cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Potential for reactive pulsed-dc magnetron sputtering of nanocomposite VOx microbolometer thin films

Vanadium oxide (VOx) thin films were deposited by reactive pulsed-dc sputtering a metallic vanadium target in argon/oxygen mixtures with substrate bias. Hysteretic oxidation of the vanadium target surface was assessed by measuring the average cathode current during deposition. Nonuniform oxidization of the target surface was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy. The VOx film deposition rate, resistivity, and temperature coefficient of resistance were correlated to oxygen to argon ratio, processing pressure, target-to-substrate distance, and oxygen inlet positions. To deposit VOx in the resistivity range of 0.1–10 Ω-cm with good uniformity and process control, lower processing pressure, larger target-to-substrate distance, and oxygen inlet near the substrate are useful.
Patients with anorexia nervosa have elevated scores on the Yale-Brown obsessive-compulsive scale

We found, after excluding core anorexic symptoms (disturbances of body image, feeding, and exercise), that anorexcics had significantly elevated scores on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) compared to matched healthy volunteer women. We found that 19 unmedicated anorexic patients had a score of 22 ± 5 on the Y-BOCS, similar in magnitude to the score reported for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As a group, anorexic patients had 10 ± 5 (mean ± SD) of the types of obsessions and compulsions commonly found in patients with OCD. This study supports other studies suggesting that anorexia nervosa may have a relationship to OCD.
Microdetermination of fluoride by laser-excited molecular fluorescence spectroscopy in a graphite furnace☆

Abstract Fluoride at picogram levels is determined by using laser-excited molecular fluorescence of MgF produced in a graphite atomizer by adding magnesium to the fluoride sample. A pulsed dye-laser, tuned at 268 nm, is used to excite MgF and the resulting fluorescence is measured at 358 nm. Experimental parameters, including graphite furnace conditions and magnesium concentration, are optimized. The effect of other halides and anions on MgF fluorescence intensity have also been explored.
In vitro degradation of l-phenylalanine mustard (l-PAM)

l-Phenylalanine mustard (l-PAM), a bis-choroethylamine, is an important drug in the treatment of multiple myeloma and ovarian cancer. It undergoes rapid hydrolysis in vitro and in vivo, forming the mono-and dihydroxy degradation products. l-PAM's first-order disappearance rate in a phosphate-buffered solution did not differ statistically according to the presence or absence of activated rat liver microsomal enzymes. Furthermore, l-PAM's disappearance rate in a rat whole liver perfusion system was not greater than its hydrolysis rate in water. In vitro plasma recovery studies showed that up to 85% of the 14C l-PAM drug equivalents could be recovered as the parent compound and the mono-and dihydroxy degradation products. Thus, l-PAM in in vitro degradation was similar qualitatively and quatitatively to its reported in vivo degradation in animals and man. It is concluded that l-PAM does not undergo important, active in vivo metabolism.
Fine structure and development of proteoplasts in primary leaves of mung bean

The developing primary leaves of mung bean seedlings contain plastids, called proteoplasts, which are modified for protein storage. The proteoplast has a large protein inclusion with a granular matrix that is bound by a single membrane. Proteoplasts of this type are located in a layer of tissue one cell thick between the palisade and spongy mesophyll cells. The cell layer containing proteoplasts (P layer) differentiates within a few days after seed imbibition. Proteoplast precursors are distinguished by the development of membrane-bound protein sacs within the stroma. The protein sacs coalesce to form a spherical protein body. The P layer is short lived in primary leaves of seedlings grown in light and degeneration of these cells begins soon after proteoplast differentiation. As the cell layer degenerates, proteoplast contents become very electron dense. Within two days, the P layer breaks down and disappears as adjacent cells enlarge and differentiate. In contrast, this specialized cell layer remains intact, with little change in proteoplast fine structure, over a corresponding period in etiolated seedlings.
Explicit versus Implicit Instruction in Phonemic Awareness.

Abstract Kindergarten and first-grade children received two forms of instruction in phonemic awareness: (1) a “skill and drill” approach where the procedural knowledge of segmentation and blending of phonemes were taught versus (2) a “metalevel” approach that explicitly emphasized the application, value, and utility of phonemic awareness for the activity of reading in addition to teaching the procedural knowledge of segmentation and blending. Forty-two kindergarten and 42 first-grade children (14 children each in the experimental groups or control group) received training twice a week for 10 weeks. The results of this training study supported the growing evidence that phonemic awareness is causally related to reading achievement at the beginning stages of reading development. Furthermore, although a significant improvement in reading achievement was observed for both experimental groups in kindergarten and first-grade children, the degree of improvement in reading ability of the first-grade children depended strongly upon the type of instruction received. That is, the children who reflected upon and discussed the value, application, and utility of phonemic awareness for the activity of reading at an explicit level performed significantly better on a transfer measure of reading achievement than the skill and drill experimental group. The implications of a metalevel or metacognitive form of instruction are discussed.
Theory of Polaron-Induced Anomalies in the Interband Magneto-Optical Absorption of InSb

