cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linear Electric Shifts in the Nuclear Quadrupole Interaction in Al 2 O 3

Electric perturbations of the nuclear magnetic resonances of the ${\mathrm{Al}}^{27}$ nuclei in single-crystal aluminum oxide are discussed. Splittings of the quadrupole satellite resonance lines have been obtained using fields as high as 300 kV/cm. The splittings are caused by equal and opposite changes in the electric-field gradient tensor at crystallographic aluminum sites related to each other by inversion symmetry. Magnitudes and relative signs of the five independent $R$-tensor elements which completely describe the electrically induced shifts for the ${C}_{3}$ site symmetry of the aluminum nucleus have been determined by applying electric and magnetic fields in various crystallographic directions. These data are compared with similar data obtained earlier from electric shifts in the electron spin resonances of the ${\mathrm{Cr}}^{3+}$ ion in the same crystal.
Practice as an intervention to improve speeded motor performance and motor learning in Parkinson’s disease

Individuals with Parkinson's disease have difficulty initiating and performing complex, sequential movements. Practice generally leads to faster initiation and execution of movements in healthy adults, however, whether practice similarly improves motor performance in patients with Parkinson's disease remains controversial. To assess the effects of practice on motor performance, patients with Parkinson's disease and control subjects practiced two, rapid arm-reaching tasks with different levels of movement complexity for 120 trials each over 2 days. Response programming was studied by analyzing the overall reaction time latency of each movement and its fractionated sub-components, premotor and motor time. Practice effects were investigated by comparing pretest performance to immediate and delayed retention test performances (10-min and 48-h rest intervals, respectively). Both patients with Parkinson's disease and control subjects improved speeded performance of sequential targeting tasks by practice and retained the improvement across both retention test intervals. Finding a learning effect for persons with Parkinson's disease supports practice as an effective rehabilitation strategy to improve motor performance of specific tasks for patients with Parkinson's disease.
Quantum control for arbitrary linear and quadratic potentials

Abstract We describe a theoretical framework capable of calculating optimal control fields for systems with arbitrary linear and quadratic potentials governing the nuclear degrees of freedom. Application of this method to various test cases demonstrates that quadratic coupling (between the nuclear and electronic degrees of freedom) can lead to large changes relative to models with only linear coupling.
What do medical students learn from early clinical experiences (ECE)

What are the common learning themes perceived by medical students during ECE with varying practice settings and patient profiles? Retrospective qualitative and quantitative analyses of structured descriptive reports completed by one class (n = 92) for 895 observed patient encounters identified common learning themes. Identified themes were examined by practice setting and patient characteristics. Student response rates were 85 to 94% across settings. Fifty-five percent of ECE were in outpatient settings. Chief complaints were predominantly medical (67%); only 20% represented psychosocial and 8% preventive care, respectively (5% were ambiguous). The five most common learning themes (out of 13 themes coded) were communication (>50%), procedures/time management, cross-cultural issues, feeling useful as a student, and presenting medical problems. Cross-cultural issues were addressed mainly in community settings. Negative learning occurred only rarely (<3%). Student observations from ECE can be used by course ...
Organic matter in eolian dusts over the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract The elemental and mineralogical composition and the microfossil and detritus content of particulate fallout from the lower troposphere over the Atlantic Ocean have been extensively documented in earlier work, and it was possible to ascribe terrigenous source areas to such fallout. A brief review of the organic geochemistry of eolian dust is also presented here. The lipids of eolian dusts sampled from the air mass over the eastern Atlantic from about 35°N to 30°S were analyzed here. These lipids consisted mainly of normal alkanes, carboxylic acids and alcohols. The n -alkanes were found to range from n -C 23 to n -C 35 , with high CPI values and maximizing at n -C 27 in the North Atlantic, at n -C 29 in the equatorial Atlantic and at n -C 31 in the South Atlantic. The n -fatty acids had mostly bimodal distributions, ranging from n -C 12 to n -C 30 (high CPI), with maxima at n -C 16 and in the northern samples at n -C 24 and in the southern samples at n -C 26 . The n -alcohols ranged from n -C 12 to n -C 32 , with high CPI values and maxima mainly at n -C 28 . The compositions of these lipids indicated that their terrigenous sources were comprised mainly of higher plant vegetation and desiccated lacustrine mud flats on the African continent.
Electrolytic deposition of metals on to the high-voltage contact in an electrospray emitter: implications for gas-phase ion formation.

