cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Combat Vehicle Engine Selection Methodology Based On Vehicle Integration Considerations

Abstract : Past experience has shown that the power density of an engine itself is not a sufficient guide to determine whether it will meet the power density needs of the intended combat vehicle application. The real need is for the complete propulsion system to be power dense. Here the definition of the propulsion system includes the engine, transmission, cooling system, air filtration system, intake and exhaust ducting, controls, accessories, batteries, fuel system and final drives. The power pack is a subset of the propulsion system and consists of that part of the propulsion system that would be lifted out of the vehicle for service or replacement and would typically consist of at least the engine, and transmission, cooling system, and power pack controls and ideally would also include the air filtration system and accessory drives.
Patterns of increased brain activity indicative of pain in a rat model of peripheral mononeuropathy

Regional changes in brain neural activity were examined in rats with painful peripheral mononeuropathy (chronic constrictive injury, CCI) by using the fully quantitative 14C-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) autoradiographic technique to measure local glucose utilization rate. CCI rats used in the experiment exhibited demonstrable thermal hyperalgesia and spontaneous pain behaviors 10 d after sciatic nerve ligation when the 2-DG experiment was carried out. In the absence of overt peripheral stimulation, reliable increases in 2-DG metabolic activity were observed in CCI rats as compared to sham-operated rats within extensive brain regions that have been implicated in supraspinal nociceptive processing. These brain regions included cortical somatosensory areas, cingulate cortex, amygdala, ventral posterolateral thalamic nucleus, posterior thalamic nucleus, hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, central gray matter, deep layers of superior colliculus, pontine reticular nuclei, locus coeruleus, parabrachial nucleus, gigantocellular reticular nucleus, and paragigantocellular nucleus. The increase in 2-DG metabolic activity was bilateral in most brain regions of CCI rats. However, somatosensory regions within the thalamus and the cerebral cortex were activated in CCI rats. High levels of 2-DG metabolic activity were observed within the cortical hind limb area, ventral posterolateral thalamic nucleus, and posterior thalamic nucleus contralateral to the ligated sciatic nerve, and these levels were higher than ipsilateral corresponding regions in CCI rats. In addition, patterns of increased neural activity found in the brain of CCI rats showed some similarities and differences to those found in the brain of rats exposed to acute nociception induced by noxious heat or formalin stimulation. Thus, these CCI-induced spontaneous increases in neural activity within extensive brain regions of CCI rats previously implicated in sensory-discriminative and affective-motivational dimensions of pain as well as centrifugal modulation of pain are likely to reflect brain neural processing of spontaneous pain. Implications of increased brain neural activity in mechanisms of neuropathic pain are discussed with emphasis on correlations between spatial patterns of altered brain neural activity and pain-related behaviors in CCI rats and clinical symptoms in neuropathic pain patients.
Optimal merging of point sources extracted from Spitzer Space Telescope data in multiple infrared passbands versus simple general source association

For collating point-source flux measurements derived from multiple infrared passbands of Spitzer-Space-Telescope data – e.g., channels 1-4 of the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and channels 1-3 of the Multiband Imaging Pho- tometer for Spitzer (MIPS) – it is best to use the ‘bandmerge’ software developed at the Spitzer Science Center rather than the relatively simple method of general source association (GSA). The former method uses both source positions and positional uncertainties to form a chi-squared statistic that can be thresholded for optimal matching, while the latter method finds nearest neighbors across bands that fall within a user-specified radius of the primary source. Our assertion is supported by our study of completeness (C) vs. reliability (R) for the two methods, which involved MIPS-24/IRAC-1 matches in the SWIRE Chandra Deep Field South. Both methods can achieve C = 98%, but with R = 92.7% for GSA vs. R = 97.4% for bandmerge. With almost a factor of three lower in unreliability (1 − R), bandmerge is the clear winner of this comparison.
A Viral On/Off Switch for Interferon

Viral infection induces production of antiviral proteins called interferons by cells of the innate immune system. In a Perspective, [Williams and Sen][1] discuss new work ([ Sharma et al .][2]) that identifies two kinases, which activate the transcription factor IRF3 responsible for switching on interferon synthesis. In addition, the authors discuss another study ([ Foy et al .][3]) identifying a serine protease in hepatitis C virus that is able to switch off IRF3 activation and thus block interferon production. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5622/1100 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/300/5622/1148 [3]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/300/5622/1145
Effects of vitamin A deficiency on the ocular surface

Vitamin A deficiency remains an important cause of ocular morbidity among patients with chronic liver disease and lipid malabsorption, and is a major cause of blindness in developing countries. Early ocular surface changes include keratinization of the conjunctiva and development of superficial punctate keratopathy. More severe deficiency results in corneal keratinization, ulceration, and necrosis. Vitamin A is necessary for normal differentiation of nonsquamous epithelium; keratinization is a direct consequence of its deficiency. Exposure exacerbates the process and surface phenomena, especially localized drying from loss of mucus-secreting goblet cells, reduced aqueous tear production, and irregularities of the keratinized surface may all contribute to stromal melting, which can occur in the absence of inflammatory infiltration or bacterial invasion. Surface abnormalities respond rapidly to systemic vitamin A. Significantly, corneal changes disappear long before the reappearance of goblet cells. Inflammation sometimes masks or reverses the xerotic process.
High-efficiency microwave and millimeter-wave electro-optical modulation with whispering-gallery resonators