We propose a coupled-mode theory which explains the behavior of the infrared absorption in a semiconductor in a magnetic field in the region where the cyclotron frequency is equal to the optical phonon frequency. A technique for formulating the problem in terms of Green's functions is also developed.
Effect of explosive bonds on acoustic loss of aluminium-magnesium alloys

The amplitude-independent mechanical quality factors of the commercial aluminium-magnesium alloys 5056 and 5456 were measured from 50 mK to 300 K in torsional mechanical resonators in which the rotation axis coincides with an essentially flat explosive-bond plane. The 1 kHz resonators were configured to minimize extraneous internal friction effects. The results are compared with those obtained in similar experiments on a 5056 resonator in which there were no explosive bonds. Numerical estimates of the quality factor of the bond material are obtained. From high-resolution resonant frequency measurements, the superconducting transition temperatures were determined and the effect of superconductivity on the torsion modulus was observed. The work was motivated by recent proposals to fabricate massive spherical resonant gravitational wave detectors from explosively bonded stacks of aluminium alloy plates.
Impact of Birth Order on Religious Behaviors among College Students Raised by Highly Religious Mormon Parents

SummaryThis study examined the impact of birth order on religious behaviors among college students raised by two highly religious Mormon parents. It is argued that individuals raised in the same religious family might not be equally religious due to some differential childhood experiences based on their birth-order ranking. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by undergraduate students taking classes at a state university in Utah. Results of a multivariate analysis, based on participants coming from highly religious Mormon families, indicated that earlier-borns showed a higher Mormon religiosity than later-borns.
Triiodothyronine, β-adrenergic receptors, agonist responses, and exercise capacity

Abstract Although thyroid hormone excess results in increased β-adrenergic receptor density or agonist responses in some cells of experimental animals, the role of these effects in contributing to clinical manifestations of hyperthyroidism in human subjects is unclear. To shed further light on this issue, we characterized the effect of 2 weeks of excess triiodothyronine administration on cardiac and metabolic responses to graded-dose isoproterenol infusion, skeletal muscle β-adrenergic receptor density, and physiologic determinants of exercise capacity in young healthy subjects. The slope of the heart rate response to isoproterenol was 36% greater ( p p p p p
Extracting Electrical Network Frequency From Digital Recordings Using Frequency Demodulation

Electric power system instantaneous frequency, also referred to as electrical network frequency (ENF), pollutes digital recordings due to a variety of factors (e.g., transformer hum). This unwanted interference has been used as a forensic tool in conjunction with a database of ground truth ENF measurements to determine the time at which a recording was made, as well as to detect tampering. Recent work has suggested that that ENF could be used to geolocate a digital recording under the assumption that the low-energy location-unique power system dynamics are observable, which is not always the case in the presence of noise and interference. This letter aims to take advantage of the intrinsic nature of power system instantaneous frequency in order to frame the ENF extraction problem as one of FM demodulation. By considering the ENF as a sinusoid of nominal power system frequency that is frequency modulated by a weak stochastic signal, a 0-Hz Intermediate Frequency (IF) signal can be created and analyzed rather than direct measurements. In doing so, significant data reduction can be achieved through extensive downsampling, FM demodulation algorithms can be applied to extract the ENF, and the spectrum of the IF signal provides a straightforward way of estimating the maximum observable frequency content of the ENF buried in a digital recording. These findings are supported through the analysis of audio recordings made in the presence of ENF interference in the U.S. Eastern Interconnection power system.
Molecular pathways controlling heart development

Heart formation requires complex interactions among cells from multiple embryonic origins. Recent studies have begun to reveal the genetic pathways that control cardiac morphogenesis. Many of the genes within these pathways are conserved across vast phylogenetic distances, which has allowed cardiac development to be dissected in organisms ranging from flies to mammals. Studies of cardiac development have also revealed the molecular defects underlying several congenital cardiac malformations in humans and may ultimately provide opportunities for genetic testing and intervention.
Human sperm chromatin has a nucleosomal structure.

Digestion of human sperm chromatin with micrococcal nuclease reveals an 160 base pair (b.p.) DNA fragment that is further degraded to a series of DNA fragments remarkably similar to the micrococcal nuclease digestion products of eukaryote somatic cellular chromatin. DNase I digestion of human sperm chromatin also yields an identical pattern of DNA fragments to that observed upon DNase I digestion of somatic chromatin. These data, together with earlier electron microscopic observations, suggest a nucleosomal structure for human sperm chromatin.
On algorithm portfolios and restart strategies

We consider two parallel strategies for randomized restart algorithms. Given a set of available algorithms, one can either choose the best performing algorithm and run multiple copies of it in parallel (single algorithm portfolio), or choose some subset of algorithms to run in parallel (mixed algorithm portfolio). It has been previously shown in the literature that the latter approach may provide better results. In this paper we investigate the extent of such improvement.
Subduction factory 2. Are intermediate-depth earthquakes in subducting slabs linked to metamorphic dehydration reactions?

