cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Formation and electrophysical properties of Y-containing positive temperature coefficient of resistance ceramics doped by calcium, strontium, and manganese

Abstract Formation, microstructure, and electrophysical properties of positive temperature coefficient of resistance ceramics of the systems (Ba 0.996 Y 0.004 )TiO 3 and (Ba 0.746 Ca 0.1 Sr 0.15 Y 0.004 )TiO 3 with manganese as acceptor dopant have been investigated. Is has been shown that manganese ions increase the potential barrier at grain boundaries and form a high-resistance outer layer in PTCR ceramics. The resistance of grains, outer layers and grain boundaries, and the value of the temperature coefficient of resistance as a function of the manganese content of positive temperature coefficient of resistance materials have been investigated.
Cell density-dependent vitamin D effects on calcium accumulation in rat osteogenic sarcoma cells (ROS 17/2).

Rat osteogenic sarcoma cells have been used widely as a model system to study actions of 1,25(OH)2D3 and other hormones in osteoblastlike cells. However, some of the pleiotypic manifestations of hormones in these cells vary greatly dependent upon the cell population density and other conditions of culture. Therefore, we have studied the effect of cell density on the relationship between 1,25(OH)2D3 and the initial45Ca accumulation in ROS 17/2 cells in order to establish conditions suitable for studying the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on calcium fluxes in these cells. Cells were grown in the presence and absence of 1,25(OH)2D3 for 48 hours and then incubated for 4 min in the culture medium containing 0.5 μCi/ml of45CaCl2. In high population density cultures, 0.25–1.0 pg/ml of 1,25(OH)2D3 stimulated the intracellular accumulation of45Ca (cpm/mg protein), whereas 80 pg/ml or higher concentrations inhibited accumulation of45Ca. In low density cultures, concentrations less than 80 pg/ml had no effect, 80–120 pg/ml increased the intracellular accumulation, and as much as 200 pg/ml failed to show the inhibitory effect. These results indicate that the ROS 17/2 cell responses to 1,25(OH)2D3 are biphasic—low concentrations stimulating and high concentrations inhibiting45Ca accumulation. The sensitivity of the cells to 1,25(OH)2D3 increases as the cell population density increases. These observations suggest that the culture density and dose-response relationship must be carefully defined inin vitro studies utilizing osteogenic cell culture systems.
Specific in vitro interaction between recombinant Strongylocentrotus purpuratus bindin and a recombinant 45A fragment of the putative bindin receptor.

The interaction between recombinant Strongylocentrotus purpuratus sperm bindin and a recombinant fragment of the putative egg bindin receptor of the same species was measured in vitro. In solution these molecules interact with simple bimolecular kinetics, displaying an equilibrium dissociation constant of about 0.1 μM. Thus, as implied by many observations in vivo and in vitro, bindin and the putative egg receptor display a specific affinity for one another.
A regional linear logit fuel demand model for electric utilities

We investigate a short-term forecasting and simulation model of utility fuel demand based on the linear logit model. The forecasting properties of the model are surprisingly good for such a simple econometric model of factor demand. The model ignores the distinctive characteristics of electric utilities (load curves, wheeling, etc.) yet produces remarkably good forecasts at both the national and regional levels. Because the model is based on neoclassical theory it can be used for simulations, making it more useful, and less ad hoc, than a pure forecasting model.
Urban-rural differences in atmospheric mercury speciation

Abstract Measurements of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), particulate mercury (Hgp), and reactive gaseous mercury (RGM) were concurrently recorded at an urban site in Detroit and a rural site in Dexter, both in Michigan for the calendar year 2004. Their average concentrations (±standard deviation) for the urban area were 2.5 ± 1.4 ng m−3, 18.1 ± 61.0 pg m−3, and 15.5 ± 54.9 pg m−3, respectively, while their rural counterparts were 1.6 ± 0.6 ng m−3, 6.1 ± 5.5 pg m−3, and 3.8 ± 6.6 pg m−3, respectively. The medians of urban-to-rural ratios of Hg concentrations indicate approximately 1-fold, 2-fold, and 3-fold gradients between Detroit and Dexter for GEM, Hgp, and RGM, respectively. The urban–rural differences in Hg also varied considerably on different temporal scales and with wind flow patterns, which was most evident in RGM. Our results show that while Hg at both sites was impacted by regional sources, meteorological conditions, and photochemical transformations, the extent of variations in the observed urban-to-rural gradients, particularly in RGM, cannot be fully accounted for by these processes. Both analyses of the annual data and case studies indicate that the more variable and episodic nature of Hg, particularly RGM, seen in Detroit compared with Dexter, was the result of direct impact from local anthropogenic sources.
Unitary string amplitudes

