cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the alumina scale formed on coated and uncoated doped superalloys

Abstract To investigate the mechanisms by which Y and La dopants affect the oxidation behavior of Ni-base single‐crystal superalloys, the oxide scales formed on two variants of a commercial X4 alloy, each with and without a MCrAlYHfSi coating were characterized. The alloy systems were oxidized for 100 h at 1100 °C and then examined using analytical transmission electron microscopy. Without a coating, a duplex scale was formed on the superalloy surface comprised of an outer Ni‐rich spinel‐type layer and an inner columnar α‐Al 2 O 3 layer. In this case, Hf and Ti were found segregated to the alumina grain boundaries in the outer part of the scale on both alloys but only Hf was detected near the metal–alumina interface. There was no evidence of Ta, Y or La segregation to the alumina scale grain boundaries after this exposure. The scale formed on the alloys with the thermally sprayed coating was primarily alumina, and Y and Hf segregated to the alumina grain boundaries for both alloys. There was evidence of Ti-rich oxides in the outer part of the scale indicating that Ti had diffused through the coating into the thermally grown oxide but La was not found.
A new paradigm for low-power, variation-tolerant circuit synthesis using critical path isolation

Design considerations for robustness with respect to variations and low power operations typically impose contradictory design requirements. Low power design techniques such as voltage scaling, dual-Vth etc. can have a large negative impact on parametric yield. In this paper, we propose a novel paradigm for low-power variation-tolerant circuit design, which allows aggressive voltage scaling. The principal idea is to (a) isolate and predict the set of possible paths that may become critical under process variations, (b) ensure that they are activated rarely, and (c) avoid possible delay failures in the critical paths by dynamically switching to two-cycle operation (assuming all standard operations are single cycle), when they are activated. This allows us to operate the circuit at reduced supply voltage while achieving the required yield. Simulation results on a set of benchmark circuits at 70nm process technology show average power reduction of 60% with less than 10% performance overhead and 18% overhead in die-area compared to conventional synthesis. Application of the proposed methodology to pipelined design is also investigated.
In vitro studies on bee brain acetylcholinesterase-organophosphorus complex utilizing oxime drugs

The oxime drugs pyridine-2-aldoxime methiodide (2-PAM) and diacetyl monoxime (DAM) were tested in vitro for their effect on the recovery of paraoxon- or malaoxon-inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from honey bee brain. Concentrations of 3.78 × 10−10−3.78 × 10−7 m 2-PAM produced 0.9–100% activity recovery, and 9.9 × 10−12−9.9 × 10−7 m DAM produced 11.8–95.3% activity recovery of paraoxon-inhibited bee brain AChE. Pyridine-2-aldoxime methiodide at concentrations of 3.78 × 10−9−1.89 × 10−6 m also produced 0.7–88.5% activity recovery of malaoxon-inhibited bee brain AChE.
Current status of immunological approaches for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Purpose of review The recent Food and Drug Administration approval of sipuleucel-T for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and of the anticytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 antibody (Ipilimumab) for metastatic melanoma has led to a renewed interest in immunotherapy for prostate and other cancers. Ipilimumab has entered phase III testing for prostate cancer, as has a viral-based anti-prostate-specific antigen vaccine (ProstVac-VF). Complementing these phase III studies are a number of innovative phase II studies, aimed at bringing immunotherapy forward in the setting of less advanced disease, as well as a number of interesting trials combining immunotherapy with conventional therapy for prostate cancer.
NADPH Alkenal/One Oxidoreductase Activity Determines Sensitivity of Cancer Cells to the Chemotherapeutic Alkylating Agent Irofulven

Illudins S and M are extremely cytotoxic products of the fungus Omphalotus illudens. They were evaluated as possible anticancer chemotherapeutic agents but displayed unfavorable therapeutic indices. Irofulven (6-hydroxymethylacylfulvene), a less toxic, synthetic derivative of illudin S, has proven very effective in many preclinical and clinical studies. It has been postulated that metabolism via hydrogenation of the 8,9-double bonds of these molecules would unmask the electrophilic, and thus, the toxic nature of their cyclopropyl moieties. Illudins S and M were found to be rapidly metabolized by NADPH-dependent alkenal/one oxidoreductase (AOR) with maximal rates of 115.9 and 44.1 micromol x min(-1) mg(-1), and K(m)s of 308 and 109 microM, respectively. Irofulven was reduced at a much slower rate: V(max) 275 nmol min(-1) mg(-1) and K(m) 145 microM. Human 293 cells transfected with an AOR overexpression vector were 100-fold more sensitive than control cells to irofulven, but displayed little differential sensitivity to illudin M. Addition of glutathione to the alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone moiety of illudin M, but not irofulven, occurred readily at physiological concentrations. Electrophilic intermediates of irofulven and illudin M that were activated by AOR were trapped with glutathione and identified by high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Samples of the 60 human tumor cell line panel used by the National Cancer Institute to evaluate potential chemotherapeutic compounds were assayed for AOR activity, which correlated positively with previously determined growth inhibitory measures for irofulven, but not illudin M or S. Collectively, these data indicate that bioactivation of irofulven by AOR plays a predominant role in its chemotherapeutic activity.
REPRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARASITIC RED ALGA GARDNERIELLA TUBERIFERA (SOLIERIACEAE, GIGARTINALES)1

