cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geochemical dynamics of iodine in marginal seas: the southern East China Sea

The distributions of iodate and iodide were determined in a transect across the southern East China Sea Shelf, the upwelling center at the outer shelf-upper slope, the adjoining Kuroshio to the Okinawa Trough. In the surface waters, the variations in the concentrations of iodate and iodide among the surface waters masses, namely, the Coastal Water, the Taiwan Current Warm Water and the Kuroshio Surface Water, were relatively small. The composition of the upwelling Kuroshio Subsurface Water was distinctly different and it could be readily distinguished from the surface water masses by its elevated concentration of iodate, depressed concentration of iodide, and the resulting elevated concentration ratio of iodate to iodide. In contrast, since the variations in salinity and temperature in the surface water masses and the upwelling water were less systematic, neither salinity nor temperature could be used effectively for distinguishing these two types of water from each other. Thus, the iodine system was a complementary, or even a superior, tracer for the upwelling water. In the subsurface, the upwelling water was depicted as a dome of cold, nitrate-rich, iodate-rich and iodide-poor water, with molar ratios of iodate to iodide exceeding 10 that extended from the outer shelf-upper slope to the middle shelf. The influence of the Coastal Water was manifested as a tongue of fresher, iodide-rich and iodate-poor surface water, with molar ratios of iodate to iodide of <2.5 that extended from the inner shelf into the middle shelf. The oligotrophic Kuroshio Surface Water was also iodide-rich and iodate-poor. A box model calculation revealed that iodate was imported into the East China Sea Shelf system by frontal exchanges with the adjoining Kuroshio and upwelling at the shelf edge. Within the Shelf system, iodate was consumed and iodide was produced. As a result, during frontal exchanges between the Shelf system and the Kuroshio, there was also a net export of iodide from the Shelf system to the Kuroshio. These behaviors of the iodine system in the East China Sea Shelf system are similar to those found in the South Atlantic Bight and suggest that the marginal seas may be a preferred site for the reduction of iodate to iodide so that exchanges between the marginal seas and the open oceans may constitute a significant net source of iodide to the ocean interior.
Rapidly computing robust minimum capacity s-t cuts: a case study in solving a sequence of maximum flow problems

The Minimum Capacity s-t Cut Problem (MinCut) is an intensively studied problem in combinatorial optimization. A natural extension is the problem of choosing a minimum capacity s-t cut when arc capacities are unknown but confined to known intervals. This motivates the Robust Minimum Capacity s-t Cut Problem (RobuCut), which has applications such as open-pit mining and project scheduling. In this paper, we show how RobuCut can be reduced to solving a sequence of maximum flow problems and provide an efficient algorithm for rapidly solving this sequence of problems. We demonstrate that our algorithm solves instances of RobuCut in seconds that would require hours if a standard maximum flow solver is iteratively used as a black-box subroutine.
Spatial characteristics of the invasion of Acer platanoides on a temperate forested island.

We examined the spatial pattern of an introduced population of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) on a temperate forested island in order to quantify the influence of landscape context on invasion pattern. The spatial location of every Norway maple tree and sapling (≥0.5 m tall) that had invaded the island forest (n = 4496) was mapped using a global positioning system. The influence of landscape context was examined with the aid of a geographic information system and indices of spatial association. We found that the coniferous forest type was the most heavily invaded (71.9% of all Norway maple stems) when compared to either the hardwood or mixed conifer–hardwood forest types (5.4% and 19.3%, respectively). Across all forest types (excluding urban trees), the population was highly aggregated around roads and other Norway maple trees. For example, 90% of the population was within 40.8 m of a road with an average distance from road of 21.02 ± 0.40 m. This association around roads was significantly greater than would be predicted by chance alone (P < 0.001). Similarly, nearest neighbor distances averaged 4.5 ± 0.2 m with 90% of individuals within 8.3 m of another Norway maple. Measures of spatial association indicated that the invasion was significantly aggregated at both the stand and island scale. Nevertheless, a comparatively small but potentially influential set of individuals were observed at relatively long distances from the main invasion front. Ramifications of these disjunct establishments and other observed patterns are discussed in the context of current spread pattern theory, invasive species monitoring, and control efforts.
Optical monitoring of oxygen tension in cortical microvessels with confocal microscopy

Evaluating cerebral oxygenation is of critical importance for the understanding of brain function and several neuropathologies. Although several techniques exist for measuring cerebral oxygenation in vivo, the most widely accepted techniques offer limited spatial resolution. We have developed a confocal imaging system for minimally invasive measurement of oxygen tension (pO2) in cerebral microvessels with high spatial and temporal resolution. The system relies on the phosphorescence quenching method using exogenous porphyrin-based dendritic oxygen probes. Here we present high-resolution phosphorescence images of cortical microvasculature and temporal pO2 profiles from multiple locations in response to varied fraction of inspired oxygen and functional activation.
Dibromoborane-Dimethyl Sulfide and Monobromoborane-Dimethyl Sulfide as Superior Reagents for the Opening of Oxiranes to Bromohydrins