Abstract The scattering amplitudes of string theory are divergent when the Riemann surface has a particular degeneracy associated with loops becoming infinitely long. These divergences originate from multiparticle intermediate states. The string amplitudes do not have the imaginary part required by unitarity. We give a prescription for defining string amplitudes that extends to all tachyon-free string theories. Explicit applications of our procedure are given at one-loop level for the Green-Schwarz and Neveu-Schwarz-Ramond theories. Our procedure is valid for higher loops also. However, only some simple features for this situation are explicitly discussed.
Participatory design in a human-computer interaction course: teaching ethnography methods to computer scientists

Empirical evidence shows the ability for computer technology to deliver on its promises of enhancing our quality of life relies on how well the application fits our understanding of how things work. Software designers need to apply methods that provide insights into the user's mental model of the application's target task and to invite the user to be an active participant in the design process. This paper reports on our efforts to design an HCI curriculum around ethnographic techniques of data gathering and paper prototyping. Initial results are presented that study the course's effects on student's attitudes regarding approaches to software design and their long term design behavior.
An electro-optical detector for spark source mass spectrometry.II. quantitative measurements

Abstract A channel electron multiplier array detector (CEMA) for spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS) has been evaluated for possible quantitative analytical applications. CEMA with SSMS in the quantitative mode offers real-time data acquisition and the ability to monitor several ions simultaneously, which permits rapid optimization of instrumental parameters. Compared to a discrete dynode electron multiplier, CEMA displays similar sensitivities and resolutions. Measurement precisions are intermediate between rapid logarithmic scan and the slower peak switching methods. For isotope dilution analysis, CEMA shows a precision of about ⊥5% RSD up to a 5 : 1 spike/sample ratio compared to about ′ 10% at a 3 : 1 ratio for photographic detectors. Suggestions are offered for improving the CEMA detector.
UV Surface photochemistry and hot electron transfer

Two different photolytic mechanisms were identified for CH3C1 on Ni(111). Direct photolysis and electron-induced fragmentation was observed in time of flight (TOF) studies using 193 nm radiation. At 248 nm only the electron induced channel was observed. Both mechanisms were strongly inhibited in the first 2 monolayers, due to electron transfer occurring on a 1 to 5 femtosecond time scale. The electron induced process was surface specific, occurring within a limited adsorbate thickness determined by the penetration depth of the excited substrate electrons into the adsorbate. Cross sections for the total photolytic removal of parent molecules are reported as a function of coverage.
Field-Directed and Confined Molecular Assembly of Mesostructured Materials: Basic Principles and New Opportunities†

Molecular assembly enables the formation of material systems with multiple compositions and functions that are structured at the mesoscale (2−50 nm) and beyond. This approach allows structure control through the competitive tuning of bulk and surface interactions to yield new mechanical, catalytic, optoelectronic, biological, and other properties. The molecular-assembly process is governed by the interactions between different components of the assembling system and with their external environment. This review summarizes the fundamental principles of molecular assembly in the synthesis of mesostructured inorganic–organic materials and focuses on recent attempts to utilize external fields (magnetic, electric, or mechanical) and dimensional confinement (in one, two, and three dimensions) to direct the molecular assembly of mesostructured organic–inorganic hybrids with astonishing complexity.
Did markets react efficiently to the 1994 Mexican peso crisis? Evidence from Mexican ADRS

Abstract The capital markets' reaction to the 1994 Mexican peso crisis is examined in this paper. The transmission of news from the Mexican market to the US market is examined by using a sample of 29 Mexican ADRs trading in the US. Using event study methodology in a multivariate regression setting, we show that information is transmitted efficiently from one market to the other. The regression of the US dollar returns on the Mexican IPC Index on the dollar returns of a portfolio of Mexican ADRs trading in the US does not show any significant arbitrage opportunities on the event dates used in the study. However, excess returns are observed in the period subsequent to the event dates when the market model is used as the return generating process with the US index as the market index. This result indicates the possibility of deriving excess returns associated with trading the Mexican ADRs in days subsequent to the news disclosures. When both the US and the Mexican indices are employed simultaneously, both indices are significant in explaining returns on the Mexican ADR portfolio.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia in an XYY male

Neoplasia has rarely been reported in the XYY syndrome. We report a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), which comprises the third instance of malignancy reported in this disorder.
Neutralization and excitation in low-energy ion-surface collisions

Abstract A model is presented which describes neutralization and excitation occurring in low-energy ion-surface collisions. Important processes that determine experimentally measurable quantities such as the charged fraction ƒ + and photon yield γ are assumed to be Auger neutralization, electronic excitation and radiationless deexcitation. The model yields ƒ + and γ in good agreement with experiment data, although log ƒ + and log γ are found to exhibit nonlinear dependences on the inverse velocity of the incident ion beam.
Phases of Development to Flowering in Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferumL.) under Various Temperatures

