cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Starch with a Slow Digestion Property Produced by Altering Its Chain Length, Branch Density, and Crystalline Structure

The hypothesis of increasing the branch density of starch to reduce its digestion rate through partial shortening of amylopectin exterior chains and the length of amylose was investigated. Starch products prepared using beta-amylase, beta-amylase and transglucosidase, maltogenic alpha-amylase, and maltogenic alpha-amylase and transglucosidase showed significant reduction of rapidly digested starch by 14.5%, 29.0%, 19.8%, and 31.0% with a concomitant increase of slowly digested starch by 9.0%, 19.7%, 5.7%, and 11.0%, respectively. The resistant starch content increased from 5.1% to 13.5% in treated starches. The total contents of the prebiotics isomaltose, isomaltotriose, and panose (Isomaltooligosaccharides) were 2.3% and 5.5%, respectively, for beta-amylase/transglucosidase- and maltogenic alpha-amylase/transglucosidase-treated starches. The molecular weight distribution of enzyme-treated starches and their debranched chain length distributions, analyzed using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography with multiangle laser light scattering and refractive index detection (HPSEC-MALLS-RI) and HPSEC-RI, showed distinctly different patterns among starches with different enzyme treatments. A larger proportion of low molecular weight fractions appeared in starches treated additionally with transglucosidase. All enzyme-treated starches showed a mixture of B- and V-type X-ray diffraction patterns, and 1H NMR spectra showed a significant increase of alpha-1,6 linkages. Both the increase of the starch branch density and the crystalline structure in the treated starches likely contribute to their slow digestion property.
Enhancement of Gene Expression by Transcription Factor AP-1 Is Dependent on Orientation of AP-1 Element

Transcription factor AP-1 induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate treatment of LLC-PK1 cells binds specifically to an AP-1 oligonucleotide. To study the effect of interaction of transcription factor AP-1 with its AP-1 element on gene expression, an AP-1 consensus sequence was cloned into a reporter vector. Expression of the reporter gene in transfected cells was greatly enhanced in the presence of the reverse-oriented AP-1 element upstream of a SV40 promoter. Mutation (G to C) of the central base in the AP-1 motif (TGAGTCA) abolished the enhancement for the reporter gene expression. These results indicate that the orientation of AP-1 element relative to the transcription machinery is important for its regulatory function. Moreover, sequences that flank the AP-1 motif are also required for its regulatory function.
Ovary-autonomous maternal inheritance at a developmental locus in Drosophila.

Abstract The sex-linked temperature-sensitive mutation shibirets of Drosophila melanogaster shows a maternal effect causing embryonic lethality at 29°C. The maternal influence is due to gene action autonomous to the ovary. Embryos carrying the paternally derived wild-type gene can survive at 29°C but only if heat pulses are begun at least 9 hr after oviposition. The paternal rescue is presumably due to zygotic gene action at this locus beginning part way through embryogenesis. A maternal wild-type genome, however, can produce shi embryos that have sufficient shi+ product to support embryogenesis up to the hatching stage even at 29°C.
An adaptive turbulence filter for decomposition of organized turbulent flows

A new decomposition has been developed in which turbulent processes in shear flows may be represented as a combination of organized and more random turbulent motions. Each component is modeled as a summation of its characteristic eddies, of strength that varies in time and space as a function of the entire process. The contribution of all turbulent eddies of the more random component are estimated with an adaptive turbulence filter, which recognizes this component as the orthogonal partner to organized motion, with a power density spectrum of appropriate shape. The decomposition recovers organized motion from time and space series of data in a physically meaningful way, and can be used to characterize interaction between coherent and more random motions. It also provides an estimate for the turbulence in shear flows that are too complex for a meaningful average motion to be identified.
Gender and the surgical workforce.

Ihave thoroughly enjoyed my last 22 years of membership in the New England Surgical Society. I was humbled and honored to be selected as your 86th president and hope I have at least another 22 years of membership. I give a special thank you to our program committee, executive committee, and the team of Stan Alger, Jon Blackstone, and Heather Wood for the planning and operations of our meeting. And I give 3 cheers to the membership at large for your active participation at this meeting—as that participation is the soul of our society. The camaraderie of the New England Surgical Society and other surgical societies is a unique haven in today’s world of medicine as a business. This annual happening of educational and social interaction in an atmosphere of young and old, active and senior, university and community professionals, keeps us on the high road for our patients as opposed to our clients.
Tales of transformation: Applying a teaching effectiveness perspective to stories about teaching

(1993). Tales of transformation: Applying a teaching effectiveness perspective to stories about teaching. Communication Education: Vol. 42, When Teaching “Works”: Stories of Communication in Education, pp. 377-397.
A hypothesis for growth of fresh atmospheric nuclei

