cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electronic energy transfer from Mg(3P) to Sm

Abstract Energy transfer from optically pumped metastable Mg( 3 P) atoms to Sm has been observed in a slow-flow, high-temperature refractory vessel. The rate constant for excitation transfer has been measured to be (1.6±0.5 ) × 10 −9 cm 3 s −1 The relative densities of the excited Sm states in the presence of Ar carrier gas has also been determined.
Galactic halo models and particle dark-matter detection

Rates for detection of weakly interacting massive-particle (WIMP) dark matter are usually carried out assuming the Milky Way halo is an isothermal sphere. However, it is possible that our halo is not precisely spherical; it may have some bulk rotation; and the radial profile may differ from that of an isothermal sphere. In this paper, we calculate detection rates in observationally consistent alternative halo models that produce the same halo contributions to the local and asymptotic rotation speeds to investigate the effects of the theoretical uncertainty of the WIMP spatial and velocity distribution. We use self-consistent models to take into account the effects of various mass distributions on the local velocity distribution. The local halo density may be increased up to a factor of 2 by flattening or by an alternative radial profile (which may also decrease the density slightly). However, changes in the WIMP velocity distribution in these models produce only negligible changes in the WIMP detection rate. Reasonable bulk rotations lead to only an O(10%) effect on event rates. We also show how the nuclear recoil spectrum in a direct-detection experiment could provide information on the shape and rotation of the halo.
Cheilanthes mickelii (Adiantaceae), a new species from southern Mexico

Cheilanthes mickelii from Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico is described, illustrated and compared with an apparent near relative,C. tryonii T. Reeves nom. nov.
Re-envisioning Hinduism and Evaluating the Hindutva Movement

L'A. revient sur le role politique du mouvement Hindutva dans la societe indienne. Pour les specialistes, il est necessaire d'aller au-dela de la simple description ou de la conceptualisation weberienne pour rendre compte de l'action de ce mouvement dans la vie politique, sociale et religieuse du pays. Le scientifique qui aborde le mouvement Hindutva ne peut faire l'economie d'un jugement sur les methodes employees. Hindutva represente une reelle menace pour l'avenir des minorites en Inde. La defense de la laicite apparait comme une necessite pour tous les chercheurs
Approximate longitudinal space charge impedances of a round beam between parallel plates and inside a rectangular chamber

Abstract This paper presents the approximate analytical solutions to the longitudinal space charge (LSC) impedances of a round beam with uniform transverse distribution and sinusoidal line density modulations under two boundary conditions: (a) between parallel plates (b) inside a rectangular chamber, respectively. When the ratio of beam diameter to chamber height is small, the image charge fields of the round beam can be approximated by those of a line charge, the approximate analytical LSC impedances can be obtained by image method. The derived theoretical LSC impedances are valid at any perturbation wavelength and are consistent well with the numerical simulation results in a large range of ratios of beam diameters to chamber heights.
Assessment of communication skills of surgical residents using the Social Skills Inventory

Abstract Background Interpersonal and communication skills are 1 of the 6 core competencies articulated as essential to resident education by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The current study assessed verbal and nonverbal communication skills among surgical residents. Methods The communication skills of surgical residents (n = 64) were assessed using the Social Skills Inventory. Results The majority of surgical residents demonstrated strong verbal and nonverbal skills, although the equilibrium index scores demonstrated an imbalance in the social skill profile for a minority (17.2%) of residents. Post graduate year was positively related to social expressivity ( r = .31, P r = .27, P Conclusions The Social Skills Inventory was found to be a useful instrument for the multidimensional assessment of resident communication skills. Areas of strengths and weaknesses were identified and could be used for targeting areas for future educational interventions.
MEASUREMENT OF TIME CORRELATIONS FOR QUANTUM-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Measurements that are of limited accuracy, are incomplete, or require a finite time to make do not generally permit the construction of a wave function for describing a physical system. The use of such partial information to predict the results of subsequent measurements is studied. There are several practical applications of this problem, including the use of the autocorrelation function for a particle counter in a scattering experiment. (auth)
Binding study of p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters to bovine serum albumin by fluorescent probe technique.

N-n-Butyl[(5-dimethylamino)-1-naphthalene]sulfonamide is a fluorescent probe which has minimal fluorescence in water but fluoresces strongly when bound to protein. The spectral property of this probe was used for an indirect measurement of the binding of p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters (parabens) to bovine serum albumin. The method is capable of providing simple, sensitive, and rapid determination of binding and the nature of binding. The data indicate that the mechanism leading to the binding of parabens to bovine serum albumin could be of a hydrophobic nature. The aromatic ring rather than the aliphatic side chain appears to be the primary binding site of the parabens when competing with this probe. Quantum yield information for the sulfonamide is discussed.
High yield synthesis of [(C4H9)4N][Ni(η5-C5H5)B6H6]

Abstract The polyhedral [(C 4 H 9 ) 4 N][Ni( η 5 -C 5 H 5 )B 6 H 6 ] has been synthesized from the reaction of closo -hexaborate with two equivalents of nickelocene and one equivalent of Na/Hg amalgam in acetonitrile at room temperature. Crystallization from benzene—acetone gives orange crystals of the title compound in yields of 80–85%. An improved synthesis and isolation of [(C 4 H 9 ) 4 N] 2 B 6 H 6 from the reaction of sodium borohydride with boron trifluoride etherate in diglyme in yields of 20–25% is also described.
Prefetching mobile ads: can advertising systems afford it?