BHBr2-DMS and BH2Br-DMS have been found to be highly promising, mild, stereo- and regioselective reagents useful in the opening of epoxides to the corresponding halohydrins at 0 °C to ambient temperature. Except for styrene oxide, all the terminal epoxides were regioselectively cleaved by borderline SN2-type mechanisms favoring the formation of primary vs secondary bromides. In contrast to B-bromobis(dimethylamino)borane (BDB), the polarity of the solvent has very little or no effect on the regioselectivity achieved by BH2Cl-DMS and BH2Br-DMS. In addition, the regioselectivities were not greatly affected by variation of temperature in the case of BH2Cl-DMS and BH2Br-DMS. BH2Br-DMS and BHBr2-DMS are very useful hydroborating agents with their own regio- and chemospecific reactivity. BH2Br-DMS cleaves epoxides chemo- and regioselectively in the presence of reactive functional groups such as olefin and phenylalkyl ether, especially cleanly at lower temperatures.
Robust pattern recognition of three dimensional weld pool surface in gas tungsten arc welding

Measuring weld pool surfaces in real-time is the foundation for intelligent welding that emulates welders' sensory capability. To image and measure the mirror-like weld pool surface under the strong arc radiation, a structured light laser pattern, i.e., a dot matrix, is projected onto the weld pool surface and its specular reflection is intercepted and imaged by an imaging plane placed with a distance from the arc. In this paper, a robust recognition scheme is proposed to identify the reflection pattern of the dot matrix in real-time. In particular, an adaptive segmentation algorithm is developed to identify the reflection pattern. Then a pattern recognition is proposed to determine the row and column number of each laser dot in the pattern such that the reflection pattern can be matched with the projection pattern. The identified reflection pattern can be used to reconstruct the 3D weld pool surface. Experiments with different welding conditions have been conducted, and the real-time performance of the proposed procedure, including the effectiveness, robustness and time cost, has bee verified.
Structure of Bacillus subtilis superoxide dismutase.

The sodA gene of Bacillus subtilis was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified and crystallized. The crystal structure of MnSOD was solved by molecular replacement with four dimers per asymmetric unit and refined to an R factor of 21.1% at 1.8 A resolution. The dimer structure is very similar to that of the related enzyme from B. anthracis. Larger structural differences were observed with the human MnSOD, which has one less helix in the helical domain and a longer loop between two β-strands and also showed differences in three amino acids at the intersubunit interface in the dimer compared with the two bacterial MnSODs. These structural differences can be exploited in the design of drugs that selectively target the Bacillus enzymes.
Sarcoidosis and aspergilloma. The role of surgery.

Fibrocystic pulmonary disease is a common sequel of chronic pulmonary sarcoidosis, and the subsequent development of intracavitary aspergillomas is frequent, especially in black patients. Pulmonary hemorrhage from aspergilloma is second only to cardiorespiratory failure as the cause of death in sarcoidosis. Opinions regarding the role of resectional surgery are conflicting. We report observations on 38 patients with biopsy evidence of antecedent sarcoidosis and cultural or serologic identification of Aspergillus species as cause of the fungus balls. Pulmonary fibrosis was bilateral and extensive in most cases, making surgical treatment perilous. Ten patients had moderate impairment of pulmonary function. Seven had surgical resection with six satisfactory results and one death. Three patients in this category have not required surgery. Twenty-eight patients had severely compromised pulmonary function. Surgery was performed in seven because of intractable bleeding; four survived, but three later died of respiratory failure. Of the 21 in this category not treated by surgery, six survived, four died of hemorrhage and 11 of respiratory failure. Of the 37 patients with aspergilloma whose status is known, 19 are dead, 14 survived wth positive precipitins and four, all treated surgically, recovered. It is concluded that surgical treatment of aspergilloma in patients with sarcoidosis should be avoided if possible, but is inescapable in a third of cases.
Photoinduced structural changes to protein kinase A

The importance of porphyrins in organisms is underscored by the ubiquitous biological and biochemical functions that are mediated by these compounds and by their potential biomedical and biotechnological applications. Protoporphyrin IX (PPIX) is the precursor to heme and has biomedical applications such as its use as a photosensitizer in phototherapy and photodetection of cancer. Among other applications, our group has demonstrated that low-irradiance exposure to laser irradiation of PPIX, Fe-PPIX, or meso-tetrakis (4-sulfonatophenyl) porphyrin (TSPP) non-covalently docked to a protein causes conformational changes in the polypeptide. Such approach can have remarkable consequences in the study of protein structure/function relationship and can be used to prompt non-native protein properties. Therefore we have investigated protein kinase A (PKA), a more relevant protein model towards the photo-treatment of cancer. PKA’s enzymatic functions are regulated by the presence of cyclic adenosine monophosphate for intracellular signal transduction involved in, among other things, stimulation of transcription, tumorigenesis in Carney complex and migration of breast carcinoma cells. Since phosphorylation is a necessary step in some cancers and inflammatory diseases, inhibiting the protein kinase, and therefore phosphorylation, may serve to treat these diseases. Changes in absorption, steady-state fluorescence, and fluorescence lifetime indicate: 1) both TSPP and PPIX non-covalently bind to PKA where they maintain photoreactivity; 2) absorptive photoproduct formation occurs only when PKA is bound to TSPP and irradiated; and 3) PKA undergoes secondary structural changes after irradiation with either porphyrin bound. These photoinduced changes could affect the protein’s enzymatic and signaling capabilities.
Reaction of Active Nitrogen with Polyethylene

