cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Hopes Carry Them On: Early Educational Expectations and Later Educational Outcomes in Rural Gansu, China

Abstract This study explores the impact of parents’ and children’s early expectations on children’s later school persistence and completion of compulsory and secondary education, paying special attention to the parent-child agreement in early educational expectations. Results from analyzing longitudinal data from the Gansu Survey of Children and Families (GSCF) show that children often carry educational expectations quite different from their parents’. Consistent with previous research, children’s and their parents’ early expectations are strong predictors of children’s later educational attainment. More importantly, the analysis reveals that children benefit greatly when they share with their parents’ high expectations. Those children whose high expectations aligned with their parents fair best in later educational outcomes: They are more likely to complete compulsory education and secondary education. The combined determination of parents and children can help moderate the negative impact of poverty and facilitate children’s continued efforts in fulfilling their expectations. This positive impact holds even for children from the most impoverished families. This study points to the importance to recognize that there are non-material resources that family could provide to advance children’s education.
Grain size and phase purity characterization of U3Si2 fuel pellets

Abstract Characterization of U3Si2 fresh fuel pellets is important for quality assurance and validation of the finished product. Grain size measurement methods; phase identification methods, using scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction; and phase quantification methods, via image analysis, have been developed and implemented on U3Si2 pellet samples. A wide variety of samples were characterized that fall into 3 fabrication periods: 1. Representative pellets from an initial irradiation experiment, 2. Small scale batches that improved upon experience from the first period, and 3. Pellets fabricated at a slightly larger scale using optimized methods to enhance phase purity. The average grain size for pellets from the first period of fabrication was between 16 and 18 μm. The typical average grain size for pellets from the second period of fabrication was between 20 and 30 μm. In the third period of fabrication samples exhibited irregular grain growth with a bimodal grain size distribution consisting of coarsened grains (>80 μm in most samples) surrounded by the typical (20–30 μm) grain structure around the surface. Phases identified in the first period uranium silicide pellets included: U3Si2 as the main phase composing about 80 vol %, Si rich phases (USi and U5Si4) composing about 13 vol %, and UO2 composing about 5 vol %. U3Si2 pellet samples from the second period of fabrication had similar phases and phase quantities. Pellet batches from the third period of fabrication did not contain Si rich phases, and had between 1 and 5% UO2: achieving U3Si2 phase purity between 95 vol % and 98 vol % U3Si2. The amount of UO2 in sintered U3Si2 pellets is correlated to the length of time between U3Si2 powder fabrication and pellet formation. These measurements provide information necessary to optimize fabrication efforts and a baseline for future work on this fuel compound.
28.3 A 606μW mm-Scale Bluetooth Low-Energy Transmitter Using Co-Designed 3.5×3.5mm 2 Loop Antenna and Transformer-Boost Power Oscillator

Wireless communication has been a limiting factor for achieving millimeter-sized wireless sensor nodes because of the high power consumption, large antenna size and off-chip components typically required. Several mm-scale radios have been proposed [1-3]; however, all use proprietary communication protocols, which afford their designers more flexibility to address the above challenges. For interoperability and ubiquitous adoption, it is important that mm-scale radios use standard protocols, such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). However, implementing a BLE-compliant radio in a mm-scale form factor poses significant additional challenges. These include the requirements for center frequency deviation $( 3$mW [4- 5]. A 0.5mW BLE transmitter was achieved by relaxing these requirements, but suffered from high phase noise due to its low-power ring oscillator [6].
Characterization of human alcohol dehydrogenases containing substitutions at amino acids 47 and 51.

The kinetic properties of multiple molecular forms of human liver alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) have been examined in an effort to gain a better understanding of the structure-function relationships of this enzyme, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step during ethanol metabolism in the liver (Ehrig et al., 1990). In order to accomplish this, a system was developed to express the cloned humanβ 1 β 1 enzyme and mutants at specific amino acid positions which were prepared by site-directed mutagenesis in E. coli (Hurley et al., 1990).
Teaching Mass Transfer and Filtration Using Crossflow Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration: An Experiment for the Undergraduate Unit Operations Lab.

A crossflow reverse osmosis (RO) system was built for a senior-level chemical engineering unit operations laboratory course. Intended to teach students mass transfer fundamentals related to membrane separations, students tested several commercial desalination membranes, measuring water flux and salt rejections at various pressures, flow rates, and feed water salinities. Ultimately, students used the data they collected to calculate each membrane’s hydraulic permeability constant and salt rejection. These values were compared to the manufacturer’s specifications. Boundary layer theory was utilized to predict theoretical permeability, flux values, or rejection for saline feeds after accounting for concentration polarization. This system has also shown versatility, being used as part of an undergraduate/graduate level Membrane Separations course and to demonstrate RO to visiting high school students.
Design and Operation of a High-Accuracy Calibration Stand for Cryogenic Flowmeters