Mobile app marketplaces are dominated by free apps that rely on advertising for their revenue. These apps place increased demands on the already limited battery lifetime of modern phones. For example, in the top 15 free Windows Phone apps, we found in-app advertising contributes to 65% of the app's total communication energy (or 23% of the app's total energy). Despite their small size, downloading ads each time an app is started and at regular refresh intervals forces the network radio to be continuously woken up, thus leading to a high energy overhead, so-called 'tail energy' problem. A straightforward mechanism to lower this overhead is to prefetch ads in bulk and serve them locally. However, the prefetching of ads is at odds with the real-time nature of modern advertising systems wherein ads are sold through real-time auctions each time the client can display an ad.This paper addresses the challenge of supporting ad prefetching with minimal changes to the existing advertising architecture. We build client models predicting how many ad slots are likely to be available in the future. Based on this (unreliable) estimate, ad servers make client ad slots available in the ad exchange auctions even before they can be displayed. In order to display the ads within a short deadline, ads are probabilistically replicated across clients, using an overbooking model designed to ensure that ads are shown before their deadline expires (SLA violation rate) and are shown no more than required (revenue loss). With traces of over 1,700 iPhone and Windows Phone users, we show that our approach can reduce the ad energy overhead by over 50% with a negligible revenue loss and SLA violation rate.
Dictionary of Scientific Biography

The appearance of volume 16 of the Dictionary of Scientific Biography (DSB), the index, marks an important milestone in the life of the major reference tool in the history of science. Since the appearance of volume one in 1970, the DSB has become an indispensable tool for anyone seeking information about the lives and work of the scientists of the past. With over 6,000 sets sold it represents a major addition to the genre of multi‐volumed biographical dictionaries.
Vibrational Spectroscopy, Microscopy and Imaging Probes Cutaneous Wound Healing and Artificial Skin Structure

Wound healing in human skin consists of a complex series of spatially and temporally organized events to prevent infection and restore barrier function. Multiple biological pathways are activated after an injury. We used a human skin model to study re-epithelialization of excisional wounds. Infrared (IR) microscopic imaging at ∼ 10 micron spatial resolution revealed a population of disordered lipids in the migrating epithelial tongue (MET) which has not been previously reported. Particular spectral features allowed us to elucidate lipid structure/organization during the healing process (from day 0 to day 6 post-wounding). Although the role of lipids in the MET is currently unclear, this finding may ultimately aid in the development of improved therapeutic agents for wound care.Human skin equivalents (HSE's) are a widespread substitute for human or animal skin in areas of skin-related research. Much effort has been devoted to achieving a high level of barrier function in HSE's. Lipid distribution and organization in the outermost region of skin, the stratum corneum (SC), must be controlled and monitored to achieve this goal. We used IR and Raman spectroscopy and imaging to compare lipid spatial distribution and organization in an artificial skin (EpiDermTM) with both human and pig skin. The results reveal differences in the spatial distribution and molecular structure of lipids in the SC, the main barrier to permeability. At physiological temperatures, human tissue possesses a greater proportion of orthorhombically packed chains (and consequently a stronger barrier) than the HSE or pig skin. These observations begin to explain the permeability differences among these tissues.
Quasi topologies and rational approximation

We obtain a characterization for Lp approximation by analytic functions on compact plane sets which is analogous to Vitushkin's characterization for uniform approximation. For p = 2 this was done by Havin by use of Cartan's fine topology; we study the general case by use of quasi topologies.
Antiplane Eigenstrain Problem of an Elliptic Inclusion in an Anisotropic Half Space

The antiplane eigenstrain problem of an elliptic inclusion in an anisotropic semi-infinite medium is investigated. Expressions for the stresses and elastic energy have been developed using the line force concept and superposition of the image field. It is shown that in the presence of a free surface the stresses inside the inclusion are not constant. In addition, the elastic energy of the system is reduced as the inclusion approaches the free surface.
Identification of Free Radicals in Flash Photolysis

Abstract : McGrath and Morrow have recently reported on a spectrum near 3290 A obtained in the flash photolysis of fulminic acid which they ascribe to the free CNO radical. It appears that this spectrum is the same as that found independently by Jennings and Linnett and the authors. The spectrum has recently been analysed in detail and shown to be due to the free NCN radical. All the strong bands listed by McGrath and Morrow agree with strong NCN bands listed in the author's paper and relative intensities are roughly the same. It is believed that on the basis of the observed intensity alternation and the observed triplet splitting, there can be no doubt that the authors identification of this spectrum is correct. (Author)
Overview of What We Know About the Pathophysiology of Laminitis