THE nature of active nitrogen, the mechanism of its afterglow1, and its gas phase reactions with organic molecules2 have been discussed. I have now investigated a heterogeneous active nitrogen reaction at a polymer surface.
The Dilemma of Judicial Biography Or Who Cares Who Is the Great Appellate Judge? Gerald Gunther on Learned Hand

I have been reading biographies for the past six months on 19th century and early 20th century figures.' Although I've snarled at their weaknesses, I have also marveled at the deft handling of a complex narrative and smiled at the telling detail. And faced with some variety of structure and emphases, I have pondered the purpose of the judicial biography. How we do judicial biography has been addressed more often than why we do it. In 1948, during a symposium on "The Writing of Judicial Biography," a roundtable of discussants tried to lay out some standards as to how judicial biography should be done (these articles still make profitable reading). Charles Fairman argued that the judge should be set against the background of legal history. He warned against treating opinions as literature or philosophy, feeling that such approaches underestimated the importance of the records, the briefs, the reports of the inferior courts. Although his emphasis was clearly on the internal workings of the legal system, Fairman urged investigation into the social conflicts which gave rise to the dispute
Fractal analysis of drainage basins on Mars

We used statistical properties of drainage networks on Mars as a measure of martian landscape morphology and an indicator of landscape evolution processes. We utilize the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data to construct digital elevation maps (DEMs) of several, mostly ancient, martian terrains. Drainage basins and channel networks are computationally extracted from DEMs and their structures are analyzed and compared to drainage networks extracted from terrestrial and lunar DEMs. We show that martian networks are self-affine statistical fractals with planar properties similar to terrestrial networks, but vertical properties similar to lunar networks. The uniformity of martian drainage density is between those for terrestrial and lunar landscapes. Our results are consistent with the roughening of ancient martian terrains by combination of rainfall-fed erosion and impacts, although roughening by other fluvial processes cannot be excluded. The notion of sustained rainfall in recent Mars history is inconsistent with our findings.
What is currently known about the health risks related to carbon nanotube exposures

Abstract This manuscript summarizes our recently published in vivo studies [Warheit DB, Laurence BR, Reed KL, Roach GA, Webb TR. Comparative pulmonary toxicity assessment of single-wall carbon nanotibes in rats. Toxicol Sci 2004;77(1):117–25] and contains an updated discussion of these results and their relation to the most recent literature. Carbon nanotubes have excellent mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties. However, the potential hazards of inhalation exposure to carbon nanotubes have not been sufficiently evaluated. The pulmonary toxicity of intratracheally instilled single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) was compared with positive and negative control particle-types i.e., quartz, and carbonyl iron particles, respectively. After exposures, the lungs of PBS and particle-exposed rats were evaluated for pulmonary injury biomarkers and histopathology of lung tissue at 24 h, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months post-instillation exposure. The results indicated that 5 mg/kg dose exposures to SWCNT produced mortality in ∼15% of instilled rats within 24 h post-instillation, due to mechanical blockage of the large airways. Exposures to quartz particles resulted in sustained pulmonary inflammation, cytotoxicity, alveolar cell proliferation and fibrotic effects. Pulmonary exposures to SWCNT in rats produced multifocal mononuclear granulomas. The physiological relevance of these findings remains to be determined since the SWCNT have a strong tendency to agglomerate following intratracheal exposures. Thus, it is critical that the pulmonary effects of SWCNT in rats be assessed by generating SWCNT aerosols in an inhalation toxicity study.
Study on electrical characteristics of fluorinated polyimide film

The electrical characteristics (I–V and I–t) of fluorinated polyimide dielectric films were measured as function of time, electric field and sample temperature and the results were discussed in view of existing conduction and charge-transport mechanisms. Experiments and analysis to elucidate conduction mechanisms at low and high electric fields were carried out. The results are presented and discussed. It is concluded that the bulk-limited Pool–Frenkel conduction mechanism is likely to dominate for the steady state current at high electric field above 1 MV cm-1, and in the range of low electric field below 1 MV cm-1, the Ohmic conduction is the main conduction mechanism. © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers
The A′1u ← X0+g System of Gold Dimer

