cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of atrial natriuretic peptide receptors in the rat brain.

1. We have studied the localization, kinetics, and regulation of receptors for the circulating form of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP; 99–126) in the rat brain. 2. Quantitative autoradiographic techniques and a125I-labeled ligand,125I-ANP (99–126), were employed. Afterin vitro autoradiography, quantification was achieved by computerized microdensitometry followed by comparison with125I-standards. 3. ANP receptors were discretely localized in the rat brain, with the highest concentrations in circumventricular organs, the choroid plexus, and selected hypothalamic nuclei involved in the production of the antidiuretic hormone vasopressin and in blood-pressure control. 4. Spontaneously (genetic) hypertensive rats showed much lower numbers of ANP receptors than normotensive controls in the subfornical organ, the area postrema, the nucleus of the solitary tract, and the choroid plexus. These changes are in contrast to those observed for receptors of angiotensin II, another circulating peptide with actions opposite to those of ANP. 5. Under conditions of acute dehydration after water deprivation, as well as under conditions of chronic dehydration such as those present in homozygous Brattleboro rats, there was an up-regulation of ANP receptors in the subfornical organ. 6. Our results indicate that in the brain, circumventricular organs contain ANP receptors which could respond to variations in the concentration of circulating ANP. In addition, brain areas inside the blood-brain barrier contain ANP receptors probably related to the endogenous, central ANP system. 7. The localization of ANP receptors and the alterations in their regulation present in genetically hypertensive rats and after dehydration indicate that brain ANP receptors are probably related to fluid regulation, including the secretion of vasopressin, and to cardiovascular function. ANP and angiotensin II could act as mutual antagonists in the brain as they do in the periphery. 8. ANP receptors in the choroid plexus may be related to the formation of cerebrospinal fluid.
Optical ages indicate the southwestern margin of the Green Bay Lobe in Wisconsin, USA, was at its maximum extent until about 18,500 years ago

Abstract Samples for optical dating were collected to estimate the time of sediment deposition in small ice-marginal lakes in the Baraboo Hills of Wisconsin. These lakes formed high in the Baraboo Hills when drainage was blocked by the Green Bay Lobe when it was at or very near its maximum extent. Therefore, these optical ages provide control for the timing of the thinning and recession of the Green Bay Lobe from its maximum position. Sediment that accumulated in four small ice-marginal lakes was sampled and dated. Difficulties with field sampling and estimating dose rates made the interpretation of optical ages derived from samples from two of the lake basins problematic. Samples from the other two lake basins—South Bluff and Feltz basins—responded well during laboratory analysis and showed reasonably good agreement between the multiple ages produced at each site. These ages averaged 18.2 ka ( n = 6) and 18.6 ka ( n = 6), respectively. The optical ages from these two lake basins where we could carefully select sediment samples provide firm evidence that the Green Bay Lobe stood at or very near its maximum extent until about 18.5 ka. The persistence of ice-marginal lakes in these basins high in the Baraboo Hills indicates that the ice of the Green Bay Lobe had not experienced significant thinning near its margin prior to about 18.5 ka. These ages are the first to directly constrain the timing of the maximum extent of the Green Bay Lobe and the onset of deglaciation in the area for which the Wisconsin Glaciation was named.
A dynamic analysis of turnover in employment and child care

The causes of turnover in child-care arrangements and maternal employment are analyzed using panel data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, supplemented with state-level information on child-care markets. The results indicate that turnover in child care is quite high and that child and family characteristics help explain turnover. Important factors include the mother’s wage, the cost of child care, age of the child, and previous child-care decisions. The reduced-form nature of the analysis makes it difficult to determine whether these factors are important because they are associated with unstable child-care supply or because they affect family decisions, conditional on supply factors. The results provide no direct evidence that child-care turnover is higher in states with more unstable child-care markets.
Pollution taxes and standards: A continuum of quasi-optimal solutions

