cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Paleobiochemical analysis of an egyptian mummy

Protein and lipid material was extracted from tissues of a Ptolemaic Egyptian mummy. The protein material was characterized by gel filtration, protein and carbohydrate assays, amino acid analysis, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The lipid material was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and analytical staining of the chromatograms. The protein material has undergone considerable degradation although some high molecular weight protein ( c. 130,000 daltons) remains intact. As confirmation of a previous study of Egyptian mummy structure proteins, the basic amino acids have undergone a chemical modification and may represent a point of preferential breakdown in the polypeptide chain. The lipid material demonstrated less degradation with the greatest persistence of heterogeneity in the neutral lipid fraction. Thin-layer chromatograms of the lipid material stained positive for cholesterol and sterol esters but negative for phospholipids and ganglioside sialic acid. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry of tissue cations suggests a correlation between degree of preservation of mummified tissue and levels of sodium salts (natron) in the tissue.
Redox Range with Minimum Nitrous Oxide and Methane Production in a Rice Soil under Different pH

A Louisiana rice soil was incubated from the most oxidizing to the most reducing conditions that could be maintained. Four different pH levels were used. Nitrous oxide production initiated shortly after the incubation started under oxidized conditions. As the soil suspension became more reducing, a large amount of CH 4 was produced at a critical reducing point and increased exponentially with a further decrease of redox potential (E H ). The results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the theoretically predicted decrease of E H with increase of pH and the observed change of E H with pH for N 2 O production (60 mV, P = 0.932), and for significant CH 4 production (93 mV, P = 0.204), respectively. Consequently, the E H range with minimum N 2 O and CH 4 production shifted to lower values of the E H scale when pH increased. Global warming potential (GWP) contribution from the studied soil mainly comes from N 2 O production at moderately reducing conditions, and from CH 4 production under very reducing conditions. There was a slight production of CH 4 at high E H S soon after incubation started, but this CH 4 production was not a significant source of GWP from soils because of its small quantity and transient occurrence. If pH is neutral, the calculated E H range with minimum GWP is generally in the range of -150 to +180 mV. This redox window accounts for >40% of the entire E H range in this study, which makes appropriate management of irrigated rice fields possible that will minimize both N 2 O and CH 4 production.
Endometrial adenocarcinoma with trophoblastic differentiation.

Objective.To report a case of stage IIIc poorly differentiated endometrial adenocarcinoma with trophoblastic differentiation and to review previously reported cases. Methods.The clinical course and histopathology of the case were reviewed, and a literature search for other reported cases was performed. Results.The tumor contained syncytiotrophoblast-like giant cells that stained positively for the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG), and the patient's serum β-hCG level was elevated (95 mIU/ml), but became undetectable after treatment. β-hCG was used as a tumor marker during further therapy. At 16 months' survival, she remains without evidence of disease and with a β-hCG (level <5 mIU/ml). Nine other cases of trophoblastic differentiation in gynecologic nontrophoblastic tumors have been reported, five in endometrial carcinomas which we review. Conclusions.Trophoblastic differentiation in gynecologic nontrophoblastic tumors is rare. β-hCG may be useful as a tumor marker in these cases. The clinical behavior of these tumors has been aggressive, with advanced stages at diagnosis, early widespread metastases or recurrences and poor patient outcomes. The patient presented in this report, however, remains without evidence of disease 16 months following diagnosis and may be the longest survivor with this tumor reported to date.
Energy response of an imaging plate exposed to standard beta sources

Imaging plates (IPs) are a reusable media, which when exposed to ionizing radiation, store a latent image that can be read out with a red laser as photostimulated luminescence (PSL). They are widely used as a substitute for X-ray films for diagnostic studies. In diagnostic radiology this technology is known as computed radiography. In this work, the energy response of a commercial IP to beta-particle reference radiation fields used for calibrations at the National Institute of Standards and Technology was investigated. The absorbed dose in the active storage phosphor layer was calculated following the scaling procedure for depth dose for high Z materials with reference to water. It was found that the beta particles from Pm-147 and Kr-85 gave 68% and 24% higher PSL responses than that induced by Sr-90, respectively, which was caused by the different PSL detection efficiencies. In addition, normalized response curves of the IPs as a function of depth in polystyrene were measured and compared with the data measured using extrapolation chamber techniques. The difference between both sets of data resulted from the continuous energy change as the beta particle travels across the material, which leads to a different PSL response.
Inferring gene functions from metabolic reactions

