors. However, when T47D:E 2 tumors were treated for 7 days instead of 5 days, both Arzox and LY117018 were more effective. Conclusions: Arzox is not cross-resistant with Tam in the T47D athymic mouse model but does exhibit cross-resistance in the MCF-7 model.
Formation of a Hawking-radiation photosphere around microscopic black holes

We show that once a black hole surpasses some critical temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{crit}},$ the emitted Hawking radiation interacts with itself and forms a nearly thermal photosphere. Using QED, we show that the dominant interactions are bremsstrahlung and electron-photon pair production, and we estimate ${T}_{\mathrm{crit}}\ensuremath{\sim}{m}_{e}/{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{5/2}$, which when calculated more precisely is found to be ${T}_{\mathrm{crit}}\ensuremath{\approx}$45 GeV. The formation of the photosphere is purely a particle physics effect, and not a general relativistic effect, since the photosphere forms roughly ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ Schwarzschild radii away from the black hole. The temperature $T$ of the photosphere decreases with distance from the black hole, and the outer surface is determined by the constraint $T\ensuremath{\sim}{m}_{e}$ (for the QED case), since this is the point at which electrons and positrons annihilate, and the remaining photons free stream to infinity. Observational consequences are discussed, and it is found that, although the QED photosphere will not affect the Page-Hawking limits on primordial black holes, which is most important for 100 MeV black holes, the inclusion of QCD interactions may significantly effect this limit, since for QCD we estimate ${T}_{\mathrm{crit}}\ensuremath{\sim}{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{\mathrm{QCD}}.$ The photosphere greatly reduces the possibility of observing individual black holes with temperatures greater than ${T}_{\mathrm{crit}},$ since the high energy particles emitted from the black hole are processed through the photosphere to a lower energy, where the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray background is much higher. The temperature of the plasma in the photosphere can be extremely high, and this offers interesting possibilities for processes such as symmetry restoration.
Compatibility of Fe-Cr-Mo alloys with static lithium

The interactions between Fe-Cr-Mo alloys (21/4 Cr-1 Mo steel and Sandvik HT9) and static lithium were studied by means of weight changes, tensile properties, carbon concentrations in the lithium, and optical metallography. The principal result of such exposures was decarburization of 21/4 Cr-1 Mo steel by the lithium, particularly at the highest exposure temperature (600 °C). A higher chromium content (11.3 wt pct) steel, HT9, did not decarburize under similar 500 °C exposure conditions. In addition to chromium content of the steel, carbon transfer was found to depend on the exposure temperature and the steel’s initial heat treatment (the relative stability of the carbides in the steel). Exposure of 21/4 Cr-1 Mo steel to Li-5 wt pct Al caused the steel to lose its tensile ductility.
A combinatorial algorithmic approach to energy efficient information collection in wireless sensor networks

In this article, we examine the energy consumption of a set of sensors that transmit correlated information to a base station either directly or in an ad-hoc multihop fashion. Building on a single-hop distributed data rate allocation scheme, we present an efficient approximation algorithm for the NP-hard joint routing and data compression problem whose objective is to maximize the operation lifetime of the sensor networks. We prove that the performance of our algorithm lies within 1/O(log n) of the optimum value where n is the number of sensors. We use simulations to validate our intuitions and provide additional insights on the factors that impact the performance of the approximation scheme. The numerical results show that the proposed scheme performs close to the optimum.
Domestic content and compensatory export requirements : protection of the motorvehicle industry in the Philippines

The motor vehicle industry in the Philippines is protected by a virtual embargo on the importation of new vehicles but operates under the burden of domestic content and compensatory export requirements that protect Philippine producers of automotive components. This article develops a model to assess the net impact of this complicated protective regime. Estimates indicate substantial benefits to the assembly and components industries and losses to vehicle purchasers. Reform of the system to eliminate the embargo as well as the domestic content and compensatory export restraints at current tariff rates would benefit vehicle purchasers but would increase the effective rate of protection to assembly operations by decreasing prices of components. Reform measures to eliminate the domestic content and compensatory export requirements should be accompanied by simultaneous reductions in tariffs on assembled vehicles.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the Extracellular Compartment: an Underestimated Adversary