Abstract A generalized second-best problem, involving a perfectly competitive industry which produces a pollution type of externality, is examined. The pollution tax is allowed to assume an arbitrary value (possibly zero), while a pollution standard, set as a ratio of pollution to output, is determined by a first-order optimizing condition. The general condition for a set of quasi-optimal solutions includes the Pareto-optimal solution as a special case. It is also found that when the pollution tax is below the optimal level, the usual implication is that the standard should be set so that the marginal cost of pollution reduction exceeds the marginal external damage.
Rates and Equilibria for Probe Capture by an Antibody with Infinite Affinity

Probe-capture systems based on proteins and synthetic ligands have become important for new analytical and imaging applications. We have used kinetic measurements of luminescence and measurements of binding by isothermal calorimetry to determine essential rate and equilibrium constants for a system that permanently captures modified DOTA chelates for positron imaging. We used that information along with previous results to quantitatively characterize the behavior of this system in vitro and in vivo. Under physiological conditions at 37 °C, the equilibrium dissociation constant for yttrium S-2-(4-aminobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecanetetraacetate from antibody 2D12.5 is 2.0 (± 0.4) × 10−9 M and the dissociation rate constant is 7.0 (± 0.7) × 10−3 s−1, leading to an inferred association rate constant of 3.5 × 106 M−1 s−1. Using these values to interpret data from earlier experiments leads to the rate constant 2.5 × 10−2 s−1 for covalent attachment of bound yttrium S-2-(4-acrylamidobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetr...
A diagnosis that's up in the air.

Question: A 61-year-old man presented with severe upper abdominal pain. He had a history of moderate alcohol intake, but no prior pancreatic disease. On physical examination he was afebrile with upper abdominal tenderness and voluntary guarding. Laboratory studies were notable for: aspartate aminotransferase, 118 U/L (normal, <48); alanine aminotransferase, 114 U/L (normal, <55); creatinine 3.8 mg/dL (normal,<1.3); and lipase, 3,843 U/L (normal, <73). A computed tomographic (CT) scan of the abdomen without contrast was obtained (Figure A). Urgent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed and biliary sludge and 1 stone were removed. He developed progressive multiorgan failure over the next week, including septic shock requiring vasopressor support, acute renal failure requiring dialysis, and hypoxemic respiratory failure necessitating mechanical ventilation. Subsequently, a CT-guided fine-needle aspiration of a peripancreatic fluid collection revealed polymicrobial growth of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Candida albicans. What is the diagnosis? Look on page 1429 for the answer and see the Gastroenterology web site (www.gastrojournal.org) for more information on submitting your favorite image to Clinical Challenges and Images in GI.
The Error-Minimization-based Rezone Strategy for Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian Methods

The objective of the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) methodology for solving multidimensional fluid flow problems is to move the computational mesh, using the flow as a guide, to improve the robustness, accuracy and efficiency of a simulation. The main elements in the ALE simulation are an explicit Lagrangian phase, a rezone phase in which a new mesh is defined, and a remapping (conservative interpolation) phase, in which the Lagrangian solution is transferred to the new mesh. In most ALE codes, the main goal of the rezone phase is to maintain high quality of the rezoned mesh. In this article, we describe a new rezone strategy which minimizes the L2 norm of the solution error and maintains smoothness of the mesh. The efficiency of the new method is demonstrated with numerical experiments. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 21: 000 – 000, 2005
Design and control of the ethyl benzene process

The ethyl benzene (EB) process involves the reaction of benzene with ethylene to form the desired EB product. However, ethylene can also react with EB to form an undesired product of di-ethyl benzene (DEB) if reactor temperatures or ethylene concentrations are high. An unusual feature of the EB process is the ability to recycle “to extinction” all the DEB formed in the reactor (no net DEB product produced), since DEB reacts with benzene to form EB. Since DEB is the highest-boiling component in the system, it comes out the bottom of the two distillation columns, so there is little energy penalty in having a large DEB recycle. Recycling benzene is more expensive because it goes overhead in the first distillation column. The economic optimum steady-state design is developed that minimizes total annual cost (capital and energy). An effective plantwide control structure is also developed. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011
The Membrane Bending Action of the Syt-1 C2AB Studied on Supported Lipid Bilayers

