cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Two-flux tunable Aharonov-Bohm effect in a photonic lattice

We study the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) caging effect in a one-dimensional lattice of $\ensuremath{\theta}$-shaped units defining a chain of interconnected plaquettes, each one threaded by two synthetic flux lines. In the proposed system, light trapping results from the destructive interference of waves propagating along three arms. This implies that the caging effect is tunable and it can be controlled by changing the tunnel couplings $J$. These features reflect on the diffraction pattern allowing us to establish a clear connection between the lattice topology and the resulting AB interference.
T-box transcription factor 21 is expressed in terminal Schwann cells at the neuromuscular junction

INTRODUCTION/AIMS Terminal Schwann cells (tSCs) are nonmyelinating Schwann cells present at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) with multiple integral roles throughout their lifespan. There is no known gene differentiating tSCs from myelinating Schwann cells, making their isolation and investigation challenging. In this work we investigated genes expressed within tSCs. METHODS A novel dissection technique was utilized to isolate the tSC-containing NMJ band from the sternomastoid muscles of S100-GFP mice. RNA was isolated from samples containing: (a) NMJ bands (tSCs with nerve and muscle), (b) nerve, and (c) muscle, and microarray genetic expression analysis was conducted. Data were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunofluorescent staining. To identify genes specific to tSCs compared with other NMJ components, analysis of variance and rank-order analysis were performed using the Partek Genomic Suite. RESULTS Microarray analysis of the tSC-enriched NMJ band revealed upregulation (by 4- to 12-fold) of several genes unique to the NMJ compared with muscle or nerve parts alone (P < .05). Among these genes, Tbx21 (or T-bet) was identified, which showed a 12-fold higher expression at the NMJ compared with sciatic nerve (P < .002). qRT-PCR analysis showed Tbx21 mRNA expression was over ninefold higher (P < .05) in the NMJ relative to muscle and nerve. Tbx21 protein colocalized with tSCs and was not noted in myelinating SCs from sciatic nerve. DISCUSSION We found TBX21 to be expressed in tSCs. Additional studies will be performed to determine the functional significance of TBX21 in tSCs. These studies may enhance the investigative tools available to modulate tSCs to improve motor recovery after nerve injury.
Concentration inequalities for the hydrodynamic limit of a two-species stochastic particle system

We study a stochastic particle system which is motivated from grain boundary coarsening in two-dimensional networks. Each particles lives on the positive real line and is labeled as belonging to either Species 1 or Species 2. Species 1 particles drift at unit speed toward the origin, while Species 2 particles do not move. When a particle in Species 1 hits the origin, it is removed, and a randomly selected particle mutates from Species 2 to Species 1. The process described is an example of a high-dimensional piecewise deterministic Markov process (PDMP), in which deterministic flow is punctuated with stochastic jumps. Our main result is a proof of exponential concentration inequalities of the Kolmogorov-Smirnoff distance between empirical measures of the particle system and solutions of limiting nonlinear kinetic equations. Our method of proof involves a time and space discretization of the kinetic equations, which we compare with the particle system to derive recurrence inequalities for comparing total numbers in small intervals. To show these recurrences occur with high probability, we appeal to a state dependent Hoeffding type inequality at each time increment.
Real Time Intelligent Data Processing Algorithm for Cyber Resilient Electric Vehicle Onboard Chargers

This paper analyzes the impacts of various data integrity based cyber attacks on power electronic hardware present in electric vehicle (EV) chargers and proposes an universally applicable hardware-based countermeasure algorithm to protect the onboard charging (OBC) systems. The effectiveness of the proposed defense mechanism is comprehensively analyzed by testing the system against several recurring cyberattack triggered faults in the OBC. To evaluate the impact of various cyberattacks on the system, two different power electronic topologies of EV OBC are taken into consideration. Further on, single phase and three phase charger topologies are simulated in MATLAB/Simulink to comprehend the impact of various faults occuring as a result of different data integrity attack scenarios, and to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. Quantitative analysis of the results demonstrates that the proposed intelligent data processing algorithm, implemented in the charger's main controller, can be effectively used with different charging architectures / topologies proving its universal application against cyberattacks on the OBC systems.
Touching in the 21st Century: Sexual Dimorphism, Politics and Power

Touching and social space have different meanings as devices of communication. Status is displayed in a variety of cultures by who touches who and how, the amount of space one person demands or can socially control is another signal of status or power. In some cultures touching and a demonstration of a lack of space regarding the presence of certain individuals is a signal of inclusion, kinship distance or amorous invitation. Generally in western cultures, especially Anglo-American, limits to touching and guarded definition of space communicate avoidance as a general means of behavior control. When social boundaries are breached in public a variety of sanctions or specific significant signals are expressed. Recently the nature of touching has taken on a specific defined political criticism and tool for sanction, yet it is not uniformly applied. This is especially true of behavioral sexual dimorphism. This contradiction is most concerning and requires analysis.
Effective package warning label systems for communicating relative risks of cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and e-cigarettes: An experimental study with Korean adults.