Laminitis is frustrating for veterinarians because current knowledge and understanding of the pathophysiology and progression of the disease are incomplete, limiting efforts to prevent and treat this devastating disease successfully. However, scientific investigations have recently occurred at a phenomenal rate shedding light on the pathophysiologic events involved with laminitis. Development of acute laminitis often follows other primary diseases; therefore, the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of laminitis are most likely numerous and interrelated. On the basis of the discussion from the 2007 Havemeyer Meeting, inflammation, metabolic disease, and endothelial and vascular dysfunction are considered pivotal events in the development of laminitis.
Joint Regression Analysis for Discrete Longitudinal Data

We introduce an approximation to the Gaussian copula likelihood of Song, Li, and Yuan (2009, Biometrics 65, 60-68) used to estimate regression parameters from correlated discrete or mixed bivariate or trivariate outcomes. Our approximation allows estimation of parameters from response vectors of length much larger than three, and is asymptotically equivalent to the Gaussian copula likelihood. We estimate regression parameters from the toenail infection data of De Backer et al. (1996, British Journal of Dermatology 134, 16-17), which consist of binary response vectors of length seven or less from 294 subjects. Although maximizing the Gaussian copula likelihood yields estimators that are asymptotically more efficient than generalized estimating equation (GEE) estimators, our simulation study illustrates that for finite samples, GEE estimators can actually be as much as 20% more efficient.
Optimization of the steady neutron source technique for absorption cross section measurement by using an 124Sb-Be neutron source

Abstract An improved experimental approach has been developed to determine thermal neutron absorption cross sections. It uses an 124Sb–Be neutron source which has an average neutron energy of only about 12 keV. It can be moderated in either a water tank or a paraffin filled box and can be used for aqueous or powder samples. This new design is first optimized by MCNP simulation and then benchmarked and calibrated with experiments to verify the simulations and realize the predicted improved measurement sensitivity and reproducibility. The 124Sb–Be source device is from 1.35 to 1.71 times more sensitive than the previous method based on the use of a 252Cf source.
Peptide Photodissociation with 157 nm Light in a Commercial Tandem Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer

Photodissociation with 157 nm light was implemented in an ABI model 4700 matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) tandem time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer for peptide analysis. With a homemade computer program to control the light timing based on the m/z of each precursor ion, the photodissociation setup was seamlessly automated with the mass spectrometer. Peptide photodissociation in this apparatus yielded fragments similar to those observed in previous experiments with a home-built tandem-TOF mass spectrometer. Peptides having arginine at their C-termini yielded high-energy x-, v-, and w- type fragments, while peptides with N-terminal arginine produced many a- and d- type ions. Abundant immonium ions were also generated. High-quality photodissociation spectra were obtained with as little as 5 fmol of peptides. In the analysis of various tryptic peptides, photodissociation provided much more sequence information than the conventional TOF−TOF collision induced dissociation (CID). Because o...
A new core topology in hexanuclear iron(III) carboxylate chemistry: [Fe6O3(O2CMe)9(OEt)2(bpy)2](ClO4)

The structural, spectroscopic, and magnetochemical characteristics of a new hexanuclear iron-oxo complex are reported. [Fe6O3(O2CMe)9(OEt)2(bpy)2]ClO4·¼EtOH·¼H2O (3·¼EtOH·¼H2O) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P with a = 11.524(1) A, b = 15.865(2) A, c = 17.029(2) A, α = 65.92(1)°, β = 81.49(1)°, γ = 76.40(1)°, V = 2758 A3, and Z = 2. The [Fe6O3]12+ core of the cation contains an arrangement of six iron atoms not previously seen in iron-oxo compounds. In this arrangement, two [Fe3O]7+ triangular units are bridged by a distorted tetrahedral oxide ion. 1H- and 2H-NMR spectra are reported for two [Fe6O3]12+ complexes, 3 and the 4,4′-Me2bpy analog 4, as well as CD3CO2− and/or CD3CD2O− derivatives of 3. Assignment of the resonances was made based on the 1H-NMR chemical shift data and changes seen in the 1H- and 2H-NMR spectra of the related deuterated complexes. The magnetic susceptibility of complex 3 was measured in the range of 5–300 K. The effective magnetic moment per molecule decreases gradually from 6.44 μB at 300 K to 3.31 μB at 70 K then more dramatically to 0.84 μB at 5 K, indicating a diamagnetic S = 0 ground state consistent with the expected presence of antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the FeIII ions.
Model-based design and control of a continuous drum granulation process

