cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Observation of Defect-Assisted Magnetic Vortex Core Reversal at Ultralow Critical Velocity

The stability of structures with nontrivial topology is a subject of great interest, both from fundamental and technological perspectives. The topology of a magnetic vortex, for example, results in high stability of the vortex core polarity, which is attractive for applications. This high stability, however, greatly impedes the required deterministic polarity switching, which is typically only achieved with large magnetic fields or strong dynamic driving. Here, we show that the interaction between the vortex core and manufactured nanoscale defects in the magnetic material lowers the required driving strength for core polarity reversal by more than an order of magnitude. We excite vortex dynamics in thin permalloy disks, and map the two-dimensional (2D) vortex core trajectory using 3D time-resolved Kerr microscopy. In pristine samples, we observe normal gyrotropic motion of the vortex core. After laser-induced generation of defects, however, we observe repeated vortex core reversal at much-reduced driving strength. Micromagnetic simulations reveal how local reduction of exchange coupling and saturation magnetization can create vortex core reversal sites for deterministic vortex core switching.
Modeling Contact Resistivity in Monolayer Molybdenum disulfide Edge contacts

We calculate the resistivity of Schottky edge contacts between a metal and a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) thin layer. The electrostatic potential is obtained by solving numerically the Poisson equation; the transmission probability is computed using the Wentzel–Kramers–Brillouin (WKB) approximation using the full-band density of states obtained from density functional theory (DFT); the effect of the image force is obtained analytically using the Green’s function for the Poisson equation with boundary conditions appropriate to the geometry we have considered. We find that the dielectric environment surrounding the 2D layer largely controls the electrostatics and image-force barrier lowering. Low-resistance metal-TMD Schottky edge contacts are obtained using low-κ top and bottom insulators.
MIDEP: Multiparty Identity Establishment Protocol for Decentralized Collaborative Services

Decentralized collaborative architectures are gaining popularity in all application areas, varying from peer-to-peer communication and content management to cloud and ubiquitous services. However, the public identity of the user is still a major concern, in terms of privacy, trace ability, verifiability, masquerading, and other attacks in such environments. We demonstrate two new attacks, identity shadowing and the Man-in-the-Loop (MITL) attacks, which are applicable in particular to multiparty collaborative environments. In this paper, we propose MIDEP, a Multiparty Identity Establishment Protocol for collaborative environments. The proposed protocol allows a client to establish a secure, multiparty, probabilistic, temporal, verifiable, and non-traceable public identity with the collaborating peers in a decentralized architecture. MIDEP allows a client to avoid identity shadowing and protects the service from the resulting threats as well as from colluded information sharing among the collaborating peers. We illustrate how existing collaborative service frameworks can utilize MIDEP to securely establish the public identity prior to beginning the service session. A prototype implementation is utilized to perform extensive experimental analysis. Our results show that MIDEP is highly suitable in terms of overhead to ensure secure identity establishment for underlying decentralized collaborative services.
Medicolegal problems of elopement from psychiatric units.

Elopements from psychiatric units are a frequent but usually low-grade risk. However, they are sometimes followed by harmful consequences, for which the psychiatrist and the hospital may be held liable. We describe management methods developed to reduce such liability. These include a structured observation system and procedures to return elopers to the hospital or to refer them for community-based treatment. Data on 105 elopers and 360 controls were gathered and analyzed. Acceptance of some risk of elopement is inevitable on wards that follow the principle of treatment in the "least restrictive alternative."
Expression of an aromatic-dependent decarboxylase which provides growth-essential CO2 equivalents for the acetogenic (Wood) pathway of Clostridium thermoaceticum.

The acetogen Clostridium thermoaceticum generates growth-essential CO2 equivalents from carboxylated aromatic compounds (e.g., 4-hydroxybenzoate), and these CO2 equivalents are likely integrated into the acetogenic pathway (T. Hsu, S. L. Daniel, M. F. Lux, and H. L. Drake, J. Bacteriol. 172:212-217, 1990). By using 4-hydroxybenzoate as a model substrate, an assay was developed to study the expression and activity of the decarboxylase involved in the activation of aromatic carboxyl groups. The aromatic-dependent decarboxylase was induced by carboxylated aromatic compounds in the early stages of growth and was not repressed by glucose or other acetogenic substrates; nonutilizable carboxylated aromatic compounds did not induce the decarboxylase. The decarboxylase activity displayed saturation kinetics at both whole-cell and cell extract levels, was sensitive to oxidation, and was not affected by exogenous energy sources. However, at the whole-cell level, metabolic inhibitors decreased the decarboxylase activity. Supplemental biotin or avidin did not significantly affect decarboxylation. The aromatic-dependent decarboxylase was specific for benzoates with a hydroxyl group in the para position of the aromatic ring; the meta position could be occupied by various substituent groups (-H, -OH, -OCH3, -Cl, or -F). The carboxyl carbon from [carboxyl-14C] vanillate went primarily to 14CO2 in short-term decarboxylase assays. During growth, the aromatic carboxyl group went primarily to CO2 under CO2-enriched conditions. However, under CO2-limited conditions, the aromatic carboxyl carbon went nearly totally to acetate, with equal distribution between the carboxyl and methyl carbons, thus demonstrating that acetate could be totally synthesized from aromatic carboxyl groups. In contrast, when cocultivated (i.e., supplemented) with CO under CO2-limited conditions, the aromatic carboxyl group went primarily to the methyl carbon of acetate.
Gelation and swelling behavior of end-linked hydrogels prepared from linear poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(amidoamine) dendrimers