Abstract Background Warning labels are a fundamental public health strategy for communicating about tobacco product risks, but effective warning labels for heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-cigarettes (ECs) are yet to be determined. We examined the effect of two warning label systems for communicating the relative risks of using cigarettes, HTPs, and ECs. Methods 1,280 Korean adults were recruited from an online commercial panel, including susceptible non-users of cigarettes, HTPs, or ECs aged 19 to 29 (n = 444) and current users of these tobacco products aged 19 or older (n = 836). Participants viewed packages for cigarettes, HTPs, and ECs in a 2 × 2 between-subject experiment: “dashboard” icons integrated into warnings vs. no dashboard; different-sized warnings (70% of cigarette packages, 50% of HTP packs, 30% of EC packages) vs. current equal-sized warnings (50% of cigarette/HTP/EC packages). Results Participants exposed to the dashboard warning system were more likely than those who were not to report higher perceived harm of cigarettes than ECs, cigarettes than HTPs, and HTPs than ECs, as well as perceived benefit of switching from cigarettes to HTPs, cigarettes to ECs, and HTPs to ECs. Participants exposed to the different-sized warning system did not report differences in perceived relative harm or benefit compared to those who were not, and no interaction of dashboard warnings with warning sizes was found. Conclusion The use of dashboard icons with texts and colors representing different levels of risk may promote public understanding about the continuum of risk across tobacco products.
TCAD Comprehensive Silicon Strain Model Using Finite Element Quasi-Fermi Discretization

In this work we present a finite element quasi-Fermi implementation of a generalized first principles strain model for silicon. Strain effects in silicon are often modeled with separate mobility, bandgap, density of states, piezo-Hall, temperature, and doping models. The current work encompasses these effects by utilizing first principles and the finite element quasi-Fermi method to write a conductivity tensor with the appropriate carrier relationships.
Some Thoughts on Megabiological Research

In order to aid in giving focus to the WAAS World Forum discussions now being held, the writer has felt constrained to ask three questions which follow: (1) Do not world conditions demonstrate the imperative need for the prompt initiation of a coordinated, overall global program of Megabio-logical study and research? (2) Would not the individual special-subject research programs, comprising the total program need to be carried out on a transnational basis and by volunteer “teams” of qualified cooperators to be recruited mainly from the staffs of university type-institutions the world over? and (3) Should not the World Academy seek to trigger, stimulate and guide the activities of the suggested research-teams, thereby actually, though somewhat indirectly, moving the situation a long step forward toward the transformation of the world’s many mushrooming “multiversities” into units being informally integrated into what could become an actual institutional World-University? A university in connection with which WAAS, as a non-institutional, informal and trans-national Fellowship, should perform functions such as are performed by the genetic pattern, enzymes and growth controlling hormones operative within the bodies of evolving “macro” individuals. As for example, within the bodies of human beings as these beings develop from embryo to infant; from infant to child; from child to adolescent; and, (ultimately) from adolescent to a poised, thoughtful and properly-motivated human personality.
Matrix metalloproteinase-10 is a critical effector of protein kinase Cι-Par6α-mediated lung cancer

Protein kinase Cι (PKCι) drives transformed growth of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells through the Rho family GTPase Rac1. We show here that PKCι activates Rac1 in NSCLC cells by formation of a PKCι–Par6α complex that drives anchorage-independent growth and invasion through activation of matrix metalloproteinase-10 (MMP-10) expression. RNAi-mediated knockdown of PKCι, Par6α or Rac1 expression inhibits NSCLC transformation and MMP-10 expression in vitro. Expression of wild-type Par6α in Par6α-deficient cells restores transformation and MMP-10 expression, whereas expression of Par6α mutants that either cannot bind PKCι (Par6α-K19A) or couple to Rac1 (Par6α-ΔCRIB) do not. Knockdown of MMP-10 expression blocks anchorage-independent growth and invasion of NSCLC cells and addition of catalytically active MMP-10 to PKCι- or Par6α-deficient cells restores anchorage-independent growth and invasion. Dominant-negative PKCι inhibits tumorigenicity and MMP-10 expression in subcutaneous NSCLC tumors. MMP-10 and PKCι are coordinately overexpressed in primary NSCLC tumors, and tumor MMP-10 expression predicts poor survival in NSCLC patients. Our data define a PKCι–Par6α–Rac1 signaling axis that drives anchorage-independent growth and invasion of NSCLC cells through induction of MMP-10 expression.
A Comparison of Synaptophysin, Chromogranin, and l-Dopa Decarboxylase as Markers for Neuroendocrine Differentiation in Lung Cancer Cell Lines