Abstract The A ′1 u ← X 0 + g system of gold dimer was studied at a Doppler-limited resolution of 120 MHz. The molecules were prepared by laser vaporization of a gold rod and cooled by supersonic expansion in helium. Rotationally resolved spectra of the (0,0), (1,0), and (2,0) bands were recorded using a continuous wave ring dye laser to excite fluorescence. The Ω = 1 u , symmetry of the A ′ state was confirmed, and the following salient molecular parameters obtained: ν 00 = 18 129.8336(10) cm −1 ; B 0 = 0.026362(6) cm −1 (2σ error bounds). All three excited stale vibrational levels were found to be subject to rotational perturbations. The perturbation of the v ′ = 2 level was analysed in detail, and is believed to be caused by interaction with a high-lying vibrational level of the a 3 Σ + u (1 u ) state. The location of this level was used to revise the dissociation energy ofthe ground state of gold dimer ( D 0 0 ( X 0 + g )),which is now computed to lie in the range 18 562-18 639 cm −1 (2.301-2.311 eV).
Pr-substitution effect on superconducting transition temperature of YbBa2Cu3O7-δ

Abstract Following a recent report concerning a “nonmagnetic-magnetic transition” of Pr ions in superconducting (RE 1−x Pr x ) Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ (RE=Y and rare earth) systems in accounting for the deviation from Abrikosov-Gor'kov magnetic pair-breaking theory observed in the systems with relatively small RE 3+ radii, this paper reports a study on another system with RE=Yb, which has even smaller ionic radius. The superconducting transition temperature of this system remains practically constant at 92 K for x up to about 0.1 before decreasing with increasing x as to be expected from the Abrikosov-Gor'kov theory.
Predicting endocardial potentials from epicardial potentials for external stimuli

A model is presented for calculating the potential field in the heart for externally applied current knowing only the epicardial potential distribution. To test the model, a comparison is made between potentials predicted by the model and those measured in dogs. The measured potentials were acquired in three dogs using left and right ventricular plunge electrodes and atrial wire electrodes during pacing from the body surface. The predicted potentials were generated using the measured epicardial potentials and the heart geometry in a boundary integral formulation treating the heart as a homogeneous isotropic volume conductor. A comparison between the measured and predicted potentials for three different stimulus electrode combinations produced a mean correlation coefficient of 0.986, and a mean RMS error of 20.4%. >
A Note on the Breakdown Time Delay Distribution: The Analytical Properties

Following up from the recent work of Maluckov et al. (2005), we derive explicit expressions for the probability density function, cumulative distribution function and the means of the electrical breakdown time delay (tD). We also provide a 9–line computer program for computing the associated percentile points (and hence the associated confidence intervals). We expect that the results presented could be useful for modeling time delay distributions in electrical breakdowns. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Expression and functional expansion of fibroblast growth factor receptor T cells in rheumatoid synovium and peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disorder of the diarthrodial joints, characterized by fibroblast proliferation, angiogenesis, and perivascular CD4+ T cell infiltration. The present study examined the interactions between fibroblast growth factor–1 (FGF-1) and T cells. Methods. Synovial tissues from patients with RA or noninflammatory arthritis were examined for the expression of FGF-1 and its receptor, FGFR-1, by immunohistology and reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction. Functional assays were used to detect enrichment of FGF-1–responsive peripheral CD4+ T cells in RA. Results. FGF-1 is abundantly expressed by rheumatoid synovium. Enhanced expression of its receptor, FGFR-1, was found in perivascular CD4+ T cells. In addition, T cells that are activated by FGF-1 are increased in the peripheral blood of patients with RA, as compared with other inflammatory conditions. Conclusion. The increased frequency of peripheral T cells that respond to FGF-1 in RA is consistent with expansion of FGFR-1-expressing T cells in the rheumatoid synovium.
GAMMA-RAY ASTRONOMY WITH THE HAWC OBSERVATORY

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Observatory is a wide field-of-view gamma-ray detector, sensitive to primary energies between 50 GeV and 100 TeV. The array is being built at an altitude of 4,100 m on the Sierra Negra volcano in Puebla, Mexico. With a duty cycle close to 100% and a daily coverage of ~ 8 sr of the sky above it, HAWC is ideally suited to detect bright transient events at TeV energies such as gamma-ray bursts or flares from active galactic nuclei. The array will provide an unbiased survey of gamma-ray sources at energies above 100 GeV and probe the origins of astrophysical photon emission at the highest energies. The modular design of HAWC made it possible to start data taking in September 2012 with a partial array. Operation continues while the number of water Cherenkov detectors is growing, which allowed a smooth transition to full scientific operation with 111 detectors in August 2013. The completion of the full array with 300 detectors is planned for the summer of 2014. In these proceedings, we will give an overview of the status and performance of the HAWC observatory and discuss observation strategies for various gamma-ray phenomena.
Maximizing the length of a success run for many-armed bandits

Abstract One of a number of Bernoulli processes is selected at each of a number of stages. A success at stage i is worth α i and the problem is to maximize the expected payoff before the first failure. Results of Berry and Viscusi (1981) are generalized. In particular, we show that there is always an optimal strategy that uses a single process exclusively and indefinitely whenever the arms are independent and the discount sequence (α 1 , α 2 ,…) is superregular . There is not always a similar reduction in the number of strategies when the discount sequence is not superregular.
CDK4 regulation by TNFR1 and JNK is required for NF-κB–mediated epidermal growth control