Abstract Development up to flowering in opium poppy (Papaver somniferumL.) has been divided into four phases from emergence to anthesis which mark changes in its sensitivity to photoperiod: a photoperiod-insensitive juvenile phase (JP), a photoperiod-sensitive inductive phase (PSP), a photoperiod-sensitive post-inductive phase (PSPP) and a photoperiod-insensitive post-inductive phase (PIPP). To predict flowering time under field conditions, it is essential to know how these phases are affected by temperature. Plants were grown in artificially-lit growth chambers and received three different temperature treatments: 15/10, 20/15 and 25/20 °C in a 12 h thermoperiod. Plants were transferred within each temperature regime from a non-inductive 9 h to an inductive 16 h photoperiod orvice versaat 1–4 d intervals to determine the durations of the four phases. Temperature did not affect the duration of the first two phases (i.e. JP lasted 3–4 d and PSP required 4–5 d). The most significant effect of temperature was on the duration of PSPP which was 28, 20 and 17 d at 15/10, 20/15 and 25/20 °C, respectively. The temperature effect on PIPP was small (maximum difference of 3 d between treatments) and the data too variable to indicate a significant trend. Our results indicate that PSPP is the only phase that clearly exhibits sensitivity to temperature.
Leading Classical Christian Schools: An Exploratory Study of Headmasters.

Little is known about classical Christian schools and their leaders in the United States. This study describes the headmasters of such schools and their sense of job satisfaction, job efficacy, and career aspirations. Numerous significant relationships among the variables were found, including between job satisfaction and a headmaster's relationships with the board, faculty, and parents. A regression analysis indicated that 45% of the variance in their sense of job satisfaction was predicted by transactional leadership qualities, relationships with the governing bodies, classical pedagogy, and career aspirations.
Magnetization study of the field-induced transitions in tetramethyltetraselenafulvalenium perchlorate, (TMTSF)2ClO4.

We have utilized a novel technique to measure both the magnetization and magnetoresistance of a single crystal of ${(\mathrm{TMTSF})}_{2}$Cl${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ in the regime where the magnetic field induces a series of metal-to-semimetal transitions. We find anisotropic magnetization with extremely sharp oscillatory structure similar to that expected for a quantized two-dimensional electron gas. However, the temperature and field dependences of the anomalies suggest a series of first-order phase transitions as opposed to the conventional de Haas-van Alphen effect. The entropy loss is comparable to the entropy of the electron gas.
The electrocardiographic "intermediate phase" of an acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract An “intermediate phase” in the electrocardiographic evolution of an acute myocardial infarction is described. This phase is characterized by temporary alteration of the QRS-T complex, suggesting a reversion toward normal or toward a configuration observed earlier in the course of the infarction. Failure to recognize the phenomenon may lead the physician to overlook the presence of an actual myocardial infarction. The true incidence of this variant of the classic electrocardiographic sequence will undoubtedly become more evident as clinicians become familiar with its presentation.
Gel-mediated Delivery of AAV1 Vectors Corrects Ventilatory Function in Pompe Mice With Established Disease

Pompe disease is a muscular dystrophy that results in respiratory insufficiency. We characterized the outcomes of targeted delivery of recombinant adeno-associated virus serotype 1 (rAAV2/1) vector to diaphragms of Pompe mice with varying stages of disease progression. We observed significant improvement in diaphragm contractile strength in mice treated at 3 months of age that is sustained at least for 1 year and enhanced contractile strength in mice treated at 9 and 21 months of age, measured 3 months post-treatment. Ventilatory parameters including tidal volume/inspiratory time ratio, minute ventilation/expired CO2 ratio, and peak inspiratory airflow were significantly improved in mice treated at 3 months and tested at 6 months. Despite early improvement, mice treated at 3 months and tested at 1 year had diminished normoxic ventilation, potentially due to attenuation of correction over time or progressive degeneration of nontargeted accessory tissues. However, for all rAAV2/1-treated mice (treated at 3, 9, and 21 months, assayed 3 months later; treated at 3 months, assayed at 1 year), minute ventilation and peak inspiratory flows were significantly improved during respiratory challenge. These results demonstrate that gel-mediated delivery of rAAV2/1 vectors can significantly augment ventilatory function at initial and late phases of disease in a model of muscular dystrophy.
Trail of Miracles: Stories from a Pilgrimage in Northeast Brazil

Trail of Miracles: Stories from. Pilgrimage in Northeast Brazil. Candace Slater. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1986. 289 pp. $37.50 (Cloth). ISBN 0-520-05306-0
The Sensitive Balance between the Fully Folded and Locally Unfolded Conformations of a Model Peroxiredoxin

To reduce peroxides, peroxiredoxins (Prxs) require a key “peroxidatic” Cys that, in a substrate-ready fully folded (FF) conformation, is oxidized to sulfenic acid and then, after a local unfolding (LU) of the active site, forms a disulfide bond with a second “resolving” Cys. For Salmonella typhimurium alkyl hydroperoxide reductase C (StAhpC) and some other Prxs, the FF structure is only known for a peroxidatic Cys→Ser variant, which may not accurately represent the wild-type enzyme. Here, we obtain the structure of authentic reduced wild-type StAhpC by dithiothreitol treatment of disulfide form crystals that fortuitously accommodate both the LU and FF conformations. The unique environment of one molecule in the crystal reveals a thermodynamic linkage between the folding of the active site loop and C-terminal regions, and comparisons with the Ser variant show structural and mobility differences from which we infer that the Cys→Ser mutation stabilizes the FF active site. A structure for the C165A variant (a...
EGO FUNCTION PATTERNS IN SCHIZOPHRENICS