Calcium-triggered exocytosis is vital to the cellular and physiological homeostasis of higher organisms. The broad rules of exocytosis, including its regulation by SNARE proteins and Ca2+, have now been known for several years. However, there is a gap in our knowledge with respect to the molecular events that regulate fusion pore expansion and concomitant content dispersal. Within this context, the studies focus on the Ca2+-binding Synaptotagmin (Syt) family of proteins. Syt actions during exocytosis are often tied to its ability to bend and deform membranes. But very little real-time evidence exists that Syt bends membranes or that membrane bending is an essential part of its function. In this project, we utilized synthetic membranes and purified Syt proteins to answer a specific question: Does Syt bend membranes in a Ca2+-dependent manner? To answer this question, we used a combination of in vitro approaches, including recombinant Syt C2AB proteins, supported lipid bilayers (SLBs), and a curvature-sensitive optical technique called polarized total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (pTIRFM). Although the results are preliminary, we find that purified Syt proteins added to supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) do create localized membrane deformations in the presence of Ca2+. Future work will investigate how the bending process is regulated, whether it differs between synaptotagmin isoforms, and ultimately, how it relates to the function of synaptotagmin in living cells undergoing exocytosis.
Modeling syntactic constraints on anaphoric binding

Syntactic constraints on antecedent-anaphor relations can be stated within the theory of Lexical Functional Grammar (henceforth LFG) through the use of functional uncertainty (Kaplan and Maxwell 1988; Halvorsen and Kaplan 1988; Kaplan and Zaenen 1989). In the following, we summarize the general characteristics of syntactic constraints on anaphoric binding. Next, we describe a variation of functional uncertainty called inside-out functional uncertainty and show how it can be used to model anaphoric binding. Finally, we discuss some binding constraints claimed to hold in natural language to exemplify the mechanism. We limit our attention throughout to coreference possibilities between definite antecedents and anaphoric elements and ignore interactions with quantifiers. We also limit our discussion to intrasentential relations.
Learner Support Staff in Higher Education: Victims of Change?

This research is concerned with exploring role changes within a particular group of higher education staff - those involved with learner support in a library and information service context. It examines what impact, if any, the Dearing Report of 1997 had on these staff and how they felt about their posts five years later. Research was undertaken initially through an examination of job advertisements in the professional press and then by sending a questionnaire to 76 learner support staff within seven HE institutions. In order to further extend the research, seven of the survey respondents were interviewed. It was discovered that job titles were indeed changing to reflect new roles and new descriptors were emerging. Staff had also positively identified role change and were able to select, firstly, specific activities which were becoming increasingly important, secondly, those remaining core tasks and, thirdly, and most interestingly, new growth areas of work. Respondents also selected a number of activitie...
Metal-Oxide-Silicon Capacitor Detectors for Measuring Micrometeoroid and Space-Debris Flux

Capacitor-type micrometeoroid flux detectors have been fabricated and tested. The detectors were of the metaloxide-silicon type and were formed using standard silicon technology developed for fabricating microelectronic devices and circuits. The detectors were tested using an electrostatic accelerator and carbonyl iron projectiles ranging in size from 0.3 to 5.0 /ion in diameter (1 X 10~13 to 5 X 10~10 g) with velocities from 1 to 20 km/s. The detector operation was found to be reliable if the bias voltage was held above a threshold value that is necessary for a significant capacitor discharge. Variations of the bias voltage above the bias threshold did not appear to affect the detector sensitivity. An empirical relationship has been developed relating the sensitivity of the detectors to the detector thickness (dielectric plus top electrode) and the projectile diameter, velocity, and angle of impact. The mechanism responsible for the capacitor discharge appears to be the creation of charge carriers, followed by cascade ionization in the dielectric, caused by an impacting projectile. Once triggered, the discharge is then powered by the charge stored in the capacitor, which forms a plasma (spark) that causes a portion of the top metal electrode to vaporize, creating an open circuit at the impact site (i.e., the discharge self-extinguishes), which then allows the capacitor to recharge. The detector area lost as a result of impact damage is dependent on the discharge energy and is negligible for most applications.
T regulatory cells maintain intestinal homeostasis by suppressing γδ T cells.