Synaptophysin is a Mr 38,000 integral membrane glycoprotein expressed by a variety of normal and neoplastic neuroendocrine cells. We studied synaptophysin as an immunocytochemical marker for neuroendocrine differentiation in lung cancer and compared it to the immunocytochemical expression of chromogranin A, a marker for dense core (endocrine) granules, and the biochemical activity of L-dopa decarboxylase (DDC), the key amine-handling enzyme. Of the 250 cell lines available to us, we selected examples representative of the following cell types: bronchial carcinoids (n = 4), small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (n = 7), extrapulmonary small cell carcinomas (n = 4), and non-small cell lung cancers (n = 18) whose neuroendocrine status had been previously determined on the basis of electron microscopy and DDC activity. We demonstrated (a) there was a higher incidence of synaptophysin than chromogranin A immunoreactivity in carcinoid (100 versus 75%), classic SCLC (70 versus 50%), and variant SCLC (57 versus 29%) cell lines; (b) 3 of the 4 (75%) extrapulmonary small cell lung cancer cell lines expressed synaptophysin and chromogranin A; (c) 5 of the 7 (71%) non-small cell lung cancer cell lines previously shown to express multiple neuroendocrine markers were positive for synaptophysin, chromogranin A, and DDC activity; (d) none of the other 11 non-small cell lung cancer cell lines expressed synaptophysin or chromogranin A; and (e) formalin fixation and paraffin embedding reduced synaptophysin immunoreactivity in 11 of 14 (79%) of the cell lines, as compared to freshly prepared specimens fixed in 95% ethanol. Western blot analysis using the synaptophysin antibody (SY38) demonstrated immunoreactive proteins ranging from Mr 43,000 to 45,000 in five representative cell lines. The concordance of expression of all three neuroendocrine markers was statistically significant when values for all cell lines were totalled. Synaptophysin was a more commonly expressed marker for variant SCLC cell lines, which rarely showed DDC activity. We conclude that synaptophysin may be a more sensitive and specific marker for neuroendocrine differentiation, when compared to chromogranin A and DDC in lung cancer cell lines which express only part of the neuroendocrine program.
Comparative Analysis of Nursing Shortage

Background: The nursing shortage is a global challenge, affecting every country in the world. With this shortage, patients are suffering because the healthcare workforce is not prepared to deal with their health needs. Within each country, the nursing shortage is caused by numerous factors that ultimately cause a decrease in the quality of health care received. However, little is known about the global causes of a shrinking professional nurse workforce. The purpose of this paper is to describe what the nursing shortage means in three countries: United States (US), Philippines, and South Africa. In addition, the paper will provide useful information specific to the three countries to further understand global issues affecting the nursing shortage. Methods: A literature review was performed by four researchers using a peer-reviewed search strategy. Published literature was identified by searching the following bibliographic databases: with in-process records via OVID; Sage; PubMed; and CINAHL (2002â€“present). The main search concepts were global nursing shortage, international nursing, nurse migration, brain drain, and health care systems. Results: The nursing shortage in the US, Philippines and South Africa are each different however, they all share similar effects on health care systems in each country. Conclusion: The global nursing shortage is relevant and warrants further investigation and appropriate interventions to ultimately alleviate the nursing shortage and prevent an international public health crisis.
ACADEMIC OUTCOMES OF VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS: THE INFLUENCE OF MOTHER–CHILD RELATIONSHIPS

It is commonly accepted that parent-child interactions are bidirectional and complex and are influenced by many different factors. The current study examined the academic and behavioral skills in the early elementary years of preterm infants and the influence of their early mother-child interactions on these skills. Using a sample of 21 premature infants and their mothers, this study found that positive early interactions during feeding were related to later mutual enjoyment during a teaching task at school age, but early maternal depression was not. Early risk factors of premature infants, specifically the number of days spent on a ventilator, were positively related to maternal perceptions of hassle associated with feeding and negatively related to maternal sensitivity during feeding. Finally, mutual enjoyment was strongly associated with language, cognitive, and behavioral skills at school age. These results suggest that it is not only the infant risk factors following a premature birth that influence later development but also the parent-child relationship and emphasize the importance of understanding and promoting these early positive parent-child interactions for premature infants.
Using Design-Based Research in Gifted Education:

Design-based research (DBR) is a new methodological framework that was developed in the context of the learning sciences; however, it has not been used very often in the field of gifted education. ...
Derivative Polynomials for tanh, tan, sech and sec in Explicit Form

The derivative polynomials for the hyperbolic and trigonometric tangent, cotangent and secant are found in explicit form, where the coecients are given in terms of the Stirling numbers of the second kind. As an application we evaluate some integrals and also give the reflection formula for the Polygamma function in explicit form.
Pressure Sensitivity of Streptococcal Growth in Relation to Catabolism