The electrospray ion source is an electrolytic flow cell. Electrolytic reactions in the electrospray emitter maintain the production of charged droplets by this ion source that contain an excess of ions of one polarity. These redox reactions necessarily change the composition of the solution that initially enters the emitter. As a result, the ions ultimately observed in the gas phase by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS) may be substantially influenced by both the nature and extent of these electrochemical reactions. It is demonstrated in this paper that Ag+, Cu2+ and Hg2+ ions in solution can be electrolytically reduced and deposited as the respective metals on to the surface of the high-voltage contact in the electrospray emitter in negative ion mode electrospray. The deposited metals are shown to be liberated from the surface by switching the electrospray high-voltage polarity to operate in the positive ion mode. The deposited metals are oxidized in positive ion mode, releasing the metal ions back into solution where they are detected in the electrospray mass spectrum. In a semi-quantitative analysis, it was found that up to 50% of the Ag+ in a 2.5 µM solution was deposited on the high-voltage contact of the emitter as the solution flowed through the emitter. Deposition of Cu2+ and Hg2+ was less efficient. These data illustrate that in the analysis of metals by ESMS, one must be aware that both the concentration and form of the metals may be altered by electrochemical processes in the emitter. Hence reduction or oxidation of metals in the electrospray emitter, which may remove ions from solution, or change metal valence, would be expected to impact both quantitative metal determinations and metal speciation attempts using ESMS. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interactive event displays for the LHC

Abstract The ability to visualise the LHC detectors and their response to physics events is of great importance, both in the design, construction, and data analysis phases of the experiments. We discuss the visualisation requirements for the LHC and the current and future visualisation software, emphasising the difficulties faced compared to the LEP era.
Biomass energy in developing countries.

Abstract Energy from biomass already forms an important part of the world economy, especially in the form of traditional fuels. The author explains how the resource base is very large even under present technologies and may be larger under better techniques of cultivation or through genetic engineering. Gasification of wood and the production of charcoal are two of the most promising bioenergy technologies, with the production of alcohol from sugarcane a stronger contender under present world sugar market conditions. There are particular constraints for all renewable fuels, including bioenergy — such as uncertainty in oil prices — plus the special problems of competition with agriculture and confusion of planning authority. This paper examines the present role of biomass energy, the resource base for future development, some promising energy conversion technologies and uses and a few constraints on the development of bioenergy.
Ecological Assessments of Community Disorder: Their Relationship to Fear of Crime and Theoretical Implications

Researchers suggest that fear of crime arises from community disorder, cues in the social and physical environment that are distinct from crime itself. Three ecological methods of measuring community disorder are presented: resident perceptions reported in surveys and on-site observations by trained raters, both aggregated to the street block level, and content analysis of crime- and disorder-related newspaper articles aggregated to the neighborhood level. Each method demonstrated adequate reliability and roughly equal ability to predict subsequent fear of crime among 412 residents of 50 blocks in 50 neighborhoods in Baltimore, MD. Pearson and partial correlations (controlling for sex, race, age, and victimization) were calculated at multiple levels of analysis: individual, individual deviation from block, and community (block/neighborhood). Hierarchical linear models provided comparable results under more stringent conditions. Results linking different measure of disorder with fear, and individual and aggregated demographics with fear inform theories about fear of crime and extend research on the impact of community social and physical disorder. Implications for ecological assessment of community social and physical environments are discussed.
A computer-controlled infrared eclipse telescope.

An f/8, chopped, dual beam, gyroscopically pointed telescope has been constructed for use in obtaining infrared (7–13 μ) observations of the spectrum of the thermal emission of the solar corona. The instrument employs a scanning Michelson interferometer with germanium beam splitter and a germanium bolometer operated at 2 K. A small general purpose digital computer is used for experiment control and data processing. The computer, using reference signals from the chopper, controls the position of the moving interferometer mirror (through a stepper motor), and the operation of an A/D converter enabling rapid measurements of the bolometer output to be made. Synchronous detection, necessary to minimize sky background radiation, is accomplished within the computer. The resulting interferograms are stored on magnetic tape for future processing and displayed on an x–y recorder. A fourier transformed spectrum may be generated on operator request in nearly real time.
CHARACTERIZATION OF BETA -CAROTENE 15,15'-DIOXYGENASE ACTIVITY IN TC7 CLONE OF HUMAN INTESTINAL CELL LINE CACO-2

The purpose of this study was to identify mammalian cell line(s) which possess intrinsic enzymatic activity of beta-carotene 15, 15'-dioxygenase. This enzyme (EC1.13.11.21) converts beta-carotene to retinal (precursor of retinol and retinoic acid). To assess activity, cellular enzyme preparations were incubated with beta-carotene for 60 min; retinal formed was quantified by HPLC. Activity was not detected in IPEC-1, HepG2, HL60, Wurzburg, or parent Caco-2 cell lines. However, two subclones of Caco-2, PF11 and TC7, possessed activity (2.5 and 14.7 pmol/h.mg, respectively). Using the enzyme preparation of TC7 cells, retinal formation was linear with incubation time and protein concentration; Km and Vm values were 1.6 microM and 23.8 pmol/h.mg, respectively. In addition, when TC7 cells were maintained in serum-free medium, activity was increased 8.2-fold after 19 days of postconfluency. Finally, 48 h incubation with beta-carotene (delivered to TC7 cells in Tween 40) resulted in a 1.7-fold increase of dioxygenase activity and the appearance of vitamin A (9.3 pmol/mg protein). However, retinoic acid was not detected under our experimental conditions. In sum, the TC7 subclone of the Caco-2 cell line possesses beta-carotene 15, 15'-dioxygenase activity and thus can be useful in future investigations of human carotenoid metabolism.
The Effect of Air Temperatures on Egg Shell Thickness in the Fowl