Metabolic networks model the physiological processes that transform metabolites in organisms. A metabolic network is considered to be in steady state if the rate at which all such transformations remain unchanged. Analyzing steady states has been essential in understanding the contribution of individual molecules to long term characteristics of the underlying organism. In this paper, we develop a novel method to establish the relationship between the functions of genes that take part in a given metabolic network and the steady states of that network systematically. To do this, we first characterize the impact of each reaction on the steady states of the network. Then, using their impacts, we group every reaction in the network into clusters of genes with similar impacts. We conjecture that genes with similar impacts on the set of possible steady states tend to serve similar functions. Following from this conjecture, for each group we formed, we calculate the enrichment of each gene ontology (GO) term that exists for at least one gene in that group. Given a new gene with missing annotations in the network, we find the cluster that is closest to that gene in the steady state space. We predict the enriched GO terms of in that cluster as possible annotations to that gene. Our experiments demonstrate that enrichment values correlate highly with the actual GO terms of each reaction, and thus, our method can predict the GO terms of less known genes accurately.
Treating hyponatremia in heart failure

Hyponatremia is common and associated with adverse outcomes in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). In many patients who have CHF with hyponatremia, plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) is elevated inappropriately. AVP causes water retention by interacting with V2 receptors in the renal collecting duct, leading to dilutional hyponatremia and increased ventricular preload. AVP also may contribute to pathophysiologic process in CHF by interacting with V1A receptors on vascular smooth muscle cells and myocytes. The potential utility of AVP antagonists —V2 antagonists and dual V1A /V2 antagonists—in correcting hyponatremia and relieving the congestion and edema associated with CHF is being actively explored. Combined antagonists may offer additional benefit by interfering with excessive V1A signaling. Unlike diuretics, which increase urine volume and electrolyte excretion, AVP antagonists of these types produce an aquaresis characterized by an increase in free water clearance concomitant with sparing of electrolytes. Studies in experimental CHF as well as preliminary clinical trials with selective and nonselective V2 antagonists have been encouraging, suggesting that these agents may hold promise for treatment of hyponatremia in CHF.
Multiquark states in potential theory

We propose a nonrelativistic potential formalism for treating multiquark systems, based on an extension of projection-operator techniques developed by Feshbach. As an application of our formalism we develop the bag-model--P-matrix connection suggested by Jaffe and Low.
Economic Effect of the Citrus Red Mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Southern California Coastal Lemons

In a 2-yr study, we found no significant relationship between the variation in density and duration of citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor), populations peaking at > 19 adult females per leaf and variation in total yield, size, or grade of lemon fruit. No effects of high mite populations in the first year were evident upon crop yield, grade, or size in the second year. The conventional treatment threshold for P. citri on lemon has been two adult female mites per leaf. These data do not support the premise that growers who observe that threshold are achieving an economic return.
Abnormal prefrontal cortex function during response inhibition in Turner syndrome: functional magnetic resonance imaging evidence.

Abstract Background Turner syndrome (TuS) arises from the partial or complete absence of one X chromosome. Although neuropsychological studies report impaired attentional function and response inhibition in TuS, the neural correlates of these cognitive problems are unknown. Methods Eleven female subjects with TuS and 11 individually matched normal control subjects were imaged using functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a Go/NoGo task. Results Groups did not differ on accuracy or reaction time; however, the TuS group activated more in the bilateral superior and middle frontal gyri than control subjects. Control subjects did not activate more than the TuS group in any region. Conclusions These findings suggest that female subjects with TuS compensate for executive dysfunction via recruitment of additional prefrontal cortex regions involved in inhibition, attention, and working memory, functions necessary for successful performance of Go/NoGo tasks. Elucidating brain function in TuS will advance our understanding of the influence of X-chromosome genes on neurodevelopment and brain function and contribute to planning future intervention strategies.
Bt crop effects on functional guilds of non-target arthropods: a meta-analysis.

Background Uncertainty persists over the environmental effects of genetically-engineered crops that produce the insecticidal Cry proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). We performed meta-analyses on a modified public database to synthesize current knowledge about the effects of Bt cotton, maize and potato on the abundance and interactions of arthropod non-target functional guilds. Methodology/Principal Findings We compared the abundance of predators, parasitoids, omnivores, detritivores and herbivores under scenarios in which neither, only the non-Bt crops, or both Bt and non-Bt crops received insecticide treatments. Predators were less abundant in Bt cotton compared to unsprayed non-Bt controls. As expected, fewer specialist parasitoids of the target pest occurred in Bt maize fields compared to unsprayed non-Bt controls, but no significant reduction was detected for other parasitoids. Numbers of predators and herbivores were higher in Bt crops compared to sprayed non-Bt controls, and type of insecticide influenced the magnitude of the difference. Omnivores and detritivores were more abundant in insecticide-treated controls and for the latter guild this was associated with reductions of their predators in sprayed non-Bt maize. No differences in abundance were found when both Bt and non-Bt crops were sprayed. Predator-to-prey ratios were unchanged by either Bt crops or the use of insecticides; ratios were higher in Bt maize relative to the sprayed non-Bt control. Conclusions/Significance Overall, we find no uniform effects of Bt cotton, maize and potato on the functional guilds of non-target arthropods. Use of and type of insecticides influenced the magnitude and direction of effects; insecticde effects were much larger than those of Bt crops. These meta-analyses underscore the importance of using controls not only to isolate the effects of a Bt crop per se but also to reflect the replacement of existing agricultural practices. Results will provide researchers with information to design more robust experiments and will inform the decisions of diverse stakeholders regarding the safety of transgenic insecticidal crops.
A comparison of random forest and Adaboost tree in ecosystem classification in east Mojave Desert