[1] The formation of new atmospheric particles, roughly 1–2 nm in diameter, has drawn a lot of attention recently because of (1) their possibly negative effects on human health and (2) their potential to grow into cloud condensation nuclei, thus affecting cloud formation as well as the global radiation budget. At these small sizes, the Kelvin effect prevents condensation of any compound in sufficient abundance for producing substantial growth. But heterogeneous reactions may play a critical role in helping these nm-sized nuclei cross the huge Kelvin-effect barrier and facilitating further condensation of organic vapors. Its implications in the marine boundary layer and engine exhausts are discussed.
Kinetic simulations of reconnection and magnetospheric disruptions

Abstract Large-scale 3-D particle-in-cell simulations are used to investigate the nature of collisionless reconnection and to examine the process of braking of high speed flows in the near-Earth plasma sheet. The GEM magnetic reconnection study is generalized to the case of externally driven reconnection. The results are similar to the undriven case, and the reconnection process remains basically two-dimensional. Pressure gradient terms dominate the perpendicular current during flow braking, and the cross-tail current is enhanced in the kinetic treatment rather than being reduced as in MHD treatments.
PART 5: RUPTURE TESTS OF PIPELINE CONTAINING COMPLEX-SHAPED METAL LOSS DEFECTS

An earlier paper—the third in the present series 1 — discussed data acquired for pipe segments with uniform and long or short metal loss defects that were tested under internal pressure up to rupture. These defects were machined to generate uniform-shaped external or internal metal loss profiles. That paper was followed by the fourth in the series,2 which presented the burst tests of seven tubular specimens loaded with internal pressure and containing internal and irregularly shaped real corrosion defects. The present paper—the fifth in the series—presents results for test specimens containing machined irregular or complexshaped external defects. An upcoming article will address test results for the case of closely located and interacting defects. Burst tests were conducted on two tubular specimens. Each of the two specimens had one external complex-shaped metal loss defect, which was machined using spark erosion. The specimens belonged to test batch 2, as listed in Table 1 of Freire et al. 3 The specimens were cut from longitudinally welded tubes made of American Petroleum Institute (API) 5L X60 steel with an outside diameter of 323.9 mm and a nominal wall thickness of 9.53 mm. Each of the two tubular specimens was instrumented with 17 postyield strain gage rosettes, one displacement transducer and two pressure transducers. The failure pressures measured in the laboratory tests were compared with those predicted by five assessment methods: the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31G method, 4 the Det Norske Veritas (DNV) RP
SU‐GG‐T‐559: Novel Treatment Technique for Conjunctival Lymphoma of the Eye

Purpose: This study was designed to develop a new technique to better treat conjunctival lymphoma while limiting dose to the lens. Previous texts have suggested using a “hanging block” approach, for example a lead filled straw suspended in the center of the treatment field. The possibility of using a baby nipple has several advantages, including ease and reproducibility of set‐up, safety for the patient (the baby nipple moves with the patient), and an ideal dose distribution due to the shaping and slight attenuation of the radiation beam through the plastic. Materials/Methods: A typical baby bottle nipple (Philips, 3–6 months) was placed in a 4 cm diameter circle Cerrobend cut‐out and placed in the 6×6 electron cone. A lead rod, a Cerrobend rod, and spherical tungsten fishing weights were each placed in the tip of the bottle nipple and measurements were made with radiochromic film in the sagittal and coronal planes for 6 and 9 MeV beams. Dose distributions were evaluated to determine the best block and ideal energy for the patient's disease. Results: The Cerrobend rod did the best job of blocking the radiation in the center of the field while still treating the area corresponding to the white of the eye. It was determined that energy of 6 MeV generated adequate disease coverage. The patient seen at the Brown Cancer Center was prescribed 26 Gy to the 90% isodose line in 13 fractions at 6 MeV for each eye. The bottle nipple was used to block the lens each day and yielded a successful treatment.Conclusions: This technique is a excellent option for certain diseases of the eye. It provides a safe yet simple way to effectively treat the patient while shielding the lens from radiation that even at relatively low doses could form cataracts in the eye.
A hybrid multilevel control scheme for supporting mixed traffic in broadband networks

The paper discusses a control scheme for broadband switching systems consisting of a hybrid multilevel control network and a three-phase commit control protocol. The proposed architecture and protocol allow for fast connection setup in point-to-point connections while efficiently handling multicast and broadcast connections. The consistency of system status is maintained through the three-phase commit procedure. The optimal control configuration to minimize the connection setup service time is derived by using both analytical and simulation approaches.
DEVELOPMENT OF A FIELD METHOD FOR EVALUATING THE SERVICE LIVES OF ORGANIC VAPOR CARTRIDGES: RESULTS OF LABORATORY TESTING USING CARBON TETRACHLORIDE. PART II: HUMIDITY EFFECTS

