cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coatings for large-area low-cost solar concentrators and reflectors

Seven years ago, Pacific Northwest Laboratory constructed a large-optics coating facility to develop and fabricate high-performance multilayer laser-mirror coatings on large substrates. With the reduction of DoD funding for the development of optical coatings for large optics, new applications for this chamber were sought. In addition to new DoD applications, the facility is now being used to fabricate multilayer enhanced-metal reflectors for low-cost large-area solar concentrators using both magnetron-sputtered metal and dielectric coatings, with future extension to vacuum-evaporated polymer coatings. Other new applications include: Ti/Ti:Al lamellar composites on flexible webs; EMI cladding for heater wire; EMI-shielding coatings on flexible webs; microwave-absorbing coatings on flexible webs; heat mirrors; bulk micromachining; and protective coatings on cylindrical substrates and webs. The facility has also been established as a DoD user facility for development and experimentation in large-area optical coatings. This paper describes important changes in the large-optics coating chamber and additional deposition equipment that has been added to pursue these new non-DoD technological areas. Solar reflectors and the resulting new coatings will be described. Future work and new technological areas being pursued will also be discussed.
Cryptococcal pneumonia in a patient with presumptive sarcoidosis and selective immunoglobulin A deficiency

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown cause associated with impaired T-lymphocyte function and impaired cell-mediated immunity. Decreased cell-mediated immunity predisposes one to intracellular pathogens (eg, cryptococci).
Does the ‘coupled clock’ make the heart tick?

This editorial refers to ‘Cardiac ryanodine receptors control heart rate and rhythmicity in adult mice’, by M. J. Bround et al ., pp. 372–380, this issue. The first written descriptions of the regular beating pattern of the heart (as measured by pulse) are found in the often fragmentary writings of the ancient Greek physicians and scientists.1 However, it was not until 1943 that the electrical events associated with the initiation of the cardiac impulse were first recorded in the vertebrate heart.2 Using extracellular electrodes, Emil Bozler reported that a local, slowly rising wave of negativity proceeded each impulse (extracellular action potential) in the sinus venosus of the turtle heart and in right atrial tissue prepared from a variety of mammalian species (rabbit, dog, and cat).2 He further demonstrated that this spontaneous activity was depressed by the application of acetylcholine. He used the term ‘pacemaker prepotential’ to describe these changes in membrane potential that led to cardiac action potentials. Interestingly, in the same paper, he also was the first to recognize that oscillations in membrane potential that occurred following an action potential (afterdepolarizations) could induce extra impulses. He concluded that ‘It is apparent that many rhythmic phenomena in cardiac muscle cannot be understood if only conducted impulses are recorded. It is quite possible, therefore, that local, graded activity which may take place in the ‘resting’ state offers the key to understanding of a variety of disturbances of the rhythmicity of the heart.’2 It has been nearly 70 years since this seminal study and yet the ionic/molecular basis of the cardiac pacemaker has not been …
Solution of steady-state one-dimensional conservation laws by mathematical programming

A truly two-dimensional algorithm is created for solving the steady-state two-dimensional conservation-law problem. An overdetermined system of algebraic equations is obtained through discretization by finite-volume formulas. These equations are perturbed nonsingularly and are solved by an efficient geometrically oriented l(1) procedure. The basic algorithm and the theory for the linear case f(u) = u are presented, and computational results for the nonlinear case f(u) = sq u are also analyzed. It is noted that the l(1) procedure captures boundary shocks as well as oblige and zigzag interior shocks in bands that are one cell wide, and the solution values are accurate up to the edge of the shock.
Processing of compressed imagery: application to morphological and gray-scale computations over transform-, block-, runlength-, and derivative-encoded imagery

The processing of compressed imagery exhibits computational advantages due to the processing of fewer data, as well as the advantage of low-level data security afforded by the encoding format. We have elsewhere discussed the general theory of compressive processing, and have presented complexity analyses which support the claim of computational speedup. In this introductory paper, general methods are described for the processing of signals and imagery encoded via transform-, block-, runlength-, and derivative-coding schemes. Operations of interest include unary and binary pointwise operations, the global reduce operation, and neighborhood operations, such as morphological erosion and dilation. Implementational analyses emphasize the relationship between the compression ratio and the time complexity of compressive computation.
Determining ‘truth’ at the border: immigration interviews, Chinese marital migrants, and Taiwan's sovereignty dilemmas

As Taiwan transitions from an immigrant-sending to an immigrant-receiving country, it struggles to build an immigration bureaucracy while its status as a sovereign nation-state is not recognized by much of the international community. Taiwan's largest immigrant group, marital migrants from China, are perceived as posing the greatest challenges to border control due to longstanding political tensions between the two countries and governmental and societal suspicions about Chinese spouses' marital motives. Based on research conducted with immigration officials and during immigration interviews at the border, this article interrogates the status of ‘truth’ in official efforts to determine definitively immigrants' marital intentions. It analyzes such truth demands in relation to Taiwan's anxieties about its national standing and the ability of an immigration bureaucracy to generate ‘sovereignty effects’.
Public Lands Policy and Economic Trends in Gateway Communities