We present electro-optic modulator based on toroidal lithium niobate cavity with whispering-gallery modes, superimposed with stripline resonator. With microwave resonance (quality-factor Q ~ 102) tuned to the free spectral range of optical modes (Q ~ 5x106), controlling power Â10mW is achieved in 9GHz prototype, and preliminary results with 33GHz prototype are obtained. Further efficiency improvement will enable various applications in microwave photonics.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Increased Neuronal β-Amyloid Precursor Protein Expression in Human Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Association with Interleukin-1α Immunoreactivity

Levels of immunoreactive beta-amyloid precursor protein and interleukin-1 alpha were found to be elevated in surgically resected human temporal lobe tissue from patients with intractable epilepsy compared with postmortem tissue from neurologically unaffected patients (controls). In tissue from epileptics, the levels of the 135-kDa beta-amyloid precursor protein isoform were elevated to fourfold (p 0.05) were not different from control values. beta-Amyloid precursor protein-immunoreactive neurons were 16 times more numerous, and their cytoplasm and proximal processes were more intensely immunoreactive in tissue sections from epileptics than controls (133 +/- 12 vs. 8 +/- 3/mm2; p < 0.001). However, neither beta-amyloid precursor protein-immunoreactive dystrophic neurites nor beta-amyloid deposits were found in this tissue. Interleukin-1 alpha-immunoreactive cells (microglia) were three times more numerous in epileptics than in controls (80 +/- 8 vs. 25 +/- 5/mm2; p < 0.001), and these cells were often found adjacent to beta-amyloid precursor protein-immunoreactive neuronal cell bodies. Our findings, together with functions established in vitro for interleukin-1, suggest that increased expression of this protein contributes to the increased levels of beta-amyloid precursor protein in epileptics, thus indicating a potential role for both of these proteins in the neuronal dysfunctions, e.g., hyperexcitability, characteristic of epilepsy.
Rational Design of a Novel Mononuclear Rhodium(II) Complex

Reaction of rhodium(I) with a multidentate hemilabile bisphosphine ligand yields a two-legged piano-stool complex whose steric and electronic factors stabilize rhodium(II) upon chemical oxidation. The inherent stabilizing properties of the ligand system allow for the first structural isolation of a novel mononuclear organometallic rhodium(II) complex in a two-legged piano-stool geometry.
TAPERED WIGGLER FREE ELECTRON LASERS DRIVEN BY NON-MONOENERGETIC ELECTRON BEAMS

Theoretical results are presented for two distinct but related problems, both involving the excitation of a tapered wiggler FEL by nonmonoenergetic electron beams : (I) A comparison between calculated and measured electron energy spectra for the Los Alamos tapered wiggler FEL amplifier experiment is given. Using the measured incident electron distribution and wiggler parameters, calculated electron energy distributions after interaction with the optical and wiggler fields are compared with measured data as a function of the mean energy of the incident beam. Best agreement is found in the region of maximum extraction efficiency. (II) Calculations of oscillator performance of a tapered wiggler FEL excited by 10 ps electron beam pulse are presented. Results for a monoenergetic electron beam are compared to those for an initial beam having a .5% energy spread. The laser is operated in a high cavity loss regime. This leads to less severely modulated optical pulses due to lower steady state intensities and decreased growth of sideband frequencies. The desynchronism curve for the monoenergetic case is found to be the slightly wider one, as expected from the depression of the small signal gain for a nonmonoenergetic electron beam. High intensity properties are very similar for the two cases.
Pathologic features from prostate needle biopsy and prognosis after I-125 brachytherapy.

To evaluate the role of detailed pathologic features in predicting outcome for early-stage prostate cancer treated with I-125 brachytherapy. The pretreatment biopsy slides of 103 patients with T1/T2 and Gleason scores of 4–7 prostatic carcinoma, which was treated by transperineal I-125 implantation, were reviewed retrospectively by a single pathologist (P.B.G.). Biochemical tumor control rates [prostate-specific antigen (PSA) below 1.0] were correlated with pretreatment PSA, Gleason score, the amount of tumor in the biopsy samples, and the presence of perineural invasion.In Cox proportional-hazard, multivariate analysis, the strongest predictors of failure were pretreatment PSA above 10 ng/ml (P = 0.013) and the length of the biopsy specimen replaced by tumor (P = 0.15). The percent of biopsy tissue replaced by tumor (P = 0. 74), perineural invasion (P = 0.78), and Gleason score (P = 0.66) were less predictive of prognosis. It was concluded that pretreatment PSA is the strongest predictor of biochemical failure. Detailed assessment of pathological features on needle biopsy added little prognostic information beyond that of pretreatment PSA alone. Like all other prognostic parameters for prostate cancer, there is considerable overlap in pathologic features between those patients who will or will not be controlled biochemically. Radiat. Oncol. Invest. 6:170–174, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Texture development and strain hysteresis in a NiTi shape-memory alloy during thermal cycling under load