Results of further studies on the use of small carbon-filled glass tubes, referred to as respirator carbon tubes (RCTs), for predicting the service lives of organic-vapor respirator cartridges, are presented. Organic vapors are drawn through the RCT using a personal sampling pump until breakthrough is detected. This breakthrough time is then used in conjunction with a bed-residence adsorption model to predict the breakthrough time of a cartridge containing carbon identical to that in the RCT. Previous work demonstrated that accurate prediction of cartridge breakthrough time was possible for exposure to carbon tetrachloride in dry air. This report examines the effects of relative humidity (RH) and prehumidification of the RCT and cartridge carbon beds on the predictive accuracy of the method. The effect of varying the flow rate through the RCT is also examined. The RCT method predicted cartridge breakthrough times to an accuracy of ±9% at the 95% confidence level for moderate and high humidity conditions a...
Inositol Pyrophosphates Regulate Cell Growth and the Environmental Stress Response by Activating the HDAC Rpd3L

Cells respond to stress and starvation by adjusting their growth rate and enacting stress defense programs. In eukaryotes this involves inactivation of TORC1, which in turn triggers downregulation of ribosome and protein synthesis genes and upregulation of stress response genes. Here we report that the highly conserved inositol pyrophosphate (PP-IP) second messengers (including 1-PP-IP5, 5-PP-IP4, and 5-PP-IP5) are also critical regulators of cell growth and the general stress response, acting in parallel with the TORC1 pathway to control the activity of the class I histone deacetylase Rpd3L. In fact, yeast cells that cannot synthesize any of the PP-IPs mount little to no transcriptional response to osmotic, heat, or oxidative stress. Furthermore, PP-IP-dependent regulation of Rpd3L occurs independently of the role individual PP-IPs (such as 5-PP-IP5) play in activating specialized stress/starvation response pathways. Thus, the PP-IP second messengers simultaneously activate and tune the global response to stress and starvation signals.
Second-Harmonic Radiation from Metal Surfaces

A calculation is performed of the second-harmonic radiation generated by the reflection of incident radiation from a metal surface in a model that considers only plasma effects and neglects periodic lattice structure in the metallic bulk and any form of surface roughness. The radiation is due to three kinds of currents: one localized to within a few angstroms of the surface and parallel to it, another also localized at the surface but normal to it, and a bulk current in the skin-depth region of the incident light, a region several hundred angstroms thick. Previous expressions for the normal surface current are found to be incorrect, and a new expression is derived. The second-harmonic radiation due to the surface currents is sensitive to surface conditions, while the contribution of the bulk current is only weakly sensitive to them. Theoretical estimates suggest that changes in the radiation intensity with variation in surface condition are caused primarily by changes in the parallel surface currents due to variations in surface scattering. In the course of this investigation general relationships and explicit forms for the second-order response of an isotropic electron gas are given.
Transport properties of the disordered charged bose condensate in two dimensions

Analytical results for the frequency-dependent conductivity of a disordered two-dimensional interacting Bose condensate are presented. Charged and uncharged impurities are considered. We find that for weak disorder the condensate is a superfluid while for strong disorder it is an insulator (a Bose glass). At the superfluid-insulator transition point (at the critical boson densityN c) the condensate exhibits metallic tranport properties. An loffe-Regel criterion for the transition point is derived. The conductivity at the transition point is of ordere 2/h (h is Planck's constant) and depends on the kind of disorder. For charged impurities (with impurity densityN i) the conductivity (for a condensate of particles with charge 2e and forN i=2N c) at the transition point is given by σ c =0.26x(2e)2/h. We discuss recent experiments on superconducting ultra-thin films and on high-T c superconductors.
EFFECT OF DIABETES ON MIGRAINE

Abstract 36 patients with both migraine and diabetes have been collected. 5 patients lost their migraine completely or had a marked reduction in their attacks with the onset or control of diabetes. In 4 other patients nocturnal hypoglycaemia precipitated migraine headaches. Of the remaining 27 patients, 6 noted that fasting or missing a meal sometimes provoked attacks of migraine. A significant number of patients noted a reduction in frequency and severity of migraine after developing diabetes; but, in 21 of the 36 patients, diabetes in no way influenced migraine. It is concluded that the blood-sugar level is the major and specific triggering mechanism of migraine in some patients. This should encourage the search for other organic factors that can precipitate migraine headaches.
The dependence of natural graphite anode performance on electrode density

The effect of electrode density for lithium intercalation and irreversible capacity loss on the natural graphite anode in lithium ion batteries was studied by electrochemical methods. Both the first-cycle reversible and irreversible capacities of the natural graphite anode decreased with an increase in the anode density though compression. The reduction in reversible capacity was attributed to a reduction in the chemical diffusion coefficient for lithium though partially agglomerated particles with a larger stress. For the natural graphite in this study the potentials for Li (de)insertion shifted between the first and second formation cycles and the extent of this shift was dependent on electrode density. The relation between this peak shift and the irreversible capacity loss are probably both due to the decrease in graphite surface area with compression.
Time-domain observation of the development of phase-slip centers in superconducting filaments

We report the first observation of the time-domain development of phase-slip centers (PSC's). Using long one-dimensional indium microbridges that show PSC's on their dc I-V curves, we apply fast-rising current steps in excess of their critical currents, and observe the development of the PSC's in time. We find a current- and temperature-dependent delay time for the development of each PSC, which we explain in terms of a simple theory.
Quantitative analysis of simulated erosion for different soils