We compared two basic ensemble methods, namely random forest and Adaboost tree for the classification of ecosystems in Clark County, Nevada, USA through multitemporal multisource LANDSAT TM/ETM+ images and terrain-related GIS data layers. Random forest generates decision trees by randomly selecting a limited number features from all available features for node splitting, and each tree cast a vote for the final decision. On the other hand, Adaboost tree is an iterative approach to improve the performance of a weak classifier by assigning weights to training samples, and incorrectly classified training samples will gain a larger weight in the process. We discuss the properties of these two tree-based ensemble methods and compare their classification performances in ecosystem classification. The results show that Adaboost tree can provide higher classification accuracy than random forest in multitemporal multisource dataset, while the latter could be more efficient in computation.
Degradation Products of Cyanidin Glycosides from Tart Cherries and Their Bioactivities

The bioactive anthocyanins present in tart cherries, Prunus cerasus L. (Rosaceae) cv. Balaton, are cyanidin 3-glucosylrutinoside (1), cyanidin 3-rutinoside (2), and cyanidin 3-glucoside (3). Cyanidin (4) is the major anthocyanidin in tart cherries. In our continued evaluation of the in vivo and in vitro efficacy of these anthocyanins to prevent inflammation and colon cancer, we have added these compounds to McCoy's 5A medium in an effort to identify their degradation products during in vitro cell culture studies. This resulted in the isolation and characterization of protocatechuic acid (5), the predominant degradation product. In addition, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (6) and 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid (7) were identified as degradation products. However, these degradation products were not quantified. Compounds 5-7 were also identified as degradation products when anthocyanins were subjected to varying pH and thermal conditions. In cyclooxygenase (COX)-I and -II enzyme inhibitory assays, compounds 5-7 did not show significant activities when compared to the NSAIDs Naproxen, Celebrex, and Vioxx, or Ibuprofen, at 50 microM concentrations. However, at a test concentration of 50 microM, the antioxidant activity of protocatechuic acid (5) was comparable to those of the commercial antioxidants tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and superior to that of vitamin E at 10 microM concentrations.
The Formation of Pd Nanocrystals from Pd2(dba)3 Microcrystals

As-grown platelets formed from tris-(dibenzylideneacetone) dipalladium(0) [Pd2(dba)3] precursor in the presence of Pd17 RNA are investigated before and after thermal annealing. Results show that as-grown platelets are disordered crystals of Pd2(dba)3 containing 1−2 nm Pd clusters and platelets grown in the absence of RNA are morphologically and structurally similar to those formed with RNA. The initially formed crystals are so sensitive to environmental variables that the degree of crystallinity can not be determined accurately by electron diffraction. X-ray crystallography on as-grown platelets gives a crystal structure consistent with Pd2(dba)3, but reveals a composition of ≈Pd1.07(dba)3, indicating one Pd atom in Pd2(dba)3 is lost from the structure. Both electron beam and thermally induced decomposition of as-grown Pd2(dba)3 platelets having a hexagonal habit on the micrometer scale produces elemental Pd platelets having a hexagonal habit on the nanometer scale. These hexagonal platelets are composed of a partially sparse form of Pd2(dba)3 that is initially crystalline but rapidly degrades due to the loss of Pd atoms from organic ligand cages. Once released, Pd atoms aggregate to form Pd clusters, which grow and transform into well-formed Pd nanocrystals under electron-beam irradiation or through thermal annealing.
Evolutionary genomics of dog domestication

We review the underlying principles and tools used in genomic studies of domestic dogs aimed at understanding the genetic changes that have occurred during domestication. We show that there are two principle modes of evolution within dogs. One primary mode that accounts for much of the remarkable diversity of dog breeds is the fixation of discrete mutations of large effect in individual lineages that are then crossed to various breed groupings. This transfer of mutations across the dog evolutionary tree leads to the appearance of high phenotypic diversity that in actuality reflects a small number of major genes. A second mechanism causing diversification involves the selective breeding of dogs within distinct phenotypic or functional groups, which enhances specific group attributes such as heading or tracking. Such progressive selection leads to a distinct genetic structure in evolutionary trees such that functional and phenotypic groups cluster genetically. We trace the origin of the nuclear genome in dogs based on haplotype-sharing analyses between dogs and gray wolves and show that contrary to previous mtDNA analyses, the nuclear genome of dogs derives primarily from Middle Eastern or European wolves, a result more consistent with the archeological record. Sequencing analysis of the IGF1 gene, which has been the target of size selection in small breeds, further supports this conclusion. Finally, we discuss how a black coat color mutation that evolved in dogs has transformed North American gray wolf populations, providing a first example of a mutation that appeared under domestication and selectively swept through a wild relative.
A comparison of 2 rehabilitation programs in the treatment of acute hamstring strains.