One of the current problems associated with the use of cryogenic fuels and oxidizers in rocket engine testing is that of accurately determining propellant flow rates, thereby providing essential information for the prediction of thrust and specific impulse. While many diversified approaches are being investigated for the measurement of propellant flow rates ranging from the now familiar turbine-type flowmeter to the more exotic. magnetic and ultrasonic-type flowmeters, all of these systems have a common problem; i.e., even though a highly accurate flowmeter may be developed, the limiting factor is the overall system accuracy including the error in calibrating the flowmeter. In the past, high flow-open type flowmeter test stands have been widely used in calibration of flow measuring devices with non-cryogenic fluids, However, the calibration of flowmeters using cryogenic fluids which are subjected to rapid boil-off precludes the use of a system which is open to ambient conditions. In addition, cryogenic fluids inherently exhibit significant density changes as the temperature of the fluid varies. Inasmuch as most cryogenic systems are maintained under a pressure sufficient to insure subcooling of the liquid, the temperature—density variation could occur without cavitation but still present unique problems in determining the flow rate.
High-Energy Density Micro-Machined Cellular Arrays of Electrostatic Actuators

This work presents micro-machined electrostatic actuator arrays capable of producing relatively large forces and wide displacement ranges. The actuators are comprised of a flexible silicon skeleton (mesh) with a network of trench refilling polysilicon electrodes electrically insulated and separated from the silicon walls by submicron air-gaps. The array architecture provides flexibility and large displacement by adding displacements from individual cells, while submicron gaps lead to relatively large actuation forces. Out of plane displacement of up to 230µm with actuation force of 0.3mN at the actuator tip has been measured for a 450 cell (1.05mm × 0.475mm) fabricated array with 90V actuation voltage.
The inconvincible patient: how clinicians perceive demand for antibiotics in the outpatient setting

Background Perceived patient demand for antibiotics drives unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in outpatient settings, but little is known about how clinicians experience this demand or how this perceived demand shapes their decision-making. Objective To identify how clinicians perceive patient demand for antibiotics and the way these perceptions stimulate unnecessary prescribing. Methods Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with clinicians in outpatient settings who prescribe antibiotics. Interviews were analyzed using conventional and directed content analysis. Results Interviews were conducted with 25 clinicians from nine practices across three states. Patient demand was the most common reason respondents provided for why they prescribed non-indicated antibiotics. Three related factors motivated clinically unnecessary antibiotic use in the face of perceived patient demand: (i) clinicians want their patients to regard clinical visits as valuable and believe that an antibiotic prescription demonstrates value; (ii) clinicians want to avoid negative repercussions of denying antibiotics, including reduced income, damage to their reputation, emotional exhaustion, and degraded relationships with patients; (iii) clinicians believed that certain patients are impossible to satisfy without an antibiotic prescription and felt that efforts to refuse antibiotics to such patients wastes time and invites the aforementioned negative repercussions. Clinicians in urgent care settings were especially likely to describe being motivated by these factors. Conclusion Interventions to improve antibiotic use in the outpatient setting must address clinicians' concerns about providing value for their patients, fear of negative repercussions from denying antibiotics, and the approach to inconvincible patients.
High Frequency Activity in the Orbital Frontal Cortex Modulates with Mismatched Expectations During Gambling in Humans

During gambling, humans often begin by making decisions based on expected rewards and expected risks. However, expectations may not match actual outcomes. As gamblers keep track of their performance, they may feel more or less lucky, which then influences future betting decisions. Studies have identified the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as a brain region that plays a significant role during risky decision making in humans. However, most human studies infer neural activation from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which has a poor temporal resolution. In particular, fMRI cannot detect activity from neuronal populations in the OFC, which may encode specific information about how a subject reacts to mismatched outcomes. In this preliminary study, four human subjects participated in a gambling task while local field potentials (LFPs), captured at a millisecond resolution, were recorded from the OFC. We analyzed high-frequency activity (HFA: >70 Hz) in the LFPs, as HFA has been shown to correlate to activation of neuronal populations. In 3 out of 4 subjects, HFA in OFC modulated between matched and mismatched trials as soon as the outcome of each bet was revealed, with modulations occurring at different times and directions depending on the anatomical location within the OFC.
Identifying Optimism and Pessimism in Twitter Messages Using XLNet and Deep Consensus

Modeling optimism and pessimism accurately in social media has important applications to personal health individually and society wellness collectively. In this paper, we predict optimism and pessimism in Twitter messages by building multiple models on top of XLNet, an integrated model using multiple auto-regressive language models to capture left and right contexts jointly in sentences. Utilizing multiple-head self attentions via multi-layer transformers, XLNet models are able to model negations and other semantic relationships by paying attentions to crucial and important words, leading to more accurate predictive models for optimism and pessimism. For example, using XLNet models, we have improved the state of the art accuracy of 90.32% to 96.45%, a 63.32% error reduction on a benchmark dataset. Based on the observations that all deep models should generalize to new messages based on the same training samples, we train multiple predictive models and use the consensus to further improve the accuracy on subsets of the test samples. We also demonstrate that positive emotions and sentiments in optimistic messages are much more common while negative emotions and sentiments are more so in pessimistic ones using XLNet models finetuned for emotion classification and sentiment analysis. The proposed models could be used for understanding optimism and pessimism in social media.
Bacteriophages and the Immune System.

Bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—are abundant within our bodies, but their significance to human health is only beginning to be explored. Here, we synthesize what is currently known abou...
Investigating the structure of trait rumination in autistic adults: A network analysis.

Rumination, a form of passive, repetitive negative thinking, predicts the development of depressive disorders in non-autistic individuals, and recent work suggests higher levels of rumination may c...
Cryo-Electric Testing of a 1000 MVA Superconducting Power Transmission System

The 1000 MVA Superconducting Power Transmission Cable Test Facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory is the world’s highest power demonstration of the application of superconductivity to electric utility engineering. The major purpose of the facility is to evaluate and demonstrate the performance of flexible cables, the cable enclosure and cable terminations under realistic simultaneous voltage and current excitation corresponding to a 138 kV system with a three-phase rating of 1000 MVA. In addition, massive supporting equipment is required at the site in order to cool and excite the cables. This equipment includes: 1) A 700 W supercritical helium refrigerator. 2) A 100 W refrigerator for lead cooling (CTI model 1430). 3) 60 Hz excitation supplies with maximum ratings up to 6000 A and 240 kV to ground. 4) 1000 kV Marx generator for impulse and surge voltage tests. 5) An extensive and ever-expanding computer system for data collection and logging and system control. 6) Several overlays of vacuum pumping and piping, pneumatic pumps and controls and large oil and water circulating and cooling systems.
Passion Fruit (Passiflora edulis)

Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) is an exotic climbing vine. Originating in South America, passion fruit is now grown worldwide as an edible fruit for the food industry. It has been used widely in folk medicine in South America to treat anxiety, insomnia, asthma, bronchitis and urinary infection. The constituents of different extracts include flavonoids, alkaloids, cyanogenic compounds, glycosides, vitamins, minerals and terpenoid compounds. The in vitro inhibitory effect of fruit aqueous extract on matrix-metalloprotease 2 and 9 has been shown. While some animal studies have described anxiolytic effect of leaf extract, one provided contradictory evidence. However, objective scientific validation of the putative health benefits of P. edulis in humans is still lacking. Although short-term adverse effects of crude leaf extract in human have been described, there is not any large-scale case-control study. This situation has led to questionable conclusions concerning specific health benefits or risks of P. edulis. Further studies are warranted to explore the efficacy and safety of P. edulis extracts.
Repair of radiation-induced damage in Escherichia coli. I. Effect of rec mutations on post-replication repair of damage due to ultraviolet radiation.

Abstract The rec mutants of Escherichia coli K12 are more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation than corresponding rec + derivatives. We have tested several of these rec mutants for post-replication repair after irradiation with ultraviolet light. The mutants carried recA13 , recA56 , recB21 and recC22 . Cultures growing exponentially were exposed to ultraviolet light (63 ergs/mm 2 ) and then labeled for ten minutes with [ 3 H]thymidine. The radioactive medium was removed and the culture divided into two portions, one of which was chilled while the other was reincubated in non-radioactive medium for various times. The DNA from the cells was then analysed on alkaline sucrose gradients. Labeled DNA from irradiated cells which had not been reincubated sedimented as short molecules. After reincubation, DNA from the recA mutants still behaved as short molecules, while DNA from rec + , recB and recC cells assumed a position similar to that of DNA from unirradiated control cells. These results indicate that the two recA mutants tested were defective in their capacity for post-replication of damage induced by ultraviolet radiation. However, no deficiency in the recB and recC mutants was detected under the conditions used. Even in uvr + cells, which are capable of excision-dependent repair, the formation of short molecules could be demonstrated immediately after irradiation. However, after a 40-minute post-irradiation incubation before labeling with [ 3 H]thymidine, only “normal-sized” DNA was formed. In contrast, in a uvr − strain, short molecules were still formed after a 90 minute post-irradiation incubation. These results indicate that excision-dependent repair can remove the lesions that lead to the synthesis of short pieces of DNA after ultraviolet-irradiation. Similarly, the exposure of ultraviolet cells to conditions of photoreactivation (which repairs pyrimidine dimers in situ ) before labeling greatly diminished but did not completely eliminate the synthesis of short pieces of DNA.
A Review of What Numerical Simulations Tell Us about the Internal Rotation of the Sun

The simulated solar differential rotation from two independent numerical modeling efforts agree with each other and with present solar observations. The models solve the nonlinear, three-dimensional, time-dependent, anelastic equations of motion for thermal convection in a stratified, rotating, spherical shell. The simulated angular velocity in the convection zone is constant on cylinders coaxial with the rotation axis, maximum at the equator and decreasing with depth. The latitudinal variation of this angular velocity at the surface is in agreement with Doppler measurements of the solar surface rotation rate. The radial variation through the convection zone is consistent with the analysis of the rotational frequency splitting of solar oscillations.
Lenticular cytoprotection, part 2: link between glycogen synthase kinase-3β, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, and mitochondrial depolarization.