Levee overtopping can lead to failure and cause catastrophic damage, as was the case during Hurricane Katrina. We present a computer simulation of erosion to study the development of the rills and gullies that form along an earthen embankment during overtopping. We have coupled 3D Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics with an erodibility model to produce our simulation. Through comparison between simulations and between simulation and analogous laboratory experiments, we provide quantitative and qualitative results, evaluating the accuracy of our simulation.
Reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus: regulation and function of the BZLF1 gene

The switch from latent infection to virus replication in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected B cells is initiated by expression of the viral BZLF1 gene. Recent studies have identified the key cellular transcription factors involved in regulating this switch in viral programs and the signal transduction pathways to which they respond. Understanding this switch may facilitate development of strategies to interfere with EBV infection.
Thermodynamics of ion association XXV. Transition metal complexes of proline and hydroxyproline

Abstract Calorimetric and potentiometric measurements have been made at 25°C of the formation of the mono- and bis-hydroxyproline complexes of cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) and the proline complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II). The data have been used to calculate Δ G , Δ H and Δ S values for both protonation and metal complexation and these are discussed in terms of the nature of the metal—ligand binding.
Resting and exercise energy use in Antarctica: effect of 50% restriction in temperate climate energy requirements.

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of energy restriction (ER) upon the previously reported increased resting and exercise-related oxygen utilization, reduced body temperature, increased serum TSH, and reduced serum free T3 concentrations found during Antarctic residence (AR). DESIGN Prospective, intervention with both paired controls and a similar reference control group (RG). PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS Seven subjects were assessed before and after a 50% ER period of 60 h. This ER was carried out within 30 days of arriving in Antarctica in October (OCT) and again after 10 months AR in August (AUG). During the periods of ER, mean energy consumption was 5662 +/- 1344 kJ/day in OCT and 5529 +/- 967 kJ/day in AUG. Resting metabolic rate (RMR), a calculated resting metabolic rate (RMR(reg)) using a submaximal work regression, serum TSH, FT3 and tympanic temperature (Tty) were measured. These values were compared with a similar RG of 12 subjects reported previously who were studied in California, USA before and then again during AR. RESULTS Weight declined by 1.1 +/- 0.1 kg/day (OCT) and 0.92 +/- 0.2 kg/day (AUG) with ER, resulting in a reduction of body weight by 3.1 +/- 0.4% in OCT (P = 0.0001) and 2.5 +/- 0.4% in AUG (P = 0.0015) during AR. The RMR before ER did not change with AR and it was not significantly different from the RG studied in California. With ER the RMR tended to decline in both OCT (132 +/- 5 to 122 +/- 4 mlO2/min/m2) and AUG (134 +/- 5 to 126 +/- 5 mlO2/min/m2), but these were not significant. By contrast, RMR(reg) obtained before ER was increased with AR by 22.5 +/- 7.8% (P = 0.01) in OCT and by 28.1 +/- 7.0% (P = 0.0008) in AUG over the RG values obtained in California. RMR(reg) did not decrease with ER in either OCT or AUG. The total energy expenditure derived from these measures of weight loss suggests that 24-h energy requirements are 74.4%[95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6-146.3; P < 0.05] more than those expected in temperate climates. Tty declined by 0.6 +/- 0.2 degrees C (P < 0.01) with AR compared with the RG measured in California, but was not affected by either period of ER. ER had no effect on FT3 but tended to decrease serum TSH in AUG (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS Exercise-related energy requirements are increased with AR. Moderate ER may reduce resting but not exercise-related energy expenditure and it is associated with a weight loss exceeding expectations for 50% restriction of temperate climate energy predictions.
Release of dissolved organic matter by some marine macrophytes

The amount of photoassimilated carbon released as dissolved organic carbon was investigated for 5 species of benthic marine macrophytes (Thalassia testudinum, Diplanthera wrightii, Acanthophora spicifera, Chondria dasyphylla, and Dictyota dichotoma) and 1 species of pelagic marine macrophyte (Sargassum natans). Release rates ranged between 0.006 and 0.053 mg C g-1 h-1. Percent release values ranged from 1.1 to 3.8%. Spermatophytes had slightly lower percent release values than algae. Investigations performed on the ability of release products to be utilized by heterotrophic organisms showed that 20 to 30% of the released organic carbon was assimilated within a 2-h period.
A Rhizobium mutant incapable of nodulation and normal polysaccharide secretion

THE surface carbohydrates of Rhizobium, including both the lipopolysaccharide and the extracellular polysaccharide, are thought to participate in the infection and nodulation of legumes by these Gram-negative bacteria1–3. We report here the isolation of a mutant of Rhizobium leguminosarum which produces diminished amounts of extracellular polysaccharide (that is, the carbohydrate material present in cell-free filtrates of bacterial cultures) and which fails to nodulate pea, its normal host.
Architecture and Historical Representation

As a basis for the professionalization of their field, architectural historians have assumed the autonomy and verifiability of historical knowledge. Central to these premises is the view that the archives and monuments of the past are the primary sources of the discipline. The historian's task is conceived as the gathering, selection, and verification of facts, the interpretation of which is presented in “literary” form for the sake of communicability. As such, a separation of form from content is assumed. However, recent studies in historiography insist on the determinant role played by the language of the historian upon the representation of history. In these works, critical insights developed in the fields of linguistics, rhetoric, and literary theory are brought to bear upon the analysis of historical accounts, pointing to the other “source” of history: discourse and rhetoric. This article reassesses the link among history, literature, and language. It raises the issue of the nature and authority of h...
Role of fine-needle aspirates of focal lung lesions in patients with hematologic malignancies.