Study Design Prospective randomized comparison of 2 rehabilitation programs. Objectives The objectives of this study were to compare the effectiveness of 2 rehabilitation programs for acute hamstring strain by evaluating time needed to return to sports and reinjury rate during the first 2 weeks and the first year after return to sport. A third objective was to investigate the relationship between functional testing performance and time to return to sports and reinjury rates after return to sport. Background Hamstring muscle strains are common in sports and often result in chronic pain, recurrent hamstring strains, and reduced sports performance. Current rehabilitation programs are primarily developed anecdotally and lack support from prospective, randomized research. Methods and Measures Twenty-four athletes with an acute hamstring strain were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 rehabilitation groups. Eleven athletes were assigned to a protocol consisting of static stretching, isolated progressive hamstring resis...
Calculation of polarization

It has been argued that a recent advance in the theory of polarization implies that Clausius-Mossotti type models of polarization, which express polarization in terms of the dipole moments of overlapping atomiclike densities, are fundamentally flawed. Here we show the argument is unjustified.
I. The catalytic decomposition of tetraethyllead by copper(I). Acetolysis of alkylcopper(I) intermediates

Abstract The decomposition of tetraethyllead is strongly catalyzed by copper(I) species in acetic acid. Ethane and triethyllead acetate are formed in stoichiometric amounts. The kinetics are first order in tetraethyllead and Cu I but reach limiting values of the latter due to the partial solubility of Cu I acetate. The different kinetic isotope effects for the uncatalyzed and the copper-catalyzed, acetolysis indicates that the latter occurs via a metastable intermediate. A mechanism is proposed in which alkyl transfer from tetraalkylead to Cu I is rate-limiting. The subsequent rapid protonolysis of the alkylcopper intermediate is discussed.
Grandparents of Grandchildren With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Influences on Engagement

This study of grandparent involvement was embedded in the context of technology workshops offered for young children with autism spectrum disorders. This research was intergenerationally focused and actively included grandparents as part of the program design. Fourteen grandparents of the seven students involved in the workshops were interviewed about their relationship with their grandchild with autism spectrum disorders, and we examined the differing levels of grandparent engagement with their grandchildren. Content analysis of transcribed one-to-one interviews with the grandparents indicated there was a range of engagement, with some grandparents being actively engaged while others were less engaged with their grandchildren with autism spectrum disorders and their activities. Implications for future research and intergenerational programs are discussed especially in the context of grandparenting grandchildren with autism spectrum disorders.
Distinction between papillary thyroid hyperplasia and papillary thyroid carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin 19, galectin-3, and HBME-1

The histopathology of papillary thyroid hyperplasia and papillary thyroid carcinoma is similar enough to cause a diagnostic dilemma in a few cases. Both lesions may have papillary fronds with fibrovascular cores, nuclear crowding, and nuclear anisocytosis. Formalin- fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from 30 randomly selected patients with papillary thyroid hyperplasia and an equal number from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were analyzed for expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), galectin-3, and HBME-1. Cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma had moderate to strong CK19, galectin-3, and HBME-1 reactivity although both CK19 and galectin-3 showed positive staining in a significant number of nonneoplastic thyroid cases. HBME-1 was uncommon in the nonneoplastic cases. These results indicate that HBME-1 may be useful in helping to distinguish papillary thyroid carcinoma from hyperplasia in diagnostically difficult cases.
Career Satisfaction in Emergency Medicine: The ABEM Longitudinal Study of Emergency Physicians