The sensitivity of Streptococcus faecalis growth to hydrostatic pressures ranging up to 550 atm was found to depend on the source of adenosine triphosphate for growth. Barotolerance of cultures growing in a complex medium with ribose as major catabolite appeared to be determined primarily by the pressure sensitivity of ribose-degrading enzymes. Apparent activation volumes for growth were nearly identical to those for lactate production from ribose, and yield coefficients per mole of ribose degraded were relatively independent of pressure. In contrast, cultures with glucose as main catabolite were less sensitive to pressure; glycolysis was less severely restricted under high pressure than was growth, and yield coefficients declined with pressure, especially above 400 atm. Thus, two distinct types of barotolerance could be defined—one dominated by catabolic reactions and one dominated by noncatabolic reactions. The results of experiments with a series of other catabolites further supported the view that catabolic reactions can determine streptococcal barotolerance. We also found that growing, glucose-degrading cultures increased in volume under pressure in the same manner that they do at 1 atm. Thus, it appeared that the bacterium has no alternative means of carrying out glycolysis under pressure without dilatation. Also, the observation that cultures grown under pressure did not contain abnormally large or morphologically deformed cells suggested that pressure did not inhibit cell division more than cell growth.
Volume-based referral for cardiovascular procedures in the United States: a cross-sectional regression analysis

Background We sought to estimate the numbers of patients affected and deaths avoided by adopting the Leapfrog Group's recommended hospital procedure volume minimums for coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In addition to hospital risk-adjusted mortality standards, the Leapfrog Group recommends annual hospital procedure minimums of 450 for CABG and 400 for PCI to reduce procedure-associated mortality.
Beginning Your Vita Contemplativa

In this article, I describe some of the topics intellectual autobiographies might include, summarize some of what I and others have said in intellectual autobiographies published in Organization Studies, and invite readers to begin the process of constructing their own. To this end, I suggest some questions and a process readers might use.
Nanosecond time-resolved polarization spectroscopies and applications to the study of protein function and folding

Sensitive optical methods developed over the past decade make it possible to monitor the dynamics of structural changes in proteins -- changes which can, for instance, modulate function in allosteric proteins or mark self-assembly toward the functional, native structure in protein folding -- by using linearly or elliptically polarized light to perform nanosecond spectral measurements. The ellipsometric approach to time- resolved circular dichroism (TRCD) spectroscopy, initially limited to near-UV-visible single-wavelength measurements with 50 - 100 ns time resolution, has been extended to allow for multichannel spectral measurements, expansion of the spectral range into the far UV, and refinement of the time resolution to 1 ns. The ellipsometric technique has also been extended to magnetically induced TRCD (TRMCD) measurements, while the development of closely related polarimetric techniques has made available nanosecond time-resolved linear dichroism (TRLD) and optical rotatory dispersion (TRORD) spectral measurements with high sensitivity. The sensitivity of the polarimetric TRLD method, for instance, is about two orders of magnitude greater than that of standard approaches. Applications of these techniques to the study of function in a number of proteins, including myoglobin, hemoglobin, and cytochrome c oxidase, and applications to the study of folding kinetics in peptides and proteins are discussed.
Variety of Medicinal Plants in a Cultigenic Ecosystem

ABSTRACTAs a result of plant diversity investigation in the “Metropolit Metodi Kusev “Forest Park cultigenic system and concurrent application of Regulation Acts of Bulgarian and international legislation, 239 species of medicinal plants are established. They are distributed in categories with respect to accessibility to usage, preservation conditions and their economic importance. 9 species with Nature preservation status, 2 Balkan endemics and 9 Tertiary relicts are registered. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the populations of these with greater significance is made.
Image-based metrology software for analysis of features on masks and wafers

Tebaldi is a software tool developed at Intel Mask Operation (IMO) for quantitatively analyzing patterns in 2D. Its initial scope was to analyze aerial images taken with a microscope. However the software has recently been enhanced to support aerial images obtained through simulation, bitmap, jpeg and tiff files saved from the mask inspection systems and the scanning electron microscope (SEM). This article primarily focuses on the SEM module of the software. Tebaldi supports simulated aerial images generated through IMO’s simulation based defect disposition system. This allows engineers to directly correlate 2D structures in an experimental aerial image, with those in a simulated image. To analyze SEM images, the software features scaling, alignment and calibration functions. Several linear and non-linear filtration techniques to reduce noise and charging exist. Custom convolution kernels can be user defined. Ability to segment features and extract contours also exist. Further, these contours can be overlayed and shortest distances between corresponding points can be computed in a user friendly manner with a high degree of confidence. Tebaldi is currently used in production to disposition defects in repaired sites on masks shipped from IMO as well as to compare SEM images to determine the pattern fidelity across mask writers and processes within IMO.
Predicting the structure and interfacial activity of diblock brush, mixed brush, and Janus-grafted nanoparticles

A modeling framework is developed to describe the structure and properties of fluid interfaces stabilized with grafted nanoparticles. The framework is demonstrated on nanoparticles functionalized with polymers of various grafting architectures; we find that the conformation of the grafted chains plays an important role in the interfacial tension.
Process monitoring for mean shifts for multiple stage processes