Objectives To evaluate the yield and safety of transthoracic fine-needle aspiration (FNA) in the diagnosis of pulmonary disease in patients with hematologic malignancy. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Tertiary-care medical center. Patients Sixty-seven patients with a hematologic malignancy or after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for a hematologic malignancy who underwent a total of 71 FNAs for diagnosis of an unexplained parenchymal lung lesion from January 1, 1991, to June 30, 1999. Results The underlying malignancy was lymphoma in 42 patients (63%), leukemia in 8 patients (12%), after allogeneic BMT in 12 patients (18%), after autologous BMT in 3 patients (4%), and other diseases in 2 patients. Radiographs showed focal abnormalities in all cases, and were nodules in 37%, masses in 37%, focal infiltrates in 21%, and cavitary lesions in 5%. The yield of FNA for a finding specific infection or cancer was 56% (40 of 71 FNAs). The FNA with inflammatory changes was clinically sufficient in another 11 patients for a total yield of 72% (51 of 71 FNAs). The yield for lung cancer was 90% (9 of 10 FNAs), for pulmonary lymphoma was 68% (21 of 31 FNAs), and for infection was 67% (10 of 15 FNAs). Complications occurred in 18 of 71 FNAs (25%), with pneumothorax in 14 patients (20%) and chest tube placement required in 4 patients (6%). Bleeding occurred in six patients (8%), including one death in a patient with abnormal hematologic parameters. Conclusion Transthoracic FNA in patients with hematologic malignancy and focal lung lesions has an excellent yield for detecting cancer and a yield comparable to bronchoscopy for the diagnosis of infections. It should be considered a useful diagnostic tool in this setting.
B cells from a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia bind to sheep erythrocytes: an immunological analysis.

Abstract Binding of sheep erythrocytes to chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells with B-cell properties was observed in a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Monoclonal surface immunoglobulin on the surface of B cells probably binds sheep erythrocytes through Forssman antigen. The B-cell nature of the CLL cells was confirmed by lack of cytotoxicity of anti-T cell serum for the lymphocytes of this patient, by rosette formation with mouse red blood cells, and by resynthesis of monoclonal surface immunoglobulin after trypsinization.
Lithographic implications for Cu/low-k integration

Low dielectric constant materials in the back-end-of-line process are needed to reduce resistive-capacitive delays due to continually shrinking interconnect dimensions. Several organic dielectrics which have etch rates similar to photoresists, such as benzocyclobutene and diamond-like carbon, have been explored for compatibility with lithographic processes. In this paper we discuss integration issues from a lithographic perspective, including low-k materials selection and properties, integration sequences, use of hard masks and the effects on reflectivity, resist process compatibility and focus effects using an advanced DUV scanning system.
Effects of prostaglandin E1 and indomethacin on fetal and neonatal lamb mesenteric artery responses to norepinephrine

Abstract The effects of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and indomethacin on isolated fetal and neonatal lamb mesenteric artery responses to norepinephrine were investigated. PGE1 (1.5μM) significantly reduced vasoconstriction responses to 0.5 to 5μM norepinephrine. Indomethacin (1μM) markedly potentiated the constrictor effects of 0.5 to 10μM norepinephrine. PGE1 prevented the potentiating effect of indomethacin. Neither PGE1 nor indomethacin altered basal muscle tension. These results suggest that endogenous PGs modify adrenergic responses in the isolated mesenteric arteries of preterm and newborn lambs.
The use of scanning electron microscope autoradiography to localize the blueberry shoestring virus in its aphid vector

Scanning electron microscopy autoradiography (SEM-AR) in conjunction with light microscope autoradiography (LM-AR) was used to follow the movement of 125I-labeled blueberry shoestring virus (BBSSV) through its aphid vector Illinoia pepperi with varying acquisition access periods (AAP). At 6 hr AAP, the virus had reached the stomach; at 12 hr AAP, it had reached the anterior of the intestines, and after 48 hr, AAP was present throughout the aphid. SEM-AR using backscatter electron detection proved very useful because the sample bulk resulted in a shortened exposure time compared to LM sections, correlation of the autoradiograms could be made with fine structure, preparing large numbers of samples was easy, and examining whole longitudinal sections of aphids at low magnification with a clearly visible marker was possible. Limitations were mostly attributed to sample preparation and, in some cases, were easily remedied.
The rates of dissociation and recombination of the subunits of human luteinizing hormone