Study objective The primary objective of this study is to measure career satisfaction among emergency physicians participating in the 1994, 1999, and 2004 American Board of Emergency Medicine Longitudinal Study of Emergency Physicians. The secondary objectives are to determine factors associated with high and low career satisfaction and burnout. Methods This was a secondary analysis of a cohort database created with stratified, random sampling of 1,008 emergency physicians collected in 1994, 1999, and 2004. The survey consisted of 25 questions on professional interests, attitudes, and goals; 17 questions on training, certification, and licensing; 36 questions on professional experience; 4 questions on well-being and leisure activities; and 8 questions about demographics. Data were analyzed with a descriptive statistics and panel series regression modeling (Stata/SE 9.2 for Windows). Questions relating to satisfaction were scored with a 5-point Likert-like scale, with 1=not satisfied and 5=very satisfied. Questions relating to stress and burnout were scored with a 5-point Likert-like scale, with 1=not a problem and 5=serious problem. During analysis, answers to the questions "Overall, how satisfied are you with your career in emergency medicine?" "How much of a problem is stress in your day-to-day work for pay?" "How much of a problem is burnout in your day-to-day work for pay?" were further dichotomized to high levels (4, 5) and low levels (1, 2). Results Response rates from the original cohort were 94% (945) in 1994, 82% (823) in 1999, and 76% (771) in 2004. In 2004, 65.2% of emergency physicians reported high career satisfaction (4, 5), whereas 12.7% of emergency physicians reported low career satisfaction (1, 2). The majority of respondents (77.4% in 1994, 80.6% in 1999, 77.4% in 2004) stated that emergency medicine has met or exceeded their career expectations. Despite overall high levels of career satisfaction, one-third of respondents (33.4% in 1994, 31.3% in 1999, 31% in 2004) reported that burnout was a significant problem. Conclusion Overall, more than half of emergency physicians reported high levels of career satisfaction. Although career satisfaction has remained high among emergency physicians, concern about burnout is substantial.
Solid-state laser intensity stabilization at the 10(-8) level.

A high-power, low-noise photodetector, in conjunction with a current shunt actuator, is used in an ac-coupled servo to stabilize the intensity of a 10^-W cw Nd:YAG laser. A relative intensity noise of 1×10^-8 Hz^-1/2 at 10 Hz is achieved.
Post coat delay effects on chemically amplified resists and storage condition impacts

Critical dimension (CD) requirements are continually tightening for mask manufacturing for mean to target and uniformity control as advanced technology nodes are introduced. In addition, the CD repeatability of structures relevant to optical proximity correction is also becoming more critical with each advancing node. Chemically amplified resists commonly in use in the mask industry are sensitive to post coat delay (PCD), storage and handling conditions, and environmental contaminants. In this paper, the CD sensitivity of a commonly used photoresist is characterized as a function of post coat delay. The impact to average CD, uniformity, linearity, thru pitch, clear to dark, and e-beam proximity effect are all examined. An analysis of post develop resist thickness loss is presented to supplement the understanding of CD uniformity behavior. In addition, the impact of several storage scenarios is evaluated including storage in a sealed foil bag, an unsealed dry nitrogen environment, and storage boxes made from two different materials. The impact of storage conditions on CD uniformity is critical and is shown to be strongly influenced by the choice of material for the containers and the storage environment.
Effect of a model of canine jejunoileal orthotopic autotransplantation on jejunal and ileal transport of water and electrolytes.

Canine jejunoileal transplantation induces an early profuse watery diarrhea of uncertain etiology. Our aim was to determine the temporal effects of a canine model of jejunoileal autotransplantation (a model devoid of confounding effects of ischemia-reperfusion or immune rejection) on basal jejunal and ileal absorption of water and electrolytes to determine if impaired absorption is responsible for the diarrhea. Our hypothesis was that net absorption of water and electrolytes in an enterically isolated loop would decrease after jejunoileal transplantation. Four groups of dogs (N ≥ 6) were prepared with 80-cm modified Thiry-Vella loops: group I, neurally intact jejunum; group II, autotransplanted jejunum; group III, neurally intact ileum; and group IV, autotransplanted ileum. The loops were perfused for 3 hr with 150 mM NaCl at 3 ml/min under fasted conditions; transit time through the loop was determined by bolus of a nonabsorbable marker. Dogs were studied on three separate days at one, two, eight, and nine weeks postoperatively. Net absorptive fluxes of water and electrolytes and transit times were similar (P>0.05) between neurally intact and autotransplant groups (group I vs II and group III vs IV) at each time point. Ileal loops absorbed more than jejunal loops, and transit was slower in ileal loops (eachP<0.05). Our findings suggest that, despite the obligate disruption of extrinsic innervation, enteric (intrinsic) neural continuity, and lymphatic drainage that accompanies this canine model of jejunoileal autotransplantation, net basal absorptive function of water and electrolytes during the fasted state was not decreased nor was transit altered either in jejunum or ileum. These findings have important implications for clinical small intestinal transplantation in man.
Targeted disruption of the p50 subunit of NF-κB leads to multifocal defects in immune responses

Abstract NF-κB, a heterodimeric transcription factor composed of p50 and p65 subunits, can be activated in many cell types and is thought to regulate a wide variety of genes involved in immune function and development. Mice lacking the p50 subunit of NF-κB show no developmental abnormalities, but exhibit multifocal defects in immune responses involving B lymphocytes and nonspecific responses to infection. B cells do not proliferate in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide and are defective in basal and specific antibody production. Mice lacking p50 are unable effectively to clear L. monocytogenes and are more susceptible to infection with S. pneumoniae, but are more resistant to infection with murine encephalomyocarditis virus. These data support the role of NF-κB as a vital transcription factor for both specific and nonspecific immune responses, but do not indicate a developmental role for the factor.
Distributed phase-sensitive amplification