Thermal cycling experiments were conducted on a NiTi shape-memory alloy at different constant applied stresses below the yield strength of the martensite. The mechanical strain response manifested as strain hysteresis loops, whose range was proportional to the applied stress. In situ neutron diffraction experiments show that the strain hysteresis occurs as a result of the establishment of a stress-dependent crystallographic texture of the martensite during the first cool-down from austenite, and thereafter repeated during thermal cycling under the same load. This texture is found to depend on the stress during the thermal cycling experiments. A strain-pole map is derived and shown to explain the observed texture during thermal cycling. The strain-pole methodology is shown to work with similar martensitic transformations in other material systems.
Long-term consequences of early iron deficiency in the rat.

A period of severe early iron deficiency (birth to 28 days of age) produced a persistent deficit (22%) in brain non-heme iron in adult rehabilitated animals. Long-term effects on behavior and physiological responsiveness were also observed. Although rehabilitated and control animals did not differ either in basal levels of plasma corticosterone or in the time course of the stress response following ether and cardiac puncture, possible differences in pituitary-adrenal responsiveness appeared to emerge following testing in an exploratory task. In addition, significant differences between rehabilitated and control animals were observed in both active and passive avoidance learning. Rehabilitated males made more intertrial responses than control males during active avoidance learning, and rehabilitated animals of both sexes performed better (i.e. showed longer reentry latencies) in a passive avoidance situation. It was suggested that shock may differentially affect motivation or arousal in rehabilitated and control animals.
Time, Dose and Fractionation in the Radiation Therapy of Cancer, Volume 22, Frontiers in Radiation Therapy and Oncology

(1989). Time, Dose and Fractionation in the Radiation Therapy of Cancer, Volume 22, Frontiers in Radiation Therapy and Oncology. International Journal of Radiation Biology: Vol. 55, No. 3, pp. 491-492.
Pharmacokinetics of xanthohumol and metabolites in rats after oral and intravenous administration.

Scope Xanthohumol (XN), a dietary flavonoid found in hops, may have health-protective actions against cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Yet, there are limited data on the pharmacokinetics (PK) of XN. This study provides PK parameters for XN and its major metabolites in rats. Methods and results A PK study was conducted in male jugular vein-cannulated Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats (n = 12/group) received an intravenous (IV) injection (1.86 mg/kg BW) or an oral gavage of a low (1.86 mg/kg BW), medium (5.64 mg/kg BW), or high (16.9 mg/kg BW) dose of XN. Plasma samples were analyzed for XN and its metabolites using LC-MS/MS. The maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under the curve (AUC0-96 h) of total XN (free and conjugated) were 2.9±0.1 mg/L and 2.5±0.3 h* mg/L in IV group, 0.019±0.002 mg/L and 0.84±0.17 h* mg/L in the oral low group, 0.043±0.002 mg/L and 1.03±0.12 h* mg/L in the oral medium group, and 0.15±0.01 mg/L and 2.49±0.10 h* mg/L in the oral high group. Conclusion The bioavailability of XN is dose-dependent and approximately 0.33, 0.13, and 0.11 in rats, for the low-, medium-, and high-dose groups, respectively.
Single axial mode operation of a Q -switched Nd:YAG oscillator by injection seeding

We have achieved stable Fourier transform limited single axial mode operation of an unstable resonator Nd:YAG oscillator by injection seeding of an external signal. A detailed theoretical and experimental treatment of axial mode selection via injection seeding is presented. Our study shows that the axial mode selection process in Q -switched lasers via injection seeding is quite different from the frequency locking in CW lasers via injection locking.
FUNGAL-INDUCED REDISTRIBUTION OF KRAFT LIGNIN MOLECULAR WEIGHT BY MULTI-ANGLE LASER LIGHT SCATTERING

Culture broths from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Trametes cingulata, combined with co-factors such as hydrogen peroxide, dithiothreitol, copper, iron, and manganese ions were examined for the ability to modify lignin structure. High-performance size exclusion chromatography (HP-SEC) coupled to multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detection was used to determine the effect of several white rot fungi, pH values, enzymes, and co-factors on the molecular weight distribution of treated kraft lignin. The analytical procedure tracked changes in molecular weight distribution, radius of gyration, and hydrodynamic radius. Results showed changes in the molecular weight distribution of lignin components when treated with combinations of factors. The induced cultures showed more lignin depolymerization for the specific lignin samples in which they were initially grown. The distribution in the radius of gyration became narrower with time, indicating that molecular conformation changed to a more uniform molecul...
ANN-based adaptive PI control for wind turbine with doubly fed induction generator