Purpose: The inhibition of GSK-3β blocks mitochondrial membrane permeability transition (mMPT) for HLE-B3 cells in atmospheric oxygen. GSK-3β, as part of a multifactorial complex, also regulates nuclear levels of β-catenin, a known coordinator of cell survival and adhesion. The purpose of these studies was to demonstrate a novel, but likely disadvantageous, link between β-catenin’s influence on the expression of the pro-survival protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), resulting in enhanced lens epithelial cell mitochondrial protection against depolarization and nuclear β-catenin as an inducer of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods: Virally transformed human lens epithelial cells (HLE-B3) were treated with SB216763, a specific inhibitor of GSK-3β catalytic activity and XAV939, a specific β-catenin inhibitor that bars the translocation of β-catenin from cytoplasm to the nucleus. Western blot analysis was employed to detect the levels of cytoplasmic and nuclear β-catenin and phospho-β-catenin, pBcl-2 and the EMT proteins, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and fibronectin. ELISA was used to measure the levels of VEGF in cell culture supernatants. JC-1 analysis was performed to analyze the influence of either SB216763 or XAV939 on mitochondrial depolarization. Results: Cultured lens epithelial cells maintained in hypoxia (1% oxygen) and subsequently reintroduced into atmospheric oxygen and treated with the GSK-3β inhibitor SB216763 illustrated a marked inhibition of phosphorylation of glycogen synthase (downstream substrate of GSK-3β) and significant increase in nuclear translocation of β-catenin. The augmented nuclear β-catenin levels positively correlated with increased expression of α-SMA and fibronectin, both marker proteins indicative of EMT. The enhanced nuclear β-catenin activity also elicited increased VEGF and pBcl-2 expression, resulting in increased resistance to mitochondrial depolarization. Treatment of the cells with the β-catenin inhibitor XAV939 resulted in decreased expression of nuclear β-catenin, VEGF levels, pBcl-2, and EMT proteins, as well as increased mitochondrial depolarization. Conclusions: The data support a model whereby the onset of epithelial to mesenchymal transition may circuitously benefit from the enhanced synthesis of VEGF by setting up a potentially harmful situation whereby the resulting mesen chymal cell population may be more resistant to mitochondrial depolarization than the lens epithelial cell population from which it originated. These findings support the potential therapeutic relevance of developing strategies to undermine the progression of normal cells to mesenchymal transition without subverting cell viability.
Production and characterization of transgenic Citrus plants carrying p35 anti-apoptotic gene

Abstract Transgenic plants of Citrus rootstock Carrizo citrange [ Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck × Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.] expressing a p35 gene from AcMNPV ( Autographa californica moth Nuclear polyhedrosis virus) were produced. The p35 gene encodes a baculovirus protein which is suggested to be a negative regulator of apoptosis. Transgenic Carrizo plants carrying p35 gene in their genome had general phenotypic characteristics unchanged from wild-type (WT) plants. This includes tree height, shape, size of leaves, thorniness, levels of gas exchange, and levels/balance of major leaf plant hormones. Transgenic plants also retained their ability to respond to ethylene. Regarding the process of leaf senescence, all three transgenic lines were significantly slower as compared to the WT plants. Explants from two out of three transgenic lines sustained the treatment with Agrobacterium better than the explants from WT plants and exhibited higher shoot regeneration rate. For all three transgenic lines, transformation success rate was significantly lower than for the WT material. All these data taken together confirm that the viral p35 gene can exert its function when it is expressed in citrus plants and make them go through death-associated processes at a slower rate.
'Informed' Limit Order Trading

In this study, we examine the difference in the performance of the informed versus the uninformed limit order flow. If limit order traders are concerned about limiting the option value of their order then the timing of the order, the pricing of the order and even more importantly predicting the future flow of information become critical. To the extent that some investors are better informed than others we should expect to see a difference in the performance of their orders. Our results indicate that institutional limit orders perform significantly better than the limit orders placed by individuals. This difference is significant after controlling for order characteristics. These results suggest that institutions are better able to predict at least the flow of information and use this knowledge to submit trades, which avoid adverse selection problems commonly associated with limit orders. The results also point to the use of limit orders by informed traders, an area not previously explored in the literature.
Quantile regression improves models of lake eutrophication with implications for ecosystem-specific management