From the mid-1960s through 1980, major policy changes were adopted as a result of federal and state public lands protection statutes. This article analyzes the impact these policy changes have had upon the economies of gateway communities, a subject of limited discussion in the scholarly literature. One conclusion is that gateway community economies have become less dependent on resources extraction. This analysis finds that several factors‐‐beyond policy change‐‐have influenced the shift away from resources extraction. Likewise, there is the question over what economic mainstays have stepped in to fill the resources extraction void? For many gateway communities, it appears that the answer has been recreational tourism. The implications of this economic shift within gateway communities are explored.
A numerically efficient technique for the simulation of random wave forces on offshore structures

A technique is presented for numerical time domain simulation of water particle velocities and acceleration corresponding to a desired wave spectrum. Standard practice is to sum a finite number of sinusoidal components with random phase. The new method uses a simple constant coefficient linear prediction equation to generate time series simulations of water particle kinematics using Gaussian white noise as input. The velocities and accelerations are propagated throughout the offshore structure using a series of numerical convolutions. These methods produce time series whose spectra are smooth continuous functions, not ones approximated by a finite number of sine waves. The new techniques are much more numerically efficient than summins sinusoids, making long simulations feasible.
The aggregated excess demand function and other aggregation procedures

Two theorems are given; the first extends the Sonnenschein-Mantel-Debreu theorem characterizing aggregate demand functions from the set ofn≧2 commodities to all of the 2 n −(n+1) subsets of two or more commodities. The second theorem concerns spatial voting models for k≧2 candidates over a space of n≧2 issues. The theorem characterizes the sincere elecion rankings of thek candidates over all of the 2 n −1 subsets of one or more issues. Both theorems have the same kind of conclusion; anything can happen. By demonstrating the mathematical reasons for these conclusions and by recalling related, recent results from statistics, voting, and economics, it is argued that this “anything can happen” conclusion is the type one must anticipate for aggregation procedures; particularly for the processes commonly used in economic models where the procedure is responsive to changes in agents' preferences, changes in data, etc.
Compositional analysis of American Southwestern ceramics by neutron activation analysis

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to perform compositional analysis on more than 200 potsherds from prehistoric ceramic pottery collected in or near the Mimbres Valley in New Mexico. Statistical evaluation of the data was used to identify samples of similar origin. Results indicate that at least two sites within the Mimbres heartland and one in the Upper Gilla Valley existed for the production of the characteristic Classic Mimbres pottery. The composition of the clusters of samples identified are described and the significance of the groupings to the archaeology of the region is discussed.
Application of ultrasound in an ulnar motor nerve conduction study after anterior ulnar nerve transposition

Ulnar nerve entrapment at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome) is one of the most common peripheral nerve entrapments. Surgical management of cubital tunnel syndrome often involves anterior transpos...
Efficient quantum algorithm for preparing molecular-system-like states on a quantum computer

We present an efficient quantum algorithm for preparing a pure state on a quantum computer, where the quantum state corresponds to that of a molecular system with a given number $m$ of electrons occupying a given number $n$ of spin orbitals. Each spin orbital is mapped to a qubit: the states $|1⟩$ and $|0⟩$ of the qubit represent, respectively, whether the spin orbital is occupied by an electron or not. To prepare a general state in the full Hilbert space of $n$ qubits, which is of dimension ${2}^{n}$, $O({2}^{n})$ controlled-NOT gates are needed, i.e., the number of gates scales exponentially with the number of qubits. We make use of the fact that the state to be prepared lies in a smaller Hilbert space, and we find an algorithm that requires at most $O({2}^{m+1}{n}^{m}/m!)$ gates, i.e., scales polynomially with the number of qubits $n$, provided $n⪢m$. The algorithm is simulated numerically for the cases of the hydrogen molecule and the water molecule. The numerical simulations show that when additional symmetries of the system are considered, the number of gates to prepare the state can be drastically reduced, in the examples considered in this paper, by several orders of magnitude, from the above estimate.
Collaborative comparison of simulation codes for high-energy-density physics applications

Abstract Advances in plasma physics, powerful lasers, and pulsed-power machines have made possible experiments allowing detailed exploration and discoveries about states of matter at high energy densities. Since these experiments are expensive to perform and difficult to diagnose, numerical simulations have played an important part in designing and understanding them. A number of sophisticated radiation-hydrodynamic codes have been developed to perform this task. We will describe a new collaboration to compare three of these codes for a variety of test problems. Current members of this collaboration are the Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics (CRASH) at the University of Michigan, the FLASH Center at the University of Chicago, and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). These code comparisons have enabled us to understand differences in numerical methods, physical approximations, microphysical parameters, etc. The net result has been an improvement in the codes and higher confidence in the simulation results. This paper presents the results of a subset of these comparison tests.
The messenger-like poly(A)-containing RNA species from the mitochondria of mammals and insects