This paper focuses on developing a novel algorithm which dynamically optimizes the controllers of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) driven by a wind turbine (WT) to increase DFIG transient performance in all wind speed conditions. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed to optimize parameters of PI controllers of DFIG's rotor side/grid side converters (RSC/GSC) at different wind speeds in order to maximize the damping ratios of the system eigenvalues in small signal stability analysis. Based on the optimal values and the wind speed data set, an artificial neural network (ANN) is designed, trained, and it has the ability to quickly forecast the optimal values of parameters. Adaptive PI controllers (including ANN) are designed which dynamically change PI gain values according to different wind speeds. Simulation is done via PSCAD software for a single machine connected to an infinite bus (SMIB) system. The results show that the DFIG of ANN-based adaptive PI control could significantly contribute in the transient performance improvement in a wide wind speed range.
The Political Implications of Economic Stratification in the Black Community

HERE IS a tendency to see the American black community as something of a political monolith. Two decades after the passage of major civil rights legislation, black candidates for office are still primarily seen as "black" candidates and blacks are usually associated with issues of race and civil rights. These generalizations neglect significant class divisions within the American black community that have been detailed in numerous studies (see Dollard 1957; Frazier 1957; Gershman 1980; Marable 1980; Wilson 1980; among others). Not only is there evidence of the existence of a black middle class, but that middle class has grown substantially since the mid-1960s. Class stratification within the black community raises the potential for political divisions among blacks along the lines of class, resulting from differing life experiences. The potential consequences of class cleavage for political issues and for political leadership in the black community have not gone undiscussed in the past. It has been argued that the black middle class would orient itself toward "status" goals over "welfare" goals (Banfield and Wilson 1966: 298). It has also been argued that the black middle class would become "co-opted by the system" and "more benevolent" of the established order (Bachrach and Baratz 1970: 101-2), thereby influencing "the politics of millions of less affluent, less educated Blacks . . . against their best, longrun interests" (Marable 1978: 373; also see Stone 1978). Along these lines, some have even seen the rhetoric of racial politics as a cover for policies aimed primarily at the interests of the black middle class (Gershman 1980: 98-99), providing entrance into the system for those blacks with the backgrounds, the requisite skills or the educational credentials to take advantage of the opening of the system (Brown and Erie 1981: 319). William Julius Wilson, in his controversial book, The Declining Significance of Race, argues that class is gradually replacing race in influencing the "life chances of individual blacks" (Wilson 1980: 1). Relying on Wilson's premise that race is decreasingly significant, it might be expected that the attitudes and political behavior of middle class blacks would have significantly diverged from lower class blacks since the middle 1960s.
Determination of molecular weights of plant viral protein subunits by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Abstract Molecular weights of several of the more available plant viral subunits were determined by means of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in 1% sodium dodecyl sulfate and 1% mercaptoethanol in order to clarify the controversies existing in the recent literature. While the molecular weights obtained by this method disagreed in some cases with the molecular weights obtained from chemical and physiochemical data, good agreement was obtained with the few viruses whose primary structure had been extensively studied. The molecular weights ranged from 17,000 (TMV) to 42,000 (BSV). The difference in molecular weights of the proteins of potato virus X and white clover mosaic virus has been confirmed although the values differed from those based on chemical analyses.
Excess molar enthalpies and excess molar volumes for (propane + ethane) over the temperature range from 273.15 K to 373.15 K and the pressure range from 5 MPa to 15 MPa

Abstract Excess molar enthalpiesHmEfor{xC3H8+ (1 −x)C2H6} have been measured over the entire composition range except at the mole fraction extremes, atp= (5, 10, and 15) MPa andT= (273.15, 298.15, 323.15, 348.15, 363.15, 369.82, and 373.15) K. Measurements were also made atp= 12.5 MPa andT= (273.15 and 369.82) K; atp= 7.5 MPa andT= (273.15, 348.15, and 369.82) K; and atp= 6 MPa andT= 323.15 K. The critical pressures and temperatures arepc= 4.25 MPa andTc= 369.82 K for propane, andpc= 4.91 MPa andTc= 305.50 K for ethane. Thus, measurements were made at two temperatures where both components are liquid {T= (273.15 and 298.15) K}, at three temperatures where one component (C3H8) is a liquid while the other (C2H6) is a supercritical fluid {T= (323.15, 348.15, and 363.15) K}, a temperature (T= 369.82 K) at or very near the critical temperature of the propane and well above the critical temperature of ethane, and at one temperature where both components are supercritical fluids (T= 373.15 K). Excess molar volumesVmEwere measured atT= 323.15 K withp= 10 MPa, and atT= (348.15 and 363.15) K withp= (5, 10, and 15) MPa. AtT= 273.15 and 298.15) K (where both components are liquid), theHmEvalues are small and
The Cultural Defense