The development of lesions in pulmonary tuberculosis, the most common form of tuberculosis, is the result of the conflict between the invader, Mycobacterium tuberculosis , and the host. This is a standard for all infectious diseases. Tuberculosis, however, is the paradigm for diseases with
Sema3D, Sema3F, and Sema5A are expressed in overlapping and distinct patterns in chick embryonic heart

An increasing number of axon guidance cues have been shown recently to play important roles in the development of non-neural tissues. Semaphorins comprise one of the largest conserved families of axon guidance factors. We analyzed the expression patterns of Sema3D, Sema3F, and Sema5A genes in the chick embryonic heart by in situ hybridization. All three genes are expressed in the cardiac cushion regions, both in the mesenchymal cells, and epithelial cells in the endocardial layer, during the period of cardiac remodeling. In addition to the overlapping expression patterns in the cardiac cushion regions, these genes also exhibit distinct expression patterns in the developing heart: Sema3D is additionally expressed in the tips of the ventricular trabeculae; Sema3F is expressed in a subset of cells scattered throughout the ventricles; and Sema5A is expressed in the newly formed atrioventricular valves. The overlapping and distinct expression patterns of these genes suggest that they may play important roles in heart development.
Effects of feeding high magnesium to young dairy calves.

Holstein bull calves were fed 1, 2, and 4% supplemental magnesium as magnesium oxide. The control diet contained .3% magnesium and consisted of ground corn, soybean meal, cottonseed hulls plus mineral, vitamin, and antibiotic supplements. Diarrhea was the most obvious effect of high intake of magnesium. The extent and intensity of the diarrhea was related closely to the dietary magnesium content. High (2 and 4%) magnesium reduced feed consumption and weight gains. Although there were traces of blood in feces, no abnormalities were observed at autopsy. Large tubular sections of mucus were voided in the feces with a greater prevalance among calves fed 2 and 4% supplemental magnesium. Magnesium in plasma rose sharply in response to the increased intake of magnesium. In calves receiving the 4% added magnesium, the plasma values were triple those of controls. When high magnesium was fed, magnesium increased much more in urine than in plasma. Within 1 wk after calves were returned to control diet, magnesium in urine and plasma declined to control.
Dynamics of Quasimodes in an Open and Dissipative Localized 1D Random Waveguide

The time response to an incident narrow bandwidth pulse is measured inside a localized random system. Distinct dynamics in the spectral vicinity of isolated long-lived localized and extended short-lived multi-peaked modes underlay averaged pulse transmission.
Studies on the chemical reactivity of copper bleomycin.

Abstract The copper(II) complex of the clinically used antitumor agent bleomycin (Blm) has cytotoxic as well as antitumor properties. To understand the relationship of the bleomycin ligand, copper bleomycin, and other possible metal complexes of this agent, kinetic studies of the formation of Cu(II)Blm, ligand substitution reactions of CuBlm with ethylenediaminetetraaletic acid, and the redox reaction of CuBlm with thiols have been completed and interpreted along with previous studies of the thermodynamic stability of Cu 2+ with bleomycin. Cu(II)Bm is found to be kinetically and thermodynamically stable in ligand substitution processes and is only slowly reduced and dissociated by sulfhydryl reagents. The rate constant of reduction of the complex by 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) at pH 7.4 and 25°C is 9.5 × 10 −3 M −1 sec −1 , explaining the inhibition of Fe 2+ -dependent strand scission of DNA by Cu 2+ in the presence of 2-ME. CuBlm forms in preference to Fe(II) Blm and cannot be reduced and dissociated rapidly enough by thiols to liberate Blm and form the reactive iron complex. In agreement with the observed chemical stability of CuBlm, it is also shown that the complex is stable in human plasma and in the presence of Ehrlich cells suspended in ascites fluid. Interestingly, little CuBlm enters these cells to carry out cytotoxic reactions. Finally, it is shown that both Cu 2+ and Zn 2+ , at equivalent concentrations to Fe 2+ , effectively inhibit the strand scission of DNA by Fe(II)Blm plus oxygen. However, at substoichiometric amounts of Cu 2+ , the ferroxidase activity of Blm enables the drug to remain effective in the strand-scission reaction, despite the lowered Cu-free Blm/Fe 2+ ratio. These results are discussed in light of the proposed mechanism of action of bleomycin.
Differential Display of Eukaryotic Messenger RNA by Means of the Polymerase Chain Reaction