Examination of the reproductive morphology of the adelphoparasitic red alga Gardneriella tuberifera Kylin reveals that this monotypic genus is correctly placed in the family Solieriaceae (Gigartinales), to which its host Agardhiella gaudichaudii (Montagne) Silva et Papenfuss also belongs. Gardneriella is multiaxial, nonprocarpic and has an inwardly directed, three-celled carpogonial branch. The large, reniform uninucleate auxiliary cell is distinct prior to and after fertilization. It is diploidized by an unbranched, multicellular connecting filament which lacks pit connections. One or two connecting filaments arise from each fertilized carpogonium. From the diploidized auxiliary cell, the gonimoblast initial is cut off obliquely toward the interior of the thallus. The cells of the gonimoblast fuse with adjacent unpigmented vegetative cells of Gardneriella and pigmented cells of the host. These cells become incorporated into the developing cystocarp and, from those of Gardneriella, additional short chains of gonimoblast cells arise. The mature cystocarp is placentate, radiately lobed, and lacks a surrounding involucre. Carposporangia are borne in short chains and the unpigmented carpospores are released upon the dissolution of outer vegetative cells. No ostiole is present. Gardneriella appears to be most closely related to the placentate solieriacean genera Agardhiella, Sarcodiotheca, and Meristiella and therefore this genus should be placed in the tribe recently erected for these taxa, the Agardhielleae.
SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE INCIDENCE OF THE CORPORATION INCOME TAX

THE PRESENT PAPER aims only at exploring a few of the factors bearing on the incidence of the corporation income tax that have been somewhat neglected. Although the incidence of the corporation income tax is a matter of considerable uncertainty, the most plausible assumption continues to be that for the most part it is upon the holders of common stock. Nevertheless, there remains a considerable possibility that the tax in part is being shifted to consumers through higher prices. The present analysis is in terms of an increment to an existing tax, rather than in terms of the whole tax, and, unless otherwise specified, assumes an initial rate of about 35 or 40 per cent, to which an increment of io or 20 points is added. The term "business tax" is used occasionally, when the statement holds for a tax on unincorporated concerns also, but the corporation income tax is the main topic of this paper. If an increment to a corporation income tax is shifted forward in product prices, there are certain aspects of the process that are peculiar to this tax, or to business income taxes in general. The following analysis is devoted to a statement of those peculiarities, and attempts to analyze their bearing on the degree of shifting. Shifting is taken here in the usual sense of a tax-induced rise in price. Complete shifting of the tax increment merely means that the price has risen by the full amount of the increment in tax. It says nothing of the extent to which production is decreased, or of the loss of consumers' or producers' surplus. However, as it will be seen, the conceptual problem of defining a situation where price rises by the full amount of the tax is especially difficult for the income tax. The peculiarities discussed here are: (i) the spiral effect, whereby a given increase in the income tax rate, say 20 points, for complete shifting requires a greater rise in price if the increase in tax rate starts from an already high level of tax rate, provided complete shifting is defined in terms of the tax payable at the new, not the old, equilibrium; (2) the way in which the ratio of income tax to sales will differ, even among firms earning the same return on capital; (3) the effect
The growth of synaptic endings in the mammalian brain: a study of the calyces of the trapezoid body.

The calyx of Held is a distinctive, axosomatic ending in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body. An example of a growing synapse, its development, as visualized in rapid Golgi impregnations of age-graded littermates (cats, rats, rabbits, opossums), follows a morphological sequence: 1) The migratory, calycigenic axon ends in a sprouting growth cone with transient radiating processes; 2) On approaching the recipient neuron, the growth cone forms many thin, sinuous branches, spreading over the post-synaptic surface; 3) Replacing these are broad branches, which form the definitive calyciform synapse; 4) A network of calycine collaterals develops from collateral growth cones in a sequence similar to that of the parent calyx, but unaccompanied by sinuous branches. The sinuous branches seem to provide a developmental framework for the specific form of the calycine ending. The sprouting growth cones and radiating branches may relate to the establishment of the initial contacts by the presumptive synaptic members.
G-protein coupled receptor family C, group 5, member A (GPRC5A) expression is decreased in the adjacent field and normal bronchial epithelia of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and non-small-cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Understanding oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes expression patterns is essential for characterizing lung cancer pathogenesis. We have previously demonstrated that mGprc5a/hGPRC5A is a lung-specific tumor suppressor evidenced by inflammation-mediated tumorigenesis in Gprc5a-knockout mice. The implication of GPRC5A in human lung cancer pathogenesis, including that associated with inflammatory chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a risk factor for the malignancy, remains elusive. Methods: We sought to examine GPRC5A immunohistochemical expression in histologically normal bronchial epithelia (NBE) from lung disease-free never- and ever-smokers (n = 13 and n = 18, respectively), from COPD patients with (n = 26) and without cancer (n = 24) and in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) (n = 474). Quantitative assessment of GPRC5A transcript expression in airways (n = 6), adjacent NBEs (n = 29) and corresponding tumors (n = 6) from 6 NSCLC patients was also performed. Results: GPRC5A immunohistochemical expression was significantly lower in tumors compared to uninvolved NBE (p Conclusions: Our findings highlight decreased GPRC5A expression in the field cancerization of NSCLC, including that associated with lung inflammation. Assessment of the use of GPRC5A expression as a risk factor for NSCLC development in COPD patients is warranted.
Probe-based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy of the Urinary Tract: The Technique

Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is an emerging optical imaging technology that enables real-time in vivo microscopy of mucosal surfaces during standard endoscopy. With applications currently in the respiratory1 and gastrointestinal tracts,2-6 CLE has also been explored in the urinary tract for bladder cancer diagnosis.7-10 Cellular morphology and tissue microarchitecture can be resolved with micron scale resolution in real time, in addition to dynamic imaging of the normal and pathological vasculature.7 The probe-based CLE system (Cellvizio, Mauna Kea Technologies, France) consists of a reusable fiberoptic imaging probe coupled to a 488 nm laser scanning unit. The imaging probe is inserted in the working channels of standard flexible and rigid endoscopes. An endoscope-based CLE system (Optiscan, Australia), in which the confocal endomicroscopy functionality is integrated onto the endoscope, is also used in the gastrointestinal tract. Given the larger scope diameter, however, application in the urinary tract is currently limited to ex vivo use.11 Confocal image acquisition is done through direct contact of the imaging probe with the target tissue and recorded as video sequences. As in the gastrointestinal tract, endomicroscopy of the urinary tract requires an exogenenous contrast agent—most commonly fluorescein, which can be administered intravenously or intravesically. Intravesical administration is a well-established method to introduce pharmacological agents locally with minimal systemic toxicity that is unique to the urinary tract. Fluorescein rapidly stains the extracellular matrix and has an established safety profile.12 Imaging probes of various diameters enable compatibility with different caliber endoscopes. To date, 1.4 and 2.6 mm probes have been evaluated with flexible and rigid cystoscopy.10 Recent availability of a < 1 mm imaging probe13 opens up the possibility of CLE in the upper urinary tract during ureteroscopy. Fluorescence cystoscopy (i.e. photodynamic diagnosis) and narrow band imaging are additional endoscope-based optical imaging modalities14 that can be combined with CLE to achieve multimodal imaging of the urinary tract. In the future, CLE may be coupled with molecular contrast agents such as fluorescently labeled peptides15 and antibodies for endoscopic imaging of disease processes with molecular specificity.
Finger tracking for hand-held device interface using profile-matching stereo vision

Hundreds of millions of people use hand-held devices frequently and control them by touching the screen with their fingers. If this method of operation is being used by people who are driving, the probability of deaths and accidents occurring substantially increases. With a non-contact control interface, people do not need to touch the screen. As a result, people will not need to pay as much attention to their phones and thus drive more safely than they would otherwise. This interface can be achieved with real-time stereovision. A novel Intensity Profile Shape-Matching Algorithm is able to obtain 3-D information from a pair of stereo images in real time. While this algorithm does have a trade-off between accuracy and processing speed, the result of this algorithm proves the accuracy is sufficient for the practical use of recognizing human poses and finger movement tracking. By choosing an interval of disparity, an object at a certain distance range can be segmented. In other words, we detect the object by its distance to the cameras. The advantage of this profile shape-matching algorithm is that detection of correspondences relies on the shape of profile and not on intensity values, which are subjected to lighting variations. Based on the resulting 3-D information, the movement of fingers in space from a specific distance can be determined. Finger location and movement can then be analyzed for non-contact control of hand-held devices.
The nature of intermediate-range order in Ge-As-S glasses: results from reverse Monte Carlo modeling.

The experimental neutron and x-ray diffraction data for stoichiometric and S-deficient GexAsxS100 − 2x glasses with x = 18.2, 25.0, and 33.3 at.% have been modeled simultaneously using the reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) technique. Nearest-neighbor coordination environments, as obtained in previous x-ray absorption spectroscopy and diffraction experiments, have been employed as short-range order constraints in these simulations. The large scale three-dimensional structural models thus obtained from RMC simulation are used to investigate the nature and compositional evolution of intermediate-range structural order in these ternary glasses. The intermediate-range structural order is controlled by (1) a corner-shared three-dimensional network of AsS3 pyramids and GeS4 tetrahedra in the stoichiometric Ge18.2As18.2S63.6 glass, (2) a heterogeneous structure that consists of homopolar bonded As-rich regions coexisting with a GeS2 network in the S-deficient Ge25As25S50 glass, and (3) a homogeneous structure resulting from the disruption of the topological continuity of the GeS2 network and As-rich clusters regions due to the formation of Ge–As bonds in the most S-deficient Ge33.3As33.3S33.3 glass. This scenario of the compositional evolution of intermediate-range structural order is consistent with and provides an atomistic explanation of the corresponding evolution in the position, width and intensity of the first sharp diffraction peak and the magnitude of small angle scattering in these glasses.
A high-order Eulerian Godunov method for elastic-plastic flow in solids