We propose a phase-sensitive amplifier scheme that balances fiber loss and parametric gain everywhere in a fiber span. We show that, for long links, such a distributed phase-sensitive amplifier has a 3-dB lower noise figure than an ideal distributed phase-insensitive amplifier (e.g. Raman), even if simple direct detection is employed. This sets the ultimate limit for the optimum noise-nonlinearity trade-off in transmission systems.
A system engineering approach: Integrating technology into the classroom-based curriculum

Technology has become ubiquitous in the 21st Century, touching almost every aspect of our lives, our business and consumer activities, and our communications in professional, social, political and cultural communities. Yet it is still far from an easy task to integrate technology into curriculum design and development for enhanced classroom-based student learning. The integration of technology in the classroom-based curriculum has been random, ad hoc, isolated, and teacher-centered. The Learning System Engineering model used to develop online courses is instrumental as how to integrate technology in the online curriculum. However, the classroom-based higher education curriculum poses much more challenges than the online curriculum because the former has face-to-face classroom activities makes technology integration in the classroom-based curriculum in addition to online components. This paper will explore the use of the system engineering approach to integrating technology into developing the classroom-based higher education curriculum development that pays due attention to the online learning environments but goes far beyond them.
Corrosion Fatigue Crack Initiation in Aluminum Alloys 7075 and 7050

Abstract Mechanisms of corrosion fatigue crack initiation by pitting in high-strength, 7000-series aluminum alloys were studied. The alloys used were Al 7075-T7351 (UNSA97075) and Al 7050-T7451 (UN...
Sensitization of Actinomyces naeslundii and Streptococcus sanguis in biofilms and suspensions to acid damage by fluoride and other weak acids

Fluoride and other weak acids, such as benzoate, indomethacin, salicylate and sorbate, were found to be sensitizers for acid killing of cells of Actinomyces naeslundii ATCC 19246 and Streptococcus sanguis NCTC 10904 in suspensions or in mono-organism biofilms on glass slides. These bacteria are among the more acid-sensitive organisms from dental plaque and were killed when acidified to pH values between 3.5 and 4.0. Biofilm cells were more resistant than cells in suspensions, especially in terms of the fraction of the initial population surviving acidification. The mechanism for sensitization to acid killing by fluoride and the other weak acids involved enhanced transmembrane transport of protons, reflected by increases in measured proton permeabilities of the cells. Thus, the weak acids thwarted the functions of F(H+)-ATPases in extruding protons and protecting cells against acid damage. Fluoride sensitization of biofilms or cells in suspensions to acid damage occurred rapidly. There was a delay in sensitization of biofilms by indomethacin and higher molecular weight acids which was interpreted in terms of diffusion limitation of sensitizer penetration. Overall, it seemed that weak-acid sensitization to acid killing is a general phenomenon that occurs not just for oral bacteria but also for organisms in food, soil, and other acidified environments.
Brain imaging research in autism spectrum disorders: in search of neuropathology and health across the lifespan.

Purpose of reviewAdvances in brain imaging research in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are rapidly occurring, and the amount of neuroimaging research has dramatically increased over the past 5 years. In this review, advances during the past 12 months and longitudinal studies are highlighted.Recent f
Reliability and validity of breast cancer screening belief scales in African American women.

The purpose of this study was to describe the psychometric development of culturally sensitive scales to measure beliefs related to mammography and breast self-examination screening. Health Belief Model constructs of susceptibility, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy were refined from previously existing instruments to reflect cultural sensitivity. A total of 329 African American women 45 to 64 years of age were included in the sample. Construct validity was tested using confirmatory factor analysis and testing of theoretical hypotheses. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients ranged from .65 to .90, and test-retest reliability ranged from .40 to .68.
The molecular evolutionary basis of species formation

Recently, several new speciation genes have been identified that have contributed to our understanding of the molecular details of the evolution of hybrid dysfunction. This Progress article describes examples of these speciation genes in a range of species and provides insights into the mechanisms that underlie speciation.
Effects of cost sharing in health insurance on disability days

We assess how cost sharing for medical services affects restricted activity days (RADs) and work loss disability days (WLDs), using data from a controlled experiment. We grouped the experimental insurance plans into four categories, one providing free care and the other three requiring varying amounts of cost sharing. RADs per person per year decreased by one to two days with greater cost sharing, with the strongest effects among those of average or poor health status, especially the non-poor. Unlike RADs, WLDs showed no systematic differences by plan.
A Great University Makes for a Great Department