This study dealt with some aspects of a research project on ego function patterns in schizophrenia, in which materials from clinical interviews, psychological tests, and psychological laboratory procedures were separately rated for adaptive adequacy of various functions of the ego. 10 ego functions have been described, and sample definitions offered. Examples of how the ego functions are rated from interview, test, and laboratory procedures also have been provided. Preliminary results are consistent with the main hypothesis.
Concepts, Theory, and Techniques A JOINT LOT-SIZING RULE FOR FIXED LABOR-COST SITUATIONS

Many American firms are implementing just-in-time production in order to minimize inventories, reduce flow time, and maximize resource utilization. These firms recognize that, in the short run, setup costs really are fixed expenses and it is available capacity which is the critical factor in determining production-run quantities. We propose using available capacity to increase the number of setups and reduce lot-size inventories. This results in improved relevant cost performance. Sugimori, Kusunoki, Cho, and Uchikawa [16] in their paper on the Toyota kanban system developed a relationship for lead time but failed to use it for lot sizing. We use this relationship to develop the joint lot-sizing rule. The efficacy of our proposed rule is demonstrated by applying it to lot-size scheduling problems at the John Deere Engine Works [14]. Extensions of the proposed rule to undercapacity situations with material-wastage costs in the setup processes and to multistate production inventory systems also are discussed.
Ion beam divergence due to plasma heating in the Ampfion diode

In the Ampfion diode, an ion beam is extracted from an anode plasma that is being pushed away from the cathode by a rising magnetic field. There is concern that ion heating in the anode plasma sheath may result in a significant ion beam divergence. To investigate this possibility, a comparison of Z pinches, θ pinches, and Ampfion is made. Ampfion sheath scenarios are examined and a simple argument is presented that indicates that an anomalous resistivity should develop. An upper bound estimate of the ion divergence is calculated, and examples are given for PBFA-II parameters. For a small radius diode with a high density anode plasma, it is shown that ion beam divergence due to plasma heating should not be a problem. For a large radius diode with a low density anode plasma, it is shown that ion beam divergence due to plasma heating is a problem, but that an Ampfion filtering mechanism should select a cool portion of the heated ions and help to alleviate this problem.
Laser optogalvanic study of a helium hollow cathode discharge

A helium hollow cathode lamp operated under flow conditions provides a simple optogalvanic source with typically large voltage transients. An analysis of the transients for the two transitions at 3889 A and 5015 A using a simple two-level kinetic model suggests that the upper states of these transitions (33P and 31P, respectively) are quite different in their sensitivity to lamp pressure. Reasons for the variations observed in the transients with varying pressure and applied voltage are discussed.
High-speed flow cytometric analysis of nanoparticle targeting to rare leukemic stem cells in peripheral human blood: preliminary in-vitro studies

Leukemic cancer stem cells are both stem-like and leukemic-like. This complicates their detection as rare circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood of leukemia patients. The leukemic stem cells are also highly resistant to standard chemotherapeutic regimens so new therapeutic strategies need to be designed to kill the leukemic stem cells without killing normal stem cells. In these initial studies we have designed an antibody-targeted and fluorescent (Cy5.5) nanoparticle for targeting these leukemic stem cells and then introducing new strategies for killing them. Multicolor flow cytometric analyses were performed on a BD FACS Aria III. Human leukemic stem cell-like cell line RS4;11 (with putative immunophenotype CD123+/CD24+/CD38-/CD10-/Flt-3-) was used as a model human leukemic stem cell systems and were spiked into normal human peripheral blood cells containing normal blood stem-progenitor cells (immunophenotype CD123-/CD34+/CD38-) and Cy5.5-labeled nanoparticles with targeting molecule anti-CD123 antibody. An irrelevant antibody (CD71) which should not bind to any live leukemic stem cell or normal stem cell (binds erythrocytes) was used as a way of distinguishing between true-positive live and false-positive damaged/dead cells, the latter occurring at much higher frequencies than the very rare (e.g. 0.001 to 0.0001 percent frequency true leukemic stem cells). These studies are designed to measure the targeting sensitivity and specificity of the fluorescent nanoparticles to the putative rare leukemic stem cells with the eventual design to use the nanoparticles to direct killing therapeutic doses to the leukemic stem cells but not to the normal stem-progenitor cells.
Time for tau.