Abstract The messenger-like poly(A)-containing RNA associated with the mitochondria of both mammalian (human and hamster) and insect (Drosophila and mosquito) cell cultures is examined. This RNA is resolved on polyacrylamide gels into approximately eight apparently stable and distinct species. The pattern for each cell type is unique, but the molecular weights represented appear to be very similar. The poly(A) segment attached to this RNA [as well as the much longer poly(A) attached to mRNA of nuclear origin] is nearly identical in size in the mammalian and insect cells.
A root inoculation technique to screen potato seedlings for resistance toPseudomonas solanacearum

A seedling inoculation technique for screening potato progenies for resistance toPseudomonas solanacearum was devised, and the effect of certain treatment variables on efficiency of the technique was determined. Concentration of inoculum and age of seedlings were critical factors; with very young seedlings (16 days old) or low concentration of inoculum (105 cells/ml for isolate K-60) many seedlings escaped infection. With older seedlings (25 days old) and high concentrations of inoculum (109 cells/ml), very few or none of the seedlings survived. Inocula containing mixtures of the most virulent isolates, such as S-207, S-213, and S-123, even at relatively low populations (ca. 105 cells/ml), killed most of the susceptible seedlings. In the standard procedure, true seed was sown in rows 3.2 cm apart in 50 x 35 cm flats and seedlings were grown for 20 days in a growth room at 22 C and a 14-hr photoperiod. For inoculation, 5 liters of a cell suspension of two pathogenic isolates ofP. solanacearum (S-207 and S-213, or S-207 and S-123) were added to each flat, and roots were cut immediately with a knife run between and across the rows of seedlings. Inoculated seedlings were incubated in a growth room at 28 C for 2 weeks, and survivors then were moved to the greenhouse for propagation. Stem inoculation of 20 clones derived from plants that survived the standard procedures showed that 16 of them had clear-cut resistance to the bacterium. Tests with 39 hybrid families from crosses of resistant clones with susceptible Mexican and Colombian cultivars showed a relatively high survival rate in progeny from crosses involving three specific resistant parents.
Molecular glass photoresists for advanced lithography

Molecular glass resists are low molecular-weight organic photoresist materials that readily form stable amorphous glasses above room temperature. We have created new families of molecular glass materials that function as both positive and negative resists capable of producing fine features as small as 35 nm line/space patterns using either extreme UV (13.4 nm) or electron beam lithography. These molecular glass resists have promising properties and are being considered as alternative choices to polymeric resists for next generation photoresist design.
Teacher Evaluations of Make-up Exam Procedures:

We investigated procedures faculty in the United States use when students miss exams. A 27-item survey asked about methods used in the past, those currently used and faculty satisfaction with each and with general characteristics of make-up procedures. Faculty are satisfied with their current methods of determining eligibility for students to take make-up exams and the make-up procedures they use most often, rating them as fair and equitable. Participants have used a variety of methods, some ethically questionable.
CP violation from three-gluon operators in the supersymmetric standard model

Abstract We have computed the leading two-loop gluino exchange contribution to a three-gluon operator contributing to CP violation within the context of the softly broken supersymmetric three-generation standard model. We find a strong constraint on complex phases by estimating the induced neutron electric dipole moment.
COMPUTER-ASSISTED INSTRUCTION IN REDUCING ERRORS IN SCORING OF THE WISC-IH

Summary.-The current study assessed che effectiveness of interactive computer-assisted instruction software in reducing subsequent errors in scoring the WISC111. Errors in scoring from 84 protocols of gaduate students presented with chis software simulation as part of their initial training were compared with errors in scoring from 77 protocols of graduate students without such training. These were differenr sets of students marched for amount of training and differing in having the training component. Protocols from he former group contained significantly fewer errors of correct assignment of points, failure to question when specified to do so, and over-all total number of errors. Mechanical errors, conversion errors, and errors establishing correct starting and stopping points (basal and cehg points) were not significant. The results support the effectiveness of computer-assisred instruction when used in conjunction with classroom training.
On the Tractable Counting of Theory Models and its Application to Truth Maintenance and Belief Revision

We address in this paper the problem of counting the models of a propositional theory under incremental changes to its literals. Specifcally, we show that if a propositional theory Δ is in a special form that we call smooth, deterministic, decomposable negation normal form (sd-DNNF), then for any consistent set of literals S, we can simultaneously count (in time linear in the size of Δ) the models of Δ ∪ S and the models of every theory Δ ∪ T where T results from adding, removing or flipping a literal in S. We present two results relating to the time and space complexity of compiling propositional theories into sd-DNNF. First, we show that if a conjunctive normal form (CNF) has a bounded treewidth, then it can be compiled into an sd-DNNF in time and space which are linear in its size. Second, we show that sd-DNNF is a strictly more space efficient representation than Free Binary Decision Diagrams (FBDDs). Finally, we discuss some applications of the counting results to truth maintenance systems, belief re...
Renal Oxidative Stress in Medullary Thick Ascending Limbs Produced by Elevated NaCl and Glucose