Abstract This paper is concerned with enhanced process design and control of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) granulation process. The work is based on a first-principles mechanistic three-dimensional population balance model (3D-PBM), which has been previously validated against experiments at the laboratory-scale for various operating conditions and formulations. The main objective of this study is via a novel process design, to control and operate the granulation process under more optimal conditions. Novelty of the work lies in the usage of the validated 3D-PBM to extract suitable multiple control-loop pairings from which an overall control loop performance is qualitatively and quantitatively assessed. Results show that for most existing granulation process configurations, enhanced control-loop performance is not achieved and as a result an alternative process design strategy is necessary. The proposed design demonstrates increased efficiency in the control and operation of the granulation process, which is required for further efficient control and operation of subsequent downstream processes.
Effects of ion exclusion and isotopic fractionation on pore water geochemistry during gas hydrate formation and decomposition

The effects of ion exclusion and isotopic fractionation associated with gas hydrate formation and decomposition in continental margin sediments are examined using simple mass balance calculations. In a closed system pore fluid salinity can be increased to brine levels and detectable changes in interstitial waterδ18O can be caused by formation of significant amounts of interstitial gas hydrate. Time- and mass-dependent models indicate that given appropriate geometries, the diffusion of dissolved salts is sufficiently rapid and their supply is large enough to establish dissolved ion gradients that can be measured in sediments obtained from piston cores or boreholes.
Discrete 2-Tensor Fields on Triangulations

Geometry processing has made ample use of discrete representations of tangent vector fields and antisymmetric tensors i.e., forms on triangulations. Symmetric 2-tensors, while crucial in the definition of inner products and elliptic operators, have received only limited attention. They are often discretized by first defining a coordinate system per vertex, edge or face, then storing their components in this frame field. In this paper, we introduce a representation of arbitrary 2-tensor fields on triangle meshes. We leverage a coordinate-free decomposition of continuous 2-tensors in the plane to construct a finite-dimensional encoding of tensor fields through scalar values on oriented simplices of a manifold triangulation. We also provide closed-form expressions of pairing, inner product, and trace for this discrete representation of tensor fields, and formulate a discrete covariant derivative and a discrete Lie bracket. Our approach extends discrete/finite-element exterior calculus, recovers familiar operators such as the weighted Laplacian operator, and defines discrete notions of divergence-free, curl-free, and traceless tensors-thus offering a numerical framework for discrete tensor calculus on triangulations. We finally demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of our operators on analytical examples, before applying them to the computation of anisotropic geodesic distances on discrete surfaces.
Integrated formal long range planning and how to do it

The author has argued that few organizations really plan; that most planners and executives do not really understand the process; and that many executives who have tried to lead a planning effort have not possessed the required skills or knowledge. This article suggests a practical approach to successful formal long range planning.
Statistical properties of laser light

Abstract It is shown that an analysis of the experimental data obtained recently by Arecchi et al., from photoelectric measurements, indicates that the fluctuations of the time-integrated laser light intensity may be described by a Gaussian probability distribution.
On hierarchical stackelberg optimization problems

This paper discusses properties of solutions to a class of hierarchical optimization problems with different objectives for each level. The solution of these problems is known as the closed-loop Stackelberg solution. Two simple examples are solved to illustrate a fundametal non-convexity in the formulation of the optimization problem, and to highlight the dominant properties of the solutions.
Non-negative matrix factorization: Ill-posedness and a geometric algorithm

Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) has been proposed as a mathematical tool for identifying the components of a dataset. However, popular NMF algorithms tend to operate slowly and do not always identify the components which are most representative of the data. In this paper, an alternative algorithm for performing NMF is developed using the geometry of the problem. The computational costs of the algorithm are explored, and it is shown to successfully identify the components of a simulated dataset. The development of the geometric algorithm framework illustrates the ill-posedness of the NMF problem and suggests that NMF is not sufficiently constrained to be applied successfully outside of a particular class of problems.
Prospects for river discharge and depth estimation through assimilation of swath‐altimetry into a raster‐based hydrodynamics model

[1] Surface water elevation profiles for a reach of the Ohio River were produced by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Instrument Simulator to represent satellite measurements representative of those that would be observed by a wide swath altimeter being considered jointly by U.S. and European space agencies. The Ensemble Kalman filter with a river hydrodynamics model as its dynamical core was used to assimilate the water elevation synthetic observations, and to estimate river discharge. The filter was able to recover water depth and discharge, reducing the discharge RMSE from 23.2% to 10.0% over an 84-day simulation period, relative to a simulation without assimilation. An autoregressive error model was instrumental in correcting boundary inflows, and increasing the persistence of error reductions between times of observations. The nominal 8-day satellite overpass produced discharge relative errors of 10.0%, while 16-day and 32-day overpass frequencies resulted in errors of 12.1% and 16.9% respectively.
Lifetime and g-factor of the first excited state in Fe56

Abstract With the gamma rays from a gaseous source of Co56, resonance scattering from the first excited state of Fe56 has been observed. From a study of the self-absorption of the resonance radiation, a width Λ = (6.2±1.0) × 10−5 eV was obtained. Making use of the large magnetic field at the position of the iron nuclei, the rotation of the very anisotropic pattern was observed when the iron scatterer was placed in an external field perpendicular to the plane of scattering. The measured precession angle corresponds to a g-factor of +0.53±0.16.
Light emitting devices using vacuum deposited organic thin films