In the March 2004 Perspectives on Politics Gabriel Almond, Kristen Renwick Monroe, and Michael Neblo discuss what made the Chicago Political Science Department of the 1920s great. I believe that my distinguished friend and erstwhile colleague, Gabriel Almond, set this important discussion off on a misleading note by talking about a Chicago school of politics, thus inducing an unconvincing discussion of what the leading figures of the department supposedly had in common. The character of the university and the innovative work of its leaders did indeed make the department great. But collective greatness does not in itself constitute a school. In addition to his work in political science, Morton A. Kaplan has published in philosophy.
Guanylate Cyclase: Inhibition by Light in Retinal Photoreceptors

Guanylate cyclase activity of retinal rod outer segments was measured by an assay procedure that minimizes the technical problems caused by the high activity of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase in neural tissue. Cyclase activity in rods is significantly higher than in brain. Moreover, activity is two-fold higher in dark-adapted rods than in light-bleached rods, a sensitivity that is lost when the preparation is treated with detergent.
Positron annihilation studies of multilayer methane physisorbed on graphite at 77 K

Abstract Positron annihilation lifetime and Doppler broadening energy spectra have been measured in methane physisorbed on grafoil surfaces at 77 K as a function of surface coverage (0 to 4.2 monolayers). Both surface positron lifetime and Doppler broadening S (central) parameters vary as a function of coverage. A significant increase of positronium formation is observed at coverages between one and two monolayers. The variations of positron annihilation data characterize the surface structural defect formation due to the presence of adsorbates. Applications of positron annihilation spectroscopy to study various physisorption phenomena, such as structure and phases, are discussed.
A search for the production of direct leptons in nucleon-nucleus and nucleus-nucleus collisions

This report discusses the following topics: subthreshold production experiment; testing and selection of PCOS amplifiers; transverse energy detector; development of a sensitive new amplifiers; single-lepton experiment. (LSP)
Reflexivity and the sup of linear functionals

A relatively easy proof is given for the known theorem that a Banach space is reflexive if and only if each continuous linear functional attains its sup on the unit ball. This proof simplifies considerably for separable spaces and can be extended to give a proof that a boundedw-closed subsetX of a complete locally convex linear topological space isw-compact if and only if each continuous linear functional attains its sup onX.
The Undiagnosed Pleural Effusion

The most common causes for undiagnosed transudative effusions are congestive heart failure and hepatic hydrothorax. Pleural fluid N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide levels higher than 1500 pg/mL are virtually diagnostic of congestive heart failure. The most common causes for undiagnosed exudative pleural effusions are malignancy, pulmonary embolism, and tuberculosis. Clinical characteristics of patients with a malignant pleural effusion are symptoms for more than 1 month, absence of fever, blood-tinged pleural fluid, and CT findings suggestive of malignancy. Thoracoscopy is useful to establish the diagnosis of malignancy and tuberculosis.
Hysteretic models with stiffness and strength degradation in a mathematical programming format

Abstract In this paper, we present several hysteretic models formulated using an energy approach. In each case, the behavior of the model is completely described by specifying two scalar-valued functions—a stored energy function and a dissipation potential. Consequently, different types of mathematical programs arise in incremental non-linear analyses involving these models. It is relatively well-known how classical plasticity models can be described using an energy approach, and lead to mathematical programming problems. However, in this paper, we demonstrate that plasticity models with non-associated flow rules, softening plasticity or strength degradation models, and damage or stiffness degradation models can be represented in this framework as well. The energy approach serves to unify formulation and implementation of a broad class of hysteretic models. In addition, it helps motivate regularization strategies needed in optimization and inverse problems. The types of models considered in this paper are ones commonly applied in earthquake engineering. MATLAB implementations are included as online supplemental data with this paper to illustrate the conceptual simplicity of implementing models formulated using this approach.
Stimulus Characteristics of Marihuana Components

THE effects of certain drugs are sufficiently strong and distinctive for animals to learn differential responses solely on the basis of whether they are in the drug or control condition1. Tests with lower doses of the same drug can establish the threshold for this discriminative response, and tests with other compounds can be used to determine the similarity or dissimilarity of their subjective effects. We have used this method for characterizing the pharmacological actions of Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ1-THC), which is reported to be the major psychoactive constituent of marihuana2–3.
A mixed formulation of a sharp interface model of stokes flow with moving contact lines

Two-phase fluid flows on substrates (i .e . wetting phenomena) are important in many industrial processes, such as micro-fluidics and coating flows. These flows include additional physical effects that occur near moving (three-phase) contact lines. We present a new 2-D variational (saddle-point) formulation of a Stokesian fluid with surface tension that interacts with a rigid substrate. The model is derived by an Onsager type principle using shape differential calculus (at the sharp-interface, front-tracking level) and allows for moving contact lines and contact angle hysteresis and pinning through a variational inequality. Moreover, the formulation can be extended to include non-linear contact line motion models. We prove the well-posedness of the time semi-discrete system and fully discrete method using appropriate choices of finite element spaces. A formal energy law is derived for the semi-discrete and fully discrete formulations and preliminary error estimates are also given. Simulation results are presented for a droplet in multiple configurations to illustrate the method.
The Community Reinvestment Act and Targeted Mortgage Lending