[1] New thermal-petrologic models of subduction zones are used to test the hypothesis that intermediate-depth intraslab earthquakes are linked to metamorphic dehydration reactions in the subducting oceanic crust and mantle. We show that there is a correlation between the patterns of intermediate-depth seismicity and the locations of predicted hydrous minerals: Earthquakes occur in subducting slabs where dehydration is expected, and they are absent from parts of slabs predicted to be anhydrous. We propose that a subductingoceanicplatecanconsistoffourpetrologicallyandseismicallydistinctlayers:(1) hydrated, fine-grained basaltic upper crust dehydrating under equilibrium conditions and producing earthquakes facilitated by dehydration embrittlement; (2) coarse-grained, locally hydrated gabbroic lower crust that produces some earthquakes during dehydration but transformschieflyaseismicallytoeclogiteatdepthsbeyondequilibrium;(3)locallyhydrated uppermost mantle dehydrating under equilibrium conditions and producing earthquakes; and (4) anhydrous mantle lithosphere transforming sluggishly and aseismically to denser minerals. Fluid generated through dehydration reactions can move via at least three distinct flowpaths:percolationthroughlocal,transient,reaction-generatedhigh-permeabilityzones; flow through mode I cracks produced by the local stress state; and postseismic flow through fault zones. INDEX TERMS: 7218 Seismology: Lithosphere and upper mantle; 7230 Seismology: Seismicity and seismotectonics; 8123 Tectonophysics: Dynamics, seismotectonics; 8135 Tectonophysics: Evolution of the Earth: Hydrothermalsystems (8424); 3660 Mineralogyand Petrology: Metamorphicpetrology;
Thickness effect on the extended-x-ray-absorption-fine-structure amplitude

The thickness effect, which is caused by inevitable leakage radiation accompanying the desired radiation, can cause significant decreases of extended-x-ray-absorption-fine-structure (EXAFS) amplitude when the sample is thick enough. The effect is illustrated by measurements of the $K$-edge EXAFS on a series of copper foils of varying thicknesses. Significant distortions in EXAFS amplitudes occur when $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}x\ensuremath{\ge}1.5$, where $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{0}$ is the $K$-edge step in the absorption coefficient and $x$ is the sample thickness. Therefore, the optimum total sample thickness of ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{T}x=2.6$ as determined by statistical considerations will introduce errors in EXAFS amplitudes in concentrated samples due to the thickness effect. The measurements presented here determine the most accurate values of EXAFS amplitude for copper metal which agree well with theory as corrected for the many-body overlap effect.
Becoming Citizens in an Era of Globalization and Transnational Migration: Re-imagining Citizenship as Critical Practice

This article examines how the perspectives and experiences of Arab American youth from immigrant communities can help educators think about what it means to teach young people to become active participants in the social, civic, and political spheres within and across the boundaries of nation-states. Arab American youths' perspectives are reflective of the transnational nature of their life experiences, as well as the unfortunate ways they have been positioned as enemy-outsiders to the United States in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Listening closely to the experiences and perspectives of these young people yields concrete implications for designing citizenship education that reflects the changing nature of belonging and citizenship. This article proposes that we stop thinking about citizenship primarily in relation to national identifications and begin to see it as a set of critical practices—practices that give young people the tools to work for social change within and across the boundaries of nat...
Simultaneous thermal and timeliness guarantees in distributed real-time embedded systems

Distributed real-time embedded systems have stringent requirements for key performance properties, such as end-to-end timeliness and reliability, in order to operate properly. In recent years, with the continuously decreasing feature size and increasing demand for computation capabilities, today's real-time embedded systems face an increasing probability of overheating and even thermal failures. As a result, their temperature must be explicitly controlled for improved reliability. While a variety of control algorithms have been proposed for either real-time guarantees or thermal management in an isolated manner, this paper proposes a coordinated control solution that can provide simultaneous thermal and timeliness guarantees for distributed real-time embedded systems running in unpredictable environments. To achieve desired control functions for different generations of processors, our control solution includes two thermal controllers that are designed for processors with and without DVFS support, respectively. In addition, a novel coordination design is proposed to allow the thermal and timeliness control loops to run on their respective desired small timescales for prompt control actions and yet achieve theoretically guaranteed control accuracy and system stability. We implement our control solution in a real system and present empirical results to show that our solution provides dynamic thermal and timeliness guarantees simultaneously. Our simulation results also demonstrate the efficacy of our control solution in large-scale real-time systems.
An Attempt Ata Commentary: Two Proposed Texts for Future Publication1

Recently I have started to read my own commentaries to the volume of metropolitans' epistles from the early fourteenth century to the beginning of the sixteenth century. And I found it almost ready for publication. The two texts of commentaries to charters of Metropolitan Iona will present the quality and character of these commentaries.
Sperm retrieval in infertile males: Comparison between testicular sperm extraction and testicular sperm aspiration techniques