Abstract IT IS a well known fact that egg shells usually become thinner during the spring and summer. Miller and Bearse (1934) determined the shell percentages of eggs from December to October and found a more or less consistent decrease beginning in March and extending throughout the period. Variations of the percentage of the egg which is shell should be closely associated with shell thickness or strength. The results of these investigators suggest the possibility of some environmental factor which comes into play in the summer and reduces shell thickness. There is also the possibility that there is a fatiguing effect of a long period of continuous laying, resulting in a thinning of the egg shells produced at the end of the laying year. In an experiment recording the influence of high environmental temperatures on egg weight, Bennion and Warren (1933) recorded the fact that the egg shells seemed to be . . .
Cholesterol regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion through phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.

Membrane cholesterol modulates the ability of glucose to stimulate insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells. The molecular mechanism by which this occurs is not understood. Here, we show that in cultured β-cells, cholesterol acts through phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to regulate actin dynamics, plasma membrane potential, and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Cholesterol-overloaded β-cells exhibited decreased PIP2 hydrolysis, with diminished glucose-induced actin reorganization, membrane depolarization, and insulin secretion. The converse findings were observed in cholesterol-depleted cells. These results support a model in which cholesterol depletion is coupled through PIP2 to enhance both plasma membrane Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space, as well as inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate-stimulated Ca2+ efflux from intracellular stores. The inability to increase cytosolic Ca2+ may be the main underlying factor to account for impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in cholesterol-overloaded β-cells.
Anomalous mobilities of Na,K-ATPase alpha subunit isoforms in SDS-PAGE: identification by N-terminal sequencing.

Three isoforms of the alpha subunit of Na,K-ATPase, alpha 1, alpha 2, and alpha 3 have been characterized at the DNA, mRNA and protein levels. In admixtures, isoforms migrate as doublets (i.e. alpha 1 and another band originally designated alpha +, comprising alpha 2 + alpha 3) when analyzed by SDS-PAGE. As deduced from cDNA sequences their masses range from 111.7 to 112.6 kDa. With conventional protein standards, however, SDS-PAGE yields nominal masses of 85-105 kDa. In this system, the presence of a doublet that reacted with a polyclonal anti-Na,K-ATPase antibody in the kidney was interpreted as indicating two molecular or conformational species of the kidney alpha sub-unit (Siegel, G.J. and Desmond, T.J. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 4751-4754). We report that Na,K-ATPase purified from dog, guinea pig and rat kidney medulla or from rat brain, can yield two distinct bands when analyzed by SDS-PAGE or STS-PAGE, migrating between 85 and 105 kDa. An additional band migrating at 117 and 120 kDa appears often in enzyme purified from rat and guinea pig kidney medulla. The apparent molecular weights and relative intensities of these bands vary with temperature and duration of incubation during sample preparation. N-terminal sequencing and monospecific antibody probes revealed that the two distinct bands obtained from the kidney enzyme consist only of the alpha 1 isoform. The band appearing at 117-120 kDa also contains only the alpha 1 N-terminal sequence. In contrast, as reported earlier (Sweadner, K.J. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 6060-6067), the doublet seen in brain preparations consists of alpha 1 and alpha 2 or (alpha 2 + alpha 3). We conclude that monospecific antibody probes or N-terminal sequencing must be used to identify Na,K-ATPase isoforms by SDS- or STS-PAGE. In addition, gel conditions that may affect the mobilities of the isoforms are discussed.
Wegener's granulomatosis: patient-reported effects of disease on health, function, and income

Objective To evaluate the patient-perceived effects of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) on health, function, income, and interpersonal relationships. Methods A self-administered questionnaire, originally designed by the authors and subsequently revised with the aid of a patient focus group, was completed by 60 patients with well-defined features of WG. Patients had WG for a median period of 5 years. Results Patients with chronic WG experienced substantial medical and functional morbidity and incurred significant socioeconomic losses. A prolonged delay in diagnosis (mean 16.8 months) and the need for multiple consultations prior to initiation of therapy may have contributed to medical morbidity. Although 73% of patients perceived their disease to be in remission following therapy, 78% of these patients required continuing immunosuppressive treatment many years after diagnosis. Eighty percent of patients reported that their normal activities of daily living were compromised. Half of those who were employed prior to diagnosis were required to modify their job or accept total disability (31%). A 26% (median) reduction in income within 1 year after diagnosis was reported. The effects of the disease on interpersonal relationships with a patient's spouse, family, and friends varied considerably. Conclusion Advances in medical care have, for most patients, transformed WG from being a disease with a high potential for short-term mortality to being a chronic illness. This is the first study that has evaluated patients' assessments of the medical, socioeconomic, and quality of life effects of WG and its treatment. The effects of mortality, disability, and outpatient medical expenses indicate that the financial impact alone substantially exceeds prior estimates of $30 million per year in charges for hospitalizations in the US.
Recognition of anesthetic barbiturates by a protein binding site: a high resolution structural analysis.