The effects of NaCl, glucose, and thyroid hormone on the production of superoxide (O 2 ·− ) within the renal medulla of Sprague-Dawley rats were examined. Responses of intracellular superoxide [O 2 ·− ] i in isolated medullary thick ascending limbs (mTALs) were studied using real-time fluorescent microscopy with measurement of the dehydroethidium (DHE) to ethidium (Eth) conversion ratio (Eth/DHE ratio unit). The results demonstrated that elevations of extracellular NaCl (from 152 to 252 mmol/L), d-glucose (from 5 to 25 mmol/L), and triiodo-thyronine (T3; 10 μmol/L) significantly increased [O 2 ·− ] i levels. Preincubation with superoxide scavenger 4,5-dihydroxy-1,3-benzene-disulfonic acid (1 mmol/L) significantly inhibited these responses. Stimulation with equamolar amounts of choline chloride or l-glucose failed to increase [O 2 ·− ] i , indicating that these O 2 ·− responses were not determined by changes in osmolality. The responses to NaCl, d-glucose, and T3 were abolished by pretreatment with the Na + /K + -ATPase pump inhibitor ouabain (4 mmol/L) and with Na + /H + -exchanger inhibitor dimethylamiloride (100 μmol/L). We conclude that elevations of extracellular NaCl, d-glucose, or T3 levels can activate both the Na + /K + -ATPase pump and Na + /H + exchanger in mTAL, which, in turn, is associated with increased intracellular concentrations of superoxide.
Effect of strain rate on tensile behavior of polypropylene and carbon nanofiber filled polypropylene

Abstract In the present paper, vapor-grown carbon nanofibers were mechanically dry-mixed with polypropylene powder and extruded into filaments with a single screw extruder. Then tensile tests were performed on the single filament at a strain rate range from 0.02 min−1 to 2 min−1. Results indicate that both neat and nanophased polypropylene were strain rate-strengthening material. The tensile modulus and yield strength both increased with increasing strain rate. Results also show that infusing polypropylene with nanofibers increases tensile modulus and yield strength, but decreases ductility. Finally, based on the tensile test results, a nonlinear constitutive equation was developed to describe strain rate-sensitive behavior of neat and nanophased polypropylene.
Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma metastatic to skin of the forearm.

THE PATIENT was a 77-year-old female who initially underwent radical vulvectomy with bilateral inguinal lymphadenectomy for classification of the International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians stage III squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. At the time of the original treatment, there was no evidence of systemic spread of disease. Over the following 6 months, the patient developed a progressively enlarging, firm, rounded tumor on the anterior aspect of the right forearm (Figure 1). Incisional biopsy of the lesion documented poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with infiltration of the adjacent connective tissue and skeletal muscle. The findings were consistent with cutaneous metastasis secondary to vulvar carcinoma. Computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis did not show any sign of distant metastasis, but there was evidence of lymphatic metastasis suggested by right inguinal lymphadenopathy. CT and scout films of the forearm showed a multiloculated intramuscular soft tissue mass invading the subcutaneous tissue and showing hemorrhage within the mass, without adjacent bone involvement. The patient then underwent excision of the forearm mass as palliative treatment. The pathologist’s examination of the tissue found a poorly differentiated high-grade carcinoma extending to the deep resection margin and consistent with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. After a 4-month disease-free interval, right axillary lymphatic metastasis developed, followed by metastasis to the lungs. The patient remained alive, however, for 1 year after excision of the forearm lesion, finally succumbing to her disease shortly thereafter. Cancer of the vulva represents 4% to 5% of all gynecologic malignancies and is the fourth most common. It is a slowly progressive tumor that advances locally and metastasizes via regional lymph nodes first to the inguinal then to the deep pelvic nodes. Hematogenous spread may occur in the late stages. In females, cutaneous metastasis occurs most commonly from breast carcinoma, followed by colorectal carcinoma, melanoma, and ovarian carcinoma. Cutaneous metastasis from vulvar carcinoma is extremely rare, and there are only five previous cases presented in the literature. In all of these cases, the cutaneous metastasis was to the skin of the thigh and the lower abdomen, with close proximity to the genitalia, and represented a preterminal event. All five reported patients expired within the ensuing year. Our report describes the first case of cutaneous metastasis of vulvar carcinoma to the upper extremity, remote from the genital tract, and associated with a survival of more than 1 year after the development of metastasis.
Controlling Curvature in Minkowski Planes

Pontryagin's maximum principle is used to find the curve of shortest length with bounded Minkowskian curvature passing through two points with given initial and terminal tangents.
Solid state ionic devices for combustion gas sensing

We have performed extensive research on the development of new types of solid state combustion gas sensors over the last decade. The combination of new electrode materials, insights from sensor studies equipped with auxiliary reference electrodes, heterogeneous catalysis measurements and theoretical analysis has enabled the development of novel gas sensors at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The substitution of electronic conducting oxides for Pt electrodes has extended the applications of Nernstian-type zirconia oxygen sensors to high temperatures >900 °C and high sulfur environments. Novel sensor geometries that allow for gas diffusion through a porous electrolyte to a dense electrode improve the performance of mixed potential type sensors. We have also developed porous electrolyte potentiometric sensors that detect non-methane hydrocarbon gases in exhaust streams.
The occurrence of multiple forms of cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes from untreated rats and mice☆☆☆