Effective methods are needed to identify and isolate those genes that are differentially expressed in various cells or under altered conditions. This report describes a method to separate and clone individual messenger RNAs (mRNAs) by means of the polymerase chain reaction. The key element is to use a set of oligonucleotide primers, one being anchored to the polyadenylate tail of a subset of mRNAs, the other being short and arbitrary in sequence so that it anneals at different positions relative to the first primer. The mRNA subpopulations defined by these primer pairs were amplified after reverse transcription and resolved on a DNA sequencing gel. When multiple primer sets were used, reproducible patterns of amplified complementary DNA fragments were obtained that showed strong dependence on sequence specificity of either primer.
Detection of deep-red low-level light pulses.

Detection of light pulses with high reliability (missed and false pulse probabilities of <10−4) by the best available detectors is shown to require detector current pulses containing at least thirty-three electrons. For deep-red (900-nm) light, this requires light pulses containing at least 660 photons. A large area (5.1-cm2) avalanche photodiode has been evaluated and has been found to be comparable with photomultipliers for deep-red pulse lightwave communication.
DRK/DOS/SOS Converge with Crk/Mbc/dCed-12 to Activate Rac1 during Glial Engulfment of Axonal Debris

Nervous system injury or disease leads to activation of glia, which govern postinjury responses in the nervous system. Axonal injury in Drosophila results in transcriptional up-regulation of the glial engulfment receptor Draper; there is extension of glial membranes to the injury site (termed activation), and then axonal debris is internalized and degraded. Loss of the small GTPase Rac1 from glia completely suppresses glial responses to injury, but upstream activators remain poorly defined. Loss of the Rac guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Crk/myoblast city (Mbc)/dCed-12 has no effect on glial activation, but blocks internalization and degradation of debris. Here we show that the signaling molecules downstream of receptor kinase (DRK) and daughter of sevenless (DOS) (mammalian homologs, Grb2 and Gab2, respectively) and the GEF son of sevenless (SOS) (mammalian homolog, mSOS) are required for efficient activation of glia after axotomy and internalization/degradation of axonal debris. At the earliest steps of glial activation, DRK/DOS/SOS function in a partially redundant manner with Crk/Mbc/dCed-12, with blockade of both complexes strongly suppressing all glial responses, similar to loss of Rac1. This work identifies DRK/DOS/SOS as the upstream Rac GEF complex required for glial responses to axonal injury, and demonstrates a critical requirement for multiple GEFs in efficient glial activation after injury and internalization/degradation of axonal debris.
Subcellular localization of the first three enzymes of the ommochrome synthetic pathway in Drosophila melanogaster

The subcellular distribution of the first three enzymes in the ommochrome eye pigment pathway were studied by means of differential centrifugation. Tryptophan pyrrolase and kynurenine formamidase are found in the soluble fraction of the homogenate. A relatively small amount of tryptophan pyrrolase, 10 to 15% of the total, is sedimentable. The head region of pupae contains approximately 15% of the total activity of the animal. The subcellular distribution of the activity of the head is not appreciably different from the distribution of activity in the rest of the animal. Therefore no evidence suggests that the enzyme exists in a particulate form specifically in the head. Kynurenine hydroxylase is judged to be a mitochondrial enzyme on the basis of its co-sedimentation with particles containing cytochrome oxidase and by the demonstration of mitochondria in the sedimented fractions containing kynurenine hydroxylase activity. Kynurenine hydroxylase was judged not to be present in pigment granules since developmental and genetic changes in pigment granule morphology do not affect the sedimentation of kynurenine hydroxylase containing particles. These results on the three enzymes lead us to conclude that they are not organized into a single multi-enzyme complex as has been previously suggested. A consideration of the six ommochrome deficient mutants indicates that four of these can be explained by existing data. A hypothesis which does not involve enzyme complexes is presented to account for the remaining two.
Temporal patterns of pudendal afferent stimulation modulate reflex bladder activation