Barbiturates potentiate GABA actions at the GABAA receptor and act as central nervous system depressants that can induce effects ranging from sedation to general anesthesia. No structural information has been available about how barbiturates are recognized by their protein targets. For this reason, we tested whether these drugs were able to bind specifically to horse spleen apoferritin, a model protein that has previously been shown to bind many anesthetic agents with affinities that are closely correlated with anesthetic potency. Thiopental, pentobarbital, and phenobarbital were all found to bind to apoferritin with affinities ranging from 10–500 µM, approximately matching the concentrations required to produce anesthetic and GABAergic responses. X-ray crystal structures were determined for the complexes of apoferritin with thiopental and pentobarbital at resolutions of 1.9 and 2.0 A, respectively. These structures reveal that the barbiturates bind to a cavity in the apoferritin shell that also binds haloalkanes, halogenated ethers, and propofol. Unlike these other general anesthetics, however, which rely entirely upon van der Waals interactions and the hydrophobic effect for recognition, the barbiturates are recognized in the apoferritin site using a mixture of both polar and nonpolar interactions. These results suggest that any protein binding site that is able to recognize and respond to the chemically and structurally diverse set of compounds used as general anesthetics is likely to include a versatile mixture of both polar and hydrophobic elements.
Impact of an interactive video on decision making of patients with ischemic heart disease

An experimental pilot study using repeated measures to examine the impact of an interactive video program on the decision making of patients with ischemic heart disease was carried on at a tertiary care center and a Veterans Affairs hospital. The patients (n=60, mean age 61.1 years, 77% male, 75% white, 26.7% with acute myocardial infarction), who had undergone diagnostic cardiac catheterization and were found to have significant coronary artery disease (≥75% stenosis in at least one vessel), watched the Shared Decision-Making Program (SDP) for Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), a novel interactive video system designed to provide information necessary for patients to participate actively in decision making. This program compares medical therapy, angioplasty, and bypass surgery through a physician narrator, patient testimonials, and empirically-based, patient-specific outcome estimates of short-time complications and long-term survival. Before and after viewing the SDP, patients completed surveys containing multiple choice questions and Likert scales. They rated the program as more helpful than all other decision aids except the physician, and after viewing the SDP they expressed increased confidence in their treatment choice and decreased confidence in alternative options (p=.0001). The greatest effects appeared to be concentrated in those patients with less education (p=.04), and the program appeared to increase anxiety in nonwhite patients compared with white patients (p=0.07).
Violent Couples: Coping and Communication Skills

Twelve married couples court-ordered to attend a violence reduction treatment program completed self-report measures of anger, social problem-solving skills, and strategies employed for dealing with high-conflict situations. They were subsequently videotaped while discussing 3 different scenarios. Three raters independently coded the videotapes for the use of effective and ineffective communication strategies used by the participants. Aggregate reliability estimates were acceptable. No gender-based differences were found on the self-report measures or the communication skill ratings. When couples discussed low-conflict situations use of effective skills exceeded use of ineffective skills, and when couples discussed high-conflict problems use of ineffective skills exceeded use of effective skills. Implications for treatment of spousal assault are presented.
Some properties of positive derivations on f-rings II

Theorem 10(b)(i) in the article \Some properties of positive derivations on f-rings" by Henriksen and Smith asserts that if D is a positive derivation on a reduced f-ring and if x 2 ker D, then fxg ?? µ ker D. A counterexample is provided to show that this assertion is false, and correct proofs are given for some results in the paper by Henriksen and Smith that use Theorem 10(b)(i) in their proofs.
Letter to the Editor---Some Expected Transition Times in Simple Queues

The note describes certain phenomena in the behavior of simple queues, and indicates their possible relevance to the design of simulation experiments. Certain generalizations, which seem to be of only marginal interest, are omitted.
Src tyrosine kinases and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases mediate pressure-induced C-fos expression in cannulated rat mesenteric small arteries