Improvements in using retrieved testicular spermatozoa in infertile males to achieve fertilization and pregnancy has enabled patients with clinical azoospermia and non-obstructive testicular failure to father children.
Evaluating high accuracy retrieval techniques

Although information retrieval research has always been concerned with improving the effectiveness of search, in some applications, such as information analysis, a more specific requirement exists for high accuracy retrieval. This means that achieving high precision in the top document ranks is paramount. In this paper we present work aimed at achieving high accuracy in ad-hoc document retrieval by incorporating approaches from question answering(QA). We focus on getting the first relevant result as high as possible in the ranked list and argue that traditional precision and recall are not appropriate measures for evaluatin this task. We instead use the mean reciprocal rank(MRR) of the first relevant result. We evaluate three different methods for modifying queries to achieve high accuracy. The experiments done on TREC data provide support for the approach of using MRR and incorporating QA techniques for getting high accuracy in ad-hoc retrieval task.
Cost Effectiveness of Administration of Intravenous Anesthetics for Direct-Current Cardioversion by Nonanesthesiologists

Well-trained nonanesthesiologists can safely and effectively administer IV anesthetics for cardioversion. This practice results in considerable cost savings without compromising patient care.
Evaluation of the net radiant heat transfer between specularly reflecting plates

The radiant heat transfer between two parallel infinite plates was determined. The plates were assumed to be specular, anisotropic reflectors and emitters as characterized by the electromagnetic theory for highly polished electrical conductors. Numerical results are given for specific metals from 4.2 to 1500° K. Also, the results are expressed in generalized form for obtaining the net radiant heat transfer between any two parallel, infinite metal plates given only the temperatures and electrical resistivities. Total hemispherical and normal emissivities were determined using the same methods. The results were in very good agreement with empirical equations given in the literature. For a contrasting comparison, Christiansen's equation for the net radiant heat transfer between two parallel, diffuse, gray surfaces of infinite extent was evaluated using these emissivities. The values obtained were less than those computed for the net radiant heat transfer between specular plates.
Competitive self-trained pronoun interpretation

We describe a system for pronoun interpretation that is self-trained from raw data, that is, using no annotated training data. The result outperforms a Hobbsian baseline algorithm and is only marginally inferior to an essentially identical, state-of-the-art supervised model trained from a substantial manually-annotated coreference corpus.
Stable, scalable, fair congestion control and AQM schemes that achieve high utilization in the Internet

Virtual queue-based active queue management schemes have been proposed to provide low-loss, low-delay service in the Internet. In an earlier work, we had proposed a particular scheme called the adaptive virtual queue (AVQ) algorithm where the capacity of the virtual queue is adapted to the traffic conditions to achieve a desired level of utilization in the network. Here, we study the choice of the parameters of the congestion-controllers at the sources and the AVQ scheme at the links that is required to ensure stability. In particular, we consider a system in which users with diverse round-trip delays and fairness requirements access a general topology network. For this system, we show that, by choosing the speed of adaptation at the sources and the links appropriately, one can guarantee the stability of the network.
Virus electrodes for universal biodetection.

A dense virus layer, readily tailored for recognition of essentially any biomarker, was covalently attached to a gold electrode surface through a self-assembled monolayer. The resistance of this “virus electrode”, ZRe, measured in the frequency range from 2 to 500 kHz in a salt-based pH 7.2 buffer, increased when the phage particles selectively bound either an antibody or prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), a biomarker for prostate cancer. In contrast to prior results, we show the capacitive impedence of the virus electrode, ZIm, is both a noisier and a less sensitive indicator of this binding compared to ZRe. The specificity of antibody and PSMA binding, and the absence of nonspecific binding to the virus electrode, was confirmed using quartz crystal microbalance gravimetry.
Soft-chemical Synthetic Route to Superparamagnetic FeAs@C Core-shell Nanoparticles Exhibiting High Blocking Temperature

Superparamagnetic FeAs nanoparticles with a fairly high blocking temperature (TB) have been synthesized through a hot injection precipitation technique. The synthesis involved usage of triphenylarsine (TPA) as the As precursor, which reacts with Fe(CO)5 by ligand displacement at moderate temperatures (300 °C). Addition of a surfactant, hexadecylamine (HDA), assists in the formation of the nanoparticles, due to its coordinating ability and low melting point which provides a molten flux like condition making this synthesis a solventless method. Decomposition of the carbonaceous precursors, HDA, TPA and Fe(CO)5, also produces the carbonaceous shell coating the FeAs nanoparticles. Magnetic characterization of these nanoparticles revealed the superparamagnetic nature of these nanoparticles with a perfect anhysteretic nature of the isothermal magnetization above TB. The TB observed in this system was indeed high (240 K) when compared with other superparamagnetic systems conventionally utilized for magnetic stor...
Rossby Wave Propagation and Generation in the Protoplanetary Nebula