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) mediates homeostatic growth inhibition in the epidermis, and a loss of NF-κB function promotes proliferation and oncogenesis. To identify mechanisms responsible for these effects, we impaired NF-κB action in the epidermis by three different genetic approaches, including conditional NF-κB blockade. In each case, epidermal hyperplasia was accompanied by an increase in both protein levels and tissue distribution of the G1 cell cycle kinase, CDK4. CDK4 up-regulation required intact TNFR1 and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) function. Cdk4 gene deletion concomitant with conditional NF-κB blockade demonstrated that CDK4 is required for growth deregulation. Therefore, epidermal homeostasis depends on antagonist regulation of CDK4 expression by NF-κB and TNFR1/JNK.
Peptide Epitopes Recognized by a Human Anti-Cryptococcal Glucuronoxylomannan Antibody

Cryptococcus neoformans causes meningitis in 6 to 8% of individuals with AIDS. Recently, immunotherapeutic modalities including antibody therapy have been proposed for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients. This is a rational approach because existing antifungal agents fail to eradicate the infection in the setting of profound immunosuppression. Both murine and human antibodies elicited by the investigational cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine glucuronoxylomannan-tetanus toxoid (GXM-TT) have been shown to be biologically functional in different model systems. The human immunoglobulin M (lambda) GXM monoclonal antibody (MAb) 2E9 expresses idiotypes that are also found in naturally occurring anti-GXM antibodies and opsonic GXM-TT sera. However, the specificity of human anti-GXM antibodies and their possible role in protection against cryptococcosis are not known. In an effort to discover epitopes that are recognized by human anti-GXM antibodies, we screened a random decapeptide phage display library with the human anti-GXM MAb 2E9. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based screening method led to the selection of phages with peptide inserts that bound 2E9 and inhibited 2E9-GXM binding. Analysis of the amino acid sequences of these phages revealed an increased frequency of combinations of QTGLD residues. Inhibition ELISAs demonstrated that phages with QTG/TL/D motifs inhibited 2E9-GXM binding better than phages with different motifs. A peptide synthesized from one of the inhibitory phages, peptide 13 (GMDGT QLDRW), inhibited GXM binding to solid-phase 2E9 and 2E9 binding to solid-phase GXM. Peptide 13 also inhibited the GXM binding of GXM-TT immune sera and naturally occurring serum antibodies from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative, but not HIV-positive, individuals. Taken together, our data indicate that the peptide epitopes selected by 2E9 mimic GXM epitopes and that peptide 13 may be a mimotope of a GXM epitope that is recognized by human anti-GXM antibodies.
A multiple-layer finite-element model of the surface EMG signal

The effect of skin, muscle, fat, and bone tissue on simulated surface electromyographic (EMG) signals was examined using a finite-element model. The amplitude and frequency content of the surface potential were observed to increase when the outer layer of a homogeneous muscle model was replaced with highly resistive skin or fat tissue. The rate at which the surface potential decreased as the fiber was moved deeper within the muscle also increased. Similarly, the rate at which the surface potential decayed around the surface of the model, for a constant fiber depth, increased. When layers of subcutaneous fat of increasing thickness were then added to the model, EMG amplitude, frequency content, and the rate of decay of the surface EMG signal around the limb decreased, due to the increased distance between the electrodes and the active fiber. The influence of bone on the surface potential was observed to vary considerably, depending on its location. When located close to the surface of the volume conductor, the surface EMG signal between the bone and the source and directly over the bone increased, accompanied by a slight decrease on the side of the bone distal to the active fiber. The results emphasize the importance of distinguishing between the effects of material properties and the distance between source and electrode when considering the influence of subcutaneous tissue, and suggest possible distortions in the surface EMG signal in regions where a bone is located close to the skin surface.
Chromator, a novel and essential chromodomain protein interacts directly with the putative spindle matrix protein skeletor

We have used a yeast two-hybrid interaction assay to identify Chromator, a novel chromodomain containing protein that interacts directly with the putative spindle matrix protein Skeletor. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that Chromator and Skeletor show extensive co-localization throughout the cell cycle. During interphase Chromator is localized on chromosomes to interband chromatin regions in a pattern that overlaps that of Skeletor. However, during mitosis both Chromator and Skeletor detach from the chromosomes and align together in a spindle-like structure. Deletion construct analysis in S2 cells showed that the COOH-terminal half of Chromator without the chromodomain was sufficient for both nuclear as well as spindle localization. Analysis of P-element mutations in the Chromator locus shows that Chromator is an essential protein. Furthermore, RNAi depletion of Chromator in S2 cells leads to abnormal microtubule spindle morphology and to chromosome segregation defects. These findings suggest that Chromator is a nuclear protein that plays a role in proper spindle dynamics during mitosis.
Persistence of 5:3 plates in RE5(SixGe1-x)4 Alloys