Abstract Linear α,ω di-epoxide-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) of molar mass 4000 g mol −1 was end-linked with amine-terminated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers of generations 0, 2, and 4 in water to prepare architecturally well-defined copolymer hydrogels. The gelation and equilibrium swelling of the gels in water were characterized while systematically varying the polymer concentration at preparation, dendrimer generation, and mole ratio of dendrimer endgroups to PEG endgroups. The Ahmad–Rolfes–Stepto (ARS) theory of non-linear polymerization was applied to predict conditions favoring gelation, and to estimate the extent of reaction of amine and epoxide groups. Hydrogels having a large stoichiometric excess of amines over epoxides exhibited “superabsorbent” behavior upon extraction and equilibrium swelling in pure water. The mole ratio of amines to epoxides (equivalently, the mass fraction of dendrimers) was the most important factor governing superabsorbent behavior, although the polymer volume fraction at crosslinking and dendrimer generation also affected swelling to a lesser extent. The superabsorbency arises in part from protonation of the dendrimer amine endgroups at external pH = 7, which is supported by the drastic shrinkage of the most highly swelling gels in aqueous NH 4 OH at pH = 11. Equilibrium swelling at pH = 7 was noticeably enhanced in gels having a high soluble fraction and high mass fraction of dendrimers. End-linking of linear polymer precursors to PAMAM dendrimers can potentially produce novel copolymer gels that combine attractive properties of the linear precursors with high swelling and pH-responsive behavior of PAMAM-containing networks.
The Murphy Roths Large (MRL) mouse strain is naturally resistant to high fat diet-induced hyperglycemia

Objective Due to their previously identified naturally and chronically increased levels of skeletal muscle pAMPK we hypothesized and now investigated whether the MRL/MpJ (MRL) mice would be resistant to high fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic changes.
Alumina: Catalyst and support: XXII. Effect of intrinsic acidities of aluminas in molybdena-alumina catalysts upon the hydrogenolysis and isomerization of alkylbenzenes☆

The hydrogenolysis and isomerization of o-, m-, and p-xylene, ethylbenzene, n-propyl-and isopropylbenzene, n-, sec-, and tert-butyl-, and isobutylbenzene in the presence of molybdena-alumina catalysts having aluminas of various intrinsic acidities have been studied. The experiments were made under 10 atm of pressure and at temperatures ranging from 420 ° in the case of t-butylbenzene to 510 ° in the case of xylenes. The temperature depended on the ease of hydrogenolysis of the hydrocarbons. The molal ratio of hydrogen to hydrocarbons used was 5 to 10 moles of hydrogen per mole of hydrocarbons. The hydrogenolysis of isopropyl-, sec-butyl-, and tert-butylbenzene to benzene and to the corresponding alkanes is facilitated by the intrinsic acidity of the aluminas used in the preparation of the catalyst. Skeletal isomerization of n-butylbenzene to sec-butyl- and isobutylbenzene, sec-butylbenzene to n-butyl- and isobutylbenzene, and that of isobutylbenzene to sec-and n-butylbenzene increases with the acidity of the alumina. The selectivity of the hydrogenolysis of αβ and βγ bonds in alkylbenzenes is not influenced by the acidity of the aluminas.
II.—Descriptions and records of bees.—XXX

(1936). II.—Descriptions and Records of Bees.—CLII. Annals and Magazine of Natural History: Vol. 17, No. 97, pp. 24-31.
Pleomorphic adenoma of the breast: case report and review of the literature

Pleomorphic adenoma of the breast (PAB) is a very rare neoplasm. Although quite unique in its morphology, PAB shares some similarities with adenomyoepithelioma and is considered by some authors as a variant of this entity. Cytologic diagnosis of this lesion can be very challenging, especially when limited sampling is available. The differential diagnosis of PAB includes metaplastic carcinoma. On cytologic material, fibroadenoma and phyllodes tumor should also be considered within the differential diagnosis. We report the findings in a case of PAB, initially misdiagnosed as mucinous carcinoma on fine-needle aspiration, and review the literature regarding this entity. Correct identification of this benign mammary neoplasm is important to avoid unnecessarily aggressive treatment.
First passage probability distributions in Markov models and the HIV incubation distribution under treatment

In this paper, I derive some first passage probability distributions for some continuous time Markov chains. By using these results, I then derive some exact HIV incubation distributions under treatment by anti-viral drugs such as AZT under some general conditions. It is shown that under some special conditions, these distributions are mixtures of generalized Gamma distributions.
Airway Fibroblasts in Asthma Manifest an Invasive Phenotype