Abstract The rates of dissociation and recombination of the subunits of human luteinizing hormone have been measured under a variety of conditions by exploiting the fact that the fluorescence probe 1,8-anilinonaphthalene sulfonate binds to the native hormone but not to its subunits. The first-order dissociation rate is strongly dependent on temperature, pH, and urea concentration. Similarly, the rate of recombination depends on pH and temperature and is independent of subunit concentration in the range from 10 to 40 μ m . At 37 °C, the subunits dissociate below pH 4 and recombine above pH 5. The results presented herein should be useful for developing improved methods of purifying human luteinizing hormone and its subunits.
The Ostwald coefficient of gas solubility

Abstract The Ostwald coefficient which is used for expressing gas solubilities is discussed from an historical perspective. Then four different Ostwald coefficients are defined and their interrelationships and limitations discussed.
Manipulator Performance Measures - A Comprehensive Literature Survey

Performance measures are quintessential to the design, synthesis, study and application of robotic manipulators. Numerous performance measures have been defined to study the performance and behavior of manipulators since the early days of robotics; some more widely accepted than others, but their real significance and limitations have not always been well understood. The aimof this survey is to review the definition, classification, scope, and limitations of some of the widely used performance measures. This work provides an extensive bibliography that can be of help to researchers interested in studying and evaluating the performance and behavior of robotic manipulators. Finally, a few recommendations are proposed based on the review so that the most commonly noticed limitations can be avoided when new performance measures are proposed.
Isotopic studies on the reconstitution of insulin under normal and at high pressure; exchange and adsorption of alanine to insulin.

Abstract After removal of the terminal alanine from insulin by carboxypeptidase, it was impossible to demonstrate the recombination of alanine with the protein, using alanine-1-C14 as an indicator. The presence of the active enzyme in 20 % sucrose, either at normal atmospheric pressure or at a high pressure (6000 atm.) did not affect the uptake of alanine-1-C14 by the insulin. Experiments of this type yielded negative results in spite of varying the pH, time of reaction, and concentration of alanine over wide ranges. However, alanine, particularly at high pH, did become, firmly bound to insulin (and albumin) by a reaction which is mediated by heavy-metal ions. The dependence of this amino acid binding to protein on metal-ion concentration, pH, and time of reaction has been investigated. In addition to the previously mentioned results with respect to the recombination of alanine with insulin from which the terminal alanine had been removed, it has also been found impossible to demonstrate any exchange of alanine in insulin for alanine-1-C14 in solution in the presence of either carboxypeptidase or trypsin.
An exact QED3+1 effective action

Abstract We compute the exact QED 3+1 effective action for fermions in the presence of a family of static but spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field profiles. An asymptotic expansion of this exact effective action yields an all-orders derivative expansion, the first terms of which agree with independent derivative expansion computations. These results generalize analogous earlier results by Cangemi et al. in QED 2+1 .
International perspectives on aging policy: A review essay of three recent volumes.

Only in the very broadest and most abstract sense do these three volumes reflect on similar issues in aging in social policy — that is, the changing context of the responsibilities of the family and state toward the aged. Within two of these books the prevailing wisdom is that the state in most cases will be taking on fewer responsibilities with families assuming more. In certain societies and cultures, little in the way of a role has been associated with the state historically. Care for the elderly has been the responsibility of the family and/or community, and despite changes in the economy and society, human exchanges have remained unaltered. In other societies, change has been more rapid, leaving elders without adequate support or nurturance. And, in largely industrial and Western societies, the state may be relinquishing its roles, leaving families stretching to cover the gaps. Only Schulz, Borowski, and Crown provide carefully reasoned economic arguments regarding the capacity of the state to provide continued financial security to the aged in the future. But future economic security for the elderly does not respond to the broader issues of the responsibility for caring and social support that the other authors have alluded may be eroding from those states that currently provide such services. Admittedly, the direction in all the nations discussed and in each of the volumes is to a smaller role for government and an increased role for families.
Bayesian robustness with more than one class of contaminations

Abstract This paper generalizes the usual e-contamination class Γ(π 0 , e, Q )={π: π=(1−e)π 0 +eq, for some q∈ Q } . The class considered is Γ(e 0 , e 1 ,…,e m , Q 0 , Q 1 ,…, Q m ) which is defined to be {π: π=e 0 q 0 +e 1 q 1 +⋯+e m q m , for some q 0 ∈ Q 0 , q 1 ∈ Q 1 ,…, q m ∈ Q m } . This class encompasses many of the classes of priors used in Bayesian robustness and sensitivity analyses. Also, by taking Q 0 ⊂ Q 1 ⊂⋯⊂ Q m one can model partial prior information of ‘graded’ precision, i.e.where, with decreasing confidence, one can specify the prior more precisely. One can specify quantiles of the prior, either exactly or within bounds, moments of the prior, shape or smoothness constraints, or that the prior is within neighborhoods (of varying sizes), metric or otherwise, of a base prior. One need not assume an inclusion ordering among the Q i 's, and thus could model conflicting partial prior information with various degrees of prior belief in the information. Extremes of posterior expectations can be determined for this class by using the linearization techniques of Lavine (J. Amer. Statist. Assoc.86 (1991) 143–156) and Lavine et al. (J. Statist. Plann. Inference. to appear).
Investments Under Uncertainty in Air Transportation: A Real Options Perspective