Studies of RE 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 4 alloys, where RE equals rare earth, have revealed a second-phase having a thin-plate morphology in essentially every alloy examined, independent of exact composition and matrix crystal structure. Identified as having a composition approximating Gd 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 3 and a hexagonal crystal structure in the Gd-based system, it has been suggested that the observed thin-plate second phases seen in this family of rare earth alloys are all most likely of the form RE 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 3 . A number of interesting observations suggest that the formation of these second-phase plates is somewhat unusual. The purpose of this article is to investigate the stability of this second phase in Gd- and Er-based compounds. The stability was investigated as a function of thermal cycling and large-scale composition fluctuations. The results of scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) studies indicate that the RE 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 3 phase is extremely stable once it forms in a RE 5 (Si x Ge 1-x ) 4 matrix.
Are toxic oxygen radicals involved in the pathogenesis of reflex sympathetic dystrophy

A crossover study was performed for patients with RSD to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of the hydroxyl radical scavenger DMSO. All patients were given DMSO locally 5 times a day during one week...
Simulations Based on Representative 24-h Recall Data Predict Region-Specific Differences in Adequacy of Vitamin A Intake among Cameroonian Women and Young Children Following Large-Scale Fortification of Vegetable Oil and Other Potential Food Vehicles

BACKGROUND The WHO recommends assessing food and nutrient intakes to design food-fortification programs, but nationally representative dietary data are seldom available in low-income countries. OBJECTIVE Prior to initiation of food fortification in Cameroon, we measured intake of vitamin A (VA) and fortifiable foods (vegetable oil, sugar, wheat flour, and bouillon cube) to simulate the effects of fortification with different foods and VA amounts on prevalence of inadequate and excessive VA intake. METHODS Twenty-four-hour recalls were conducted among 912 women and 883 children (with duplicates in a subset) in a nationally representative cluster survey stratified by region (North, South, Yaounde/Douala). Usual intake distributions were estimated by the National Cancer Institute method. RESULTS Nationally, 53% of women had a usual intake of 3000 μg/d among women or >600 μg/d among children. However, inadequate VA intake would remain >50% in the North, where VA deficiency was most common. Increasing VA in oil or fortifying a second food (sugar, wheat flour, or bouillon cube) would further decrease the prevalence of inadequate intakes, but, depending on the food vehicle and region, would also increase the prevalence of retinol intakes above the tolerable upper intake level, mainly among children. CONCLUSIONS The current food-fortification program can be expected to improve dietary VA adequacy without increasing the risk of excessive intake among women and children in Cameroon. Modifications to the program must balance the potential to further increase VA intake with the risk of excessive intake among children.
Boundary spanning knowledge broker: An emerging role in global engineering firms

With the emergence of globalization, engineering firms as well as engineers that work in those firms are faced with new opportunities and challenges. Recent globalization has led to new work roles for engineers. Whether formally or informally, an increasing number of engineers are now playing the role of boundary spanners and are brokering knowledge across geographic boundaries. In this paper I present a case study to identify the requirements and characteristics of this role. The data for this paper comes from two sources: selected interviews with software engineers and an ethnographic study of a global engineering R&D firm. The informants represent the U.S., Japan, and India. The findings show that agency of workers in the midlevel of the organizational hierarchy drives successful global practices. Moreover, given the dynamic nature of work in the present knowledge economy, the requirements of this role keep changing. In addition to skills such as working across time zones, using technology effectively, and developing interpersonal networks, there are additional tacit aspects of this role that can be learned only through participation. I present and analytical model and discuss the relevance of these findings for preparing engineers for the global workforce.
c-MYC Functions as a Molecular Switch to Alter the Response of Human Mammary Epithelial Cells to Oncostatin M

Cytokines play an important role in creating an inflammatory microenvironment, which is now considered a hallmark of cancer. While tumor cells can exploit cytokine signaling to promote growth, invasion and metastasis, the response of normal and premalignant epithelial cells to cytokines present in a developing tumor microenvironment remains unclear. Oncostatin M (OSM), an IL-6 family cytokine responsible for STAT3 activation, has been implicated in cancer development, progression, invasion and metastasis. Paradoxically, OSM can also suppress the growth of normal cells and certain tumor-derived cell lines. Using isogenic human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) at different stages of neoplastic transformation, we found that OSM signaling suppressed c-MYC expression and engaged a p16- and p53-independent growth arrest that required STAT3 activity. Inhibition of STAT3 activation by expressing a dominant-negative STAT3 protein or a STAT3-shRNA prevented the OSM-mediated arrest. In addition, expression of c-MYC from a constitutive promoter also abrogated the STAT3-mediated arrest, and strikingly, cooperated with OSM to promote anchorage-independent growth (AIG), a property associated with malignant transformation. Cooperative transformation by c-MYC and OSM required PI3K and AKT signaling, demonstrating the importance of multiple signaling pathways downstream of the OSM receptor in defining the cellular response to cytokines. These findings identify c-MYC as an important molecular switch that alters the cellular response to OSM-mediated signaling from tumor suppressive to tumor promoting.
A comparison of theoretical efficiencies of multi-junction concentrator solar cells