We present an explicit second-order-accurate Godunov finite difference method for the solution of the equations of solid mechanics in one, two, and three spatial dimensions. The solid mechanics equations are solved in nonconservation form, with the novel application of a diffusion-like correction to enforce the gauge condition that the deformation tensor be the gradient of a vector. Physically conserved flow variables (e.g., mass, momentum, and energy) are strictly conserved; only the deformation gradient field is not. Verification examples demonstrate the accurate capturing of plastic and elastic shock waves across approximately five computational cells. 2D and 3D results are obtained without spatial operator splitting. c ∞ 2001 Academic Press
Spatial egocentrism and the effect of an alternate frame of reference.

Abstract The present study contrasted two possible explanations of spatial egocentrism in spatial perspective tasks. By one account children's judgments in perspectivetaking tasks are based on relations between the self (ego) and the target array. By the second account, children's judgments are based on relations between the target array and the larger spatial field. Sixty children in first, third, and fifth grades (ages 7, 9, and 11 years, respectively) solved both a standard and a modified version of a spatial perspective task. In the modified procedure, subjects observed a model of the experimental room that was rotated to appear as the actual room would appear to a hypothetical viewer. Using the model as an alternative frame of reference improved the performance of subjects in all age groups. In the standard procedure most errors were egocentric. In the modified procedure, subjects showed no systematic egocentric errors for rotations of 90 or 270°. The results supported the hypothesis that systematic egocentric errors are due to subjects realistically maintaining the relation of the array to the immediate spatial field, rather than maintaining the ego-array relation.
Optimal pump profile designs for broadband SBS slow-light systems

We describe a methodology for designing the optimal gain profiles for gain-based, tunable, broadband, slow-light pulse delay devices based on stimulated Brillouin scattering. Optimal gain profiles are obtained under system constraints such as distortion, total pump power, and maximum gain. The delay performance of three candidate systems: Gaussian noise pump broadened (GNPB), optimal gain-only, and optimal gain+absorption are studied using Gaussian and super-Gaussian pulses. For the same pulse bandwidth, we find that the optimal gain+absorption medium improves the delay performance by 2.1 times the GNPB medium delay and 1.3 times the optimal gain-only medium delay for Gaussian pulses. For the super-Gaussian pulses the optimal gain-only medium provides a fractional pulse delay 1.8 times the GNPB medium delay.
Attraction of Female Papaya Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) to Male Pheromone and Host Fruit

A green papaya fruit or an extract of green papaya fruit peel increased unmated female papaya fruit fly ( Toxotrypana curvicauda Gerstaecker) attraction to male pheromone at low pheromone release rates. Green papaya peel extract also increased mated female attraction to male pheromone, but only at the highest pheromone release rates tested. Such enhanced responses may aid the ability of females to locate hosts by responding to a combination of male pheromone released from host fruit and fruit odor.
Femtosecond activation of reactions and the concept of nonergodic molecules

The description of chemical reaction dynamics often assumes that vibrational modes are well coupled (ergodic) and redistribute energy rapidly with respect to the course of the reaction. To experimentally probe nonergodic, nonstatistical behavior, studies of a series of reactions induced by femtosecond activation for molecules of varying size but having the same reaction coordinates [CH_2 − (CH_2)_(n – 2) − C = O† → products, with n = 4, 5, 6, and 10] were performed. Comparison of the experimental results with theoretical electronic structure and rate calculations showed a two to four orders of magnitude difference, indicating that the basic assumption of statistical energy redistribution is invalid. These results suggest that chemical selectivity can be achieved with femtosecond activation even at very high energies.
The Contours of Asian Professional, Technical and Kindred Work Immigration, 1965–1988

This paper examines the nature of Asian professional, technical, and kindred (PTK) immigration to the United States since 1965. While many recent studies have noted the significant increase of Asian PTK immigration since 1965, analyses of who these PTKs are have been lacking. To address this omission, this paper focuses on three aspects of Asian PTK immigration: (1) the conditions underlying emigration from Asia; (2) the occupational composition of Asian PTKs; and (3) the impact of this immigration on understanding Asian American communities. The paper examines the patterns of PTK immigration from the Philippines, three Chinese-speaking regions, India, and Korea. The published reports and public-use data of the United States Naturalization and Immigration Service (1972–1986) are the primary source for this examination. Analysis of specific immigration patterns show the similarities and contrasts embedded in the Asian American experience.
Prevalence of unsuspected abdominal aortic aneurysms in male veterans