Rationale: Invasive cell phenotypes have been demonstrated in malignant transformation, but not in other diseases, such as asthma. Cellular invasiveness is thought to be mediated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). IL-13 is a key TH2 cytokine that directs many features of airway remodeling through TGF-β1 and MMPs.Objectives: We hypothesized that, in human asthma, IL-13 stimulates increased airway fibroblast invasiveness via TGF-β1 and MMPs in asthma compared with normal controls.Methods: Fibroblasts were cultured from endobronchial biopsies in 20 subjects with mild asthma (FEV1: 90 ± 3.6% pred) and 17 normal control subjects (FEV1: 102 ± 2.9% pred) who underwent bronchoscopy. Airway fibroblast invasiveness was investigated using Matrigel chambers. IL-13 or IL-13 with TGF-β1 neutralizing antibody or pan-MMP inhibitor (GM6001) was added to the lower chamber as a chemoattractant. Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry were performed in a subset of subjects to evaluat...
Holistic vs. attribute repetition effects in classifying stimuli

The effect of the just previous stimulus on the current response was determined in three speeded classification experiments. When the stimuli were perceptual patterns, and when they were words, there was marked facilitation if the previous stimulus was identical to the current stimulus. When successive perceptual stimuli were composed of identical elements, but in a changed configuration, there was no measureable sequential effect on “same” response times. These results are for integral stimuli. When stimuli are not integral, as with some studies in the literature, it is suggested that each two-dimensional nonintegral stimulus is treated by the observer as two objects. In those cases, responses can be facilitated by repetition of that object on which responses were based on the previous trial, and this can occur when a value of the other dimensions (other objects) has not repeated. Accordingly, the processing of integral and nonintegral stimuli must be considered separately when attempting to evaluate process models. Further, facilitation due to stimulus repetitions does not account for all of the differences in response times between various classification tasks. These additional differences may be attributed to a multidimensional range effect analogous to the range effects found in psychophysical tasks.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF COCCOSTROMA (BAGNISIOPSIS) NUDA

COCCOSTROMA NUDA (Stevens) Arx and Muller, a fungus parasite on leaves of "hapuu" (Hawaiian tree fern), was first reported by Stevens (1925) as Yoshinagella nuda. The species of Yoshinagella (a member of the Dothidiales) described in detail by Stevens was Y. polymorpha which parasitized leaves of Cibotium menziesii, now called C. chamissoi (Skottsberg, 1942). It was assigned to the genus Yoshinagella on the basis of the character of ascigerous locules arranged in a circle around the periphery of disc-shaped stromata. Although the key of Theissen and Sydow (1915) emphasized the lack of setae around the stromata, Stevens felt that the concept of the genus should be broadened to include forms so characterized, as found in Y. polymorpha.
Re: The influence of angioarchitecture on management of pediatric intracranial arteriovenous malformations

We read with interest Dr Ding’s response to our paper and thank him for his gracious comments. In response to his question regarding whether brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) angioarchitecture influences our particular treatment strategy, we would …
Infrared detector spectral responsivity calibration facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is developing a facility to provide absolute responsivity calibrations of detectors in the 2 to 20 micrometers spectral region. The goal is to tie the measurements of NIST's primary radiometric scale with a 1 (sigma) uncertainty of approximately 5%. The system uses chopped thermal IR sources, a room temperature prism/grating spectrometer for spectral selectivity with 1 - 2% spectral resolution and a cryogenic bolometer as a transfer standard detector. The composite design bolometer has an absorbing surface 5 mm in diameter, a nonlinearity < 1% over 5 decades and a responsivity of approximately 1 X 104 V/W without amplification. This bolometer is being calibrated against the High Accuracy Cryogenic Radiometer, the nation's primary standard for optical radiometric measurements. The bolometer's spectral response will also be measured using the Low Background Infrared facility at NIST, the nation's primary blackbody calibration facility.
On the transformation of mass and momentum densities in special relativity

By considering the mass and momentum densities of a point mass moving at uniform velocity, the known transformation of these densities from a representation in one inertial system to another is easily derived. The transformation is not linear in mass and momentum density, but the introduction of a dyadic stress density tensor gives a linear relation. The transformation is shown to hold for a general continuous mass distribution in which mass and momentum are conserved, provided a specific choice is made for the stress density tensor. This result contrasts with the particle viewpoint of matter in which only the divergence of the stress density tensor need be fixed so far as the transformation is concerned. A change of functions is made which greatly simplifies the transformations. The new functions are shown to represent a conserved fluid.
Pricing and commitment by two‐sided platforms

I study pricing and commitment by platforms in two-sided markets with the following characteristics: (i) platforms are essential bottleneck inputs for buyers and sellers transacting with each other; (ii) sellers arrive before buyers; and (iii) platforms can charge both fixed fees and variable fees (royalties). I show that a monopoly platform may prefer not to commit to the price it will charge buyers at the same time it announces its seller price if it faces unfavorable seller expectations. With competing platforms, commitment makes the existence of an exclusive equilibrium (in which sellers register with only one platform) less likely, but it has no impact on multi-homing equilibria (in which sellers support both platforms) whenever these exist.
A Comparative Study of Intracoronary Iced Saline Versus Intracoronary Antiarrhythmic Drugs to Identify the Ventricular Tachycardia-Related Artery