Chronic hypertension is associated with remodeling of small arteries. There is evidence that the high pressure itself may cause these structural changes, but the responsible mechanisms are not clearly defined. Previously we showed that pressure-induced c-fos expression in intact cannulated rat mesenteric small arteries was inhibited by genistein, a general tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The purpose of this study was to further unravel the underlying signal transduction mechanisms, and we particularly tested the involvement of src tyrosine kinases and extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK). Rat mesenteric small arteries were cannulated in a dual-vessel chamber. After a 60-minute equilibration period, the pressure in 1 artery was increased to 140 mm Hg, while the other artery remained at 90 mm Hg. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction was used to determine c-fos expression, and Western blotting was used to examine levels of ERK phosphorylation. The involvement of src and ERK was tested with the inhibitors herbimycin A (1 μmol/L), PP1 (10 μmol/L), PP2 (10 μmol/L), and PD98059 (30 μmol/L). One-hour exposure to 140 mm Hg increased the c-fos/cyclophilin ratio 3.6-fold, from 0.29±0.07 to 1.06±0.25. All the tested inhibitors suppressed the pressure-induced increase of c-fos expression. A 5-minute exposure period to 140 mm Hg increased ERK phosphorylation, and this was abolished in the presence of PP1. The results suggest that pressure-induced c-fos expression in intact cannulated rat mesenteric small arteries may be mediated, at least in part, by src tyrosine kinases and ERK.
The Generalized Global Basis (GGB) Method

SUMMARY In this work we present the Generalized Global-Basis (GGB) method aimed at enhancing performance of multilevel solvers for di‐cult systems such as those arising from indeflnite and nonsymmetric matrices. The GGB method is based on the Global-Basis (GB) method [1], [2], which constructs an auxiliary coarse model from the largest eigenvalues of the iteration matrix. The GGB method projects these modes which would cause slow convergence to a coarse problem which is then used to eliminate these modes. Numerical examples show that best performance is obtained when GGB is accelerated by GMRES and used for problems with multiple right hand sides. In addition it is demonstrated that GGB method can enhance restarted GMRES strategies by retention of subspace information. Copyright c ∞ 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of a Guideline on Management of Children Hospitalized With Community-Acquired Pneumonia

OBJECTIVES: We sought to describe the impact a clinical practice guideline (CPG) had on antibiotic management of children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of discharged patients from a children’s hospital with an ICD-9-CM code for pneumonia (480–486). Eligible patients were admitted from July 8, 2007, through July 9, 2009, 12 months before and after the CAP CPG was introduced. Three-stage least squares regression analyses were performed to examine hypothesized simultaneous relationships, including the impact of our institution\x{2019}s antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP). RESULTS: The final analysis included 1033 patients: 530 (51%) before the CPG (pre-CPG) and 503 (49%) after the CPG (post-CPG). Pre-CPG, ceftriaxone (72%) was the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, followed by ampicillin (13%). Post-CPG, the most common antibiotic was ampicillin (63%). The effect of the CPG was associated with a 34% increase in ampicillin use (P < .001). Discharge antibiotics also changed post-CPG, showing a significant increase in amoxicillin use (P < .001) and a significant decrease in cefdinir and amoxicillin/clavulanate (P < .001), with the combined effect of the CPG and ASP leading to 12% (P < 0.001) and 16% (P < .001) reduction, respectively. Overall, treatment failure was infrequent (1.5% vs 1%). CONCLUSIONS: A CPG and ASP led to the increase in use of ampicillin for children hospitalized with CAP. In addition, less broad-spectrum discharge antibiotics were used. Patient adverse outcomes were low, indicating that ampicillin is appropriate first-line therapy for otherwise healthy children admitted with uncomplicated CAP. * Abbreviations: 3SLS — : 3-stage least squares regression analysis ASP — : antimicrobial stewardship program CAP — : community-acquired pneumonia CPG — : clinical practice guideline CXR — : chest radiograph ICD-9-CM — : International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Revision-Clinical Modification IDSA — : Infectious Diseases Society of America VATS — : video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
Combination therapy for midtrimester abortion: laminaria and analogues of prostaglandins.

Abstract Thirty-four women 13–20 weeks pregnant were aborted by IM 15(S)-15 methyl prostaglandin E 2 , 10 mcg every four hours. Thirteen women had pretreatment with intracervical laminaria tents. The use of laminaria tents produced a highly significant reduction in time to abortion without an increase in complications. A reduction in the dose of methyl PGE 2 required for abortion was also noted. Other investigators have already reported similar improved results with combinations of laminaria and analogues of prostaglandin and they deserve a wider clinical trial.
Addition of magnetic field capability to existing extremely‐low‐frequency electric field exposure systems

Magnetic field systems were added to existing electric field exposure apparatuses for exposing cell suspensions in vitro and small animals in vivo. Two horizontally oriented, rectangular coils, stacked one directly above the other, have opposite electric currents. This configuration minimizes leakage fields and allows sham- and field-exposure systems to be placed in the same room or incubator. For the in vitro system, copper plates formed the loop-pair, with up to 900 A supplied by a 180:1 transformer. Electric fields were supplied via electrodes at the ends of cell-culture tubes, eight of which can be accommodated by each exposure system. Two complete systems are situated in an incubator to allow simultaneous sham and field exposure up to 1 mT. For the in vivo system, four pairs of 0.8 x 2.7-m coils made of copper bus bar are employed. This arrangement is energized from the power grid via a 30:1 transformer; horizontal magnetic flux densities up to 1 mT can be generated. Pairs of electrode plates spaced 30.5 cm apart provide electric field exposure of up to 130 kV/m. Four systems with a capacity of 48 rats each are located in one room. For both the in vitro and in vivo systems, magnetic exposure fields are uniform to within +/- 2.5%, and sham levels are at least 2,500-fold lower than exposure levels. Potential confounding factors, such as heating and vibration, were examined and found to be minimal.
Effect of Moisture on the Thermal Protective Performance of Heat-Resistant Fabrics