Abstract The hepatic microsomes of rat and mice were subfractionated by the procedure of Dallner. When a 1.3 M sucrose lower layer was used for the two-step discontinuous gradient, no differences in spectral characteristics were noted between subfractions, though the smooth fractions (SER) had higher oxidative activity towards the substrates tested. When lower layers of 1.05, 1.1 or 1.15 M sucrose were used, the SER isolated contained cytochrome P-450 with significantly different spectral characteristics from that of the rough fraction (RER). The SER cytochrome P-450 had a wavelength maximum in the carbon-monoxide reduced difference spectrum that was significantly lower (ca. 1.0 nm) than that in the RER. In addition, the type I:CO-reduced spectral ratio of these fractions is significantly elevated. These data indicate that liver microsomes from untreated rats and mice contain more than one cytochrome P-450 and that these cytochromes may be located in different parts of the endoplasmic reticulum.
REVISING ANSWERS TO ITEMS IN COMPUTERIZED ADAPTIVE TESTS: A COMPARISON OF THREE MODELS1,2

The interest in the application of large-scale computerized adaptive testing has served to focus attention on issues that arise when theoretical advances are made operational. Some of these issues stem less from changes in testing conditions and more from changes in testing paradigms. One such issue is that of the order in which questions are answered within a test or separately timed test section. In linear testing, this order of responses is entirely under the control of the test-taker, who can omit questions, look ahead at questions, and return and revise answers to previous questions. The attempt to permit the same, or even reasonably restricted, control in adaptive testing can unintentionally result in transferring to the test-taker control over which items are chosen for administration, threatening both test fairness and accuracy. This paper explores, using simulations, three models of permitting restricted test-taker control over revising previous answers in the context of adaptive testing. Even under a worst-case model of test-taker revising behavior, two of the models of permitting item revisions work well in preserving test fairness and accuracy and one model studied may also preserve some cognitive processing styles developed by test-takers for a linear testing environment.
Comparative physical and physiological performance of rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, of distinct lactate dehydrogenase B2 phenotypes

Abstract 1. 1. Adult rainbow trout ( Salmo gairdneri ) LDH B 2 B 2 phenotype exhibited lower swimming performance at low ambient oxygen levels than B 2' B 2' and B 2' B 2 phenotypes. 2. 2. Under decreasing oxygen conditions the oxygen consumption rate and ambient oxygen concentration at fatigue for the B 2 B 2 females was significantly higher than B 2' B 2' females for the former and all other male and female phenotypes for the latter. 3. 3. Blood p O 2 at fatigue under low ambient oxygen conditions was significantly higher for females than males.
Quantum gravity at spatial infinity

The nonquantum treatment of the gravitational field equations at spatial infinity yields formal solutions, one-half of which lend themselves readily to a physical interpretation in terms of gravitational fields in space-time, whereas the other half involve unacceptable singularities when extended to approach light-like infinity. The quantization of the field equations at spatial infinity formally is straightforward, the Hamiltonian being purely quadratic in the canonical field variables, but the discard of half of the classical solutions produces serious difficulties in the quantum version, for which a possible remedy is tentatively proposed.
Theoretical study on the reaction of ground state cyano radical with propylene in Titan's atmosphere.

The bimolecular reaction of ground state cyano radical with propylene under the condition of single collision is investigated by combining ab initio electronic structure calculations for predicting reaction paths and RRKM theory to yield rate constant for each path. The isomerization and dissociation channels for each of the seven collision complexes are characterized by utilizing the unrestricted B3LYP/cc-pVTZ level of theory and the CCSD(T)/cc-pVTZ calculations. Sifting with the facilitation of RRKM rate constants through web of ab initio paths composed of 8 collision complexes, 37 intermediates, and 12 H-, 23 H2-, 3 HCN-, and 4 CH3-dissociated products, we identify the most probable paths down to 7−9 species at collisions energies of 0 and 5 kcal/mol as the reaction mechanisms. The rate equations of the reaction mechanisms are solved numerically such that the concentration evolutions for all species involved are obtained. This study predicts that CN + C2H3CH3 reaction via any of the seven collision com...
The unique histopathological responses of the injured spinal cord. Implications for neuroprotective therapy.

: Tissue destruction at the primary site of a spinal cord injury leads to persistent necrosis that progressively enlarges the lesion. Steroids attenuate this necrotizing process and promote tissue repair even though such anti-inflammatory drugs interfere with wound healing in non-CNS organs. To address this paradox, the spinal cord of rats and mice was crushed extradurally and the effects of the following anti-inflammatory agents studied by light microscopical image analysis: allopurinol, aminoguanidine, indomethacin, a bacterial lipopolysaccharide, naproxen, and pregnenolone. The contribution of Wallerian degeneration to progressive necrosis was studied in a mutant mouse strain (WldS) that is characterized by delayed Wallerian degeneration. In rats, the anti-inflammatory agents selectively attenuated progressive necrosis and encouraged wound healing. In mice, considerable tissue repair occurred without pharmacological intervention; this wound-healing process was delayed in the mutant WldS strain. Since spinal cord injury results in concomitant tissue necrosis and wound healing, a goal of neuroprotective therapy is to regulate the dynamic balance between these destructive and reparative processes.
WT1-interacting protein (Wtip) regulates podocyte phenotype by cell-cell and cell-matrix contact reorganization