A monitoring scheme for detecting a mean shift in a multistage manufacturing process for a gamma distributed response and/or a mixture of normally and non-normally distributed variables (and gamma distributed responses) is presented. The procedure is based on a deviance residual obtained from a generalized linear model (GLM). The deviance residual is shown to be a likelihood ratio statistic for detecting a mean shift in many cases for distributions in the exponential family. The advantages over the use of a control chart based on individual observations and the T 2 chart based on U statistics are demonstrated by a simulation study. The possibility of modelling the process variation for multistage processes based on a GLM is also discussed.
Bounds on Rotation Periods of Disrupted Binaries in the Full 2-Body Problem

Constraints on the final rotation rates of a Hill unstable binary in the full 2-body problem are derived and analyzed. Application of these constraints are made to the problem of a constant density body spun to disruption. This analysis has relevance to the evolution of asteroid spin rates. A proposed source of slowly rotating asteroids is from the disruption of binary bodies formed during flybys of the Earth and Venus (3, 6). As a result of such an interaction, it is possible for the asteroid to be spun at a rate fast enough for the centrifugal accelerations to overcome the gravitational attraction. Thus, due to a planetary flyby it is possible for an asteroid to be spun to disruption, in particular to be spun into two or more distinct bodies. If these bodies do not reimpact at their first periapsis passage, a binary (or more) asteroid has been formed. Depending on the total energy of this binary system, it is possible (indeed it is likely) for the resulting binary system to be Hill unstable, and thus to eventually have a mutual escape of the two (or more) bodies (7). When this occurs, the rotational kinetic energy of both bodies must decrease from their initial, post disruption rate due to conservation of energy. It is possible that this reduction in spin rate could be significant and observable in the asteroid rotation rate population (3). In this paper we carry out an analysis of such a system and find constraints on the final spin rates of a disrupted binary formed by spinning a single body beyond its disruption limit. This paper first derives the total energy of a rotating body, for both a general and ellipsoidal body. Next, conditions for such a body to 'disassemble' into a binary are stated, along with the resulting energy constraints. Then, the problem of specifying the mass distributions of the newly created binaries is considered, and a reasonable approach is defined. Assuming a system with positive free energy that is Hill unstable, constraints on the final rotation rates of the binary are found after it has disrupted into two single bodies. These results are also specialized to the
Biphasic effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on prostaglandin production by cultured rat calvariae.

Abstract We have studied the effects on bone of three structurally dissimilar non-steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs which inhibit prostaglandin cyclo-oxygenase activity (PGH synthase); indomethacin, flurbiprofen, and piroxicam. We used cultures of half calvaria from neonatal or fetal rats to measure effects on PGE 2 production, measured by radioimmunoassay. In four day neonatal rat calvaria, indomethacin inhibited PGE 2 release into the medium by 80% at 10 −8 M, while flurbiprofen and piroxicam produced similar inhibition at 10 −6 M. However, at 10 −10 M, treatment with all three compounds resulted in an increase in medium PGE 2 concentration of 60 to 120%. To assess the mechanism of this effect, bones were labeled with [ 3 H]-arachidonic acid, washed and cultured in the presence or absence of piroxicam. At 10 −6 M, piroxicam inhibited production of cyclo-oxygenase products and arachidonic acid release. However, at 10 −10 M, there was a substantial increase in labeled products, particularly PGE 2 , despite a further decrease in arachidonic acid release. In 21 day fetal rat cultures, flurbiprofen was found to increase PGE 2 release both in control cultures and cultures which had been incubated with cortisol (10 −8 M) to reduce endogenous arachidonic acid release and supplied with exogenous arachidonic acid (10 −5 M) to provide a substrate. These results indicate that three potent inhibitors of PGH synthase can, paradoxically, increase prostaglandin production at low concentrations. The effect does not appear to be due to increased arachidonic acid release, and could be due to increased PGH synthase activity.
Respect, Appreciation, and Acknowledgment of Paraprofessionals Who Support Students with Disabilities

This article describes the experiences of 103 school personnel, including classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, special educators, and administrators who worked in four schools, Grades K-12. Data were collected during 22 school visits and 56 individual interviews. Six themes were identified pertaining to how school personnel think about and act upon, issues of respect, appreciation, and acknowledgment of paraprofessionals who work in general education classrooms supporting students with and without disabilities. The themes included (a) nonmonetary signs and symbols of appreciation, (b) compensation, (c) being entrusted with important responsibilities, (d) noninstructional responsibilities, (e) wanting to be listened to, and (f) orientation and support. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for how these data might be applied in schools.
Determination of As, Cd, Cr, and Pb Species Formed in a Combustion Environment