Summary Although commonly used by those tasked with lake management, the statistical approach of data averaging (DA) followed by ordinary least-squares regression (OLSR) to generate nutrient limitation models is outdated and may impede the understanding and successful management of lake eutrophication. Using a 21-year data set from Lake Champlain as a case study, the traditional DA-OLSR-coupled approach was re-evaluated and improved to quantify the cause–effect relationships between chlorophyll (Chl) and total nitrogen (TN) or total phosphorus (TP). We confirmed that the commonly used DA-OLSR approach results in misleading cause–effect nutrient limitation inferences by illustrating how the process of DA reduces the range of data distribution considered and masks meaningful temporal variation observed within a given period. Our model comparisons demonstrate that using quantile regression (QR) to fit the upper boundary of the response distribution (99th quantile model) is more robust than the OLSR analysis for generating eutrophication models and developing nutrient management targets, as this method reduces the effects of unmeasured factors that plague the OLSR-derived model. Because our approach is statistically in line with the ecological ‘law of the minimum’, it is particularly powerful for inferring resource limitation with broad potential utility to the ecological research community. By integrating percentile selection (PS) with QR-derived model output, we developed a PS-QR-coupled approach to quantify the relative importance of TN and TP reductions in a eutrophic system. Utilising this approach, we determined that the reduction in TP to meet a specific Chl target should be the first priority to mitigate eutrophication in Lake Champlain. The structure of this statistically robust and straightforward approach for developing nutrient reduction targets can be easily adopted as an individual lake-specific tool for the research and management of other lakes and reservoirs with similar water quality data sets. Moreover, the PS-QR-coupled approach developed here is also of theoretical importance to understanding and modelling the interacting effects of multiple limiting factors on ecological processes (e.g. eutrophication) with broad application to aquatic research.
Vitreous penetration of orally administered gatifloxacin in humans.

Results: Mean gatifloxacin concentrations in serum (n=19), vitreous (n=19), and aqueous (n=10) were 4.98 ± 1.14 µg/mL, 1.35 ± 0.36 µg/mL, and 1.09 ± 0.57 µg/mL, respectively. Mean sampling times after oral administration of the second gatifloxacin tablet for serum, vitreous, and aqueous were 2.99 ± 0.73 hours, 3.79 ± 0.81 hours, and 3.71 ± 0.87 hours, respectively. The percentages of serum gatifloxacin concentration achieved in the vitreous and aqueous were 27.13% and 21.85%, respectively. Mean inhibitory vitreous and aqueous MIC90 levels were achieved against a wide spectrum of pathogens, including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Propionibacterium acnes, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Proteus mirabilis, and other organisms. Conclusions: Gatifloxacin is a novel fourth-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has MIC90 levels significantly lower than those of other fluoroquinolone agents. Furthermore, it penetrates well into the vitreous cavity in the noninflamed eye. Potential uses for oral gatifloxacin may include prophylaxis against endophthalmitis in open-globe injuries, surgical prophylaxis against postoperative endophthalmitis, and adjunctive therapy for the current management of bacterial endophthalmitis.
Secretory activity of equine polymorphonuclear leukocytes: stimulus specificity and priming effects of bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

Abstract Neutrophil (PMN) contributions to the acute inflammatory process and host defense include generation of bioreactive oxygen metabolites and secretion of granule enzymes. We assessed equine PMN secretion using several PMN stimuli, singly and in combination with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS avidly associated with equine PMN, as shown by strong PMN labeling with FITC-conjugated LPS. LPS alone (1 or 10 μg ml−1) was a weak stimulus for PMN superoxide anion (O2−) generation, but preincubation with LPS followed by phorbol ester (PMA, 10 ng ml−1) significantly augmented (P
CYP2E1 overexpression inhibits microsomal Ca2+-ATPase activity in HepG2 cells

Abstract Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is a microsomal enzyme that generates reactive oxygen species during its catalytic cycle. We previously found an important role for calcium in CYP2E1-potentiated injury in HepG2 cells. The possibility that CYP2E1 may oxidatively damage and inactivate the microsomal Ca 2+ -ATPase in intact liver cells was evaluated, in order to explain why calcium is elevated during CYP2E1 toxicity. Microsomes were isolated by differential centrifugation from two liver cell line: E47 cells (HepG2 cells transfected with the pCI neo expression vector containing the human CYP2E1 cDNA, which overexpress active microsomal CYP2E1), and control C34 cells (HepG2 cells transfected with the pCI neo expression vector alone, which do not express significantly any cytochrome P450). The Ca 2+ -dependent ATPase activity was determined by measuring the accumulation of inorganic phosphate from ATP hydrolysis. CYP2E1 overexpression produced a 45% decrease in Ca 2+ -dependent ATPase activity (8.6 nmol Pi/min/mg protein in C34 microsomes versus 4.7 nmol Pi/min/mg protein in microsomes). Saturation curves with Ca 2+ or ATP showed that CYP2E1 overexpression produced a decrease in V max but did not affect the K m for either Ca 2+ or ATP. The decrease in activity was not associated with a decrease in SERCA protein levels. The ATP-dependent microsomal calcium uptake was evaluated by fluorimetry using fluo-3 as the fluorogenic probe. Calcium uptake rate in E47 microsomes was 28% lower than in C34 microsomes. Treatment of E47 cells with 2 mM N-acetylcysteine prevented the decrease in microsomal Ca 2+ -ATPase found in E47 cells. These results suggest that CYP2E1 overexpression produces a decrease in microsomal Ca 2+ -ATPase activity in HepG2 cells mediated by reactive oxygen species. This may contribute to elevated cytosolic calcium and to CYP2E1-potentiated injury.
Hemoglobin: a mechanism for the generation of hydroxyl radicals.