Identifying the Tachycardia-Related Coronary Artery. Introduction: Transcatheter chemical ablation is a new treatment option for patients with ventricular tachycardia. Availability of a safe, simple, and sensitive method to identify the ventricular tachycardia-related artery is required for successful intracoronary chemical ablation for ventricular tachycardia. The purpose of this study was to compare bolus intracoronary iced saline injection to bolus intracoronary antiarrhythmic drug injection as methods for identifying the ventricular tachycardia-related coronary artery. Methods and Results: Patient selection was limited to eight individuals with recurrent sustained monomorphic ventricular tachycardia, coronary artery disease, remote myocardial infarction, and in whom programmed stimulation could reproducihiy induce the clinical arrhythmia. An infusion catheter was positioned in the putative ventricular tachycardia-related artery and ventricular tachycardia was provoked hy programmed stimulation. In four patients the putative ventricular tachycardia-related artery was a patent infarct-related vessel and in the other four patients was a vessel supplying collateral flow to an occluded infarct-related artery. The effects of selective intracoronary iced saline bolus injection (10 mL), and then of selective intracoronary bolus antiarrhythmic drug injection (2.5 mg lidocaine in one patient, procainamide 1.0–9.0 mg in seven patients) were observed. Bolus intracoronary iced saline injection did not alter ventricular tachycardia in any patient. Bolus intracoronary antiarrhythmic drug injection, however, led to ventricular tachycardia cycle length prolongation in two patients and arrhythmia termination in four patients. In two of these individuals, infusion of ethanol into the tachycardia-related vessel previously identified by intracoronary drug injection resulted in ablation of the ventricular tachycardia. Conclusions: In the present study, selective intracoronary antiarrhythmic drug injection appeared to be more effective than intracoronary iced saline for identifying the ventricular Uchycardia-related coronary artery, (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 3, pp. 199–208 June 1992)
Evidence for a large bulk ion conic heating region

The ion bowl distribution, a type of ion conic with a low energy ion cutoff and field-aligned low energy ions, can be explained by purely perpendicular heating of ions on auroral magnetic field lines. The ion bowl distribution provides evidence that there exists a bulk ion heating mechanism, as opposed to a mechanism that effects only the tail of the ion distribution, and that this heating mechanism acts along a large portion of the magnetic field line.
Effects of chronic ethanol on cholinergic actions in rat hippocampus: electrophysiological studies and quantification of m1-m5 muscarinic receptor subtypes

The effects of chronic ethanol treatment (CET) on cholinergic modulation of CA1 evoked field potentials and recurrent inhibition were investigated in rat hippocampal slices. Densities of muscarinic receptor subtypes were quantified in remaining hippocampal tissue by immunoprecipitation. Iontophoretic application of ACh in stratum pyramidale results in facilitation of single evoked population spikes; application in stratum radiatum results in depression of field EPSPs. CET decreased cholinergic facilitation of population spikes, while cholinergic inhibition of field EPSPs remained unaffected. Integrity of feedback (recurrent) inhibitory circuitry was evaluated by paired-pulse stimulation. As previously demonstrated, recurrent inhibition was significantly reduced after CET; cholinergic disinhibition was also significantly reduced. Thus, CET appears to disrupt a subset of cholinergic effector systems within hippocampal neurons. The reductions in cholinergic function produced by CET does not appear to be due to receptor loss, since muscarinic receptor subtype densities were not found to be significantly altered in this tissue. These results support the hypothesis that muscarinic receptor function is impaired in CA1 pyramidal cells through a disruption of intracellular signal transduction mechanisms. While it is unclear whether cholinergic function is reduced in interneurons directly, these results suggest that modulation of neuronal firing in the hippocampus is markedly altered following CET due to impairment of both cholinergic and GABAergic systems.
Malingering or expected deficits? A case of herpes simplex encephalitis

This study describes a patient with herpes simplex encephalitis. Brain MRI showed the expected finding of medial temporal damage. Neuropsychological assessment results were consistent with the location of damage, with profound memory impairment and mildly impaired naming, but normal visuospatial and executive skills. The patient also showed a typical testing pattern of insufficient effort and possible malingering, which was concerning as she was seeking disability compensation. In spite of this, we chose to place greatest weight on the finding of deficits consistent with the type, location, and severity of brain damage, considering this to be true cognitive impairment.
Design of a bus-monitor for real-time applications

Abstract This paper presents the design of a bus-monitor unit whose function is to detect errors in triple modular redundant systems by monitoring their respective buses (i.e., data, address, and control buses) in real time. The bus-monitor unit is also capable of isolating single module failures in the redundant system configuration, and appropriately reconfiguring the fault-free system buses in order to overcome the deleterious effects of a failure. Although the errors considered can be the manifestation of either transient or permanent faults, the bus-monitor unit initially assumes all errors to be manifestation of transient faults, deferring their final classification and reporting until sufficient observation and evaluation of error activity has been made.
A theoretical study of alpha star populations in loaded nuclear emulsions