Electrical stimulation of pudendal nerve (PN) afferents to cause reflex activation or inhibition of the bladder is a promising approach to restore control of bladder function in persons with dysfunction caused by disease or injury. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of novel temporal patterns of stimulation on the size of isovolumetric stimulation-evoked reflex bladder contractions and determine if the temporal pattern, of stimulation, like frequency, modulates the reflex bladder response to stimulation. The temporal pattern of stimulation significantly affected the size of bladder contractions evoked by stimulation in anesthetized cats. Patterns with pauses and random patterns evoked significantly smaller bladder contractions, while patterns with subtle changes in inter-pulse-intervals (IPIs), ramp trains and alternating IPI trains, occasionally evoked larger bladder contractions than constant frequency stimulation. The use of new temporal patterns of electrical stimulation should be considered in the development of neural prosthetics for the restoration of lower urinary tract function.
Viscosity solutions associated with impulse control problems for piecewise-deterministic processes.

This paper considers existence and uniqueness results for viscosity solutions of integro-differential equations associated with the impulse control problem for piecewise-
Participatory Architecture on the Parisian Periphery: Lucien Kroll's Vignes Blanches

This postoccupancy evaluation of participatory architecture undertaken by Belgian architect Lucien Kroll highlights discrepancies between intention and realization. A review of Kroll's published statements as well as interviews with him and with the inhabitants reveals that neither fully obtained their desired results. This article describes the aspirations of both architect and inhabitants for this small housing development in France and their respective disappointments with the fruits of their labors. It then suggests strategies for learning from this experiment to refine participatory practices in the future.
Exposure estimates for the Houston Area Asthma Study.

Procedures for determining exposure extimates for the Houston Area Asthma Study are discussed. Two residential clusters of asthmatics in the Houston area have been studied as part of an overall attempt to assess the health effects of air pollution in the Texas Gulf Coast area. Air pollutant exposure data have been produced according to a three-tier monitoring scheme, i.e. (1) continuous data from centrally-located fixed stations, (2) residential indoor/outdoor measurements, and (3) personal monitoring. This air monitoring network should yield estimates of individual exposures for use in health effect correlations.
The extreme points of the set of decreasing failure rate distributions

Since the class of extended decreasing failure rate (EDFR) life distributions (i.e., distributions with support in [0, ∞]) is compact and convex, it follows from Choquet's Theorem that every EDFR life distribution can be represented as a mixture of extreme points of the EDFR class. We identify the extreme points of this class and of the standard class of decresing failure rate (DFR) life distributions. Further, we show that even though the convex class of DFR life distributions is not compact, every DFR life distribution can be represented as a mixture of extreme points of the DFR class.
Prior Creolization of African‐American Vernacular English? Sociohistorical and Textual Evidence from the 17th and 18th Centuries

The evidence which sociolinguists have used in recent discussions of the question of prior creolization in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) comes primarily from recordings made in the 20th century. While such evidence is helpful, we need to go further back in time, examining sociohistorical and textual evidence from the 17th and 18th centuries in which the roots of AAVE were laid down. Demographic and other conditions were most favorable to pidginization and creolization in the Southern colonies, which accounted for 87 percent of American Blacks in the mid-18th century, and especially in South Carolina and Georgia. Additionally, the sociohistorical evidence suggests that pidgin-creole speech may have been brought to America by the large numbers of slaves imported from the West Indies in the formative years of each colony, in New England and the Middle colonies as well as the South. Textual evidence of early creole-like speech in Massachusetts, New York, Maryland and Virginia may well derive from this source.
Social structure and psychological distress among blacks and whites in America

Abstract This study tests the relationships between social stratification and psychological distress in terms of the Ross/Mirowsky thesis, which states that we can evaluate the subjective quality of social conditions by mapping the relationship of feelings such as fear, anxiety, frustration, demoralization, and hope, to specific social conditions and positions. More specifically, data are applied in this analysis to test the hypothesis that for Blacks (or any minority group), negative self-evaluations (internalization of White labeling) are not the problem— discrimination and disadvantage are. The results of this investigation do tend to support this interesting possibility.
Effects of β-carotene and α-tocopherol on the levels of tissue cholesterol and triglyceride in hypercholesterolemic rabbits