It is almost exactly 10 years since the first report of a PET ligand that specifically bound to a pathological protein in the brain was published (Klunk et al. , 2004). This tracer, 11C-Pittsburgh compound B (PIB), detected fibrillar aggregated forms of amyloid-β, the major constituent of the Alzheimer’s disease plaque and, according to many, the initiating event in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. This report was soon followed by several amyloid imaging tracers that were radiolabelled with the longer half-life positron-emitting nuclide 18F, opening the door to commercial manufacture and clinical application. Several of these tracers are now approved by worldwide regulatory agencies including the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency, although reimbursement for clinical use remains problematic. In this issue of Brain , Okamura and colleagues report the first human PET studies with a new tracer for tau, 18F-THK5105, and reveal that retention of this tracer correlates with dementia severity and brain atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease (Okamura et al. , 2014). Because it is difficult to develop, test and validate a new PET imaging agent, it may have seemed overly optimistic 10 years ago to conclude that a new era in human brain imaging had begun, but it had. The latest developments are a series of PET tracers that bind to the microtubule-associated protein tau that is aggregated as neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer’s disease. Tau-related diseases also include the group of tauopathies often referred to as frontotemporal lobar degenerations, and the highly publicized chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Tau would seem to be a difficult target for PET imaging: it may be intracellular thus requiring tracer passage across both the blood–brain barrier and cell membranes; it is found in the brain at lower concentrations than amyloid-β; and it is characterized by different …
Traditional Aid is Passé … And there is not enough of it

Gustav Ranis discusses the seemingly contradictory proposition that traditional aid is no longer valid and yet we do not have enough aid. He looks at this statement by dividing recipient countries into three groups: the poor countries of Africa, South Asia and some pockets of Central and South America; the middle-income developing countries, including most of South-East Asia; the transition countries of Eastern Europe and most of Latin America and the emerging market economies including Singapore, Taiwan, Chile and Mexico.
Activity of conventional and reduced‐risk insecticides for protection of grapevines against the rose chafer, Macrodactylus subspinosus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Bioassays were conducted to compare the residual toxicity and leaf protection activity of conventional broad-spectrum and reduced-risk insecticides against the rose chafer, Macrodactylus subspinosus. Insecticides were applied to a Vitis labrusca (F.) vineyard and residues were aged for 1, 3 or 7 days before leaves were collected and exposed to beetles in no-choice tests. Azinphosmethyl caused rapid knockdown and mortality for up to 1 week after application, with 1-day-old residues providing 95.6% protection against feeding, dropping to 51.6% when residues were a week old. Fenpropathrin caused mortality and knockdown after beetles had been exposed to fresh residues for 72 h. Although these effects diminished as residues aged, this compound provided the best protection of leaves against beetle feeding, with 77.9% reduction in feeding compared with the control after 7 days of aging in the vineyard. Of the reduced-risk insecticides, imidacloprid caused the greatest initial mortality and knockdown of beetles, providing protection against feeding that was equivalent to azinphosmethyl. Exposure to azadirachtin caused a low level of knockdown and mortality when residues were 1- and 3-days old. Protection against feeding was also low, lasting for only 3 days. Beetles were minimally affected by capsaicin and kaolin, with mortality and knockdown seen only when beetles were exposed to 1-day-old residues for 72 h. Foliage protection from these compounds was minimal, with between 10 and 15% reduction in feeding injury. Results are discussed in relation to development of semi-field bioassay methods for evaluating reduced-risk insecticides, and the management of M. subspinosus within grape pest management programs.
The Synod of Michigan and Movements for Social Reform, 1834–1869

Presbyterians are fond of pointing out that their General Assembly was organized in the year which witnessed the adoption of our Federal Constitution, and that the republican organization of their central government corresponds in many respects to that of the "more perfect Union" which the people of the United States decided in 1788 to set up. Michigan Presbyterians may with reason cite a parallel coincidence in dates of establishment: the Synod of Michigan was founded in September, 1834, only about six months before the people of the territory elected delegates to draw up a state constitution. From this common chronological beginning, both Michigan organizations developed rapidly, and naturally their histories were closely related. When the General Assembly constituted the new Synod on the frontier, the population of the territory was less than 90,000. Nevertheless, some fifty churches were included within the bounds of the new organization,' and considering the fact that the preceding four years had seen the population of the territory nearly trebled,2 and the number of Presbyterian churches quadrupled,' the establishment of a synod within the bounds of a territory on the threshold of statehood appeared well justified. That it was so justified the growth of the Synod proved. Within five years the number of churches was doubled; the number of communicants had reached 3,660.' By 1849,
The nonpolar lipids of pig epidermis.