Abstract The protoplanetary nebular analog to the planetary Rossby wave is developed. Linear dispersion relations are derived. It is found that the nebular Rossby wave propagates freely in the nebular azimuthal direction and slowly grows in the radial direction. Possible ramifications for the nebula are raised for the reverse transition of turbulence into Rossby waves and zonal jets via the Rhines mechanism (P. B. Rhines 1975, J. Fluid Mech. 69 , 417–443), specifically, the formation of long-lived vortices and the accretion of solid bodies.
A model for the charge-pumping current based on small rectangular voltage pulses

Abstract The charge-pumping current results from recombination associated with the SiO2Si interface traps under the gate of a MOSFET when a voltage pulse is applied to the gate. A model is proposed which predicts this current as a function of the frequency, amplitude, and average voltage of pulses with peak-to-peak amplitudes less than the difference between the flatband and inversion voltages and with pulse transistions fast enough so that negligible capture or emission occurs during the transition. The model is based on Shockley-Read-Hall traps segregated by energy and capture cross section into traps which capture only and traps which tend to emit before capture. It predicts the dominant behavior of the measured current and with the inclusion of surface potential fluctuations and a distribution of cross sections it agrees well with experiment. Thus, the charge-pumping current due to these small rectangular pulses can be used to determine the density, the electron capture cross section, and the hole capture cross section of interface traps near midgap.
Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(3'-iodo-4'-aminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole for in vivo quantitation of amyloid deposits in Alzheimer's disease.

A potent and brain permeable amyloid ligand has been identified as a lead compound capable of I-123/125-labelling for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging. In this study, we report the synthesis and I-125-radiolabelling of Compound 6 and its in vitro and in vivo properties. Compound 6 [2-(3′-iodo-4′-aminophenyl)-6-hydroxybenzothiazole] bound to synthetic Aβ(1–40) fibrils in a saturable manner, exhibiting an affinity (Ki) of 11±1.1 nM in a competitive binding assay using a tritiated thioflavin T analog ([3H]BTA-1) as radioligand. [125I]6 binding to synthetic Aβ(1–40) fibrils fit a single-site model. [125I]6 exhibited several-fold higher binding to homogenates of frontal cortex from post-mortem Alzheimer’s disease brain relative to age-matched control brain homogenates. No difference in binding was observed in cerebellum. The ratio of radioactivity concentration between frontal cortex and cerebellum was 6-fold higher in AD brain homogenates than the age-matched control. [125I]6 also readily penetrated the blood-brain barrier in normal control mice with an average radioactivity concentration of 6.43 ± 0.62%ID/g detected in the whole brain at 2 min post i.v. injection. At 30 min, the radioactivity concentration decreased to 0.40 ± 0.05%ID/g, indicating good clearance in the absence of amyloid deposits in the brain.
Energy acquisition and allocation in Peromyscus maniculatus exposed to aldicarb and cool temperatures

We hypothesized an energetic effect of the pesticide Aldicarb (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor) through its action on gut innervation, and hence digestive efficiency, and tested this in deer mice (Peromyscus mamculatus Rafinesque) exposed to both the pesticide and cold temperature. Growing deer mice were exposed to Aldicarb in their drinking water at concentrations of 0, 10, and 10,000 ppb and housed at 11 and 23°C. There were no changes due to Aldicarb in several measures of physiological energetics, including energy intake (food consumption, digestive efficiency, gut size) or in the allocation of energy to growth or activity. Two of eight measures of gut size (length and weight of the large intestine) increased significantly with exposure to Aldicarb at the high concentration. Also, there was significant interaction effect of exposure to Aldicarb and cool temperatures on the ratio of mucosal to serosal mass in the small intestine, such that mucosal mass increased when mice were exposed to low doses of Aldicarb at low temperatures but not under other conditions. Although increased absorptive area of the gut (i.e., size or mucosal mass) can be a compensatory response to energy shortfalls, there was no indication of that cause in Aldicarb-exposed mice. Cold-temperature treatment did increase energy costs, however, and both food consumption and gut size increased in mice housed at 11°C, so that digestive efficiency and allocation to growth and activity were no different from those of mice housed at warmer temperatures. Thus, Aldicarb is unlikely to produce any chronic effects on these mice in the wild through disruption of digestion or other causes of energetic shortfall.
Oligopoly Dynamics: Consequences of Religious Regulation

In the first part of this article, the author tries to clarify a set of interconnected concepts—religious plurality (diversity), pluralization, and pluralism. As a descriptive concept for sociological theorizing, social pluralism is further differentiated into legal, civic and cultural arrangements. Modern pluralization may have started accidentally in the United States of America, but it has become a general trend in the world. In the second part, the author argues that the predominant type of Church—State relationship in the world today is neither monopoly nor pluralism, but oligopoly. More importantly, the theoretical propositions based on the studies of monopoly-pluralism are not applicable without substantial modification to explain oligopoly dynamics. The China case shows that in oligopoly, increased religious regulation leads not necessarily to religious decline, but to triple religious markets: the red market (legal), black market (illegal) and grey market (both legal and illegal or neither legal ...
Combination of nitrogen dioxide radicals with 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine and guanine radicals in DNA: oxidation and nitration end-products.