Podocytes respond to environmental cues by remodeling their slit diaphragms and cell-matrix adhesive junctions. Wt1-interacting protein (Wtip), an Ajuba family LIM domain scaffold protein expressed in the podocyte, coordinates cell adhesion changes and transcriptional responses to regulate podocyte phenotypic plasticity. We evaluated effects of Wtip on podocyte cell-cell and cell-matrix contact organization using gain-of- and loss-of-function methods. Endogenous Wtip targeted to focal adhesions in adherent but isolated podocytes and then shifted to adherens junctions after cells made stable, homotypic contacts. Podocytes with Wtip knockdown (shWtip) adhered but failed to spread normally. Noncontacted shWtip podocytes did not assemble actin stress fibers, and their focal adhesions failed to mature. As shWtip podocytes established cell-cell contacts, stable adherens junctions failed to form and F-actin structures were disordered. In shWtip cells, cadherin and β-catenin clustered in irregularly distributed spots that failed to laterally expand. Cell surface biotinylation showed diminished plasma membrane cadherin, β-catenin, and α-catenin in shWtip podocytes, although protein expression was similar in shWtip and control cells. Since normal actin dynamics are required for organization of adherens junctions and focal adhesions, we determined whether Wtip regulates F-actin assembly. Undifferentiated podocytes did not elaborate F-actin stress fibers, but when induced to overexpress WTIP, formed abundant stress fibers, a process blocked by the RhoA inhibitor C3 toxin and a RhoA kinase inhibitor. WTIP directly interacted with Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) 12 (Arhgef12), a RhoA-specific GEF enriched in the glomerulus. In conclusion, stable assembly of podocyte adherens junctions and cell-matrix contacts requires Wtip, a process that may be mediated by spatiotemporal regulation of RhoA activity through appropriate targeting of Arhgef12.
Myoblast Fusion in Fly and Vertebrates: New Genes, New Processes and New Perspectives

Muscle formation and repair depends critically on the fusion of myoblasts. Despite the importance of this process, little is known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating fusion. Forward genetic screens in Drosophila melanogaster have uncovered genes that, when mutated, prevent myoblast fusion. Analyses of these gene products have indicated that the actin cytoskeleton and its regulation play a central role in the fusion process. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the field, including new imaging approaches to analyze fusion as well as a description of novel genes required for fusion. In particular, we highlight what has been learned about the requirement of a specific actin structure at the site of fusion. We also place these findings from Drosophila within the context of myoblast fusion in vertebrates.
Human leukemic cells: characteristics of modified methylated minor bases of low molecular weight ribonucleic acids.

Abstract RNAs isolated from cells derived from human leukemia (CCRF-CEM), infectious mononucleosis (CCRF-RKB, SB), and a normal donor (CCRF-SLT) were resolved into 4 peaks on Sephadex G-100 columns. tRNA (4S or peak IV) showed a higher ratio of 6-methyladenosine, N2, N2-dimethylguanosine and 5-methylcytosine in RKB and SB cells as compared with CEM and SLT cells. Striking differences were observed in 7-methylguanosine; there was a 4–5-fold increase in CEM cells, and a 2-fold increase in RKB and SB, as compared with SLT cells. The total content of modified minor bases, including pseudo-uridine, showed no significant quantitative differences in the 4.6S RNA (peak III) RNA. A 3–4-fold increase was seen in the 7-methylguanosine content of 5.5S (peak II) isolated from CEM cells as compared to RKB, SB and SLT cells. 3-Methylcytosine was found only in CEM, and higher ratios of minor bases were found in 5.5S RNA isolated from CEM, as compared with SLT, RKB, and SB cells. These observations are of particular interest in view of increased excretion of methylated purines in urines of patients or animals with cancer, and may reflect increased methylation reactions and/or increased metabolic turnover of methylated bases in the tumor-bearing host.
Characterization of Antimicrobial Peptides Relating to Shortened RWALP Model Peptides