Abstract Epidermis was removed from several sites on the intact bodies of each of seven pigs and the lipids were extracted and analyzed by thin-layer chromatography. The principal nonpolar components were cholesterol, free fatty acids and cholesteryl esters. Small and variable amounts of paraffin hydrocarbons, triglycerides, and an unidentified lipid were noted. In a series of time-course experiments, epidermal lipids were labeled by intradermal injection of[1- 14 C] acetate at varying times up to 21 days before removal of the epidermis. The hydrocarbons never acquired radioactivity, while the triglycerides retained label only for about 1 day after injection. Squalene and lanosterol retained considerable radioactivity for up to 12 h after labeling. Radioactivity appeared in free fatty acids and cholesteryl esters 2–3 days after labeling and began to decline after 21 days. Epidermis from uninjected sites did not acquire significant radioactivity. From these results it was concluded that cholesterol, cholesteryl esters and free fatty acids are synthesized locally in the epidermis and remain until lost by desquamation. Triglycerides are also synthesized but do not persist into the stratum corneum, so the small amounts found there may be environmental contaminants. Alkanes are not synthesized, and are most probably derived from petroleum waxes.
Non-destructive characterization of films grown on Zircaloy-2 by annealing in air

Zircaloy-2 is often used in engineering applications because of its corrosion resistance; a property attributable to a protective oxide film that grows on its surface. Variable angle infrared (IR) reflection spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy are used to determine the thickness and roughness of such films grown thermally on Zircaloy-2 surfaces in air. We find cubic growth kinetics in the temperature range 500–600uC with an apparent activation energy of 227 kJ mol −1 . We also demonstrate how an increase in microscopic surface roughness at higher temperatures correlates with a loss of oxide homogeneity as sampled by the IR method.
Isothermal Kováts retention indices of sulfur compounds on a poly(5% diphenyl-95% dimethylsiloxane) stationary phase.

Isothermal Kovats retention indices of 21 sulfur compounds relevant to the fuel gas and food industries are reported on a poly(5% diphenyl-95% dimethylsiloxane) capillary column stationary phase. Measurements were performed at four temperatures and the temperature dependence of the values modeled with Antoine-type equations. Indices were calculated using a non-linear technique, and the predicted values were found to agree with values obtained using traditional logarithmic predictions. We demonstrate that there is sufficient separation between retention indices to predict the identity of a compound by its retention index.
Activation of the progesterone receptor by the gonadotropin-releasing hormone self-priming signaling pathway.

Signal amplification is fundamental to the normal operation of the preovulatory LH surge and is achieved through processes such as GnRH self-priming and augmentation of stimulated LH secretion by progesterone. We have proposed a model for GnRH self-priming that requires cross-communication between a GnRH receptor-activated protein kinase A pathway and the progesterone receptor (PR) to achieve amplification of the GnRH signal. We found that a pulse of GnRH administered to gonadotrope-enriched pituitary cells cultured in medium containing charcoal-treated serum plus estradiol (E2) potentiated the LH secretory response to subsequent GnRH pulses, and this potentiation could be blocked by a PR antagonist, RU486, in the absence of progesterone. Similarly, exposure of gonadotrope-enriched cultures to forskolin augmented the response to a pulse of GnRH, and the augmentation due to cAMP elevation could be reduced by RU486 in the absence of progesterone. To directly test whether stimulation with either GnRH or a cA...
Quantum noise limits the pinspeck camera to simple objects

The pinspeck camera projects a low-contrast image with a great deal of veiling glare. Quantum noise determines that the camera can image only simple objects that contain no more than a few hundred picture elements.
Commentary on ‘Probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants’

This is a commentary on a Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Alfaleh K, Anabrees J, Bassler D, Al-Kharfi T. Probiotics for prevention of necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD005496. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005496.pub3. Further information for this Cochrane review is available in this issue of EBCH in the accompanying Summary article. Copyright © 2012 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
UML formalization is a traceability problem

Largely driven by the widespread interest in using UML, significant efforts have investigated how to formalize its semantics in terms of well-defined target languages. Associating target language specifications with the UML models enables automated analysis of its many graphical diagrams. Unfortunately, UML formalizations have proved difficult to completely automate. This paper posits that UML formalization is essentially a traceability problem, which means to rigorously link elements of a given UML diagram to relevant regions of code in a given target model according to the intended formalization semantics. We present a graph-theoretic model for formally defining this link-retrieval problem. We also introduce a framework for assessing whether a UML formalization is amenable to efficient link retrieval techniques without sacrificing precision and/or recall.
Paul Errington, Aldo Leopold, and Wildlife Ecology: Residential Science

The subject of this paper is a pioneering field study of bobwhite quail by the trapper-turned-ecologist Paul Errington and the environmentalist Aldo Leopold. Their project is significant in several ways. It produced an influential environmental view of predation and contributed to Leopold's celebrated environmental ethic of “land health.” It also exemplifies a generic type of intensive or “residential” field practice, which involves knowing a research locale as intimately its human or animal residents know it, but also as generally as do cosmopolitan scientists. Finally, this essay argues that Errington's ecology and Leopold's ethic were shaped by their own residential trajectories, from the rural Midwest of their youths, through wilder environments of the Southwest and Canadian North, and back again. Place shapes field science: not just the place where research is carried on, but the places where investigators have been in their mobile careers.
Internal shell annuli yield inaccurate growth estimates in the freshwater mussels Elliptio complanata and Lampsilis radiata