Champion concentrator cell efficiencies have surpassed 40% and now many are asking whether the efficiencies will surpass 50%. Theoretical efficiencies of >60% are described for many approaches, but there is often confusion about “the” theoretical efficiency for a specific structure. The detailed balance approach to calculating theoretical efficiency gives an upper bound that can be independent of material parameters and device design. Other models predict efficiencies that are closer to those that have been achieved. Changing reference spectra and the choice of concentration further complicate comparison of theoretical efficiencies. This paper provides a side-by-side comparison of theoretical efficiencies of multi-junction solar cells calculated with the detailed balance approach and a common one-dimensional-transport model for different spectral and irradiance conditions. Also, historical experimental champion efficiencies are compared with the theoretical efficiencies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonsuicidal Self-Injury, Pain, and Self-Criticism: Does Changing Self-Worth Change Pain Endurance in People Who Engage in Self-Injury?

People who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) endure physical pain for longer periods than do noninjuring individuals. Pain endurance is also predicted by the presence of highly self-critical...
On the propagation of transients in waveguides

Transient propagation in a rectangular waveguide is examined, using elementary dispersion theory. Simple experiments are presented, which validate the theory and illustrate the concepts of group velocity, wave-front velocity, and wave precursors in a rectangular waveguide. The precursor phenomenon is isolated by examining the step response of the waveguide, using a time-domain reflectometer, showing that the wavefront velocity never exceeds the speed of light. >
Efficient Learning of Mahalanobis Metrics for Ranking

We develop an efficient algorithm to learn a Mahalanobis distance metric by directly optimizing a ranking loss. Our approach focuses on optimizing the top of the induced rankings, which is desirable in tasks such as visualization and nearest-neighbor retrieval. We further develop and justify a simple technique to reduce training time significantly with minimal impact on performance. Our proposed method significantly outperforms alternative methods on several real-world tasks, and can scale to large and high-dimensional data.
Morphology control of sulfonated poly(ether ketone ketone) poly(ether imide) blends and their use in proton-exchange membranes

Polymer blends based on sulfonated poly(ether ketone ketone) (SPEKK) as the proton-conducting component and poly(ether imide) (PEI) as the second component were considered for proton-exchange membranes (PEMs). The PEI was added to improve the mechanical stability and lower the water swelling in the fuel cell environment. Membranes were cast from solution using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The ternary, polymer/polymer/solvent, phase diagram was determined to provide guidance on how to control the morphology during solvent casting of blend membranes. For blends of SPEKK (ion-exchange capacity = 2 mequiv/g) with PEI as the minority component, the morphology consisted of dispersed particles of ∼0.5–6m. Larger particles were achieved by increasing the PEI content and/or lowering the casting temperature. High-temperature annealing after solution casting did not affect the morphology of blend membranes, due to the low mobility and compatibility of the two polymers.
Kinome-wide functional screen identifies role of PLK1 in hormone-independent, ER-positive breast cancer

Estrogen receptor α (ER)-positive breast cancers initially respond to antiestrogens but eventually become estrogen-independent and recur. ER+ breast cancer cells resistant to long-term estrogen deprivation (LTED) exhibit hormone-independent ER transcriptional activity and growth. A kinome-wide siRNA screen using a library targeting 720 kinases identified Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) as one of the top genes whose downregulation resulted in inhibition of estrogen-independent ER transcriptional activity and growth of LTED cells. High PLK1 mRNA and protein correlated with a high Ki67 score in primary ER+ breast cancers after treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PLK1 inhibited ER expression, estrogen-independent growth and ER transcription in MCF7 and HCC1428 LTED cells. Pharmacological inhibition of PLK1 with volasertib, a small molecule ATP-competitive PLK1 inhibitor, decreased LTED cell growth, ER transcriptional activity and ER expression. Volasertib in combination with the ER antagonist, fulvestrant, decreased MCF7 xenograft growth in ovariectomized mice more potently than each drug alone. JUNB, a component of the AP-1 complex, was expressed 16-fold higher in MCF7/LTED compared to parental MCF7 cells. Further, JUNB and BCL2L1 (which encodes anti-apoptotic BCL-xL) mRNA levels were markedly reduced upon volasertib treatment in MCF7/LTED cells while they were increased in parental MCF7 cells. Finally, JUNB knockdown decreased ER expression and transcriptional activity in MCF7/LTED cells, suggesting that PLK1 drives ER expression and estrogen-independent growth via JUNB. These data support a critical role of PLK1 in acquired hormone-independent growth of ER+ human breast cancer and is therefore a promising target in tumors that have escaped estrogen deprivation therapy.
High-throughput plastic microlenses fabricated using microinjection molding techniques