Infrastructure investment decisions in air transportation are difficult because of long lead times, large capital expenditures and the technological, market and political uncertainties inherent in aviation. In such an environment, a flexible investment strategy is a means of managing risk. The central idea is to structure the investment so that it would benefi t from the upside potential if circumstances are resolved favorably, but would be protected from downside losses otherwise. In this paper, an evaluation methodology based on system dynamics and Monte Carlo simulation in a real options framework is utilized to evaluate different flexible infrastructure delivery strategies.
Order statistics of functionals of strong ground motion for a class of renewal processes

Abstract In this paper, probability distribution functions are derived for the order statistics of various functionals of strong ground motion at a site. These functionals can be: Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI), peak ground acceleration (PGA), Fourier spectral amplitudes of acceleration, response spectrum amplitudes (spectral displacement, pseudo-spectral velocity and pseudo-spectral acceleration), and amplitudes of the peaks (local maxima and local minima) in the time historyof the response of SDOF and MDOF structures at the site. Three parameters of the response of a structure are considered: displacement, shear force and bending moment at each level (storey) of the structure. The earthquake sources contributing to the risk of ground motion at the site are a number of point, area or volume sources, each with defined frequency of occurence-magnitude relationship. The magnitudes of the possible events at these sources are discretized, and the occurrence of events of different magnitudes are assumed to be statistically independent. For each magnitude, it is assumed that the eartquakes occur in a Poissonian sequence or in a renewal process which is a generalization of the Poissonian. For these assumptions, the probability distribution functions are presented for the number of earthquakes, n , during which a given level of site or structural response is exceeded during the exposure time, and for the return period of the exceedances. For example, for single-degree- of-freedom: (SDOF) or multi-degree-of-freedom structures, (MDOF) n can be the number of earthquakes during which the response of a storey will exceed a given level at least m times (m = 1, 2, 3,…) during the exposure time. These probability distribution functions can be used to extend the concept of uniform probability functionals to more than one exceedance. A more important application is to generalize the uniform probability functionals method of site response (uniform probability Fourier or response spectra) to uniform probability envelopes of displacement, shears and bending moments of a given structure. The uniform probability envelopes can be for exceedance at least once during at least one earthquake, or, in general, for exceedance at least m times per earthquake ( m = 1, 2,… ) during at least n earthquakes. In other words, during at least n earthquakes at least m peaks in the response can be higher than the specified level. Such uniform probability envelopes can be used (1) to define new design guidelines for building codes based on cost-benefit analysis; (2) to construct more refined probability distribution functions for the damage and total economic losses caused by earthquakes; and (3) to develop planning and decision strategies on strengthening and retrofitting existing buildings.
Nonlocal Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation to model interface growth

The dynamics of the growth of interfaces in the presence of noise and when the normal velocity is constant, in the weakly nonlinear limit, are described by the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation. In many applications, however, the growth is controlled by nonlocal transport, which is not contained in the original KPZ equation. For these problems we are proposing an extension of the KPZ model, where the nonlocal contribution is expressed through a Hilbert transform and can act to either stabilize or destabilize the interface. The model is illustrated with a specific example from reactive infiltration. The properties of the solution of the resulting equation are studied in one spatial dimension in the linear and the nonlinear limits, for both stable and unstable growth. We find that the early-time behavior has a power-law scaling similar to that of the KPZ equation. However, in the case of stable growth, the scaling of the saturation width is logarithmic, which differs from the power law in the KPZ equation. This dependence reflects the stabilizing effect of nonlocal transport. In the unstable case, we obtain results similar to those of Olami et al. [Phys. Rev. E 55, 2649 (1997)].
The Effect of Composition on the Wetting Behavior and Joint Strength of the Ag-CuO Reactive Air Braze

As interest in high temperature electrochemical membrane devices for energy and gas generation has intensified, it has become apparent that developing an appropriate method of hermetically joining the ceramic and metallic components in these devices will be critical to their success. A recently developed technique referred to as reactive air brazing (RAB) has shown promise in the joining of components for planar solid oxide fuel cells (pSOFC) and oxygen generators. In the study described below, the relationship between braze composition, substrate wetting, and joint strenth was investigated to gain further understanding of the RAB process. It was found that braze wettability and joint strength are inversely related for the simple binary Ag-CuO braze system.
An invariant road to cross-presentation.