1. The objective of this study was to compare, in freshwater bivalves, growth rates inferred from the spacing of internal annuli to those obtained directly by measuring annual changes in shell length. 2. The unionid mussels studied were Elliptio complanata and Lampsilis radiata from a pond in the north-eastern U.S.A. Age was inferred from internal lines of 157 E. complanata and twenty-five L. radiata. Actual length change was determined from comparisons of annual remeasurements of marked E. complanata (n = 520) in 1992–95 and L. radiata (n = 81) in 1993–95. 3. High retrieval rates of painted mussels demonstrated the efficacy of the marking method. 4. Annual length changes determined by remeasurement were significantly lower than annual length changes predicted by length-at-age data from internal annuli. Should this be a common occurrence, past estimates of annual growth based on annuli are probably too large, and unionid mussels may be much older than previously assumed.
Optical measurement of glucose concentrations using Raman spectroscopy

The need for devising a method to noninvasively measure the glucose concentration in the body is great because of the application to improving blood sugar control in diabetics as to improve the quality and longevity of life. The noninvasive method studied in this paper is to use an optical measurement of a glucose solution to predict the actual glucose concentration of that solution by means of spontaneous Raman Spectroscopy using multivariate regression analysis. Although this method has been studied by many groups of researchers, the advantage comes with a small, compact, relatively inexpensive, and low intensity system that could be more easily implemented into a practical device that could be used for clinical and patient self monitoring. These advantages over previous studies include reduced incident laser power, at 60 mW, and reduced integration times, with a significant signal to noise ratio at physiological concentrations. The results of the study showed a significant correlation between the predictor variable, optical measure of glucose concentration, to the outcome variable, actual glucose concentration, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99987, an F(2, 2) statistic of 7599, and a p-value of 13*10/sup -4/.
The use of nicotinic acid to induce sustained low plasma nonesterified fatty acids in feed-restricted Holstein cows.

Abstract The objectives were to determine the effects of nicotinic acid (NA) on blood metabolites (experiment 1) and whether successive doses of NA could induce sustained reductions of plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA; experiment 2) in feed-restricted, nonlactating Holstein cows. Experiment 1 was a single 4×4 Latin square with 1-wk periods. Each period consisted of 2.5 d of feed restriction to increase plasma NEFA and 4.5 d of ad libitum feeding. Treatments were abomasal administration of 0, 6, 30, or 60mg of NA/kg of body weight (BW), given as a single bolus 48h after initiation of feed restriction. Plasma NEFA concentration decreased from 546μEq/L to 208±141μEq/L at 1h after the infusion of 6mg of NA/kg of BW, and to less than 100±148μEq/L at 3h after the abomasal infusion of the 2 highest doses of NA. A rebound occurred after the initial decrease of plasma NEFA concentration. The rebound lasted up to 9h for the 30-mg dose of NA, and up to 6h for the 6-mg dose. Experiment 2 was a randomized complete block design with 3 treatments and 6 cows. Starting at 48h of feed restriction, cows received 9 hourly abomasal infusions of 0, 6, or 10mg of NA/kg of BW. Plasma NEFA concentrations decreased from 553μEq/L±24 immediately before the initiation of treatments to
Cardiogenic Differentiation and Transdifferentiation of Progenitor Cells

In recent years, cell transplantation has drawn tremendous interest as a novel approach to preserving or even restoring contractile function to infarcted hearts. A typical human infarct involves the loss of approximately 1 billion cardiomyocytes, and, therefore, many investigators have sought to identify endogenous or exogenous stem cells with the capacity to differentiate into committed cardiomyocytes and repopulate lost myocardium. As a result of these efforts, dozens of stem cell types have been reported to have cardiac potential. These include pluripotent embryonic stem cells, as well various adult stem cells resident in compartments including bone marrow, peripheral tissues, and the heart itself. Some of these cardiogenic progenitors have been reported to contribute replacement muscle through endogenous reparative processes or via cell transplantation in preclinical cardiac injury models. However, considerable disagreement exists regarding the efficiency and even the reality of cardiac differentiation by many of these stem cell types, making these issues a continuing source of controversy in the field. In this review, we consider approaches to cell fate mapping and establishing the cardiac phenotype, as well as the present state of the evidence for the cardiogenic and regenerative potential of the major candidate stem cell types.
WaveScheduling: energy-efficient data dissemination for sensor networks

Sensor networks are being increasingly deployed for diverse monitoring applications. Event data are collected at various sensors and sent to selected storage nodes for further in-network processing. Since sensor nodes have strong constraints on their energy usage, this data transfer needs to be energy-efficient to maximize network lifetime. In this paper, we propose a novel methodology for trading energy versus latency in sensor database systems. We propose a new protocol that carefully schedules message transmissions so as to avoid collisions at the MAC layer. Since all nodes adhere to the schedule, their radios can be off most of the time and they only wake up during well-defined time intervals. We show how routing protocols can be optimized to interact symbiotically with the scheduling decisions, resulting in significant energy savings at the cost of higher latency. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by means of a thorough simulation study.
Modeling experimental cross-transiograms of neighboring landscape categories with the gamma distribution