The effect of fabric moisture on thermal insulation properties of twelve heat resistant fabrics made with polybenzimidazole (PBI), aromatic polyamide (aramid) and blends of PBI with aramid or with flame retardant rayon fibers is investigated in several high intensity radiant and convective heat exposures. Three fabric preparations were evaluated: oven dry samples, samples condi tioned in a standard atmosphere (65% R.H., 21 ° C) and samples soaked with liquid water. This research shows that moisture enhances the thermal in sulation of all single layer protective fabrics evaluated against 2.0 cal/cm2 ·sec mixed convective exposure and against 0.48 cal/cm2 · sec radiant energy expo sure. Moisture hurts the thermal protective performance (TPP) of the same fabrics in high intensity radiant tests (i.e., 2.0 cal/cm2 · sec, 100% radiant heat). The mechanisms by which moisture acts to change the TPP of a fabric is discussed in light of fabric heating rates.
A relational pyramid approach to view class determination

Given a CAD model of an object, the authors would like to automatically generate a vision model and matching procedure that can be used in robot guidance and inspection tasks. They are building a system that can predict features that will appear in a 2D view of a 3D object, represent each such view with a hierarchical, relational structure, group together similar views into view classes, and match an unknown view to the appropriate view class to find its pose. They describe the relational pyramid structure for describing the features in a particular view or view class of an object, the summary structure that is used to summarize the relational information in the relational pyramid, and an accumulator-based method for rapidly determining the view class(es) that best match an unknown view of an object. >
3‐(1‐Hydroxybutyl)‐1‐methylpyrrole and 3‐Butyroyl‐1‐methylpyrrole

3-(1-Hydroxybutyl)-1-methylpyrrole and 3-butyroyl-1-methylpyrrole product: 3-(1-Hydroxybutyl)-1-methylpyrrole (1) reactant: 60 mL (55 g, 0.676 mol) of 1-methylpyrrole reactant: 65 mL (54 g, 0.936 mol) of butyraldehyde product: 3-Butyroyl-1-methylpyrrole (2) product: 3-acetyl-1-methylpyrrole Keywords: addition, to CO; alkylation, C-alkylation; oxidation, CHOH CO; photochemical reactions; photochemical apparatus
Coupling of Ca(2+) to CREB activation and gene expression in intact cerebral arteries from mouse : roles of ryanodine receptors and voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels.

Pathological changes of the vasculature are characterized by changes in Ca(2+) handling and alterations in gene expression. In neurons and other cell types, [Ca(2+)](i) often drives changes in gene expression. However, the relationship between Ca(2+) signaling and gene expression in vascular smooth muscle is not well understood. This study examines the ability of Ca(2+) influx through voltage-dependent, L-type Ca(2+) channels (VDCCs) and Ca(2+) release through ryanodine receptors (RyRs) to activate the transcription factor, cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB), and increase c-fos levels in intact cerebral arteries. Membrane depolarization increased the fraction of nuclei staining for phosphorylated CREB (P-CREB) and levels of c-fos mRNA in intact mouse cerebral arteries. Ryanodine, which inhibits RyRs, increased P-CREB staining and c-fos levels. Forskolin, an activator of adenylyl cyclase, and sodium nitroprusside, an NO donor, increased P-CREB and c-fos levels. Nisoldipine, an inhibitor of VDCCs, reversed the effects of depolarization and ryanodine on P-CREB and c-fos levels, but not the effects of forskolin or sodium nitroprusside. Inhibition of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaM kinase) blocked increases in P-CREB and c-fos levels seen with membrane depolarization, suggesting that CaM kinase has an important role in the pathway leading from Ca(2+) influx to CREB-mediated changes in c-fos levels. Our data suggest that membrane depolarization increases [Ca(2+)](i) through activation of VDCCs, leading to increased P-CREB and c-fos, and that RyRs have a profound effect on this pathway by indirectly regulating Ca(2+) entry through VDCCs. These results provide the first evidence of Ca(2+) regulation of CREB and c-fos in arterial smooth muscle.
Multicluster tools scheduling: an integrated event graph and network model approach