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are potentially lethal arterial lesions that are best managed by elective surgical repair. However, asymptomatic AAAs may go undetected on routine physical examination or patients with such lesions may not consult a physician. To determine the prevalence of asymptomatic AAAs in a high-risk population, weretrospectively reviewed all abdominal CT scans on veterans >50 years of age that had been ordered for indications other than aneurysmal disease during a recent 10-month period. Of the 111 patients studied, 15 (13.5%) had suprarenal and/or infrarenal AAAs (one patient had both). Patients with AAAs were significantly older (p=0.0001) and were heavier tobacco users (p=0.003). For patients >60 years of age with peripheral vascular occlusive disease and a history of tobacco use, there was a 29.2% prevalence for AAA compared with 0% in those without any of these risk factors (p=0.04). There was a very definite trend suggesting that patients with peripheral vascular disease (p=0.06) were more likely to have an AAA. Because of the high prevalence of AAAs found in this population we then conducted aprospective study over a 24-month period during which patients >60 years of age with known peripheral vascular disease and a history of smoking who presented to the vascular laboratory for evaluation of problems not related to AAA were asked to undergo an abdominal CT scan. Fifty-six volunteers agreed to participate in the study. Seven patients had AAAs and one patient had an isolated iliac aneurysm, for a 14.3% overall prevalence of aneurysms. There was no difference in the incidence of risk factors in those patients with aneurysms and those without aneurysms. This represents one of the highest incidences for AAA thus far reported. If immediate repair is not performed, such patients must be followed closely for the development of symptoms or enlargement of their AAA.
Determination of feeding preference of Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) for some amino acid additives.

A choice feeding test using 21 amino acids was conducted to determine the feeding preference of Formosan subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, in the laboratory. Significantly more filter paper treated withd-aspartic acid orl-glutamic acid was consumed by Formosan subterranean termites than was control filter paper treated with water. In two-choice feeding tests, termites consumed significantly more filter paper treated withd-aspartic acid orl-aspartic acid than paper treated with water. Addingl-proline,l-lysine, orl-isoleucine to filter paper significantly increased consumption compared with control filter paper in no-choice tests. The use of amino acid additives in termite baits is briefly discussed.
Implications of Transformation Plasticity in ZrO2-Containing Ceramics: I, Shear and Dilatation Effects

Transformation plasticity in ZrO2-containing ceramics generally exhibits shear and dilatation effects of comparable magnitude. The coupling between external stresses and crystallographic strains assists the tetragonal-monoclinic transformation, which, via shear localization, gives rise to macroscopic shear and dilatant deformation. Application of a yield criterion based on both shear and dilatation effects correctly correlates deformation data from tension, compression, bending, and indentation, and further delineates a crack-tip process zone comparable to the one observed experimentally. Similar shear and dilatation effects in microcracking due to transformation plasticity are explored. These findings suggest that the strength of the ultimate transformation-toughened structural ceramics should be yield limited and sensitive to the stress state. Strategies for fracture control are recommended.
The aminobisphosphonate alendronate inhibits bone loss induced by thyroid hormone in the rat. Comparison between effects on tibiae and vertebrae.

Abstract The aims of this study were to develop a rat model of hyperthyroidism and to determine the efficacy of alendronate in the prevention of thyroid hormone-induced bone loss. Ten week-old Sprague-Dawley rats injected with thyroxine 250 μg/kg/day (+T4) or vehicle (−T4) were treated with alendronate (+ALN) or vehicle (−ALN) orally 0.5 mg/kg/day. After 3 weeks of treatment histomorphometric parameters of cancellous bone remodeling were assessed in the proximal tibia and in the first lumbar vertebra. In the secondary spongiosa of the tibia T4 treatment caused significant bone loss, associated with increased bone turnover; trabecu lar bone volume, trabecular thickness and trabecular number were significantly decreased. Osteoid and osteoclast surfaces increased in +T4/−ALN as compared to control. Alendronate prevented the increase in bone turnover and increased bone volume above control values without interfering with the recruitment of osteoclasts. These changes were not apparent in the vertebra. It is concluded that excess thyroid hormone in the rat induces high turnover bone loss in the tibia which can be prevented by alendronate through an inhibition of osteoclastic activity. The lack of effects of thyroid hormone on the vertebra may be ascribed to a lower rate of basal bone turnover at that site.
Nonparametric Estimation of Conditional Information and Divergences

In this paper we propose new nonparametric estimators for a family of conditional mutual information and divergences. Our estimators are easy to compute; they only use simple k nearest neighbor based statistics. We prove that the proposed conditional information and divergence estimators are consistent under certain conditions, and demonstrate their consistency and applicability by numerical experiments on simulated and on real data as well.
Identification and partial purification of species-specific allergens from Triatoma protracta (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)