We analyze residential mortgage lending by banks in periods surrounding upgrades or downgrades in their ratings under the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Empirical results indicate that upgraded banks had higher relative levels of lending than did downgraded banks prior to ratings changes. Additionally, both downgraded and upgraded banks increased lending following implementation of reforms to the CRA in the 1990s, which were intended to more closely align rating assessment with lending outcomes. Little support is provided, on the other hand, for a hypothesis that banks respond to downgrades by increasing lending (despite apparent incentives for them to do so).
Cooperation and Accountability After the Feeney Amendment

Part of the Law Commons Publication Information Published as Michael M. O’Hear, Cooperation and Accountability After the Feeney Amendment, 16 Fed. Sent’g Rep. 102 (2003). © 2003 by the Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Vera Institute of Justice. Copying and permissions notice: Authorization to copy this content beyond fair use (as specified in Sections 107 and 108 of the U. S. Copyright Law) for internal or personal use, or the internal or personal use of specific clients, is granted by the Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Vera Institute of Justice for libraries and other users, provided that they are registered with and pay the specified fee via Rightslink® on Caliber (http://caliber.ucpress.net/) or directly with the Copyright Clearance Center, http://www.copyright.com.
Delay-dependent guaranteed cost control for T-S fuzzy descriptor systems with time delays

This paper concerns on the problem of delay-dependent guaranteed cost control for a class of nonlinear descriptor delay systems which can be represented by the Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy descriptor models with time-varying delays. A quadratic cost function is used as a guaranteed performance index. Based on the delay-dependent Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional approach, sufficient conditions for the existence of guaranteed cost controllers via state feedback are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The upper bound of time-delays can be obtained by solving a convex optimization problem such that the system can be stabilized for all time-delays whose sizes are not larger than the bound. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Cytoplasmic LEK1 is a regulator of microtubule function through its interaction with the LIS1 pathway.

LIS1 and nuclear distribution gene E (NudE) are partner proteins in a conserved pathway regulating the function of dynein and microtubules. Here, we present data that cytoplasmic LEK1 (cytLEK1), a large protein containing a spectrin repeat and multiple leucine zippers, is a component of this pathway through its direct interaction with NudE, as determined by a yeast two-hybrid screen. We identified the binding domains in each molecule, and coimmunoprecipitation and colocalization studies confirmed the specificity of the interaction between cytLEK1 and NudE. Confocal deconvolution analysis revealed that cytLEK1 exhibits colocalization with endogenous NudE and with the known NudE binding partners, LIS1 and dynein. By localizing the NudE-binding domain of cytLEK1 to a small domain within the molecule, we were able to disrupt cytLEK1 function by using a dominant negative approach in addition to LEK1 knockdown and, thus, examine the role of the cytLEK1–NudE interaction in cells. Consistent with a defect in the LIS1 pathway, disruption of cytLEK1 function resulted in alteration of microtubule organization and cellular shape. The microtubule network of cells became tightly focused around the nucleus and resulted in a rounded cell shape. Additionally, cells exhibited a severe inability to repolymerize their microtubule networks after nocodazole challenge. Taken together, our studies revealed that cytLEK1 is essential for cellular functions regulated by the LIS1 pathway.
Advancements in NASA balloon research and development

Abstract A comprehensive balloon research and development (R&D) plan was developed by NASA in 1986 and implemented in 1987. The objectives are to develop the understanding of balloon system performance, limitations, and failure mechanisms. The program consists of five major technical areas: structures, performance and analysis, materials, chemistry and processing, and quality control. Research activities are being conducted at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)/Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), other NASA centers and government facilities, universities, and the private sector. Significant technical advances have been made in the structural design and analysis of balloons, vertical flight performance modeling, materials characterization, materials development and processing, and the development of automated flight control hardware and software. This has resulted in new balloon designs with increased capabilities with improved flight control. The recent findings, new capabilities, and plans for the NASA Balloon R&D Program will be presented.
Mechanisms of secondary nucleation in agitated crystallizers

Experiments were designed to identify the mechanism of the secondary nucleation of ice in a vigorously agitated crystallizer. It has been shown that the nucleation rate is proportional to the product of two factors, one characterizing crystal morphology and the other the rate of removal of potential nuclei from the surfaces of the existing crystals. Consequently, the nucleation rate attributable to different mechanisms is additive and the rate is proportional to the number of collisions per crystal. The contribution to the secondary nucleation of ice, by collisions of crystals with the impeller, baffles, and other crystals in an agitated crystallizer have been identified by measurements in a batch crystallizer in which each of the different collision mechanisms could be suppressed.