Steady-state throughput and scheduling of a multicluster tool become complex as the number of modules and clusters grows. We propose a new methodology integrating event graph and network models to study the scheduling and throughput of multicluster tools. A symbolic decision-move-done graph modeling is developed to simplify discrete-event dynamics for the multicluster tool. This event graph is further used for searching feasible action sequences of the cluster tool. By representing sequences with networks, an extended critical path method is applied to calculate the corresponding cycle time. Grouping methods that are based on network are also introduced to reduce the searching complexity. Compared with optimization-based scheduling approaches, the proposed methodology can directly capture the cyclic characteristic of cluster tool schedules and be applied to analyze the impact of process and wafer flow variations on cycle time and robot schedules. We have successfully applied this new methodology to dozens of cluster tools at Intel Corporation. A chemical-mechanical planarization polisher is employed as an example to illustrate and validate the proposed methodology
TacTex-03: a supply chain management agent

This paper introduces TacTex-03, an agent designed to participate in the Trading Agent Competition Supply Chain Management Scenario (TAC SCM). As specified by this scenario, TacTex-03 acts as a simulated computer manufacturer in charge of buying components such as chips and motherboards, manufacturing different types of computers, and selling them to customers. TacTex-03 was the top scorer in two of the preliminary rounds of the 2003 TAC SCM competition, and finished in 3rd place in the finals.
Mechanical Properties of Partially Dense Alumina Produced from Powder Compacts

The elastic modulus (E), the critical strain energy release rate (G[sub c]), and the flexural strength ([sigma]) have been determined for two partially dense alumina bodies produced from the same powder but with different initial densities. The mechanical properties were measured for specimens fabricated at four different relative densities. The measured elastic modulus, critical strain energy release rate, and a calculated critical stress intensity factor (K[sub c]) were observed to be linearly related to ([rho] [minus] [rho][sub 0])/(1 [minus] [rho][sub 0]), where [rho] is the current relative density and [rho][sub 0] is the initial relative density of the powder compact. With the observed linear relations for E, G[sub c] (or K[sub c]), and the assumption that the crack length responsible for failure was present in the initial powder compact and shrunk in proportion to the relative density change, a Griffith equation was constructed to estimate the strength at any relative density. This relation was in good agreement with measurements.
Mycorrhizal networks mediate overstorey‐understorey competition in a temperate forest

In forests, common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) often connect the roots of neighbouring plants. Observations of material flows between hosts connected by CMNs have given rise to the hypothesis that CMNs limit the negative effects of competition by overstorey trees on seedlings recruiting underneath them. I conducted an experiment in a temperate forest dominated by ectomycorrhizal conifers and hardwoods to isolate the effects of CMNs on the growth and survival of four tree species that co-occur in the understorey. Ectomycorrhizal networks had strong negative effects on the survival of an arbuscular mycorrhizal species, Acer rubrum, and neutral effects on the survival of three ectomycorrhizal species, Betula allegheniensis, Pinus strobus, and Tsuga canadensis. CMNs had positive effects on the growth of at least one ectomycorrhizal species, P. strobus. Interspecific differences in juvenile responses to CMNs may influence forest community development, promoting coexistence of some tree species while limiting the success of others.
Application of Optical Disk Data Storage in Information Systems

A distinction is made among low, high, very high and ultra high performance optical disk memory technologies. Comparisons are drawn between present storage devices and optical memories which identify the unique system characteristics of the latter. The theme of this paper is how these unique features can impact automation of information storage and retrieval systems. Topics/areas discussed include (1) data bases such as engineering drawings and personnel files containing text, graphics and/or grey-scale imagery, (2) file/record sizes, (3) system architectures and (4) system modeling for purposes such as queuing analysis.
Synthesis of Sulfotyrosine‐Containing Peptides by Incorporating Fluorosulfated Tyrosine Using an Fmoc‐Based Solid‐Phase Strategy

Tyrosine O-sulfation is a common protein post-translational modification that regulates many biological processes, including leukocyte adhesion and chemotaxis. Many peptides with therapeutic potential contain one or more sulfotyrosine residues. We report a one-step synthesis for Fmoc-fluorosulfated tyrosine. An efficient Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthetic strategy is then introduced for incorporating the fluorosulfated tyrosine residue into peptides of interest. Standard simultaneous peptide-resin cleavage and removal of the acid-labile side-chain protecting groups affords the crude peptides containing fluorosulfated tyrosine. Basic ethylene glycol, serving both as solvent and reactant, transforms the fluorosulfated tyrosine peptides into sulfotyrosine peptides in high yield.
Moderate (2%, v/v) Ethanol Feeding Alters Hepatic Wound Healing after Acute Carbon Tetrachloride Exposure in Mice