Abstract This theoretical study of the alpha star populations in loaded emulsions was undertaken in an effort to find a quantitative method for the analysis of less than microgram amounts of thorium in the presence of larger amounts of uranium. Analytical expressions for each type of star from each of the significantly contributing members of the uranium and thorium series as well as summation formulas for the whole series have been computed. The analysis for thorium may be made by determining the abundance of five-branched stars in a loaded nuclear emulsion and comparing of observed and predicted star populations. The comparison may also be used to check the half-lives of several members of the uranium and thorium series.
Device to Transfer Heat From the Oxidation of Organic Waste Utilizing Activated Carbon

A device was developed for laboratory testing of a heat generating process that can use commercial organic by-products as fuel. This process, Activated Carbon Facilitated Oxidation (AC FOX), enables less refined organic compounds to be used as fuel sources, including glycerin, animal fats, and forms of brown grease. AC FOX oxidizes these compounds on the carbon surface in an exothermic reaction that does not involve combustion via flame. Although AC FOX has been demonstrated and patented, further development is required for industrial application. The device developed in this project forms a packed column vessel measuring three inches in diameter by five inches in height. Multiple ports have been drilled for temperature sensors and fluid flow. A thermosyphon design is being tested for heat transfer, and consists of a steel tube that will be partially filled with a working fluid. The bottom of the tube, evaporator, sits centrally in the packed column of activated carbon while the top section, condenser, is submerged in water. This device will enable the establishment of optimal conditions for AC FOX heat generation.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Salivary cortisol in obstructive sleep apnea: the effect of CPAP

Sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) due to hypoxic episodes and sleep disruption [1, 2]. Salivary cortisol is a simple and reliable surrogate for free, biologically active cortisol in the plasma [3]. This study evaluated the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on salivary cortisol as an index of physiologic stress related to sleepiness and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Fouling of Heat Transfer Surfaces: An Historical Review

The history of the fouling of heat transfer surfaces is reviewed up to 1979. Four epochs of fouling are identified. Particular attention is paid to fouling in steam boilers and steam condensers. The origin of the cleanliness factor and the fouling factor are discussed. The introduction of scientific methods of studying fouling through the model of Kern and Seaton, and the application of models based on fundamental ideas in mass transfer are considered. The paper concludes by drawing attention to the successes in understanding fouling and pointing out the needs for future research.
Nanoparticle aggregation due to dewetting of sandwiched buffer layers

Abstract The deposition of Au onto thin condensed volatile buffer layers produces small clusters. Sublimation of the buffer converts these clusters into compact or ramified structures, depending on the thickness of the buffer, in a process called buffer-layer-assisted growth. We have used bilayer structures of Xe on CO 2 or Xe on H 2 O on amorphous carbon substrates to investigate effects of second layer dewetting and the impact of the initial particle size on aggregation. Compact particles formed by Xe desorption aggregate during removal of the CO 2 or H 2 O layer but little aggregation occurs for ramified particles produced on Xe layers thicker than ∼100 ML. Instead, the large structures tend to break up on the CO 2 film, producing smaller, more compact particles. CO 2 and H 2 O impurities in the Xe film significantly reduce particle coalescence and accelerate Xe dewetting.
A Tunnel Diode Time Mark Generator

A recycling time mark generator has been developed in which the only active element is a shunt connected tunnel diode. The diode is mounted at the junction of a 50/g=W/ stripline T. Two legs of the T are joined with a length of coaxial cable; the third leg proceeds 2.5 cms to a five port mis-match. The mis-match provides five input-output ports, and its distance from the diode determines the pulse width. Pulse width is about 0.8 ns and recycling periods as short as 3 ns and as long as 160 ns have been used. With a selected diode, up to two hundred pulses can be simultaneously recirculated in a 160 ns RG-8 transmission line indefinitely. Short term instability of circulation period as measured by beating the radiated signal with a quartz crystal is less than .05 ps. Bias coefficient of circulation period is 8 ps per mv at 90 mv with a General Electric TD-103 diode, and the tuning range which can be obtained by varying bias is 150 ps. The temperature coefficient of circulation period is 1.5 ps per °C. These measurements were made with a circulation period of 100 ns.
In vitro phagocytosis of transitional phase bacterial variants utilizing autoradiography.