The invariant chain CD74 prevents the loading of peptides derived from endogenously synthesized proteins onto major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum. CD74 is now shown to serve a similar function for some MHC class I molecules.
DNA-based materials for electro-optic applications : current status

Purified deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), derived from salmon milt and roe sacs, waste products of the Japanese fishing industry in Hokkaido, has been processed into a promising, optical waveguide quality, biopolymer material suitable for both passive and active optical and electro-optic applications. Intercalation of aromatic compounds into stacked layers within the double helix of DNA molecules has rendered active optical waveguide materials with excellent nonlinear optical properties.
Cortical and subcortical plasticity in the brains of humans, primates, and rats after damage to sensory afferents in the dorsal columns of the spinal cord

The failure of injured axons to regenerate following spinal cord injury deprives brain neurons of their normal sources of activation. These injuries also result in the reorganization of affected areas of the central nervous system that is thought to drive both the ensuing recovery of function and the formation of maladaptive neuronal circuitry. Better understanding of the physiological consequences of novel synaptic connections produced by injury and the mechanisms that control their formation are important to the development of new successful strategies for the treatment of patients with spinal cord injuries. Here we discuss the anatomical, physiological and behavioral changes that take place in response to injury-induced plasticity after damage to the dorsal column pathway in rats and monkeys. Complete section of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord at a high cervical level in monkeys and rats interrupts the ascending axon branches of low threshold mechanoreceptor afferents subserving the forelimb and the rest of the lower body. Such lesions render the corresponding part of the somatotopic representation of primary somatosensory cortex totally unresponsive to tactile stimuli. There are also behavioral consequences of the sensory loss, including an impaired use of the hand/forelimb in manipulating small objects. In monkeys, if some of the afferents from the hand remain intact after dorsal column lesions, these remaining afferents extensively reactivate portions of somatosensory cortex formerly representing the hand. This functional reorganization develops over a postoperative period of 1 month, during which hand use rapidly improves. These recoveries appear to be mediated, at least in part, by the sprouting of preserved afferents within the cuneate nucleus of the dorsal column-trigeminal complex. In rats, such functional collateral sprouting has been promoted by the post-lesion digestion of the perineuronal net in the cuneate nucleus. Thus, this and other therapeutic strategies have the potential of enhancing sensorimotor recoveries after spinal cord injuries in humans.
Genetic causes of congenital hypothyroidism due to dyshormonogenesis

Purpose of review Overview of congenital hypothyroidism caused by thyroid hormone synthesis defects, the current understanding of their pathophysiology, and clinical implications of molecular diagnoses. Recent findings Genetic defects in all known thyroid-specific factors required for thyroid hormone synthesis have been described. These include defects in iodide trapping (NIS), in the facilitated iodide efflux across the apical membrane (PDS), the organification of iodide within the follicular lumen (thyroid peroxidase, DUOX2, DUOXA2), the substrate for thyroid hormone synthesis (thyroglobulin) and the ability to recover and retain intrathyroidal iodine (iodotyrosine deiodinase). Clinical and biochemical evaluation aids in selecting the most appropriate candidate gene(s). A definite molecular diagnosis of thyroid dyshormonogenesis allows genetic counseling and has prognostic value in differentiating transient from permanent congenital hypothyroidism and predicting the response of patients to iodine supplementation as adjunct or alternative treatment to L-T4 replacement. Summary Congenital hypothyroidism due to thyroid dyshormonogenesis is a heterogenic disorder that may be caused by mutations in any of the known steps in the thyroid hormone biosynthesis pathway. An exact molecular diagnosis allows genetic counseling and the identification of asymptomatic mutation carriers at risk of recurrent hypothyroidism, and provides a rationale for adjunct iodide supplementation.
Complete basis set and gaussian ab initio exploration of singlet and triplet potential energy surface for molecular systems built from one hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms

Abstract The potential energy surface for molecular systems in their singlet and triplet states that are built from hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms were investigated with the highly accurate complete basis set and gaussian ab initio methods. The heats of formation for HNO, HON, and NO are evaluated and better estimates are suggested. New and more accurate values are also suggested for the H–NO bond dissociation energy and enthalpy for the N + OH → NO + H , O + NH → NO + H , O + NH → OH + N , and H + NO → N + OH reactions.
Selective-area and lateral epitaxial overgrowth of III-N materials by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract We describe the characteristics of single-crystal GaN regions obtained by selective-area and subsequent lateral epitaxial overgrowth using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. For a range of deposition conditions, the surface kinetics of the metalorganic chemical vapor deposition process results in an initial stage of selective-area growth, subsequently followed by the lateral growth of single-crystal GaN over the SiO 2 mask. The lateral-to-vertical relative growth rate depends upon the orientation of stripe openings with respect to the GaN crystal planes, the ratio of the “open” stripe width to the “masked” stripe width, and the specific growth conditions (e.g., temperature and V/III ratio). The crystalline orientations of the growth facets on the sidewalls of the laterally growing stripes are also dependent upon the growth conditions. The results of cathodoluminescence and transmission-electron microscopy studies of the GaN films indicate that materials with improved quality are grown over the oxide mask.