In the face of increasing bacterial drug resistance, small membrane-active peptides offer potentially attractive avenues to alternative antimicrobial agents. The goals of this project are to characterize the lipid interactions and analyze the antimicrobial efficacy of model peptides that are longer than the lactoferrin-derived, surface-acting LfB6 (RRWQWR-NH2), yet shorter than the transmembrane RWALP23 (acetyl-GRALW(LA)6LWLARA-NH2). New-generation RWALP peptides, of general sequence (ac-GRnWm(LA)jLWmRnA-NH2) were designed with varying total lengths (13-15) and numbers of Arg and Trp residues. 2H-alanines were incorporated at several positions to serve as probes for recording solid-state NMR spectra from mechanically aligned samples of the peptides in bilayers of DLPC, DMPC or DOPC. Labeled RWALP13 (j=3, n=1, m=1) exhibits partial water solubility, no antimicrobial activity, and 2H-NMR spectra characteristic of isotropic motion, even in the presence of lipid bilayers. Circular dichroism spectra of RWALP13 suggest partial α-helical character in water that is enhanced when lipids are present. The 2H-NMR spectra indicate that the longer 14- or 15-residue peptides are aligned to varying degrees in the different lipid bilayer membranes. Antimicrobial assays reveal that peptides with four arginines have higher activity than those with only two arginines. Interestingly, within the 4-Arg category, RRWALP15 (j=3, n=2, m=1) shows higher activity (MIC of 6.25 μ1/4g/ml) against E. coli than does RRWWALP15 (j=2, n=2, m=2; MIC of 25 μ1/4g/ml). The 2H-NMR spectra of RRWALP15 suggest significant alignment of the peptide with respect to lipid bilayer membranes. The combined antimicrobial and spectral features make RRWALP15 an especially good candidate for further analysis.
Land use as climate change mitigation.

Mitigating climate change could be better achieved by regulating land use change than emissions reductions alone.
Timeholes: A Useful Metaphor when Explaining Unusual or Bizarre Behaviour in Children who Have Moved Families

Many psychological problems are present when children have moved families. The majority of such children have experienced trauma and loss. They can show sudden mood changes with extreme behavioural...
Extruded starch–nanoclay nanocomposites: Effects of glycerol and nanoclay concentration†

Wheat starch-Cloisite Na+ nanoclay composites containing different glycerol and nanoclay concentrations were extruded using a twin-screw extruder. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the extent of nanoclay dispersion and thermogravimetric analysis was used to characterize thermal stability of composites. Also, water absorbance was measured for each sample. The extent of nanoclay dispersion in samples containing 47 wt% total plasticizer concentration depended on glycerol concentration. For these samples, adding 5 wt% glycerol produced mostly exfoliated nanoclay, whereas adding 10 or 15 wt% glycerol produced intercalated nanoclay. Also, nanoclay composites exhibited improved thermal stability and reduced water uptake compared to samples with no nanoclay. However, thermal stability and water absorbance were not affected by the extent of nanoclay dispersion. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1898–1904, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers
A comprehensive view of solar-terrestrial relationships in terms of a chain of four dynamo-powered plasma acceleration processes

Abstract This paper emphasizes an effort to link processes which relate solar activity and magnetospheric disturbances in terms of energy transfer through a chain of four elements. In this view, each element is explicitly thought to be powered by a dynamo, namely the solar wind generation dynamo, the solar flare dynamo, the solar wind-magnetosphere dynamo and the auroral dynamo, respectively. Each dynamo powers a plasma acceleration process by the Lorentz force and the plasma flows thus generated are the solar wind, the flare-generated solar wind disturbance, the magnetospheric plasma convection and the ionospheric convection, respectively. Each plasma flow conveys the energy from one element to the next in the chain. Some of the kinetic energy of the photospheric plasma is eventually deposited in the polar ionosphere as heat energy.
Evaluation of compact FELS operating at 0.4 micron wavelength

Abstract Microwiggler operation for proposed compact free electron laser devices are simulated to explore the wider use of harmonics in order to reach optical wavelengths with moderate-to-low electron beam energy. We show the gain degradation due to energy spread and strong field saturation effects to demonstrate the advantages of using harmonics in order to reduce size and complexity of FEL systems.
Onset of stuttering in preschool children: selected factors.

This investigation provides updated information on the onset of stuttering, explores variations in the onset, and studies possible relationship of stuttering onset to the factors of age, gender, fa...
Growing up in the Kayamandi Township: I. The role of sport in helping young people overcome challenges within their community.

While the growth of the sport-for-development movement has coincided with the establishment of a number of sport-for-development organisations, many of these organisations have been top-down development projects or outside-in globalisation projects, which are not as effective as they could be. In an effort to address the gap in the literature on inside-up sport-for-development programmes, this study focused on one specific community in South Africa that is being served by various sport programmes. Interviews were conducted with 40 participants, divided into three sub-groups: community members, coaches and athletes. The methodological framework of the study, a description of the community and the role of sport in the community are described in detail. Additionally, the barriers that prevent young people from participating in sport are addressed, along with a look at how sport can help young people overcome the challenges of growing up in this community. The practical implications of these findings are also...
Role of the immune-response region of the B complex in the control of the graft-vs-host reaction in chickens.