A novel fabrication scheme to develop high-throughput plastic microlenses using injection-molding techniques is realized. The initial microlens mold is fabricated using the well-known reflow technique. The reflow process is optimized to obtain reliable and repeatable microlens patterns. The master mold insert for the injection-molding process is fabricated using metal electroforming. The electroplating process is optimized for obtaining a low stress electroform. Two new plastic materials, cyclo olefin copolymer (COC) and Poly IR 2 are introduced in this work for fabricating microlenses. The plastic microlenses have been characterized for their focal lengths that range from 200 µm to 1.9 mm. This technique enables high-volume production of plastic microlenses with cycle times for a single chip being of the order of 60 s.
The Interface Between Emotion and Attention: A Review of Evidence from Psychology and Neuroscience

This review addresses the interconnections between emotional and attentional processing, with an emphasis on both behavioral and neuroscientific findings. Are emotional stimuli encoded automatically, and what does that mean? How are emotional stimuli selected for enhanced processing within a limited capacity system? Evidence suggests a two-stage process: First, emotional significance is evaluated preattentively by a sub-cortical circuit involving the amygdala; and second, stimuli deemed emotionally significant are given priority in the competition for access to selective attention. This process involves bottom-up inputs from the amygdala as well as top-down influences from frontal lobe regions involved in goal setting and maintaining representations in working memory. The review highlights limitations in the current literature, directions for fruitful future research, and the need to move beyond simple dichotomies such as 'cognition' versus 'emotion.'
Dietary patterns associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in healthy US adults

Background: Certain nutrients are well established as dietary risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but dietary patterns may be a better predictor of CVD risk. Objective: This study tested the hypothesis that the complex dietary behaviors of US adults can be grouped into major dietary patterns that are related to risk factors for CVD. Design: With the use of food-frequency questionnaire data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, dietary patterns of healthy US adults ( 20 y old; n 13 130) were identified by factor analysis. Log-transformed biomarker data were associated with major dietary patterns after control for confounding variables in regression analyses. All statistical analyses accounted for the survey design and sample weights. Results: Of 6 dietary patterns identified, 2 patterns emerged as the most predominant: the Western pattern was characterized by high intakes of processed meats, eggs, red meats, and high-fat dairy products, and the American-healthy pattern was characterized by high intakes of green, leafy vegetables; salad dressings; tomatoes; other vegetables (eg, peppers, green beans, corn, and peas); cruciferous vegetables; and tea. The Western pattern was associated (P 0.05) positively with serum C-peptide, serum insulin, and glycated hemoglobin and inversely with red blood cell folate concentrations after adjustment for confounding variables. The American-healthy pattern had no linear relation with any of the biomarkers examined. Conclusions: The identification of common dietary patterns among free-living persons is promising for characterizing highrisk groups at the US population level. The dietary patterns identified here are similar to those reported in other nonrepresentative samples and are associated with biomarkers of CVD risk, which confirms that dietary pattern analysis can be a valuable method for assessing dietary intakes when predicting CVD risk. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;78:1103–10.
Isolating the lightning ignition regime from a contemporary background fire regime in east-central Florida, USA

Anthropogenic influences have altered most fire regimes. Fire management programs often try to mimic natural fire regimes to maintain fuels and sustain native fire-dependent species. Lightning is the natural ignition source in Florida, substantiating the need for understanding lightning fire incidence. Sixteen years of lightning data (1986–2003, excluding 1987 and 2002 due to missing data) from the NASA Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System and fire ignition records were used to quantify the relationship between lightning incidence and ignitions on Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. There were 230 lightning fires with an average of 14 ignitions per year, primarily in July, and only one winter ignition. Precipitation influenced the efficiency of lightning ignitions, particularly July precipitation. We found that negative polarity strikes caused the majority of ignitions. Pine flatwoods was ignited more frequently than expected given ...
The effects of the "calcium-antagonist", prenylamine, on the action potential of crayfish muscle (Oronectes virilis).

Der organische Ca++-Antagonist Prenylamin blockiert die leicht reversiblen Ca++-Aktions-potentiale in der Muskelfaser des FlusskrebsesOronectes virilis. Etwas niedrigere Konzentrationen erhohen die Schwelle und verlangern die Dauer, wahrend schwache Konzentrationen von Prenylamin nur wirksam waren, wenn dieses verwendet wurde, bevor der Muskel dem Aktionspotentialerreger Procain oder Sr++ ausgesetzt war.
Effect of Temperature on Shear‐Induced Anisotropic Structure in Polymer Clay Hydrogels

Shear-induced orientation of nanoparticles in poly(ethylene oxide)/Laponite RD hydrogels has been investigated by small angle neutron scattering (SANS). As temperature is reduced, anisotropy develops at lower shear rates. The two-correlation length Debye-Anderson-Bramberger (DAB) model provides a good fit to the experimental data. The deduced short-range correlation length (≈5 nm) is observed to increase with shear. The long-range correlation length (≈50 nm) shows a strong directional dependence, and decreases when shear is applied. The relative contribution of long-range order to the SANS intensity is observed to increase with shear and decrease with temperature.