Abstract Oxyhemoglobin (HbO2) reduces Fe(III) NTA aerobically to become methemoglobin (metHb) and Fe(II)NTA. These conditions are favorable for the generation via Fenton chemistry of the hydroxyl radical that was measured by HPLC using salicylate as a probe. The levels of hydroxyl radicals generated are a function of both the percent metHb formed and the chemical nature of the buffer. The rates of formation of both metHb and hydroxyl radicals were dependent upon the concentration of Fe(III)NTA. Of the buffers tested, HEPES was the most effective scavenger of hydroxyl radicals while the other buffers scavenged in the order: HEPES > Tris > MOPS > NaCl ≈ unbuffered. The addition of catalase to remove H202 or bathophenanthroline to chelate Fe(II) inhibited virtually all hydroxyl radical formation. Carbonyl formation from free radical oxidation of amino acids was found to be 0.1 mol/mol of hemoglobin. These experiments demonstrate the ability of hemoglobin to participate directly in the generation of hydroxyl radicals mediated by redox metals, and provide insight into potential oxidative damage from metals released into the blood during some pathologic disorders including iron overload.
Inverse dynamic design technique for model correction and optimization

The inverse dynamic design technique presented herein tunes a structural model to achieve a prespecified frequency response at certain critical points of the structure. The technique can correct structural models based on vibration response test data and also can optimize structural design. The technique works by partitioning the second-order matrix equations of motion into assigned and auxiliary degrees of freedom and then performs a parameter optimization to assign new frequency response data to the model. Design variable linking, symbolic or sparse matrix solutions, and closed-form gradients are used to streamline the computations. The technique still requires a large amount of computation, and thus is most applicable to small or moderate size dynamic models, such as coarse mesh prototype models, or models with repeated geometry or symmetry. Two small-order example problems illustrate the technique. The first example completely corrects the stiffness matrix of a corrupted analytical model using simulated measured (exact) frequency response data. The second example flattens the first resonance peak of a truss structure by assigning a specified partial frequency response to the model.
The Nature of Deference and Demeanor

of modern society have learned to look for the symbolic meaning of any given social practice and for the contribution of the practice to the integrity and solidarity of the group that employs it. However, in directing their attention away from the individual to the group, these students seem to have neglected a theme that is presented in Durkheim's chapter on the soul (1954: 240-272). There he suggests that the individual's personality can be seen as one apportionment of the collective mana, and that (as he implies in later chapters) the rites performed to representations of the social collectivity will sometimes be performed to the individual himself. In this paper I want to explore some of the senses in which the person in our urban secular world is allotted a kind of sacredness that is displayed and confirmed by symbolic acts. An attempt will be made to build a conceptual scaffold by stretching and twisting some common anthropological terms. This will be used to support two concepts which I think are central to this area, deference and demeanor. Through these reformulations I will try to show that a version of Durkheim's social psychology can be effective in modern dress. Data for the paper are drawn chiefly from a brief observational study of mental patients in a modern research hospital.' I use these data on the assumption that a logical place to learn about personal proprieties is among persons who have been locked up for spectacularly failing to maintain them. Their infractions of propriety occur in the confines of a ward, but the rules broken are quite general ones, leading us outward from the ward to a general study of
That's no worm...