SummaryAutoradiographic localization of tritiated thymidine labeled E. coli 04 transitional phase variants in an in vitro phagocytic mixture containing polymorphonuclear leukocytes has revealed a significantly lower phagocytic index for these cell wall deficient organisms when compared to the parent bacteria from which they were derived. Although type specific antisera caused expected opsonization of the classical bacteria, there was no marked effect with the variants. The variants did not produce any detectable cytopathogenic effect on the leukocytes whereas the parent organisms were clearly toxic. The ability of such variants to resist phagocytosis may thereby provide an advantage for survival of an organism in the host and possibly lead to microbial persistence.
Designing functional aromatic multisulfonyl chloride initiators for complex organic synthesis by living radical polymerization

The similarities and differences between sulfonyl chloride and alkyl halide initiators for metal-catalyzed living radical polymerizations are discussed. The differences in the rates of formation, reactivities, and reactions of primary radicals derived from sulfonyl halides and alkyl halides demonstrated the design principles for monosulfonyl and multisulfonyl chlorides that provided quantitative initiation and higher rates of initiation than of propagation. Multifunctional initiators with two, three, four, six, and eight sulfonyl chloride groups that produced perfect star polymers in 95% conversions were designed and synthesized on the basis of these principles.
Labor Experiences of Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors

This field study used the ethnographic method to describe and analyze the labor experiences of childhood sexual abuse survivors. The sample included seven sexual abuse survivors, five nurse-midwives, and three labor and delivery nurses. Data collection included in-depth interviews, participant observation in labor and delivery over a period of six years, and anecdotal material from the literature. Analysis followed Spradley's Developmental Research Sequence and included domain, taxonomic, componential and theme analysis. Women reported both forgetting and remembering abusive incidents, and described labor sensations reminiscent of sexual abuse. A heuristic for appraising labor styles suggestive of past sexual abuse includes fighting, taking control, surrendering, and retreating. These styles are considered extremes of women's reactions to labor and are directly linked to posttraumatic stress disorder. This study demonstrated that it is important for perinatal caregivers to understand the link between childhood sexual abuse and childbirth so that they can assist women to have a positive birth experience.
Dynamic Processes in Extensional and Compressional Settings – Mountain Building: From Earthquakes to Geological Deformation

Mountain ranges are the most spectacular manifestation of continental dynamics. T he fact that some mountain ranges were able to maintain their topography over tens of millions of years, while their erosion was feeding large sedimentary basins, is unambiguous evidence that tectonic forces can cause sustained uplift of subsidence of the continental crust. Geologists noticed quite early on that most mountain ranges are contractional orogens, the result of horizontal contraction of the continental crust, and that they tend to form long belts separating domains with often quite different geological history (e.g., Willis, 1891; Argand, 1924). A rapid tour of active mountain ranges on Earth today shows that contractional mountain ranges can arise in a variety of contexts. Some have formed along converging plate boundaries as the result of collisions which can involve two continents (along the Himalaya, for example, as detailed in this review), a continent and an island arc (in Taiwan) (e.g., Malavieille et al., 2002a), or a continent and an oceanic plateau (in the Southern Alps of New Zealand) (e.g., Walcott, 1998). Contractional mountain ranges can also form along subduction zones without being necessarily collisional features. In the Andes for example, the stresses transmitted across a subduction zone appear to be sufficient to cause trench-perpendicular shortening (e.g., (Lamb, 2006), probably because high heat flow in the back-arc zone weakens the continental lithosphere (Hyndman et al., 2005). Mountain ranges are thus often closely associated with converging plate boundaries. However, active mountain building can also occur far away) from plate boundaries, the Tien Shan, in Central Asia, being an outstanding example (e.g., Hendrix et al., 1992 and Avouac, et al., 1993).
Study of Base Pressure in Laminar Hypersonic Flow: Re-entry Flight Measurements

Base pressure data from flight tests of four full-scale re-entry vehicles are analyzed. The flight vehicles were nearly identical, slightly blunted, 9° half-angle sphere cones. Flow conditions were hypersonic, M^ * 16-20, and the cone boundary layer and near wake were laminar for Reynolds numbers Re L between 2 X10 and 5 x 1C. The flight data are compared with available theory and groundand flight-test data for similar configurations. Various correlation parameters, derived from both experimental ground-test and theoretical results, are utilized in this analysis. Suitable data correlations, were obtained with the reduced Reynolds number suggested by Wu and Su and with parameters from the Reeves and Buss theory. Correlations of the present data are directed toward establishing a basis for re-entry vehicle preflight predictions and postflight data analyses. Resulting base pressure calculations for other slender configurations (7°, 8°, and 10° cones) in hypersonic entry conditions show good agreement with both theory and flight data and indicate the importance of including real-gas and nose-bluntness effects in high Reynolds-number laminar flows.
The reactivity of graphite surfaces with atoms and molecules of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen

Abstract The topographical changes resulting from the attack of gaseous hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen on the basal plane surfaces of natural graphite crystals have been studied optically. Undissociated hydrogen or nitrogen appear unreactive toward heated graphite in the temperature range 300°–1200°C. The hexagonal etch pits produced by atomic hydrogen on graphite at 700–800°C have two sides oriented perpendicular to the {1121} twin bands, whereas nitrogen atoms impinging on the crystals at temperatures above 1000°C give rise to hexagonal pits with two sides parallel to the twin bands. These latter pits are similar to those found with molecular oxygen at lower temperatures. By contrast, atomic oxygen causes random unoriented pitting over the whole basal plane surface. These results are discussed in terms of the possible reaction products and estimates of the behavior of the adsorbate species on the graphite surface.
Classification Method of Galloping Region for Transmission Lines