The Cultural Defense. By Alison Dundes Renteln. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. 416p. $45.00.While there is a burgeoning scholarly literature on such topics as cultural pluralism, ethnic diversity, and the politics of recognition, there has been relatively little systematic attention given to ways that courts can embrace or thwart the maintenance of cultural traditions. Yet, as is often the case, court cases provide concrete examples of conflicts that capture the attention of the popular press and the public. If polygamy is part of a religious or cultural tradition, can state and federal laws forbid it within the United States? If a recent immigrant to the United States belongs to a tradition that permits an “honor killing” to punish the improper sexual behavior of a female relative, to what extent is that immigrant legally culpable? Many of the cases discussed in the book present extraordinarily difficult conflicts between cultural traditions. The author should be praised for presenting them unflinchingly.
Flash Technology For Charge-Coupled-Device Imaging In The Ultraviolet

The introduction of the flash gate has made possible the fabrication of backside-illuminated CCDs with high sensitivity and stability throughout a wide range of ultraviolet and visible wavelengths (100 to 5000 A). It had been determined previously that the characteristics of the oxide layer beneath the gate are critical to the ultimate achievable CCD performance. However, by creating an improved oxide layer in conjunction with the flash gate, it is now possible to consistently produce CCDs with near-ideal UV performance. In this paper recent results and related background theory that optimize the flash gate specifically for application in the UV are presented.
Evaluation of contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging for measuring blood flow

Power Doppler ultrasound enhanced by microbubble contrast agent has been used to image tissue vascularity and blood flow for the assessment of antivascular therapies. We have proposed a multigating technique that measures bubble concentration as a function of ultrasound exposure for deriving tumor blood flow and vascularity.1 Techniques using ultrasound contrast agent are known to be sensitive to the choice of imaging parameters like mechanical index and tissue attenuation. In this paper, the roles of mechanical index (MI) and tissue attenuation were evaluated experimentally in a rubber tubing flow phantom connected to a mixing chamber and a variable speed pump. The contrast was injected in the mixing chamber and the flow rate was measured using power Doppler imaging. The measurements were repeated at different MIs (0.1 to 1.3), and at different levels of attenuation, obtained with solutions of glycerol-water (10-20%). True flow was measured by collecting liquid flowing out of the phantom over a fixed duration. At low MI ( 0.8), there was a well-defined enhancement by contrast agent resulting in reproducible flow measurements at variable MIs. A balance between the number of bubbles destroyed and the echo they generate must be achieved for optimal imaging. The increased attenuation of ultrasound by the overlying medium did not influence the flow measurements.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Spectrum Utilization in Color Television

The frequency spectrum of the 6-mc channel, now standard in the United States for black-and-white- or monochrome-television transmissions, may be utilized in several ways for the transmission of color-television images. The three sets of data associated with color-television systems may be transmitted by time-division multiplex, by frequency-division multiplex, or by combinations of these two methods. One of the latter methods, called "alternating lows," is discussed in some detail, and some of the working circuits for this method are presented.
Towards a theory for the Uranian rings

Interparticle collisions, radiation drag and differential precession all tend to disrupt the rings of Uranus. The first two effects lead to radial spreading which would disrupt a free ring in ≲ 10^8 yr. We propose that the rings are confined in radius by gravitational torques from a series of small satellites that orbit within the ring system. Differential precession tends to destroy the apse alignment of the elliptical e ring. We suggest that apse alignment is maintained by the self-gravity of the ring. The resulting mass of the e ring is ~5 × 10^(18) g. Its radial confinement requires (for example) a pair of satellites of mass ~10^(19) g, in circular orbits roughly 500 km away on either side of the ring.
Conserved Residues of the Putative L6 Loop of Escherichia coli BamA Play a Critical Role in the Assembly of β-Barrel Outer Membrane Proteins, Including That of BamA Itself

Many members of the Omp85 family of proteins form essential β-barrel outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis machinery in Gram-negative bacteria, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. In Escherichia coli, BamA, a member of the Omp85 family, folds into an outer membrane-embedded β-barrel domain and a soluble periplasmic polypeptide-transport-associated (POTRA) domain. Although the high-resolution structures of only the BamA POTRA domain of E. coli are available, the crystal structure of FhaC, an Omp85 family member and a component of the two-partner secretion system in Bordetella pertussis, suggests that the BamA β-barrel likely folds into a 16-stranded β-barrel. The FhaC β-barrel is occluded by an N-terminal α-helix and a large β-barrel loop, L6, which carries residues that are highly conserved among the Omp85 family members. Deletion of L6 in FhaC did not affect its biogenesis but abolished its secretion function. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the conserved residues of the putative L6 loop, which presumably folds back into the lumen of the BamA β-barrel like the FhaC counterpart, play an important role in OMP and/or BamA biogenesis. The conserved (641)RGF(643) residues of L6 were either deleted or replaced with alanine in various permutations. Phenotypic and biochemical characterization of various BamA L6 mutants revealed that the conserved RGF residues are critical for OMP biogenesis. Moreover, three BamA L6 alterations, ΔRGF, AAA, and AGA, produced a conditional lethal phenotype, concomitant with severely reduced BamA levels and folding defects. Thus, the conserved (641)RGF(643) residues of the BamA L6 loop are important for BamA folding and biogenesis.
Quantitative developmental studies of feline neostriatal spiny neurons