Abstract To facilitate the understanding of the fate of metals during incineration the speciation of metals is critical. Thus, an experimental study to determine the speciation of metals during incineration was performed. Aqueous metal salts of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead were injected into a laboratory reactor, post-flame. Aerosols were captured on a glass fiber filter by isokinetic sampling. Reactor temperature was varied from 600 to 1100°C and the stoichiometric ratio was varied from 0.95 to 1.25. The Reference Intensity Method (RIM) of quantitative X-ray diffraction analysis combined with X-ray transmission was utilized to determine the speciation of aerosols removed from the combustion environment. The results indicate that temperature and stoichiometric ratio affect the formation of crystalline compounds in the combustion environment. Injection of different compounds of the same metal into the furnace resulted in the formation of different products. RIM was used to determine the composition...
THE ROLE OF LIPOPROTEINS IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF TIN ETIOPURPURIN (SnET2) IN THE TUMOR-BEARING RAT

The role of plasma lipoproteins in the distribution of the photosensitizing agent tin etiopurpurin (SnET2) was examined in male rats bearing the N-[4-(5-nitro-2-furyl)-2-thiazolyl]formamide-induced tumor. Treatement with 17α-ethinyl estradiol resulted in the depletion of total plasma cholesterol by > 70% and a corresponding decrease in plasma lipoproteins. To both control and estradiol-treated animals, a therapeutic dose (1.5mg/kg) of SnET2 was administered and biodistribution measured 24 h later. Estradiol treatment was not associated with difference in the distribution of SnET2 to liver, skin or tumor, or in the pattern of affinity of SnET2 to plasma albumin and lipoprotein. These results indicate that a substantial decrease in circulating lipoprotein levels does not alter patterns of SnET2 biodistribution.
The effect of aluminium and media on the growth of mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal highbush blueberry plantlets

A factorial experiment was conducted to determine the effect of aluminium (0 and 600μM) and media (sand, and 1:1 sand:soil) on mycorrhizal (M) and non-mycorrhizal (NM) highbush blueberry plantlets. There were no differences in nutrient uptake and total plant dry weight between M and NM plantlets. However, more root growth, as determined by dry weight, was observed in M than NM plantlets. The plantlets growing in sand had more dry weight than did those in the soil medium. Although the root growth and shoot growth were reduced by the 600μM Al treatment, the direct effect of Al on plantlet growth was not clear due to Al and P interactions. Plant nutrient uptake was reduced by high concentrations of Al, suggesting that high Al concentration limited the ability of roots to acquire most of the nutrients. Mycorrhizal cortical cell infection levels of 15–20% wene maintained in the roots in soil medium but decreased to about 5% over the 6 weeks of the experiment in the sand medium. Although M plantlets accumulated more Al in their roots, Al was readily transported to the leaf tissues of M and NM plantlets.
Role of pyridine hydrogen-bonding sites in recognition of basic amino acid side chains.

A series of three, new artificial receptors for guanidinium and ammonium guests has been synthesized. All three receptors have highly preorganized clefts bearing two carboxylate groups. They differ in the number of nitrogen atoms contained in their clefts, as follows: four N atoms in receptor 3, three N atoms in 4, and two nitrogens in 5. Crystallographic studies have produced the solid-state structures of the following guanidinium complexes of each receptor: 3.2CH(3)CH(2)NHC(NH(2))(2)(+), 4.2CH(3)NHC(NH(2))(2)(+), and 5.2C(NH(2))(3)(+). The conformations of the receptor molecules in all three complexes are very similar. N-Alkylguanidinium guests are bound in the clefts of 3 and 4 in similar manners, despite the loss of one hydrogen-bond acceptor nitrogen in 4 and the possible hindrance of the cavity by a CH group. In the guanidinium complex of 5, neither guest enters the cavity containing two CH groups. Complexation studies were conducted in methanol by (1)H NMR titration for several guanidinium and ammonium guests, including derivatives of the amino acids arginine and lysine. Receptor 5 binds all such guests weakly (K(s) 100 000). Receptor 3 is selective for arginine versus lysine, while 4 binds lysine better than does 3. The results generally underscore the importance of receptor preorganization and hydrogen-bonding complementarity in the design of receptors that can serve as probes for biomolecules.
Neurotoxins in the study of neural regulation of membrane proteins in skeletal muscle.

Abstract The discovery and purification of several neurotoxins, including α-bungarotoxin and tetrodotoxin has provided very high-affinity ligands which have proved to be central to the elucidation of the neural control of skeletal muscle membrane proteins and to the purification and characterization of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and the Na+ channel, respectively. This review describes the use of neurotoxins for quantification and localization of receptors and ion channels in normal and denervated skeletal muscles with particular emphasis on the appropriateness of the muscle preparation and ligand used in the studies. It is now clear that the nerve controls the synthesis and spatial distribution of AChRs and Na+ channels by regulating gene expression in extrajunctional and subjunctional nuclei. The down-regulation of extrajunctional AChRs is primarily mediated by neuromuscular activity and the concentration of AChRs and Na+ channels in specific membrane domains at the neuromuscular junction is controlled by a number of neurotrophic substances at the neuromuscular junction. These include agrin, ARIA, and CGRP.
Gaussian Process Time Series Model for Life Prognosis of Metallic Structures

Al 2024-T351 fatigue specimens have been modeled using a kernel-based multi-variate Gaussian Process approach. The Gaussian Process model projects fatigue affecting input variables to output crack growth by probabilistically inferring the underlying nonlinear relationship between input and output. The Gaussian Process approach not only explicitly models the uncertainty due to scatter in material microstructure parameter but it also implicitly models the loading sequence effect due to variable loading. The loading sequence effect is modeled through the Gaussian Process optimal hyperparameters by using the crack length data observed over the entire domain of spectrum loading. The performance in the crack growth prediction is evaluated for two covariance functions, a radial basis-based, anisotropic, covariance function and a neural network-based isotropic covariance function. Furthermore, the performance of different types of scaling, used to scale the input—output data space, is tested. It is found that for...
The non-virus proteins associated with tobacco mosaic virus.