We review some recent results from novel light emitting heterostructures made from vacuum deposited organic semiconductors. The ability to grow these materials in amorphous or quasi epitaxial thin films on a variety of substrates, and their unique optoelectronic properties, create device applications unobtainable with conventional inorganic materials.
Adenosine triphosphatase activities of subcellular fractions of normal and ischemic muscles

Abstract Activities of sodium- and potassium-dependent ATPase (Na+K ATPase) and dinitrophenol-stimulated ATPase (DNP ATPase) were measured in subcellular fractions of homogenates of normal and ischemic rat striated muscle. The activity of Na+K ATPase in the heavy microsomal fraction did not decrease after tissue ischemia of 3 and 6 hours' duration. The activity of DNP ATPase of the mitochondrial fraction was decreased in the ischemic tissue. Lactic acid inhibition of Na+K ATPase of the microsomal fraction was concomitant with the fall of pH. When the pH was maintained at 7.4, addition of lactic acid to levels as high as 20 m m final concentration did not produce any effect. These results would indicate that the inhibition of the sodium pump during shock may be caused by depression of Na+K ATPase activity due to acidosis as well as to the decreased biosynthesis of ATP, and not by damage to the Na+K ATPase.
Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylases from human erythrocytes: purification, complete separation and partial characterization of two isoenzymes.

Abstract 1. 1. Two distinct molecular forms of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase have been completely separated and highly purified from human erythrocytes. 2. 2. Each protein, with molecular masses of about 52–54 kDa and 35 kDa, are apparently composed of a single polypeptide chain. 3. 3. They may form a functional decarboxylating complex for heme biosynthesis.
Biological desulfurization of coal by mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms

The biological desulfurization of coals was studied with pure cultures of mesophilic (Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and T. thioodixans) or thermophilic (Sulfolobus brierleyi) bacteria and acid mine water. These microorganisms were used with coals ranging in sulfur contents from 2 to 6%. The extent of removal of sulfur, ash and iron from coal was analyzed in terms of total sulfur, pyritic sulfur, organic sulfur, ash content, and liquid phase iron concentration. With S. brierleyi, CO2-enriched air resulted in a substantial increase in initial desulfirization rate of pyrite. With acclimated S. brierleyi, 15 to 20% organic sulfur removal was observed. Low-temperature Mossbauer spectroscopy data on iron phases in biotreated coal established that superparamagnetic iron oxyhydroxide (FeOOH) and jarosite were reprecipitated from solution onto the coal particles.
Synthesis and characterization of KTh2SeE6, KTh2 Te6 and CsTh2Se6

Abstract The compounds KTh2Se6, KTh2Te6 and CsTh2Se6 have been synthesized in the temperature range 873 to 923 K. These compounds are isostructural with the previously synthesized compound CsTh2Te6. They crystallize in the space group D2h17-Cmcm of the orthorhombic system with two formula units in cells: a=4.14(2) A , b=21.88(4) A , c=5.64(1) A , V=511(4) A 3 (T=298 K) for KTh2Se6; a=4.356(1) A , b=23.702(7) A , c=6.141(2) A , V=634.1(3) A 3 for KTh2Te6 (T=113 K); and a=4.14(5) A , b=23.88(4) A , c=5.67(5) A , V=561(13) A 3 (T=298 K) for CsTh2Se6. The structure of KTh2Te6 has been determined from single-crystal X-ray data. The structure is composed of ∞2[Th2Te6−] layers that stack perpendicular to [010]. The layers are separated by K+ cations that are coordinated to eight Te atoms at the corners of a rectangular parallelepiped. The K site is one-half occupied. Te atoms form infinite chains within the layers along [001] with Te-Te distances between 3.057(3) A and 3.085(3) A. KTh2Se6, KTh2Te6 and CsTh2Se6 are highly resistive along [100].
A nanoparticle-based model delivery system to guide the rational design of gene delivery to the liver. 2. In vitro and in vivo uptake results.

In Part 1 of our work (1), four nanoparticles were synthesized specifically for the purpose of identifying design constraints to guide next generation gene delivery to the liver. The four nanoparticles are Gal-50 and Gal-140 (galactosylated 50 and 140 nm nanoparticles) and MeO-50 and MeO-140 (methoxy-terminated 50 and 140 nm nanoparticles). All four particles have the same surface charge, and Gal-50 and Gal-140 have the same surface galactose density (ca. 25−30 pmol/cm^2). Here, the hepatocyte uptake in vitro and hepatic distribution in vivo of these four nanoparticles is investigated. With freshly isolated hepatocytes, Gal-50 nanoparticles are taken up to a greater extent than are MeO-50, and both 50 nm beads are taken up to a much greater extent than either of the 140 nm nanoparticles. In mice, about 90% of the in vivo dose of Gal-140 nanoparticles is found within the liver 20 min after tail-vein injection. TEM and immunohistochemistry images confirm that Gal-140 nanoparticles are primarily internalized by Kupffer cells, though isolated examples of a few Gal-140 in hepatocytes are also observed. Gal-50 nanoparticles are overwhelmingly found in vesicles throughout the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, with only isolated examples of Kupffer cell uptake 20 min after tail vein injections in mice. Despite similar surface charge and ligand density, 50 nm nanoparticles are primarily found in hepatocytes while 140 nm nanoparticles are primarily observed in Kupffer cells. These results clearly show that slightly anionic, galactose-PEGylated nanoparticles with 25−30 pmol/cm^2 galactose should be about 50 nm in diameter to preferentially target hepatocytes while they should be about 140 nm in diameter to selectively target Kupffer cells.
THE INTERACTION OF BORON HALIDES WITH SILYL CYANIDES