Abstract This research documents aspects of the quantitative development of the ‘medium’ spiny neuron in the kitten from 2 to 143 days of age. Using material derived from 244 Golgi-impregnated neurons in 15 kittens and with computer assistance the changes in somatic, dendritic and spine development were quantified. Although mean somatic diameter increased only slightly from 2–3 to 8–10 days of age, the proportion of neurons with large diameters increased significantly during the development period. In addition, the radius of the dendritic field of caudate spiny neurons increased significantly over the age period examined. An unexpected finding was that the number of dendrites per neuron decreased with age, probably due to a decrease in the proportion of neurons with 6 or more dendrites in animals 90–143 days of age. Growth of dendritic segments occurred throughout the age period studied. This growth was apparently caused by lengthening of all dendritic segments and this resulting increase was proportional to the initial length of the individual branches. Number of branches per dendrite and frequency of dendritic branches with different orders remained constant across age indicating that the basic dendritic branching pattern is probably set for the cat before birth. With maturation the density of spines on distal dendritic branches increased while on proximal dendritic branches spine density decreased. The time course of these quantitative changes was related to alterations in synaptogenesis and physiological changes in caudate neurons.
Metaview: a tool for learning about viewing in 3D

Metaview is an interactive tool that helps to teach concepts related to nested 3D coordinate systems, especially in the context of defining and establishing views of 3D scenes in common graphics APIs like OpenGL and Direct3D. We describe the context in which nested coordinate systems arise in the study of graphics programming, then we relate the common conceptual difficulties students typically experience when studying and trying to put this material into practice. We then describe the role that metaview plays in helping to overcome these problems. Space allows us only to describe its core uses in these areas; several of its additional features are briefly listed at the end. Metaview is packaged with a set of built-in 3D models used to demonstrate major concepts. In addition, external and/or student-programmed models are easily imported into the tool. Metaview can be run anywhere, anytime using Java Web Start. The latest released version of the tool can be executed from http://people.eecs.ku.edu/~miller/JOGL/metaview.jnlp. We are currently working on a port to OpenGL ES targeted for portable smart devices such as tablet computers.
A shorted global clock design for multi-GHz 3D stacked chips

A global clock distribution technique for 3D stacked chips where the clock tree and grid are shorted between strata is presented and compared with a DLL-based technique. Both permit at-speed testing of the strata before and after stack assembly. The shorting-based technique is implemented in a 2-strata eDRAM test chip using an IBM 45nm SOI 3D technology. Operation above 2.5GHz is measured.
Microdetermination of norepinephrine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine, and 5-hydroxytryptamine from single extracts of specific rat brain areas

The conditions reported by Toru and Aprison (4) for extracting ACh in specific brain areas were tested to determine whether 5-HT, NE, and dopamine were also extracted quantitatively. It was found that the extraction solution used in brain ACh determinations, 15% 1N formic acid plus 85% acetone (vv), was also excellent for extraction of NE, 5-HT, and dopamine from different brain areas. Experimental conditions are given for the microdetermination of all three biogenic amines in such a single extract of a specific rat brain area. The methods are based on previously published fluorometric methods; these have been scaled down or modified slightly to permit analyses of small aliquots. The concentration of 5-HT, NE, and dopamine in the telencephalon, diencephalon plus mesencephalon, pons plus medulla oblongata, and cerebellum of the rat are also reported using the described micromethods after extraction with 15% 1 N formic acid plus 85% acetone (vv).
Get ready for our galaxy's first selfie

As the Gaia space telescope prepares to launch, Stuart Clark discovers how a celestial self-portrait comprising a billion stars is set to revolutionise astronomy
Person Identification Using Text and Image Data

This paper presents a bimodal identification system using text based term vectors and EBGM face recognition. Identification was tested on a database of 118 celebrities downloaded from the internet. The dataset contained multiple images and two biographies for each person. Text based identification had a 100% identification rate for the full biographies. When the text data was artificially restricted to six sentences per subject, rank one identification rates were similar to face recognition (approx. 22%). In this restricted case, combining text identification and face identification showed a significant improvement in the identification rate over either method alone.
Calculation of stress intensity factors for interlaminar cracks in composite laminates

Abstract Owing to the oscillatory characteristics of stresses and displacements near the crack tip, individual strainenergy release rates for bimaterial interface cracks no longer exist. Strain-energy release rates for finite crack extension, Δa, are introduced. For interface cracks lying between two monoclinic media, the explicit quadratic relationships between stress intensity factors and these finite-extension strain-energy release rates are established. Very accurate stress intensity factors can be obtained by calculating these finite-extension strain-energy release rates in the finite element analysis and by using these quadratic relationships. An alternative and efficient method based on near-tip crack surface displacement ratio is also introduced to obtain these stress intensity factors. An infinite ‘two-ply’ graphite/epoxy laminate under remote uniform tension and an edge-delaminated symmetric [θ/ − θ/ − θ/θ] graphite/epoxy laminate subjected to uniform axial extension are selected for numerical investigation.
Are there Acceptable Anterior Chamber Intraocular Lenses for Clinical Use in the 1990s?: An Analysis of 4104 Explanted Anterior Chamber Intraocular Lenses