Abstract This article describes the immunochemical characterization of allergens from Triatoma protracta , a hematophagous insect that causes IgE-mediated anaphylactic reactions when it bites sensitized allergic persons. Comparison of the allergenic potency of T. protracta salivary gland extract, thoracic and abdominal hemolymph, and a whole body extract by RAST inhibition demonstrated that salivary glands were the main source of T. protracta allergens. Concentrated salivary gland extracts were purified by gel filtration and isoelectric focusing. Fractions were tested for allergenic activity by RAST inhibition and for protein purity by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. Two protein peaks were obtained on gel filtration. The high-molecular-weight peak contained a 70,000 MW protein/glycoprotein that had little allergenic activity. The low-molecular-weight peak comprised six proteins, molecular weight 17,000 to 25,000, and T. protracta allergen(s) eluted in parallel with this peak. These proteins were resolved by isoelectric focusing, and two fractions, pI 6.7 to 7.3 and pI 8.2, contained most of the allergenic activity. By RAST, 2528 sera from T. protracta -allergic patients contained IgE antibody to these fractions, suggesting that they were major allergens. Each fraction demonstrated a single precipitin arc on immunoelectrophoresis and two bands, molecular weight 18,000 to 20,000, on gel electrophoresis. Cross-inhibition radioimmunoassays demonstrated that each fraction completely inhibited binding of the other fraction to IgE antibody, suggesting that they contained different isoelectric forms of the same allergen.
Models of frequency preferences of prefrontal cortical neurons

The reliability of spike trains generated by sinusoidal current injections in prefrontal cortical pyramidal cells and interneurons depends strongly on the input frequency.We constructed computational models in order to study how cellular properties a!ect reliability.The models reproduced the main experimental "ndings: subthreshold oscillations, resonance and reliability of spike timing.The amplitude of intrinsic noise in the model determined the number of reliable frequency bands.In addition, the frequency content of the noise did not a !ect reliability. 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Pathic pedagogies as everyday work

In this article, I use van Manen and Li's notion of pathic dimensions of pedagogy to reflect theoretically on one pattern of meaning – recognizing ‘that’ and ‘what’ is not understood – from my phenomenological study of moments teachers recognized and responded when students did not understand something during instruction. In short, the term pathic refers to felt, sensed, relational, and situational knowledges and practices. A pathic pedagogy assumes that acts of teaching depend on dimensions such as relational perceptiveness and tact for knowing what to say and do in contingent situations. Through this theoretical reflection I assert that pathic pedagogies are often, as Luke reminds us, embedded in some of the most ordinary and everyday work that teachers experience – such as moments when students do not understand something during instruction. With this in mind, I use selected aspects of the pattern to momentarily ‘disembed’ this everyday practice in order to amplify pathic pedagogies – suggesting that t...
Advancing Religious Pluralism in Islam

Pluralism in the context of religion suggests both diversity of interpretation of the foundational sources of that tradition and relativity implied in such plurality of hermeneutics. At this time, a number of Muslim scholars writing from traditional centers of Islamic learning in the Middle East are resisting the implications of pluralistic discourse on religion. There is a deep-seated fear of secularly inspired relativism about religious truth that, according to these scholars, belief in pluralism might destabilize the authority of revelation as well as the tradition that has determined the authenticity of its foundational sources and the praxis for the faith community. It is important to bear in mind that this traditional defensive discourse against pluralism has nothing to do with the recognition of peaceful interfaith relations as the cornerstone of contemporary pluralistic political and social order. In fact, the growing interest in minority jurisprudence (fiqh ) in a number of traditional centers indicates the acknowledgement, though not whole-hearted acceptance, of the reality of the modern world in which plurality of religious traditions has been recognized as a major principle of co-existence. However, this does not necessarily mean that pluralism has been acknowledged as an epistemic source of critical reassessment of Islamic theological and metaphysical notions for a new inclusive political theology.
Power-conscious design of the Cell processor's synergistic processor element

The authors describe the low-power design of the synergistic processor element (SPE) of the cell processor developed by Sony, Toshiba and IBM. CMOS static gates implement most of the logic, and dynamic circuits are used in critical areas. Tight coupling of the instruction set architecture, microarchitecture, and physical implementation achieves a compact, power-efficient design.
Effect of Service-Learning on Knowledge About Older People and Faculty Teaching Evaluations in a Physical Therapy Class

The major purpose of this study was to identify the knowledge, misconceptions, and bias regarding aging among graduate physical therapy students and to determine whether service-learning modified any of these variables. A cohort of 40 students in a graduate physical therapy program was randomly divided into an experimental (service-learning) or control (no service-learning) group. General knowledge and attitudes about aging were measured by Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz I. The Wilson Student Evaluation of Faculty tool measured student evaluations of a faculty member at the end of the semester. Two-way analyses of variance with repeated measures revealed that all students increased their knowledge about aging, p < .05. However, students who initially had negative attitudes toward older adults significantly improved their attitudes only after the service-learning experience, p < .05. A t-test revealed that teaching evaluation scores were significantly lower in the service-learning course, p < .05. The results suggest that service-learning effectively enhanced both the knowledge and attitudes of physical therapy students toward the older adult. Although service-learning imparted better learning for the student, there was some risk to the faculty member as evidenced by lower teaching evaluations.
Bone mass and strength: phenotypic and genetic relationship to alcohol preference in P/NP and HAD/LAD rats.