Abstract Boron halides do not react with SiH3CN and (CH3)3SiCN to form stable addition compounds such as those formed between boron halides and alkyl and aryl cyanides. Instead, reaction occurs at low temperatures to form unstable addition compounds which spontaneously decompose with the elimination of silyl halide and the formation of a solid residue of general formula (BX2CN)n.
Lutropin stimulation of RNA synthesis in corpus luteum chromatin.

Abstract Lutropin and human choriogonadotropin stimulated the endogenous chromatin-associated polymerase activity in purified chromatin prepared from nuclei of bovine corpus luteum. Chromatin was incubated in two different buffer systems: one that mainly supports the activity of polymerase I, another that supports the activity of polymerase II and is largely α-amanitin sensitive. The hormones lutropin and choriogonadotropin stimulated an increase in the rate of incorporation of [ 14 C]ATP or [ 14 C]UTP into RNA in both buffer systems. Follitropin, prolactin and β-corticotropin had no stimulatory effect. Neither the α nor β subunit of lutropin stimulated RNA synthesis. When premixed, the subunits rapidly formed the active molecule. A maximum response to RNA synthesis was achieved by a 10 −9 M concentration of human choriogonadotropin. Considerable activity was obtained at 10 −11 M human choriogonadotropin. There was no lutropin stimulation to RNA synthesis using calf thymus DNA and Escherichia coli RNA polymerase.
A Self-Consistent, Microenvironment Modulated Screened Coulomb Potential Approximation to Calculate pH-Dependent Electrostatic Effects in Proteins

An improved approach is presented for calculating pH-dependent electrostatic effects in proteins using sigmoidally screened Coulomb potentials (SCP). It is hypothesized that a key determinant of seemingly aberrant behavior in pKa shifts is due to the properties of the unique microenvironment around each residue. To help demonstrate this proposal, an approach is developed to characterize the microenvironments using the local hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity around each residue of the protein. The quantitative characterization of the microenvironments shows that the protein is a complex mosaic of differing dielectric regions that provides a physical basis for modifying the dielectric screening functions: in more hydrophobic microenvironments the screening decreases whereas the converse applies to more hydrophilic regions. The approach was applied to seven proteins providing more than 100 measured pKa values and yielded a root mean square deviation of 0.5 between calculated and experimental values. The incorporation of the local hydrophobicity characteristics into the algorithm allowed the resolution of some of the more intractable problems in the calculation of pKa. Thus, the divergent shifts of the pKa of Glu-35 and Asp-66 in hen egg white lysozyme, which are both about 90% buried, was correctly predicted. Mechanistically, the divergence occurs because Glu-35 is in a hydrophobic microenvironment, while Asp-66 is in a hydrophilic microenvironment. Furthermore, because the calculation of the microenvironmental effects takes very little CPU time, the computational speed of the SCP formulation is conserved. Finally, results from different crystal structures of a given protein were compared, and it is shown that the reliability of the calculated pKa values is sufficient to allow identification of conformations that may be more relevant for the solution structure.
Passive avoidance retention in mice tolerant to the organophosphorus insecticide disulfoton

Abstract Male mice were administered the organophosphorus insecticide disulfoton ( O,O -diethyl S -[2-(ethylthio)ethyl] phosphorodithioate) daily for 14 days at a dosage rate of 10 mg/kg/day. Signs of poisoning disappeared after 5 to 8 days of treatment indicating that the animals had developed tolerance to disulfoton toxicity. Acetylcholinesterase activity was inhibited 75 to 93% in hippocampus, cerebral cortex, striatum, and cerebellum of tolerant animals. Binding of the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist [ 3 H]quinuclidinyl benzilate was significantly decreased in all these brain areas. The decrease was due to a decrease in the number of receptors (B max) without any change in the affinity constant K d . Sodium-dependent high-affinity choline uptake was unchanged in the hippocampus of tolerant animals. When tested in a single trial passive avoidance task, mice tolerant to disulfoton did not show any difference from controls in 24-hr retention. These results indicate that the decreased number of muscarinic receptors in brain of disulfoton-tolerant animals does not affect their response latencies in a passive avoidance task.
A cascade face recognition system using hybrid feature extraction