1. Exhaustive fractionation of leaves from tobacco plants systemically infected with TMV has led to the isolation of two non-virus proteins, B3 and B6, and the detection of a third, A4, which do not occur in comparable uninfected plants. 2. Components B3 and B6 have been found consistently in a series of ten extracts from plants grown over an 18 month period in all seasons of the year. It is concluded that these components are as characteristic of the infected plant as TMV itself. 3. As they occur in the initial extracts, the non-virus proteins are of low molecular weight (S20 ca. 3). On treatment, each component tends to form a high molecular weight polymer with an electrophoretic mobility considerably greater than that of the starting material. The high molecular weight derivatives of A4, B3, and B6 have been designated A8, B8, and B7 respectively. There is no evidence that these high molecular weight components occur as such in the infected leaf. 4. The non-virus proteins are free of nucleic acid and are not infectious. They cross-react immunochemically with TMV. 5. Compared with TMV content, the amounts of the non-virus proteins found in infected leaf are relatively small, falling in the range of 10 to 150 micrograms per gm. of tissue.
Stripping voltammetry of Pb and Cu using a microcantilever electrode

Microfabricated silicon microcantilevers coated with gold on one side have been used as working electrode in a three-electrode electrochemical arrangement. In addition to electrochemical current, cantilever bending has been used as a signal for monitoring electrode reactions on the cantilever surface. The microcantilever bending was measured by an optical beam deflection method as the surface potential was scanned and electrochemical reactions occurred on the surface. The microcantilever bending due to differential surface stress was used to sense Pb and Cu using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep stripping voltammetry (LSSV).
Letter to the Editor---Examples Relating to the Simplex Method

An example is given showing that the most common variant of the simplex algorithm does not satisfy a condition conjectured by Saaty in an analysis of the maximum possible number of iterations. Situations are exhibited in which the simplex method encounters all vertices of the constraint polyhedron.
Database of Small Molecule Thermochemistry for Combustion

High-accuracy ab initio thermochemistry is presented for 219 small molecules relevant in combustion chemistry, including many radical, biradical, and triplet species. These values are critical for accurate kinetic modeling. The RQCISD(T)/cc-PV∞QZ//B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) method was used to compute the electronic energies. A bond additivity correction for this method has been developed to remove systematic errors in the enthalpy calculations, using the Active Thermochemical Tables as reference values. On the basis of comparison with the benchmark data, the 3σ uncertainty in the standard-state heat of formation is 0.9 kcal/mol, or within chemical accuracy. An uncertainty analysis is presented for the entropy and heat capacity. In many cases, the present values are the most accurate and comprehensive numbers available. The present work is compared to several published databases. In some cases, there are large discrepancies and errors in published databases; the present work helps to resolve these problems.
Strontium and neodymium isotopes in hot springs on the East Pacific Rise and Guaymas Basin

We have determined the concentrations and isotopic compositions of Sr and Nd in hydrothermal fluids from 21°N, East Pacific Rise and Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. The purest solutions analyzed from 21°N exhibit a small range in Sr concentration between individual vents from 5.8 to 8.7 ppm, close to normal seawater Sr concentrations. They exhibit a small range in ^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr from e_(Sr)(0) = −13.4 to −17.7, corresponding to e_(Sr)(0) ≈ −18 ± 2 in the pure hydrothermal end-member. These results indicate extensive but not complete isotopic exchange with Sr in the depleted oceanic crust (e _(Sr)(0) = −31.8) and suggest that Sr concentrations in these solutions are buffered. In contrast, the concentration and isotopic composition of Nd in solutions show large variations between vents. The concentration of Nd ranges from 20 to 336 pg/g (6–100 times seawater Nd concentrations). The isotopic composition ranges from e_(Nd)(0) = −3.6 (similar to Pacific seawater) to + 7.9. Many samples show substantial contributions from MORB, but all have e_(Nd)(0) well below MORB at this locality (e_(Nd)(0) = + 9.7) in spite of very large enrichments in Nd concentrations. While complete isotopic exchange with water/rock≈ 2 or exchange with anomalous oceanic crust can explain the Sr data, the Nd data require exchange with a reservoir having e_(Nd)(0) < Pacific seawater. Low-temperature reactions with metalliferous sediments on the ridge flanks may provide such a source. Both Sr and Nd in the Guaymas Basin solution are very different from21°N. e_(Sr)(0) = + 11.0 and e_(Nd)(0) = −11.4 and are consistent with the fluid exchanging Sr and Nd with heated sediments having a substantial component of old continental detritus. Some irregularities in the Nd isotopic data reported here indicate that there must be a problem of contamination for some ultra-low-level trace elements during sample collection and processing which requires further attention. Using a simple box model, the estimates for hydrothermal Nd fluxes are compared with fluxes which would be required to maintain the relatively radiogenic value of e_(Nd)(0) ≈ −3 in the Pacific against the influx of more negative Antarctic waters (e_(Nd)(0) ≈ −9). It is shown that the hydrothermal flux of Nd from mid-ocean ridges falls far short of that necessary to maintain the isotopic balance. This indicates that weathered material from volcanic terranes (e_(Nd)(0) ≈ +7) is the most reasonable major source of radiogenic Nd in the Pacific.
Estimating Heats of Formation of Hydrocarbon Radicals by a Combination of Semiempirical Calculation and Family Correlation with Experimental Values