The name “Medusa worm” that is used to describe a prize-winning photo in the Random Samples item “Micro cosmos” (24 Nov., p. [1495][1]) is aquarium trade jargon that obscures the identity and attributes of the organism photographed. The organism is a holothuroid (sea cucumber), a member of the singularly interesting family Synaptidae, some of which reach the anaconda-like length of 5 meters. The individuals pictured here are Synaptula hydriformis ([1][2]), typically a few centimeters in length. This species is probably a self-fertilizing hermaphrodite. Viviparous, matrotrophic individuals brood more than 200 embryos at a time in their body cavities. The microscopic objets d'art pictured in the Random Samples item (and here) are not “actually the skin,” as stated, but the skeleton, composed of microscopic ossicles that lie within the sea cucumber integument. Moreover, the “fanciful mushroom designs” mentioned in the account are the aptly termed anchor ossicles articulating on their supporting plates. Unique to synaptids, anchor ossicles stand in for adhesive tube feet that are completely lacking in the group. The hooked anchors, present in densities up to 1500 per centimeter, provide extraordinary gripping power. Protruding and retracting in the skin as peristaltic waves traverse the sea cucumber's body wall, they create the traction required for locomotion. 1. [↵][3]1. G. Hendler 2. et al. , Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Allies, Echinoderms of Florida and the Caribbean (Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, 1995)The image is adapted from figure 176 in.,. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.291.5508.1495 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text"
Optimizing SOA frequency conversion with discriminant filter

Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) may be used for frequency conversion in cross gain modulation up to a few Gbps. Cross gain has the advantage that the output depends only on power in the incoming signal. At higher bit rates---10Gbps is frequently used in telecommunications--- the optical pulse shape degrades as though an R-C filter had been applied and bit error rates become unacceptable. The intensity variation in an SOA in cross gain is accompanied by a phase change which has the information for the lost part of the pulse. A discriminant filter following the SOA may be used to recover the lost bit signal intensity. The edge of the Bragg discriminant filter acts as a phase to intensity converter. We show by simulation that the bit error rate can be restored at 10 Gbps by the use of the filter. We further show how to optimize the filter frequency and bandwidth in such a way as to avoid unstable regions where precise control circuits would be required.
The effect of cortisol on rabbit fetal lung maturation in vitro

Abstract Explants of lung tissue from 19-day gestational age fetal rabbits were maintained in organ culture in medium with or without fetal calf serum for 1 to 11 days. Based on the results of biochemical and morphological studies it was apparent that the type II pneumonocyte differentiated in vitro at a time similar to that which occurs with maturation in vivo . The epithelial cells of the presumptive alveoli were undifferentiated at the start of incubation, but within 9 days developed increased amounts of Golgi apparatus and rough endoplasmic reticulum, many microvilli on the luminal surface and numerous lamellar bodies. Secreted lamellar bodies and tubular myelin figures were observed in the lumina of cultured explants. The incorporation of [ 3 H]choline into phosphatidylcholine by lung tissue explants maintained in medium containing 10% fetal calf serum remained relatively constant for 7 days of incubation but thereafter increased two-fold. When explants were maintained in fetal calf serum-containing medium and cortisol (10 −7 M ) or betamethasone (10 −7 M ), the incorporation of choline into phosphatidylcholine was two to three times greater than that of explants maintained in serum-containing medium without cortisol. When explants of fetal lung tissue were incubated in the presence of cortisol without fetal calf serum there was no stimulatory effect of cortisol on phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis. Therefore, serum cofactors are necessary for the stimulatory effects of cortisol on fetal lung development. The specific activity of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase (PAPase) increased to very high levels during the culture period. In the presence of serum, cortisol or betamethasone had no effect on the specific activity of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase.
Planar integrated optical methods for examining thin films and their surface adlayers

Thin film integrated optical waveguides (IOWs) have gained acceptance as a method for characterizing ultrathin dielectrical films and adlayers bound to the film surface. Here, we present the expressions that govern IOW methods as well as describe the common experimental configurations used in attenuated total reflection, fluorescence and Raman applications. The applications of these techniques to the study of adsorbed or surface-bound proteins to polymer and glass waveguides are reviewed.
Vaginal Delivery and the Pelvic Floor

During the last several decades, the use of the term 'birth injury' has evolved to denote injury to the neonate. Previously the term was used to indicate maternal injury, i.e. the type of maternal injury that results in urogynecologic problems. In his landmark 1942 paper describing his suburethral sling technique, Albert Aldridge frequently referred to 'birth injury' and stated that 'the importance of birth injuries to the nervous mechanism which controls bladder function probably has not received the attention it deserves' [1]. More than 50 years later, this statement remains true and there are increasing social pressures affecting birth practices. Many of these pressures have highlighted the deficits in our scientific knowledge. There are striking geographical differences in birthing practices. The importance of obstetric fistulas in developing countries is familiar to readers of this journal. The magnitude of this human suffering and the devotion of involved physicians humbles all of us. Yet in other parts of the globe the liberal use of cesarean section is practiced with the hope of minimizing pelvic floor damage and preserving optimal sexual function. For many obstetricians, the route of delivery is increasingly influenced by patient preference and various administrative agencies. Individual patients and their physicians are left to wonder what is truly best best for today and best for tomorrow. Over the past decade, our literature has outlined anatomic and functional problems following vaginal delivery. Although some reports indicate a low incidence of these problems in women following cesarean section, vaginal delivery is clearly the major risk factor for stress incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and fecal incon-
Basic NDE of Some Nano Composites