Purpose: The authors pose the question as to whether there are any anterior chamber intraocular lenses (AC IOLs) acceptable for clinical use in the 1990s. Methods: Data on the incidence and types of complications of 4104 AC IOLs that were submitted to the Center for IOL Research from 1982 to 1993 were retrieved from the laboratory database and analyzed using cumulative frequency calculations and the chi-square test. Normalized explantation rates were related to implantation rates that were derived from market-share analysis. Results: Of 4104 explanted IOLs, 50% were closed-loop designs (n = 2095/4104); 26% (1100/4104) were miscellaneous, older designs; and 22% (919/4104) were openloop lenses. The most important complications were corneal pathology (2065/4104) and inflammation (1370/4104). Closed-loop designs were responsible for almost 80% of corneal pathology, with an increasing complication rate with ongoing implant duration ( P P Conclusion: Complication rates of flexible, open-loop AC IOLs are much lower than previously assumed. They should be distinguished clearly from most older AC IOL designs. Consideration of these lenses as an alternative to sutured posterior chamber IOLs for secondary or exchange implantation may be warranted for selected clinical indications. They also could provide an alternative to the aphakic spectacle rehabilitation program in developing countries, which will have a positive impact on the overwhelming backlog of patients with cataract in the underprivileged world.
Fluid-structure interaction in Morison's equation for the design of offshore structures

Abstract A simplified model of a steel jacket structure is used in a nonlinear time history dynamic analysis with a view to examining the influence of interaction damping. It is found that, for certain combinations of wave and structural parameters, the response amplitudes are significantly dependent on the inclusion of relative velocity and acceleration terms in Morison's equation. Thus, it is possible to estimate, from the mathematical model, values of hydrodynamic damping which are required for the dynamic analysis of an offshore structure by methods which ignore fluid-structure interaction. After a brief literature review, the theory of Morison's equation is discussed. A computer program, PLATDYN, is then described which computes the dynamic response of a structure in various sea states. The method of representing the full structure by a reduced number of members is explained before the results of the analysis are presented. Finally, a procedure is proposed which provides an economic method of including the effects of interaction damping in the design of offshore structures.
REPLICATION STUDY OF TWO UNUSUAL FINDINGS ON THE INFLUENCE OF DELAYED AUDITORY FEEDBACK ON RETENTION

This study compared the accuracy of recall of connected meaningful material practiced under delayed auditory feedback with and without instructions to Ss that they would be asked to recall the material. No significant differences were found, confirming the results of a prior experiment. The relationship between retention of DAF-practiced material and voice change was insignificant, in marked contrast to a prior finding of a large and significant positive correlation.
Can prostate-specific antigen reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction be used as a prospective test to diagnose prostate cancer?

The present study addressed the question as to whether prostate-specific antigen reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (PSA RT-PCR) could be used to identify prospectively men who have prostate cancer and to help determine which patients with an initially negative biopsy would benefit from rebiopsy. PSA RT-PCR was performed prospectively on 90 patients who were to have a prostate biopsy because of an elevated PSA level, an abnormal digital rectal examination, or both. PSA RT-PCR was performed, and the sensitivity of the test was enhanced by hybridization of the PCR with a32p-labeled PSA cl)NA probe (exons 3–5). Of the 90 men, 36 (40%) had prostate cancer on biopsy. Of these 36 men, 5 (13.9%) had a positive PSA RT-PCR finding, whereas 31 (84.1%) tested negative. Of 54 men with negative biopsies, 8 (14.8%) had a positive PSA RT-PCR result. The sensitivity of PSA RT-PCR for the detection of biopsy-proven prostate cancer was 13.9% and the specificity was 85.2%. Only 3 of 12 (25%) patients with advanced disease had a positive test result. The sensitivity of PSA RT-PCR for the detection of biopsy-proven prostate adenocarcinoma in men suspected of having prostate cancer is poor. Indeed, men without biopsy-proven prostate cancer are just as likely to have a positive result in the PSA RT-PCR as are men with cancer. Whether these men with negative prostate biopsies and positive PSA RT-PCR findings may eventually develop prostate cancer remains to be determined. At this time, PSA RT-PCR for the prospective detection of prostate cancer should be considered investigational.
Quasiparticle band gap engineering of graphene and graphone on hexagonal boron nitride substrate.

Graphene holds great promise for post-silicon electronics; however, it faces two main challenges: opening up a band gap and finding a suitable substrate material. In principle, graphene on hexagona...
Using electronic tools to promote active learning

Electronic media provide faculty with new opportunities for designing strategies to engage students both in and out of the classroom.
The accumulation of piperidine in the central ganglia of dormant snails.