Male New Zealand white rabbits were made hypercholesterolemic by feeding an atherogenic diet (0.5% cholesterol, 3% peanut oil, and 3% coconut oil) with and without β-carotene (25 mg/kg body weight given intravenously twice weekly) and/or α-tocopherol (0.5% of diet) for 8 weeks. Rabbits treated with combined β-carotene and α-tocopherol had significantly lower cholesterol contents in liver, heart, and plasma than control animals; heart and plasma cholesterol contents were also significantly lower in animals treated with β-carotene than in controls. Treatment with both antioxidants significantly increased triglyceride contents of liver and triceps, but not heart and plasma. Rabbits given both β-carotene and α-tocopherol had significantly lower values for tissue α-tocopherol than animals treated with α-tocopherol only, and significantly higher values for tissue β-carotene than animals treated with β-carotene only. Atherosclerotic lesion areas in the aortic arch, thoracic aorta, and abdominal aorta were positively correlated (r = 0.36–0.42) with plasma cholesterol concentrations and negatively correlated (r = −0.34–−0.60) with plasma, liver, triceps, and heart α-tocopherol levels. Moderate levels of α-tocopherol supplementation with or without β-carotene may have a beneficial effect on tissue cholesterol contents and on the development of aortic atherosclerotic lesions in rabbits fed an atherogenic diet.
Altered membrane association of glycogen phosphorylase in the dystrophic chicken

Abstract The subcellular distribution of glycogen phosphorylase in pectoralis muscle from normal and dystrophic chickens was determined as a function of age. A substantially larger proportion of the total activity was associated with membranes cellular organelles, both mitochondria and sarcoplasmic reticulum, in preparations from dystrophic birds. The difference could be detected as early as 2 weeks ex ovo. Interaction of phosphorylase with cellular membranes may provide a probe for the underlying membrane defect in this dystrophyl model.
A theoretical model of harmonizing U.S.-Mexico pesticide residue regulations

Abstract Prospects for a free trade agreement between the United States and Mexico have brought calls to harmonize the countries' pesticide regulations. Harmonizing Mexican pesticide residue requirements with U.S. requirements will directly affect only Mexican production for the Mexican market because production for export to the United States must already satisfy U.S. pesticide residue requirements. Within a theoretical trade model, sufficient conditions are derived which indicate the potential for either increased or decreased Mexican exports to the United States to result from this harmonization. Key determinants are the elasticity of demand in Mexico, U.S. marketing order restrictions, the cost efficiency of available pesticides, and economies of scale.
Altered calcium sensitivity contributes to enhanced contractility of collateral-dependent coronary arteries

Coronary arteries distal to chronic occlusion exhibit enhanced vasoconstriction and impaired relaxation compared with nonoccluded arteries. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that an increase ...
A Bayesian approach estimating treatment effects on biomarkers containing zeros with detection limits

Often in randomized clinical trials and observational studies in occupational and environmental health, a non-negative continuously distributed response variable denoting some metabolites of environmental toxicants is measured in treatment and control groups. When observations occur in both unexposed and exposed subjects, the biomarker measurement can be bimodally distributed with an extra spike at zero reflecting those unexposed. In the presence of left censoring due to values falling below biomarker assay detection limits, those unexposed with true zeros are indistinguishable from those exposed with left-censored values. Since interventions usually do not enhance or eliminate exposure, they do not have any impact on those unexposed. Thus, only the subset of individuals who are exposed should be used to make comparisons to estimate the effect of interventions. In this article, we present Bayesian approaches using non-standard mixture distributions to account for true zeros. The performance of the proposed Bayesian methods is compared with the maximum likelihood methods presented in Chu et al. (Stat. Med. 2005; 24:2053-2067) through simulation studies and a randomized chemoprevention trial conducted in Qidong, People's Republic of China.
Routine Activity Theory And The Risk Of Rape: Analyzing Ten Years Of National Crime Survey Data:

This analysis applies routine activity theory to the risk of rape, using 10 years (1973-82) of NCS data. In addition to univariate analysis describing characteristics of the victimization itself, b...
Scintillatieplaat, CCD en CMOS, wat zijn dat?

Een vertegenwoordiger bezocht onze praktijk en sloeg ons om de oren met termen als scintillatieplaat, CCD- en CMOS-sensoren. Wat is dat allemaal en wat doen fosforplaatjes? De redactie heeft Johan Aps om uitleg gevraagd.