The oxidation and nitration reactions in DNA associated with the combination of nitrogen dioxide radicals with 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) and guanine radicals were explored by kinetic laser spectroscopy and mass spectrometry methods. The oxidation/nitration processes were triggered by photoexcitation of 2-aminopurine (2AP) residues site-specifically positioned in the 2‘-deoxyribooligonucleotide 5‘-d(CC[2AP]TC[X]CTACC) sequences (X = 8-oxoGua or G), by intense 308 nm excimer laser pulses. The photoionization products, 2AP radicals, rapidly oxidize either 8-oxoGua or G residues positioned within the same oligonucleotide but separated by a TC dinucleotide step on the 3‘-side of 2AP. The two-photon ionization of the 2AP residue also generates hydrated electrons that are trapped by nitrate anions thus forming nitrogen dioxide radicals. The combination of nitrogen dioxide radicals with the 8-oxoGua and G radicals occurs with similar rate constants (∼4.3 × 108 M-1 s-1) in both single- and double-strande...
Potential industry applications using gas hydrate technology

Over the past decade, gas hydrates have stimulated significant interest and triggered fundamental research. Primarily, the focus has been on hydrate blockage in pipelines, and on naturally occurring gas hydrates. However, gas hydrates can be useful in many different ways that can be pertinent to our industry, thanks to their unique structural packing where only certain molecules can enter the gas hydrate cavities. Among the several potential uses of gas hydrate technology are gas separation, transportation and storage of natural gas, desalination, and carbon dioxide disposal. In particular, it is possible to (i) separate the heavier components (pentane and higher) from natural gas, and (ii) capture, store and transport natural gas. This paper proposes a workflow for capturing, storing and transporting gas in the hydrate form, particularly for situations where there are infrastructural constraints such as lack of pipelines. These applications of gas hydrate technology can have potential benefits to the oil and gas industry.
Recurrent stress incontinence is associated with decreased neuromuscular function in the striated urethral sphincter.

Objective The study aim was to compare urethral neuromuscular function in stress incontinent women with and without previous incontinence surgery. Study design Urethral electromyographic (EMG) data for women with recurrent urodynamic stress incontinence following 1 previous continence procedure were compared to age- and parity-matched women with urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) without previous incontinence surgery. The cases with recurrent USI included 13 women with 1 previous sling and 13 women with 1 previous Burch. EMG signals were obtained at rest, with cough, and during pelvic floor contraction using an automated software program. EMG data from recurrent cases were compared with controls. Results Women with recurrent stress incontinence after 1 previous continence procedure had lower quantitative EMG values than women without previous surgery. Specifically, we observed that women with previous sling had significantly lower quantitative EMG values with cough (P = .007), while baseline and squeeze values were not significantly different. Women with previous Burch had cough EMG values intermediate between the control and previous sling group, which trended toward statistical significance (P = .057). Conclusion Women with recurrent urodynamic stress incontinence after previous slings have poorer urethral neuromuscular function than stress incontinent women without previous incontinence surgery.
Yellowing of oil films

Results of studies of the effects of various factors on film yellowing, the mechanism of yellowing, its inhibition, and isolation and characterization of the yellow constituents are reported.
Preformulation solubility and kinetic studies of 2',3'-dideoxypurine nucleosides: potential anti-AIDS agents

Abstract Prior to the development of parenteral formulations of 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (DDA) and 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (DDI) for preclinical and clinical testing for possible treatment of HIV infections, studies of the physicochemical properties and solution stability of these compounds were conducted. Apparent pKa values at 25° C, determined by titration, are 3.77 for DDA and 9.12 for DDI. Intrinsic solubilities in water at 25° C are 43 mg ml and 27 mg ml for DDA and DDI, respectively. The pH-solubility profile of DDI was found to be in close agreement with that predicted for a weak acid with a pKa of approx. 9. Adenine and hypoxanthine, the principle products of hydrolysis of DDA and DDI, respectively, exhibit much lower solubilities in water than their corresponding dideoxynucleosides but are solubilized in concentrated formulations of the nucleosides. The rates of degradation of DDA and DDI were determined as a function of pH, temperature, and drug concentration. Consistent with previous reports, acid-catalyzed hydrolysis rates increase dramatically (nearly 105-fold) upon removal of the 2'- and 3'-hydroxyls from adenosine and inosine. Entropies of activation are significantly more positive for the hydrolysis of DDA and DDI compared to adenosine and inosine, consistent with a carbonium ion mechanism in which the C-N bond cleavage is relatively further advanced in the transition state. Prototype solution formulations of both compounds having projected shelf-lives well in excess of 2 years at room temperature have been prepared.
Neutron Scattering Investigations on a Bimodal Polymer Gel