Transmission line gallopingis self-excited vibration of iced conductor with low frequency and largeamplitude, the countries almost all over the world have occurred transmissionline galloping, which caused a great economic loss. Drawing the effectivedistribution map for galloping plays an important role in guiding theanti-galloping design, the key of this work is to establish a scientific methodfor galloping region division. In this paper, several methods for gallopingregion division were introduced: frequency method, coefficient method andmeteorological-geographical method. This paper also compared the applicabilityof various methods and their advantages and disadvantages. It shows that themeteorological-geographical method is the best choice for us to dividegalloping region at the present time. However, in the practical application, weshould take all the applicability of the three methods into consideration toget a reasonable division for galloping region.
Psychometric Functions for Children’s Detection of Tones in Noise

This article reports the results of an experiment that used a two-alternative forced-choice task to measure the ability of 3- to 5-year-old children to detect 501 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2818 Hz sinusoids...
Smoking in chronic rhinosinusitis: a predictor of poor long-term outcome after endoscopic sinus surgery.

Objective This study was designed to determine whether smoking patients have poorer outcomes after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) based on a reliable validated rhinosinusitis-specific quality-of-life outcomes test. Study Design Retrospective chart and computed tomography (CT) review with telephone and letter questionnaire. Methods Charts of 230 adult patients undergoing ESS for chronic rhinosinusitis between January 1995 and December 1998 were reviewed. Each participating patient completed a detailed questionnaire, including the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test-16 (SNOT-16), at an average of 52 months after surgery. Preoperative CT scans were reviewed and the findings used to stage the patients' conditions. Multivariate analysis was used to assess these data. Results Eighty-two patients completed the questionnaire, with 26 who smoked at the time of surgery and continued to smoke at the time of answering the questionnaire (Smokers). Average SNOT-16 score in Smokers was 27.5, versus 18.2 in those who did not smoke at the time of surgery (Non-Smokers). There was a statistically significant correlation between elevated SNOT-16 scores and smoking (P < .001) and antibiotic use within the past year (P < .001). There was an association between high SNOT-16 scores and both prior smoking and passive smoke exposure that did not reach statistical significance (P = .055 and P = .267, respectively). CT staging scores and prior ESS were not statistically correlated with SNOT-16 scores. Conclusions Smoking is associated with statistically worse outcomes after ESS based on average SNOT-16 scores. Although no investigator has proved that the effects of smoking on sinonasal health are reversible, we counsel smoking patients considering ESS about the desirability of smoking cessation (for this and many health reasons), and the possibility of a poorer postsurgery outcome should they continue smoking.
Genetic recombination in Sorghum bicolor × S. macrospermum interspecific hybrids

Sorghum has been improved by public and private breeding programs utilizing germplasm mostly from within the species Sorghum bicolor. Until recently, cross-incompatibilities have prevented hybridization of S. bicolor with most other species within the genus Sorghum. Utilizing germplasm homozygous for the iap allele, hybrids were readily produced between S. bicolor (2n = 20; AAB1B1) and S. macrospermum (2n = 40; WWXXYYZZ). These hybrids were intermediate to the parents in chromosome number (2n = 30) and overall morphology. Meiosis in both parents was regular; S. bicolor had 10 bivalents per pollen mother cell (PMC) and S. macrospermum had an average of 19.96 bivalents per PMC. Six hybrids were studied cytologically and meiosis was irregular, with the chromosomes associating primarily as univalents and bivalents. There was an average of 3.54 bivalents per PMC, with a range of 0–8 bivalents, most of which were rods (98%). Using FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization), moderate levels (2.6 II per PMC) of all...
Discover context-specific combinatorial transcription factor interactions by integrating diverse ChIP-Seq data sets

Combinatorial interactions among transcription factors (TFs) are critical for integrating diverse intrinsic and extrinsic signals, fine-tuning regulatory output and increasing the robustness and plasticity of regulatory systems. Current knowledge about combinatorial regulation is rather limited due to the lack of suitable experimental technologies and bioinformatics tools. The rapid accumulation of ChIP-Seq data has provided genome-wide occupancy maps for a large number of TFs and chromatin modification marks for identifying enhancers without knowing individual TF binding sites. Integration of the two data types has not been researched extensively, resulting in underused data and missed opportunities. We describe a novel method for discovering frequent combinatorial occupancy patterns by multiple TFs at enhancers. Our method is based on probabilistic item set mining and takes into account uncertainty in both types of ChIP-Seq data. By joint analysis of 108 TFs in four human cell types, we found that cell-type-specific interactions among TFs are abundant and that the majority of enhancers have flexible architecture. We show that several families of transposable elements disproportionally overlap with enhancers with combinatorial patterns, suggesting that these transposable element families play an important role in the evolution of combinatorial regulation.
The Mechanism of Onset of the Stationary Phase in Euglena gracilis Grown with 10 mM Succinate: Intracellular pH Values*