The influence of the nano-sized particulate or slender structures admixed into the material of regular composite structures of various architectures is being enthusiastically studied in many places across the world, but the study is yet in its infancy because there are so many aspects to be investigated. This work is basically on foam-cored structural sandwich composites, and even here there are many variables involved, for example the nano-enhancer can be introduced into the reinforcement, the matrix or the foam. The focus of the work is on some possible effects of the presence of the nano-materials on the NDE process in testing these composites. Acoustic emission is emphasized in these studies, as it appears to hold promise for non-destructively testing materials of this nature, and basic and standard mechanical test methods are employed.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Trajectory Planning for Autonomous Aerospace Vehicles amid Known Obstacles and Conflicts

A discrete search strategy is presented for potential real-time generations of four-dimensional trajectories for a single autonomous aerospace vehicle amid known obstacles and conflicts. A model of autonomous operation isfirst developed. The problem of and requirements on real-time trajectory generations for autonomous aerospace vehicles are discussed. After an overview of various potential solution frameworks, a discrete search strategy is developed. In this strategy, a four-dimensional search space is defined and discretized. Potential obstacles and conflicts are represented by several basic geometric shapes and their combinations. Mathematical conditions are developed for a trajectory segment to be outside of an obstacle or conflict. Then, the A* search technique is used to obtain trajectory solutions, in which successor points are selected that avoid obstacles and conflicts and that satisfy dynamic motion constraints of the vehicle. A linear combination of flight distance and flight time is optimized in the trajectory generation process. A heuristic function that approximates this performance index is developed for the A * search procedure. Examples are provided that illustrate the application of the proposed method.
Large cell carcinoma of the lung mimicking a germ cell tumor: the potential value of chromosome analysis.

A 43-year-old male with a 20 pack year smoking history presented with a 3-week history of breast enlargement, intermittent headache and blurry vision. Other than gynecomastia, the physical examination, including testicular examination, was normal. Serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin ( -hCG) level was 2125 IU/L, with a normal alpha-fetoprotein level. A scrotal ultrasound showed no abnormalities. CT imaging revealed a 6 cm× 5 cm mass in the posterior mediastinum (Fig. 1A), low density combination lesions in the liver and spleen, and no retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy. Brain MRI showed a solitary occipital 1.9 cm× 2.3 cm mass (Fig. 1B). Fine needle aspirate of the mediastinal mass yielded poorly differentiated carcinoma with syncytial groups, loose aggregates and numerous tumor giant cells, some of which were syncytiotrophoblasts (Fig. 2A—C). The tumor cells were positive for -hCG and cytokeratin (Fig. 2D and E), and negative for thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1). The cytologic differential diagnosis included primary lung cancer with hCG-producing giant cells, versus choriocarcinoma of the mediastinum or lung. Resection of the occipital metastasis yielded pathology consistent with large cell carcinoma from a lung primary. Despite treatment with VP-16, ifosfamide and cis-platinum (VIP), his cancer progressed after one
Standard errors for heritability and expected selection response

Confidence statements for response expected from selection are needed. The first order approximation in Taylor's expansion was used to develop standard errors for heritability and expected progress. Both standard errors contain adjustments for level of heritability. They offer criteria for establishing approximate confidence intervals for these two estimated parameters.
Electron spin-lattice and cross relaxation in irradiated malonic acid☆

Abstract Electron spin-lattice and cross relaxation processes in X-ray and electron irradiated single crystals of malonic acid have been investigated over the temperature range 1.1° to 300°K as a function of radiation dosage and as a function of thermal aging. The recovery of the longitudinal magnetization following pulsed saturation is due to cross relaxation among the radicals R2⋯X2, R⋯X2, and R⋯X2CO (where R = COOH or COOD and X = H or D) and to the characteristic spin-lattice relaxation rates of these radicals. The spin-lattice relaxation times in these radicals appear to be determined by phonon modulation of the spin-orbit coupling rather than of the hyperfine interaction.
The preparation and characterization of chicken erythrocyte nucleoproteins

Abstract Deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNP) extracted from chicken erythrocyte nuclei with 0.01 m glycine solutions according to the method of Messineo (1962) have an average content of 69% protein and 31% DNA. The amino acid composition is characteristic of values reported for isolated chicken erythrocyte histones. The DNA extracted from these preparations is undegraded and highly fibrous. The DNA-protein complex (DNP) has a sedimentation coefficient of 50 S , while electron microscopic examination of the preparations reveals elongated particles with a length of 11,000 A and a diameter of 45–50 A. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis in low ionic strength buffer reveals one component moving as a single band to the anode. Similarly, elution of the DNP preparation through sephadex G-200 results in the quantitative recovery of the applied amount under a single peak containing both DNA and protein. All of these parameters indicate that 0.01 m glycine solution extracts a DNA-protein complex (DNP) of high molecular weight and free from contaminants.