: Background: The association between moderate alcohol intake and elevated bone mineral density observed in several epidemiologic studies might result from common genetic pathway regulating both phenotypes. In this study, we determined whether there is a relationship between alcohol preference and high bone mass or strength and whether bone mass–regulating genes segregate during selective breeding of alcohol preferring rats. Methods: Six different lines of male rats with high or low preference for alcohol consumption were used in this study. The high alcohol preference lines are alcohol-preferring (P), high-alcohol-drinking 1 (HAD1), and high-alcohol-drinking 2 (HAD2), and their corresponding low alcohol preference lines are alcohol-nonpreferring (NP), low-alcohol-drinking 1 (LAD1), and low-alcohol-drinking 2 (LAD2). Bone mass phenotypes were determined using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), and biomechanics in long bones and lumbar vertebrae from rats at 3 and 6 months of age. Results: P rats had significantly higher bone mass and strength compared with NP rats, mainly due to higher cortical bone in long bones and lumbar vertebrae. HAD2 rats also had significantly higher bone mass compared with LAD2 rats, but mostly due to increased trabecular bone leading to increased strength only in lumbar vertebra. Conversely, HAD1 rats had significantly lower bone mass and strength compared with LAD1 rats in long bones. The vertebral bone mass and strength did not differ between HAD1 and LAD1 rats. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that preference for alcohol consumption had no consistent relationship with high bone mass or strength, as each alcohol-preferring rat line had their unique bone mass phenotypes. However, genes regulating bone mass and strength appear to segregate with alcohol preference genes in P and HAD rat lines, suggesting that alcohol preferring rat lines may be useful for identifying genes that regulate bone mass and structure.
Audience Awareness in a Technology-Rich Elementary Classroom:

We examined audience awareness in a 5-month naturalistic study of a fourth-grade classroom infused with technology. All students had a computer on their desks, and five multimedia workstations with...
Phylogeny of Functional Humoral Transplantation Immunity: Comparative Studies in Amphibians and Rodents

Mammalian transplantation alloantigens elicit complex immunoprotective and immunodestructive reactivities which can be demonstrated in vitro by cytotoxicity and blocking assays (1). The impact of these functionally disparate responses on the in vivo fate of transplants has been strongly evidenced by the dramatically prolonged (enhanced) survival or by the significantly accelerated rejection of test skin grafts on mice adoptively immunized with immune lymphoid cells or sera (2–4). In marked contrast to our emerging awareness that for mammals, the survival of allografts reflects a net immune response equal to the outcome of a dynamic balance between functionally opposing immune reactivities (5), has been our relative ignorance of whether humoral immunity plays a comparable role in regulating graft survival in ectothermic (cold-blooded) vertebrates. Indeed, we are cognizant of only a limited number of reports that transplants do evoke detectable alloantibodies in fish (6), salamanders (7) and frogs (8).
Inverter minimization in multi-level logic networks

We look at the problem of inverter minimization in multi-level logic networks. The network is specified in terms of a set of base functions and the inversion operation. The library is specified as a set of allowed permutations of phase assignments on each base function. Traditional approaches to this problem have been limited to greedy heuristics based on local information. Our approach takes a more global view and maps the problem of inverter minimization into a problem of removing a minimum of vertices from a graph, so as to make the remaining graph two-colorable. This approach has the flexibility of capturing a variety of design-specific features that are relevant to the problem of inverter minimization. Although, in general the problem is NP-complete, we have developed several good heuristic and branch and bound search techniques.
A new search procedure for distributed parameter identification

Distributed parameter identification arises in many fields of applications. Identifying spatially varying parameters has been a challenging topic both theoretically and numerically. We introduce some preliminary results regarding a new identification procedure designed for identifying unknown parameter zones under very weak assumptions. The procedure incorporates a few innovative ideas into standard genetic algorithm framework. Two examples are tested and results are presented to illustrate this new approach.
Complex Interactions between Epidermal POU Domain and Activator Protein 1 Transcription Factors Regulate the Expression of the Profilaggrin Gene in Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes

The human profilaggrin gene is expressed in the granular layer during the late stages of the epidermal differentiation. The proximal promoter region of the gene confers high levels of keratinocyte-specific transcription via interactions with c-Jun/c-Fos heterodimers. Here we provide evidence for another level of complexity in the regulation of the profilaggrin promoter activity. The POU domain proteins Oct1, Skn1a/i, and Oct6, which are abundantly expressed in the epidermal cells, act to both stimulate and repress transcription in a general and a cell type-specific mode. While binding to specific recognition elements within the promoter region, they exert their effects by either stimulating or antagonizing the c-Jun-dependent activity of the promoter. The response of the promoter to forced expression of the POU domain proteins reflects the effect of these transcription factors on the endogenous profilaggrin mRNA synthesis and suggests that the latter requires a fine balance in the amounts and the activities of the individual activator protein 1 and POU domain proteins.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Use of Acicular Iron Particles