This study investigates structural similarities in polyfluorosilicone (PFSi) gels made by different cross-linking procedures, using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The scattering properties of gels prepared from long and short precursor chains and of the un-cross-linked polymer solutions are reported. The gel samples were cross-linked by two methods, hydrosilylation, and condensation curing. The scattering response of a bimodal gel made by hydrosilylation is compared with that of a monomodal gel made by condensation curing having nearly identical shear moduli. Significant differences in the microscopic structure are revealed by SANS. In the bimodal gels made by hydrosilylation, the scattering spectrum can be described by two characteristic length scales, one dynamic and one static. The condensation cured sample contains in addition very large structures, possibly due to solid precipitation as a byproduct of the condensation reaction. For this system at least three correlation lengths are thus required to define the scattering curve.
Extracellular pressure stimulates colon cancer cell proliferation via a mechanism requiring PKC and tyrosine kinase signals.

UNLABELLED Pressure in colonic tumours may increase during constipation, obstruction or peri-operatively. Pressure enhances colonocyte adhesion by a c-Src- and actin-cytoskeleton-dependent PKC-independent pathway. We hypothesized that pressure activates mitogenic signals. METHODS Malignant colonocytes on a collagen I matrix were subjected to 15 mmHg pressure. ERK, p38, c-Src and Akt phosphorylation and PKCalpha redistribution were assessed by western blot after 30 min and PKC activation by ELISA. Cells were counted after 24 h and after inhibition of each signal, tyrosine phosphorylation or actin depolymerization. RESULTS Pressure time-dependently increased SW620 and HCT-116 cell counts on collagen or fibronectin (P < 0.01). Pressure increased the SW620 S-phase fraction from 28 +/- 1 to 47 +/- 1% (P = 0.0002). Pressure activated p38, ERK, and c-Src (P < 0.05 each) but not Akt/PKB. Pressure decreased cytosolic PKC activity, and translocated PKCalpha to a membrane fraction. Blockade of p38, ERK, c-Src or PI-3-K or actin depolymerization did not inhibit pressure-stimulated proliferation. However, global tyrosine kinase blockade (genistein) and PKC blockade (calphostin C) negated pressure-induced proliferation. CONCLUSIONS Extracellular pressure stimulates cell proliferation and activates several signals. However, the mitogenic effect of pressure requires only tyrosine kinase and PKCalpha activation. Pressure may modulate colon cancer growth and implantation by two distinct pathways, one stimulating proliferation and the other promoting adhesion.
An Image Enhancement Algorithm Based on a Contrast Measure in the Wavelet Domain for Screening Mammograms

Currently, radiologists mainly use their eyes to discern cancer when they screen the mammograms. However, in many cases, cancer is not easily detected by the eyes because of bad imaging conditions. In order to improve the diagnostic rate of cancer, image enhancement technology is often used to enhance the image and aid the radiologists. In this paper, we developed a new image enhancement technology in the wavelet domain for radiologists to screen mammograms. The new image enhancement algorithm has several advantages. First, the image enhancement is based on a contrast measure defined in the wavelet domain which matches the human vision system better. The enhanced images are therefore more suitable for the human eye; second, the image enhancement is carried on in the wavelet domain which saves time if the image is compressed by JPEG2000. The algorithm was tested by an expert and the results are progressive.
Comparable Preference Estimates across Time and Institutions for the Court, Congress, and Presidency

Empirically oriented scholars often struggle with how to measure preferences across time and institutional contexts. This article characterizes these difficulties and provides a measurement approach that incorporates information that bridges time and institutions in a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach to ideal point measurement. The resulting preference estimates for presidents, senators, representatives, and Supreme Court justices are comparable across time and institutions. These estimates are useful in a variety of important research projects, including research on statutory interpretation, executive influence on the Supreme Court, and Senate influence on court appointments.
The Phylogeny of the Extant Chelicerate Orders

Abstract The phylogeny of the extant chelicerate orders is examined in the light of morphological and molecular evidence. Representatives from each of the chelicerate "orders" and mandibulate and onychophoran outgroups are examined. Molecular (small and large ribosomal subunit DNA) and morphological information is combined in a total evidence regime to determine the most consistent picture of extant chelicerate relationships for these data. Multiple phylogenetic analyses are performed with variable analysis parameters yielding largely consistent results. A normalized incongruence length metric is used to assay the relative merit of the multiple analyses. The combined analysis with lowest character incongruence yields the scheme of relationships (Pycnogonida+ (Xiphosura+((Opiliones+((Solifugae+Pseudoscorpiones)+Scorpiones))+((Ricinulei+Acari)+(Palpigradi+ ((Thelyphonida+Schizomida=Uropygi)+(Amblypygi+ Araneae))))))). This result is fairly robust to variation in analysis parameters, with the placement of solifugids and the status of the pedipalps responsible for most disagreement.
A load-capacity interference model for common-mode failures in 1-out-of-2: G systems