A semiempirical method, the PM3-family-correlation (PM3-FC) method, has been developed to estimate the heats of formation ({Delta}H{sup {degree}}{sub f}) of hydrocarbon free radicals. The PM3-FC method combines semiempirical PM3 calculations and family correlation with experimental data. The {Delta}H{degree}{sub f} values for a test set of 67 hydrocarbon free radicals, including alkyl, cycloalkyl, alken-{alpha}-ly, cycloalken-{alpha}-yl, arylalk-{alpha}-ly, alkyn-{alpha}-yl, and vinyl radicals, were calculated by using the Pm3 method and then correlated systematically with the experimental values from the literature. According to the structural analogy of the radicals and the observed correlation, the 67 radicals in the test set can be separated into five groups. The MP3-calculated and experimental values of the radicals in each group exhibit a very good linear correlation. Using the obtained regression parameters to scale the PM3-calculated {Delta}H{degree}{sub f} values leads to a very significant increase in estimation accuracy. For the test set of radicals, excluding the three cyclic hydrocarbon radicals with three carbon atoms in the ring and the three methyl radicals coordinated with three unsaturated groups, the average absolute deviation and the standard deviation between the PM3-FC estimated and experimental enthalpy values are 0.8 and 1.1 kcal/mol, respectively. The 95% confidence limit of the deviation between themore » PM3-FC-estimated and experimental values is in the interval of {+-}2.1 kcal/mol. The error analysis of the PM3-FC method was performed on the basis of statistical analysis by comparison with other estimation methods. Hydrocarbon free radicals play an important role in many thermal chemistry processes, including combustion, petroleum and coal coking, coal liquefaction and pyrolysis, oil shale retorting, thermal stability of fuels, and free radical polymerization.« less
Control of cis-stilbene photochemistry using shaped ultraviolet pulses.

We demonstrate product branching control of the photoisomerization and cyclization reactions of cis-stilbene dissolved in n-hexane. An acousto-optical modulator-based pulse shaper was used at 266 nm, in a shaped pump−supercontinuum probe technique, to enhance and suppress the relative yields of the cis- to trans-stilbene isomerization as well as the cis-stilbene to 4a,4b-dihydrophenanthrene cyclization. Global, local, and single variable optimization control schemes were all successful at controlling stilbene’s excited-state intramolecular rearrangements. The presence of multiphoton transitions was determined to be crucial in changing the yield under the experimental conditions employed. We have mapped experimental conditions in which multiphoton absorption was successful in controlling photoproduct branching ratios in stilbene, illustrated that the intensity dependence of the product yields can provide details of reactive channel branching ratios of higher excited-states, and shown that under the experim...
Stereochemistry of the reactions of pinacol allylboronate with two α,β-dialkoxyaldehydes

Abstract The stereochemistry of the reactions of pinacol allylboronate 5 with α,β-dialkoxyaldehydes 3 and 4 is described. The results are contrasted with data for the reactions of crotylboronates 1 and 2 with the same aldehydes.
Supersonic Retropropulsion Experimental Results from NASA Ames 9×7 Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

Supersonic retropropulsion was experimentally examined in the Ames Research Center 9×7 Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach 1.8 and 2.4. The model, previously designed for and tested in the Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel at Mach 2.4, 3.5, and 4.6, was a 5-in.-diam 70 deg sphere-cone forebody with a 9.55-in.-long cylindrical aftbody. The forebody was designed to accommodate up to four 4∶1 area ratio nozzles, one on the model centerline and the other three on the half-radius spaced 120 deg apart. Surface pressure and flow visualization were the primary measurements, including high-speed data to investigate the dynamics of the interactions between the bow and nozzle shocks. Three blowing configurations were tested with thrust coefficients up to 10 and angles of attack up to 20 deg. Results and observations from the test are provided.