The synthesis of granular iron particles via hydrotriorganoborate reduction of FeCl3 has been reported previously by several research groups. Notably, during the course of studying some of the reaction parameters involved in FeCl3 reduction, we discovered the experimental conditions necessary to synthesize acicular iron particles, at low temperature and low pressure, in the absence of a constraining medium. Specifically, the effects of the reaction temperature, the stirring rate, and the FeCl3 solution dropping rate on the size and morphology of the iron particles were examined. Under optimal conditions acicular iron particles were produced having diameters of ∼300 nm, lengths on the order of tens to hundreds of micrometers, and surface areas of approximately 20 m 2 /g. Both the acicular and the granular iron particles were found to be active catalysts for the formation of carbon nanofibers from the reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen gases. The graphitic natures of the carbon nanofibers formed from either acicular or granular iron catalysts were characterized by HRTEM and XRD. Also, while both types of iron catalysts produced straight carbon nanofiber morphologies, the granular iron catalysts also formed carbon nanofibers with spiral gross morphologies. Finally, the diameters of the carbon nanofibers were comparable to the diameters of the acicular or granular iron catalysts. c � 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)
Elevation and subsidence of oceanic crust

Abstract A moving oceanic crustal plate is elevated where it is created at the traiting and it subsides as it grows older. The subsidence continues far beyond the obvious topographic boundaries of midocean ridges. The rate of subsidence averages 9 cm/103 yr for the first 10 million years; 3.3. cm/103 yr for the next 30 million years; and is estimated at 2 cm/103 yr for the next 30 million years. Even older crust in the Pacific subsided at a slower rate for an additional 25 million years. In the Atlantic, however, the rate was much faster during the same period. Subsidence is related to the interaction of mantle degassing, erosion, sedimentation, mantle counterflow, and sea floor spreading. “Midplate rises” exist in all the major ocean basins. Many are broad elevations characterized by thick pelagic sediment overlying faulted and uplifted turbidities. They show no signs of intense vulcanism or sea floor spreading center phenomena. They probably mark the locus of small transient convection cells which act under rather than at the edges of large crustal plates.
Comparison of Linear Switched Reluctance Machines for Vertical Propulsion Application: Analysis, Design and Experimental Correlation

This paper presents the comparison of four linear switched reluctance machines (LSRMs) as possible candidates for application in vertical elevators. Linear induction and linear synchronous machines have been presented and experimentally tested in vertical elevators. In this paper, four longitudinal LSRM configurations are presented and designed to operate as propulsion actuators in a vertical elevator prototype. Two of the four configurations have been presented earlier in horizontal propulsion experiments, and a third one has been proposed for application in vertical elevators. All four LSRMs are designed for similar static force profiles to allow for their comparison. The designed LSRM configurations are compared by using finite-element analysis and dynamic control simulations. The stator, translator, and copper winding weight and dimensions, footprint area, active material weight, normal forces and payload capabilities for all four configurations are contrasted. The configuration with the highest payload capability is chosen for implementation in an experimental prototype. The prototype vertical elevator is 1.27 m tall with a 1-ft-tall elevator vehicle with no counterweights and uses two LSRM setups on each side. The experimental correlation of propulsion force and inductance is presented to validate the theoretical design method used in this research.
Multi-Site and Multi-Probe Substrate Testing on an ATE

This paper presents a novel method that utilizes multi-site and multi-probe facilities in an ATE for substrate testing. The test time for a batch can be considerably reduced by efficiently utilizing an ATE with a number of flying-probes and multiple substrates under test (SUTs). An analytical model that predicts very accurately the batch test time is proposed. This model establishes the optimal multi-site configuration as corresponding to the batch size that allow multiple SUTs to be simultaneously tested on a ATE. Simulation results for an ATE with 12 flying-probe as example of a commercially available tester are provided; for this ATE the proposed method achieves a reduction of 54.66% in test time over a single-site method (at complete coverage of the modeled faults)
Meaning and mattering

Etude de la confusion entre les notions de signification (meaning) et d'importance (mattering) dans la philosophie analytique. Rejetant l'explication du sens de la vie en termes de ce dont se soucient les gens, l'A. examine la these d'un detachement significatif de l'existence, ou le sens de la vie apparait precisement dans l'absence de toute importance des choses
Preparation of Titanium Carbonitride Coatings by the Sol-Gel Process

Ti(NPri2)4 has been synthesized and used as a precursor for aminolysis andpolymerization by reaction with isopropylamine. The resultant dark red solution was utilized for dip coating of silicon substrates. Firing of these coatings in N2 or Ar produced dense and crack-free titanium carbonitride coatings.