Load-capacity (stress-strength) interference theory is used to model the time-dependent behavior of a 1-out-of-2: G redundant system and to examine common-mode failures. For single units subjected to Poisson distributed load arrivals, the random failures, infant mortality, and aging are associated with load variability, capacity variability, and capacity deterioration, respectively. This paper extends the analysis to a redundant system by using a Markov model to treat Poisson distributed loads arriving at units simultaneously. Loss of s-independence of the unit failures is analyzed with joint PDFs of load and capacity. In the rare-event approximation, the degree of redundancy loss is characterized by expressing the coefficient in the beta-factor method in terms of the load and capacity distributions.
Host Spatial Heterogeneity and Extinction of an SIS Epidemic

Spatially explicit epidemic models explore population-level consequences of interactions between neighboring infectious and susceptible individuals. Most such models equate local and global host density, so that each individual interacts with the same number of neighbors. But many natural populations exhibit heterogeneity in local abundance. Therefore, we let host dispersion vary from uniform to clumped in a spatial epidemic with recovery. We analytically approximated the epidemic with a branching process to show how the probability of pathogen extinction could depend on the degree of host clumping. We then simulated the detailed model across a range of parameter combinations. Both approaches to the problem indicate that host spatial aggregation strongly increases the chance of pathogen extinction.
Epoxy resins. III. Application of fourier transform IR to degradation studies of epoxy systems

Three cured epoxy resins were investigated under various degradation conditions by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy for measurement. The epoxy resins were the diglyadyl ethers of bisphenol A (DGEBA), phenolphthalein (DGEPP), and 9,9-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)fluorene (DGEBF). The thermal stability order of functional groups that incurred DGEBA was total methyl group ∼ total benzene ring > methylene > p-phenylene > ether linkage > isopropylidene. The oxidative thermal and photodegradation processes were found to be related to the classical autocatalytical oxidation of aliphatic hydrocarbon segments. The Wieland rearrangement, Norrish-type reaction, Claisen rearrangement, and other possible degradation mechanisms were suggested by the data.
Menstrual cycle and basal metabolic rate in women

Basal metabolic rate, resting metabolic rate (RMR), and energy cost of selected activities were measured in six healthy young women who were participating in a study of protein requirements. The women were confined to a metabolic unit for 92 days during which they consumed a defined formula diet. The basal metabolic rate of the women was 20.7 +/- 2.6 kcal/kg body weight/day and the caloric requirement for maintenance of weight was 38.7 kcal/kg body weight/day. Basal metabolic rate varied significantly with the menstrual cycle. Basal metabolic rate decreased at menstruation and fell to its lowest point approximately 1 wk before ovulation subsequently rising until the beginning of the next menstrual period. RMR was 0.99 +/- 0.16 kcal/kg/h. The energy expenditure while sitting was 1.06 times RMR, while walking it was 2.81 times RMR, and while performing treadmill exercise it was 3.47 times RMR.
Motor vehicle crash-related injury causation scenarios for spinal injuries in restrained children and adolescents.

Objective: Motor vehicle crash (MVC)-related spinal injuries result in significant morbidity and mortality in children. The objective was to identify MVC-related injury causation scenarios for spinal injuries in restrained children.Methods: This was a case series of occupants in MVCs from the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) data set. Occupants aged 0–17 years old with at least one Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 2+ severity spinal injury in vehicles model year 1990+ that did not experience a rollover were included. Unrestrained occupants, those not using the shoulder portion of the belt restraint, and those with child restraint gross misuse were excluded. Occupants with preexisting comorbidities contributing to spinal injury and occupants with limited injury information were also excluded. A multidisciplinary team retrospectively reviewed each case to determine injury causation scenarios (ICSs). Crash conditions, occupant and restraint characteristics, and injuries were qualitatively ...
How Strong and Weak Forms of Collective Responsibility Shape Team Processes

Team effectiveness literature recognizes collective responsibility (CR) as an important dimension of team design, but has not specifically defined CR, nor shown how it is designed and enacted by ma...
Antigenic and structural properties of mutants in herpes simplex virus 1 glycoprotein B.

The infectivity of herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) is accomplished by the glycoproteins (g’s) in the virion envelope and is thought of as a two-step process. First, virions bind to host cells via a surface receptor molecule. Second, they enter cells by fusion of the virion envelope with the cell membrane. The structure of the viral glycoproteins has most likely evolved to optimize their role in infection. HSV-1 virions contain seven envelope glycoproteins (1–6). Four of these are not absolutely essential for growth in cell culture (6, 7); however, conditional lethal mutations in three—gB (8, 9), gH (4, 10), and gD (11)—preclude infectivity. Although gB and gD are the most abundant glycoproteins in HSV-1-infected cells, the topography of the glycoproteins assembled into the virion envelope has not been elucidated.
The meaning of baselines

Images of mind superbly summarizes work on cognitive neuroscienee using PET scanning. Some of the data emphasized suggests that parietal cortex is involved in the disengagement of attention. We have discovered neurons in awake monkeys which could perform this function. Another point of emphasis is the concept of neutral cues. Although an appealing concept, it is extremely difficult to define what is actually neutral.