The relative importance of the B and IR regions of the chicken B complex were compared as to their role in the graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction. Spleen enlargement (splenomegaly) on 19-day-old embryos, inoculated 5 days earlier with immune competent leukocytes, served as the test for the GVH reaction. The B blood group locus was the marker of the “B” region, and the Ir-GAT gene was the marker of the immune response (Ir) region of the B complex, the major histocompatibility system (MHS) of chickens. The test stocks consisted of B1B1 GAT-Low (1-Low) and B19B19 Gat-High (19-High) birds of our S1 Leghorn line plus the recombinant genotypes B1B1 Gat-High (1-High) and B19B19 GAT-low (19-Low). A dosage of 0.1 ml of donor white blood cells was injected into each of 191 recipient embryos on day 14, and the spleens were removed and weighed on day 19. Of 16 combinations of (donor blood)-(host embryos), arranged with respect to the four genotypes listed above, four were compatible, e. g., (1-Low)-(1-Low). There were four incompatible combinations at the B locus, four at the GAT locus, and four at both the B and GAT loci. All 16 combinations were replicated. Results were expressed as a splenomegaly index (SI), that is, the ratio of incompatible to compatible spleen weights corrected for differences in embryo weight. If (SI-1) is greater than 0, the GVH reaction is considered positive within sampling errors. The mean (SI-1) indexes obtained were: incompatible at GAT-0.5±0.07; incompatible at B-1.34±0.10. Thus, both GAT and B contributed to the GVH reaction, but the B region was much stronger than the IR region. The results were strongly asymmetrical: maximal stimulation occurred when the host embryo was B19B19 GAT-high and donor leukocytes were B1B1 GAT-Low. The parental donor-host paired combinations gave stronger GVH reactions than did the recombinant pairs. Effects of incompatibilities at the two regions proved additive when compared with two-locus differences of parental genotypes. In general, the results proved that the IR region, as specifically defined by recombinants obtained in our S1 line of Leghorns, plays a significant, but minor, role in the GVH reaction compared with the region of the B complex identified with the B blood-group locus.
A sandwich plate with a part-through and a debonding crack.

The stress analysis of a metal base plate stiffened by a fiber-reinforced composite layer is considered. It is assumed that the two materials are bonded through an adhesive of constant thickness which is treated as a two-dimensional shear spring in the analysis. The metal plate is assumed to contain a through crack of finite length. The composite plate has no flaws. However, due to the high stress concentration around the crack and on the interface, a debonding crack is assumed to exist, encircling the crack in the base plate. The problem is reduced to a pair of integral equations of the second kind with Fredholm-type kernels. By solving these equations the stress intensity factor in the base plate, the boundary of the debonding crack, and the interface shear stresses acting on the adhesive are calculated.
Scientific opportunities with in-flight separated beams

Abstract This article provides an overview of the use of fast (>50 MeV/u) beams of radioactive ions for nuclear structure studies.
Assessment of Preschool Behavior and Social-Emotional Functioning: A Review of Thirteen Third-Party Instruments

This study investigated the psychometric qualities of 13 preschool third-party measures of social-emotional functioning. Most of the rating scales were severely limited in critical and primary area...
Expression of Ly-6A/E alloantigens in thymocyte and T-lymphocyte subsets: variability related to the Ly-6a and Ly-6b haplotypes

We have studied the cellular basis for differential expression of the Ly-6A/E alloantigen on T cells obtained from mice of the Ly-6a (10–20% Ly-6A/E+) and Ly-6b (50–60% Ly-6A/E+) haplotypes. During T-cell ontogeny only a small fraction (< 12 %) of thymocytes expressed Ly-6A/E. By 4 weeks of age adult levels of Ly-6A/E bearing lymphocytes were seen in peripheral lymphoid tissue. Immunohistochemical studies of the thymus revealed that Ly-6A/E+ cells were located predominantly in the medulla with small clusters of Ly-6A/E+ cells throughout the cortex. Consistent with this result, phenotypic studies showed that in the adult thymus the majority of Ly-6A/E expression was on mature CD4+ CD8− and CD4− CD8+ cortisone-resistant and precursor CD4− CD8− thymocytes. However, a much higher percentage of CD4+ CD8− and CD4− CD8− thymocytes as well as CD4+ CD8− peripheral T cells expressed Ly-6A/E from Ly-6b mice. Furthermore, although gamma interferon induced increased Ly-6A/E expression in certain thymocyte and T-cell subsets, this induction functioned preferentially for cells obtained from Ly-6b mice. Studies using F1 hybrid mice (Ly-6a × Ly-6b) indicated that the “basal” level of Ly-6A/E expression on these subsets appeared to be under codominant genetic control, whereas gamma interferon-induced regulation of Ly-6A/E expression appeared to be under dominant genetic control. Collectively, these results suggest that the expression of Ly-6A/E on a particular T-cell subset is established in the thymus and is a stable characteristic of each haplotype. In addition, the low levels of Ly-6A/E expression for the Ly-6a haplotype appear to be partially due to the inability of the majority of resting CD4+ T cells to express Ly-6A/E and to the relatively poor induction of this protein by gamma interferon.
Localization of Membrane‐Bound Catechol‐O‐Methyltransferase

Previous studies of the distribution of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) have concentrated on the soluble enzyme activity. In this study the activity of the membrane-bound enzyme was determined in different brain regions and peripheral tissues of the rat. Membrane-bound COMT, like the soluble enzyme, has a general distribution with high levels in liver, kidney, and vas deferens. However, the ratio of membrane-bound to soluble activity varies almost 30-fold in different tissues, with the highest ratio in brain. Membrane-bound activity varies twofold within brain. In view of their different localization and kinetic properties, it seems likely that the two forms of COMT have different functions in vivo.