Wound healing consists of three overlapping phases: inflammation, proliferation, and matrix synthesis and remodeling. Prolonged alcohol abuse can cause liver fibrosis due to deregulated matrix remodeling. Previous studies demonstrated that moderate ethanol feeding enhances liver fibrogenic markers and frank fibrosis independent of differences in CCl₄-induced liver injury. Our objective was to determine whether or not other phases of the hepatic wound healing response were affected by moderate ethanol after CCl₄ exposure. Mice were fed moderate ethanol (2% v/v) for two days and then were exposed to CCl₄ and euthanized 24-96 h later. Liver injury was not different between pair- and ethanol-fed mice; however, removal of necrotic tissue was delayed after CCl₄-induced liver injury in ethanol-fed mice. Inflammation, measured by TNFα mRNA and protein and hepatic Ly6c transcript accumulation, was reduced and associated with enhanced hepatocyte apoptosis after ethanol feeding. Hepatocytes entered the cell cycle equivalently in pair- and ethanol-fed mice after CCl₄ exposure, but hepatocyte proliferation was prolonged in livers from ethanol-fed mice. CCl₄-induced hepatic stellate cell activation was increased and matrix remodeling was prolonged in ethanol-fed mice compared to controls. Taken together, moderate ethanol affected each phase of the wound healing response to CCl₄. These data highlight previously unknown effects of moderate ethanol exposure on hepatic wound healing after acute hepatotoxicant exposure.
Dorsal skin necrosis secondary to a solar-induced thermal burn in a brown-coated dachshund

A 5-year-old neutered male brown dachshund dog was presented for a large dorsal cutaneous burn that occurred following direct sunlight exposure outdoors in high ambient temperatures. Although burns are quite common in dogs, full-thickness solar-induced radiation burns are less common and have not been previously reported in animals without a black hair coat.
On Jacobi Poincaré Series of Small weight

Γg := SL2(Z) n (Z × Z) (g ∈ N). We show that they form a generating system for the vector space of Jacobi cusp forms J k,m . As two applications, we estimate Fourier coefficients of Siegel modular forms and construct lifting maps from J k,m to a subspace of elliptic modular forms. It is likely that one can generalize our results to certain congruence subgroups as done in [Br2]. In the following, let k and n be positive integers, r ∈ Zg, and m a positive definite symmetric half-integral (i.e., 2m has integral entries and even diagonal elements) g×g matrix such that D := det ( 2n rt r 2m ) is positive. For s ∈ C and (τ, z) ∈ H× Cg, we define the JacobiPoincare series of exponential type
Structural Dynamics of Calmodulin using Bifunctional Spin Labels and Double Electron-Electron Resonance

We have used site-directed spin labeling and double electron-electron resonance spectroscopy (DEER) to probe the structural dynamics of calmodulin in the context of regulating the skeletal muscle Ca release channel, the ryanodine receptor (RyR1). Conventional spin labels that attach using a single flexible di-sulfide linkage allow local spin label motion that limits the resolution and accuracy of distance or orientation measurements. To avoid this problem, we use a bifunctional spin label (BSL) that provides stereospecific attachment at Cys sites four residues apart on an α helix. A mutant calmodulin construct containing bifunctional labeling sites on helices in the N-lobe (T34CS38C) and in the C-lobe (R106CT110C) was expressed and labeled with BSL. DEER was used to measure the spin-spin distance distribution in the presence and absence of Ca. Our results show that in the absence of Ca, CaM is predominantly in one structure with a center distance of 4.22 nm, which is in in good agreement with the predicted structure based on the published NMR solution structure (4.30 nm). In the presence of Ca, CaM takes on two structures with center distances at 2.73 (34%) and 4.11 nm (66%). Neither of these distances agrees with that predicted by the x-ray crystal structure of Ca-CaM (5.6 nm). This discrepancy may be due to artifacts from the crystalline environment in x-ray, whereas our DEER measurement was made in frozen solution. In conclusion, these results indicate the potential of BSL for accurate distance measurement and suggest new structures of Ca-bound CaM in solution. Ongoing studies are expanding these experiments to CaM bound to a synthetic peptide that is part of the CaM-binding domain on RyR1. This work was supported by NIH grants to DDT (R37 AG26160, T32 AR007612).
Enabling Better Electrochemical Activity Studies of H2O‐Soluble Au Clusters by Phase Transfer and a Case Study of Lipoic‐Acid‐Stabilized Au22

In stark contrast to organic systems, insight of the electrochemical properties is rather limited in aqueous solution for Au clusters, which have received extensive research attention recently. We demonstrate phase transfer as an efficient strategy to shuttle the Au nanoclusters between aqueous and organic solvents cyclically. The ability to phase transfer the Au clusters circumvents the limitations of potential window and high dielectric constant of water for electrochemistry studies. Two types of ligand molecular structures were employed with different hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity: mercaptosuccinic acid and lipoic acid, the latter featuring a longer hydrophobic portion and disulfide group (for Au bonding). The transfer efficiency was evaluated at different pHs. Additional redox activities from the Au22LA12 cluster that could not be seen from aqueous measurements were successfully resolved. Reversible and controllable transfer between aqueous and organic phases is believed to be a generalizable approach that could enable broader applications.
Na(+)-current expression in rat hippocampal astrocytes in vitro: alterations during development.

1. With the use of whole-cell patch-clamp recording. Na(+)-current expression was studied in hippocampal astrocytes in vitro, individually identified by filling with Lucifer yellow (LY) and stainin...