A novel cascade face recognition system using hybrid feature extraction is proposed. Three sets of face features are extracted. The merits of Two-Dimensional Complex Wavelet Transform (2D-CWT) are analyzed. For face recognition feature extraction, it has proved that 2D-CWT compares favorably with the traditionally used 2D Gabor transform in terms of the computational complexity and features@? stability. The proposed recognition system congregates three Artificial Neural Network classifiers (ANNs) and a gating network trained by the three feature sets. A computationally efficient fitness function of the genetic algorithms is proposed to evolve the best weights of the ensemble classifier. Experiments demonstrated that the overall recognition rate and reliability have been significantly improved in both still face recognition and video-based face recognition.
Use Of Optical Methods In Stress Analysis Of Three-Dimensional Cracked Body Problems

A major unsolved problem in fracture mechanics concerns the subcritical growth of cracks under fatigue loading to a critical size at which catastrophic fracture occurs. Such growth is the precursor to most service fractures and often involves non-self-similar flaw growth, nonplanar flaws, and nonuniform stress intensity distributions along flaw borders. These geometric complexities coupled with notch geometries and stress gradients which precede and accompany the flaw growth remove the problem from the realm of mathematical tractability. Beginning a decade ago, the author and his associates have been involved in a continuing effort to develop optical methods for extracting stress intensity factor estimates and, more recently, crack shapes and displacement fields from photoelastic models of such bodies. Methods developed involve a marriage between the field equations of linear elastic fracture mechanics with the optical techniques of frozen stress photoelasticity and moire interferometry. After briefly reviewing the analytical foundations of the methods and describing the techniques, this paper presents results obtained from applying the technique to problems of current technological interest in the aerospace and nuclear fields.
Tau‐like immunoreactivity in Alzheimer and control skin fibroblasts

The presence of the microtubule-associated protein tau in skin fibroblasts derived from Alzheimer patients and normal controls was investigated using a panel of well-characterized anti-tau antibodies against epitopes spanning the tau protein from the amino to the carboxyl end. The antibodies immunolabeled a fine, fibrillar cytoplasmic network in all skin fibroblasts. Disruption of the microtubule network with colchicine did not affect the immunolabeling of the fibrillar network nor did treatment with cytochalasin B known to disrupt the microfilament network. Immunoelectron microscopy with the antitau antibodies revealed colocalization of the label with the 10 nm intermediate filaments. Furthermore, immunoblots found no reactivity against purified vimentin, suggesting that the antibodies recognize an intermediate filament-associated protein. The findings indicate the presence of tau or a protein with considerable homology to tau in fibroblasts associated with intermediate filaments and not microtubules. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Ionic and Electronic Transport in Ag2S Nanocrystal–GeS2 Matrix Composites with Size-Controlled Ag2S Nanocrystals

The Ag-Ge-S system is among the best-performing active materials for a new class of high-performance electronic memory known as programmable metallization cells.[1,2] Memory switching in a programmable metallization cell relies on the electrochemical formation and dissolution of an electronically conducting filament within a solid electrolyte. In the Ag-Ge-S system, this electrochemical process is facilitated by the transport of both Ag+ ions and electrons. Consequently, it is important to understand how the ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity relate to the structure of the Ag-Ge-S system. However, this understanding is hampered by the ill-defined morphology of Ag-Ge-S, which consists of an amorphous Ge-rich matrix with embedded Ag-rich nanoinclusions of random size, shape, and interparticle spacing.[1,2] We circumvent these morphological ambiguities by controlling these structural variables with our recently developed nanocomposite formation technique.[3] We create Ag2S nanocrystal–GeS2 matrix composites and demonstrate that their ionic and electronic properties can be systematically controlled by varying the diameter of the Ag2S nanocrystals. We also observe an ionic conductivity enhancement relative to pure Ag2S and (GeS2)0.5(Ag2S)0.5 glass. Additionally, the thermal phase transition of Ag2S into its superionic phase exhibits differences in thermal hysteresis and transition temperature when comparing the composites to pure Ag2S. The combined structural control and chemical composition flexibility of our nanocomposite formation technique will allow the careful study of structure-property relationships in many important nanocomposite systems. The flexibility of the nanocomposite fabrication is enabled by a modular formation process in which nanocrystals and chalcogenidometallate (ChaM) clusters are independently synthesized. After assembling the nanocrystals into a thin film, the ChaM clusters are intercalated into the interstitial space between nanocrystals. The ChaM clusters are then converted into an inorganic matrix
Orchiopexy: a new anchoring technique, window septopexy.