SYNOPSIS. When Euglena gracilis were grown with 10mM succinate at pH 3.5 the extracellular pH averaged 3.62 and the cultures had produced 6 × 105 cells/ml when the stationary phase began. Oxygen consumption values reached a maximum of 30 μliters/106 cells/hr. Total protein and dry weights per cell remained constant during the logarithmic phase and began to decline when the late logarithmic phase was reached. Added succinate caused the cultures in stationary phase to commence logarithmic growth once more. Onset of the stationary phase in cultures grown at pH 3.5 was due to depletion of succinate. When cultures were grown at pH 6.9 the extracellular pH averaged 7.62 and the cultures produced 3 × 105 cells/ml when the stationary phase began. Oxygen consumption values reached a maximum of 20 μliters/106 cells/hr during the logarithmic phase. The decline in total protein and dry weights per cell began at the beginning of the logarithmic phase and continued into the stationary phase of growth. Cultures grown at pH 3.5 should produce a larger number of cells/ml than cultures grown at pH 6.9 if the cells are responding to the unionized moiety of succinate and not the ionized moiety. At pH 3.5 83% of the succinate is unionized, whereas at pH 6.9 0.20% of the succinate is unionized. The onset of the stationary phase in cultures grown at pH 3.5 and pH 6.9 is due to lack of an adequate amount of extracellular unionized succinate. Intracellular pH values were determined in cultures grown at pH 6.9 using the weak acid DMO (5.5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione). As the extracellular pH increased from 6.90 to 7.62, the intracellular pH increased from 5.89 to 6.89. As the extracellular pH increased from 7.62 to 8.44, the intracellular pH increased from 6.89 to 7.50.
Dissolved iron and macronutrient distributions in the southern California Current System

[1] The distribution of dissolved iron in the southern California Current System (sCCS) is presented from seven research cruises between 2002 and 2006. Dissolved iron concentrations were generally low in most of the study area (<0.5 nM), although high mixed layer and water column dissolved iron concentrations (up to 8 nM) were found to be associated with coastal upwelling, both along the continental margin and some island platforms. A significant supply of iron was probably not from a deep remineralized source but rather from the continental shelf and bottom boundary layer as identified in previous studies along the central and northern California coast. With distance offshore, dissolved iron decreased more rapidly relative to nitrate in a transition zone 10–250 km offshore during spring and summer, resulting in relatively high ratios of nitrate:dissolved iron. Higher nitrate:dissolved iron ratios could be the result of utilization and scavenging in addition to an overall lower supply of iron relative to nitrate in the offshore transition zones. The low supply of iron leads to phytoplankton iron limitation and a depletion in silicic acid relative to nitrate in the coastal upwelling and transition zones of the sCCS.
Preconditioning of real-time optical Wiener filters for array processing

Abstract In adaptive array processors, a performance measure, such as mean square error or signal to noise ration, coverages to the optimum Wiener solution starting from an initial setting. The choice of adaptive algorithms to solve the Wiener filtering problem is mainly guided by the desired processing time. In an optical realization for direct calculation of the optimum weights the covariance matrix and vector for a Wiener filter are computed at a high speed on acousto-optic processors. The resulting linear system of equations can be solved on an iterative optical processor. The matrix and vector data should be recomputed in every iteration for better tracking and adaptation. This introduces variations in their values due to the time-varying jamming and interference noise and the optical errors and noise. Time variant steepest descent algorithm is a simple method that converges to the common solution. In this paper, we describe a real-time preconditioning technique for such nonstationary iterative methods. Preconditioning will progressively lower the condition number of each matrix in the sequence, thereby improving the convergence speed and accuracy of the solution. This preconditioning process involves matrix-matrix multiplications that can be performed at high speed on parallel optical processors. Results of simulations illustrate the superlinear convergence obtained from preconditioning.
Kinetics of Endophilin N-BAR Domain Dimerization and Membrane Interactions

The recruitment to plasma membrane invaginations of the protein endophilin is a temporally regulated step in clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Endophilin is believed to sense or stabilize membrane curvature, which in turn likely depends on the dimeric structure of the protein. The dynamic nature of the membrane association and dimerization of endophilin is thus functionally important and is illuminated herein. Using subunit exchange Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET), we determine dimer dissociation kinetics and find a dimerization equilibrium constant orders of magnitude lower than previously published values. We characterize N-BAR domain membrane association kinetics under conditions where the dimeric species predominates, by stopped flow, observing prominent electrostatic sensitivity of membrane interaction kinetics. Relative to membrane binding, we find that protein monomer/dimer species equilibrate with far slower kinetics. Complementary optical microscopy studies reveal strikingly slow membrane dissociation and an increase of dissociation rate constant for a construct lacking the amphipathic segment helix 0 (H0). We attribute the slow dissociation kinetics to higher-order protein oligomerization on the membrane. We incorporate our findings into a kinetic scheme for endophilin N-BAR membrane binding and find a significant separation of time scales for endophilin membrane binding and subsequent oligomerization. This separation may facilitate the regulation of membrane trafficking phenomena.