Abstract During a 2-month period of experimentally induced hibernation (diapause), piperidine content in the snail central nervous system increased to 5 times the amount found in active snails. A higher rate of piperidine synthesis in the brain of dormant snails than in controls is inferred (a) from opposite gradients for endogenous and tritiated piperidine between the blood and brain tissue, and (b) from the highest conversion of piperidine precursors in the brain. A possible involvement of piperidine in controlling the diapause behavior is suggested.
Mode-specific quantum rate effects for interfacial electron transfer: computational case studies based upon 4-cyano-N-methylpyridinium reduction

Multi-mode quantum rate theory is used to examine the interfacial kinetics of a prototypical organic-radical-generating reaction: the reduction of the 4-cyano-N-methylpyridinium cation. Charge-transfer-enhanced Raman scattering experiments (R. L. Blackbourn, et al., J. Phys. Chem., 1991, 95, 10535) previously showed that 13 vibrational modes are coupled to the reduction process. From a time-dependent analysis of the scattering spectrum, precise coordinate displacement and reorganizational parameters for each of the modes have now been determined. These parameters, when incorporated into the rate theory, have yielded an extremely detailed—perhaps unprecedented—description of electrochemical reaction kinetics, including complete descriptions of: (a) mode-specific barrier effects, (b) mode-specific tunnelling effects, (c) non-classical activation effects and (d) sum-over states driving force effects.
Some evidence concerning the genesis of Shannon’s information theory

Abstract A typescript by Claude Shannon, ‘Theorems on statistical sequences’, (donated to the Library of Congress in 2001 and apparently unscrutinized by historians to date) is examined to shed light on the development of information theory. In particular, it appears that Shannon was still working out the mathematical details of his theory in the spring of 1948, just before he published ‘A mathematical theory of communication’. This is contrasted with evidence from a declassified cryptography report that Shannon’s theory was intuitively worked out in its essentials by the time he filed the report in 1945. Previous interviews with Shannon, and a recent interview with a colleague of his, Brockway McMillan, confirm this picture.
Thinking Globally and Acting Locally: Can the Johannesburg Partnerships Coordinate Action on Sustainable Development?

At the 2002 UN World Summit on Sustainable Development, a new multi-stakeholder partnerships initiative was launched. It was hoped that partnerships would catalyze nongovernmental participation in and additional funding of sustainable development projects around the world. The authors find that at present, however, little partnership financing is coming from new sources; most is coming from governments and less than 1% from the private sector. Guided by empirical findings from the partnerships to date, we propose the following to make the partnership program more effective: (a) establishing a learning network; (b) increasing the transparency of partnerships; (c) increasing private sector and small stakeholder participation; (d) establishingan institutional home to support partnerships; and (e) ensuring that the partnerships are consistent with multilateral priorities.
Consumer Well-Being and Quality of Life: An Assessment and Directions for Future Research

This article offers an assessment of the current state of the literature in consumer well-being and quality of life and illustrates the challenges facing researchers in this area with comments on the articles by Sirgy and Lee, Marshall and Meiselman, and Peterson. The author also offers some directions for future research.
Infection of human volunteers with a reovirus of bovine origin.

SummaryInoculation of volunteers with a bovine strain of reovirus type 1 produced infection in adult human volunteers. Following intranasal administration of the agent, virus excretion, serologic response and lack of clinical manifestations were similar to those observed in volunteers experimentally infected with a reovirus type 1 strain of human origin.
Determination of the evolutionary relationships in Rattus sensu lato (Rodentia : Muridae) using L1 (LINE-1) amplification events.

We determined ∼215 bp of DNA sequence from the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of 240 cloned L1 (LINE-1) elements isolated from 22 species of Rattus sensu lato and Rattus sensu stricto murine rodents. The sequences were sorted into different L1 subfamilies, and oligonucleotides cognate to them were hybridized to genomic DNA of various taxa. From the distribution of the L1 subfamilies in the various species, we inferred the partial phylogeny of Rattus sensu lato. The four Maxomys species comprise a well-defined clade separate from a monophyletic cluster that contains the two Leopoldamys and four Niviventer species. The Niviventer/ Leopoldamys clade, in turn, shares a node with the clade that contains Berylmys, Sundamys, Bandicota, and Rattus sensu stricto. The evolutionary relationships that we deduced agree with and significantly extend the phylogeny of Rattus sensu lato established by other molecular criteria. Furthermore, the L1 amplification events scored here produced a unique phylogenetic tree, that is, in no case did a character (a given L1 amplification event) appear on more than one branch. The lack of homoplasy found in this study supports the robustness of L1 amplification events as phylogenetic markers for the study of mammalian evolution.
Pupillary reactivity as a measure of autonomic balance in cystic fibrosis

The contribution of the autonomic nervous system to the generalized dysfunctionof exocrine glands in cystic fibrosis has not been delineated. Quantitative measurements of pupillary reactivity as a reflection of autonomic nervous system function were made in 32 patients with cystic fibrosis and in 29 normal children. Statistical analyses of the patterns of response to light and dark adaptation in both groups show a diminished pupillary dilatation in the patients with cystic fibrosis. Such a difference would seem to indicate a dysfunction associated with the autonomic nervous system either at the neural or neurohumoral level.