Abstract Once the testis can be placed well down in the scrotum without tension, a number of suggestions have been made for keeping it in the orthotopic position. Torek, in 1931, simplistically sutured the testis to the fascia of the ipsilateral thigh, leaving it in this unusual position for several months; 1 it was then released in a second stage, closing the skin of the thigh and scrotum. Experience was dismal, the technique has been discarded, and is mentioned only to be condemned. Cabot and Nesbit, in 1931, recommended the use of a rubber band attached to a silk suture that grasped the tunica albuginea. 2 The elastic in turn was attached to adhesive tape anchored to the inner aspect of the contralateral thigh, with the device left in place for approximately 1 wk. Petrikalsky, 3 in 1931; Schoemaker, 4 in 1932; Lattimer, 5 in 1954; Koop, 6 in 1957; and Benson, 7 in 1967 established a plane between the tunica dartos and the scrotal skin, the testis became a subcutaneous organ, and the dartos was closed superiorly around the cord. Benson, on occasion, used an external button or traction suture in combination with the dartos pouch. Ombredonne, in 1927, drew the testicle through a hole in the scrotal septum, a continuation and coalescence of the tunica dartos from each scrotal pouch, into the contralateral scrotal compartment. 8 The septal window was closed snugly about the cord structures. This appears to be an odd arrangement, especially in the child undergoing bilateral orchiopexy. The Ombredonne procedure was resurrected by Schutt, 9 in 1945; McCormack, 10 in 1959; Miller, 11 in 1967; and Persky, 12 in 1970. These authors stressed the advantages of a short period of hospitalization, no foreign body leading to the outside, and no external appliance. Welch, in 1965, utilizing the same anatominal information, sutured the medial aspect of the tunica albuginea to the margins of a small septal window, leaving the testicle in the ipsilateral scrotal compartment. 3
Poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(2vinylpyridne)/lithium perchlorate blends as solid polymer electrolytes: Composition/property/structure interrelationship

Poly(ethylene oxide) (MW 600,000)/poly(2-vinylpyridine) (MW 200,000)/LiClO 4 blends have been prepared by the solution blending process. The ionic conductivities of the blends containing lower weight fractions (15, 17.5, 20, and 22.5%) of poly(2-vinylpyridine) initially increases as the salt content is increased, reaches a maximum at an ethylene oxide/Li + mole ratio of 10 and decreases as the salt content is further increased. Blends, which have higher weight fractions of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (25 and 35%) display different electric behavior, i.e., the ionic conductivity continously increased as the salt content is increased to an ethylene oxide/Li + mole ratio of 2. Thermal, 7 Li solid-state NMR and semiempirical MNDO molecular orbital studies indicate that this contrasting behavior may be explained by the structure and ratios of the solvates (mixed solvate or homosolvate) of LiClO 4 present in the blends. © 1995 John Wilev & Sons. Inc.
Superstring gravity and the early universe.

Ten-dimensional superstring theories have been proposed as candidates for a unified description of all the forces of nature. These theories reduce to Einstein gravity coupled to Yang-Mills interactions at energy scales small compared to the string tension. The phenomenologically promising superstring theory, the heterotic string, is investigated at the high temperatures and short distances relevant in the early universe. The massive string modes alone constitute an unstable thermodynamic system with negative specific heat. The conditions for equilibrium between the massive string modes and the massless modes (radiation) are derived. The large energy fluctuations of the system require the use of the microcanonical ensemble. There is a maximum temperature which exceeds the temperature at which the canonical partition function becomes divergent. Above a critical volume there is a phase transition during which the massive string modes must evaporate. The possibilities of spontaneous compactification, large entropy production, and a solution of the horizon and flatness problems are discussed.
PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF A VIDEO-BASED STIMULUS PREFERENCE ASSESSMENT

Video clips may be an effective format for presenting complex stimuli in preference assessments. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the correspondence between preference hierarchies generated from preference assessments that included either toys or videos of the toys. The top-ranked item corresponded in both assessments for 5 of the 6 participants, and the top- and bottom-ranked items corresponded for 4 participants. The implications of these results for future research on video preference assessments are discussed.
Riparian Forest Restoration Along Large Rivers: Initial Results from the Sacramento River Project

Restoration of riparian vegetation along large rivers is complicated by the patchiness of the habitat and by conflicts with the societal need to control flooding. The Sacramento River Project, led by The Nature Conservancy in northern California, is testing whether it is possible to restore native forest along a large river without removing flood control. We conducted a post-hoc analysis of monitoring data collected by the project on 1-4-year old plantings of 10 native trees and shrubs at five sites. Two questions of general interest were: Can one identify types of species or sites that are especially suitable for restoration in such riparian habitats? To what degree must sites be treated as mosaics of patches, with different types of patches that are suited to different species? Plant performance as measured by height was better in species of Salicaceae or in species planted as cuttings than in species of other families or in species planted as seedings or seeds. Three within-site factors, land form, soil depth to a buried layer of sand or gravel, and soil texture, affected the growth of several species, indicating that sites do need to be treated as patchy. However, there was little evidence that different species performed better on different types of patches. Instead, areas with deep or fine soils seemed to be favorable for a number of species. Results suggest that it is feasible to re-establish native trees and shrubs along large, regulated rivers, at least at certain sites for an initial period of several years with the aid of weed control and irrigation. Shallowly buried layers or lenses of gravel or sand are a hidden, fine-scale factor that can reduce plant growth on river terraces.