Effectively fitting the major features of experimental transiograms (or variograms) is crucial in characterizing spatial patterns and reproducing them in geostatistical simulations. Landscape patterns usually tend to contain neighboring structures. The experimental cross-transiograms of frequent neighboring landscape categories normally demonstrate apparent peaking features at low lag distances – they first quickly increase to a peak and then gradually flatten out. The flattening process may be smooth or may be through one or more alternate attenuating troughs and peaks. While alternate peaks and troughs may be a reflection of the cyclic occurrence of landscape categories, the single peak or the first peak at low lag section should be a signal of the neighboring structure of two related categories. This is further proved by the peaking features of some idealized transiograms calculated from single-step transition probability matrices. To effectively fit the first peak, especially when it is the single one...
Stability and change in personality traits from late adolescence to early adulthood: A longitudinal twin study

We conducted a longitudinal-biometric study examining stability and change in personality from ages 17 to 24 in a community sample of male and female twins. Using Tellegen's (in press) Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), facets of Negative Emotionality (NEM) declined substantially at the mean and individual levels, whereas facets of Constraint (CON) increased over time. Furthermore, individuals in late adolescence who were lowest on NEM and highest on CON remained the most stable over time, whereas those exhibiting the inverse profile (higher NEM, lower CON) changed the most in a direction towards growth and maturity. Analyses of gender differences yielded greater mean-level increases over time for women as compared to men on facets of CON and greater mean-level increases for men than women on facets of Agentic Positive Emotionality (PEM). Biometric analyses revealed rank-order stability in personality to be largely genetic, with rank-order change mediated by both the nonshared environment (and error) as well as genes. Findings correspond with prior evidence of a normative trend toward growth and maturity in personality during emerging adulthood.
Relative Importance of Reradiation, Convection, and Transpiration in Heat Transfer from Plants

For a plant of average spectral properties and average diffusion resistance (2 sec/cm), diurnal variations in the energy dissipated by reradiation, convection, and transpiration have been explicitly calculated and plotted for certain environmental conditions as measured at St. Paul, Minnesota. These conditions represent the environments of characteristic types of days and of characteristic types of leaves. In all situations reradiation is overwhelmingly the dominant mode of heat transfer.A new method for the calculation of Bowen's ratio is also presented which gives results in very good agreement with older procedures. For certain individual leaves the energy dissipated by convection is found to be greater than that dissipated by transpiration. For a crop as a whole, however, transpiration is found to be by far the most important.
Environmental and Genetic Stressors and the Unfolded Protein Response in Exocrine Pancreatic Function – A Hypothesis

The exocrine pancreas has the greatest protein synthetic capacity of any mammalian organ and is challenged with the synthesis, processing and transporting a large load of digestive enzymes. Based on recent findings we present a hypothesis proposing that mutations in the digestive enzymes and environmental risks impacting the pancreas (i.e., alcohol abuse, smoking, metabolic disorders, and drugs) cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. We review recent findings showing that in normal pancreas the ER stress resulting from alcohol abuse leads to an adaptive unfolded protein response (UPR) allowing for maintenance of protein synthesis, processing, and transport. However, when key pathways necessary for the adaptive UPR are altered, the exocrine cell of the pancreas is unable to maintain these processes and cellular pathology results. These findings may explain why some individuals with alcohol abuse disorders develop organ injury and disease while most do not. Further, the findings allow us to hypothesize that the UPR in the exocrine pancreas adapts the protein synthetic machinery of the ER stress resulting from mutational and environmental stressors. When the ability of the UPR to adapt to the stressors is exceeded, pathologic pathways and disease develop.
Denoising of medical imagery using a third-order statistical approach

We investigated the denoising of medical imagery using a nonseparable third-order statistical approach. By using an efficient algorithm, we were to keep the execution time low. We performed experiments with medical imagery corrupted by nostationary Gaussian noise. We found that our approach showed improved results when compared to other thresholding methods.
Stimulation of cell proliferation in the subventricular zone by synthetic murine pheromones

Adult neurogenesis in female mice is known to be enhanced by exposure to soiled bedding from males, although the identity of the relevant chemosignals has remained unknown. Here we show that the previously recognized male murine pheromones, the farnesenes and 2-sec-butyl-4,5-dihydrothiazole (SBT), strongly increase cell proliferation in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult female mice, but not younger female mice. In addition, we found that a unique female murine pheromone, 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, facilitates similar changes in males. SBT stimulated cell proliferation in the SVZ of only adult females and not in young adult or pre- and post-puberty females. Our study suggests that pheromonal communication between males and females is enhancing reproductive success by controlling the estrous cycle and by promoting cell proliferation in a reciprocal manner.