Summary Immune tolerance against enteric commensal bacteria is important for preventing intestinal inflammation. Deletion of phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 ( Pdk1 ) in T cells via Cd4-Cre induced chronic inflammation of the intestine despite the importance of PDK1 in T cell activation. Analysis of colonic intraepithelial lymphocytes of PDK1-deficient mice revealed markedly increased CD8α + T cell receptor (TCR)γδ + T cells, including an interleukin-17 (IL-17)-expressing population. TCRγδ + T cells were responsible for the inflammatory colitis as shown by the fact that deletion of Tcrd abolished spontaneous colitis in the PDK1-deficient mice. This dysregulation of intestinal TCRγδ + T cells was attributable to a reduction in the number and functional capacity of PDK1-deficient T regulatory (Treg) cells. Adoptive transfer of wild-type Treg cells abrogated the spontaneous activation and proliferation of intestinal TCRγδ + T cells observed in PDK1-deficient mice and prevented the development of colitis. Therefore, suppression of intestinal TCRγδ + T cells by Treg cells maintains enteric immune tolerance.
Morphology and paleoenvironmental distribution of paleozoic Spirophyton and Zoophycos: Implications for the Zoophycos ichnofacies

Spirophyton producers inhabiting ephemeral ponds on estuarine floodplains marginal to the (Devonian) Catskill sea covering present-day southern New York were subjected to salinity fluctuations and desiccation, whereas Zoophycos producers living farther offshore were buried by storm deposits. Producers of Zoophycos living in interdistributary bays on Pennsylvanian lower delta plains (Tennessee) contended with fluctuations in salinity and oxygen conditions and variations in sediment grain size and in rate of sedimentation. In each case the producer was an r-selected opportunistic species, as shown by the distribution of the Spirophyton or Zoophycos and the paucity of co-occurring trace fossils. Morphologic analysis indicates that the Paleozoic producers of these Zoophycos and Spirophyton: (1) transported sediment downward from overlying layers or the sediment surface, and (2) were capable of a variety of behavioral patterns, only some of which resulted in complex 3-dimensional structures.
Phase equilibrium in Eu–Ba–Cu–O system

Abstract We have reinvestigated the phase diagram of the Eu–Ba–Cu–O system at 950°C in the pertinent regions of its isobaric–isothermal sections, both in air and in pure oxygen, i.e., at 0.2 and 1.0 atm oxygen pressure. The results show that there is an equilibrium quadrilateral (with O2 as the fifth phase) which is composed of the 123, 211, 011 and 143 phases (at a specified oxygen pressure). At higher temperatures, a diagonal tie-line exists between the 123 and 143 phases rather than between the 211 and 011 phase. At temperatures lower than the 5-phase equilibrium the tie-line connects the 211 and 011 phases. The equilibria change as a function of temperature has been studied hereby, and the resulting modification of the Eu–Ba–Cu–O phase diagram as a function of temperature and O2 pressure is reported. The observed new high-temperature phase relationship allows the “143” phase to be considered instead of 011 as a possible pinning center in 123. This may have important implications with respect to raising the critical current density, Jc, of the EuBa2Cu3O7−δ high-Tc superconductor.
Quantitative studies on passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in the denervated skin of the guinea pig.

SummaryDenervation of the skin of guinea pigs does not inhibit passive cutaneous anaphylactic reactions with either rabbit γG or guinea pig γG1 antibodies.
The juxtaglomeruler apparatus as an extra-adrenal site of ACTH action.

SummaryACTH produces hypergranulation of the renal juxtaglomerular cells even in absence of pituitary and adrenal glands, and the chronic absence of ACTH depletes juxtaglomerular granules. The renal effect of vasopressin and of hydralazine, substances which produce hypergranulation of juxtaglomerular cells, is blocked by hypophysectomy. These findings support the concept that ACTH mediates many of the responses of the juxtaglomerular cells, and that the juxtaglomerular apparatus is an extra-adrenal site for the direct action of ACTH.
CCAAT/Enhancer-binding Proteins β and δ Mediate the Repression of Gene Transcription of Cartilage-derived Retinoic Acid-sensitive Protein Induced by Interleukin-1β

Cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP) is a secreted protein expressed by chondrocytes; the expression is repressed by interleukin 1β (IL-1β). To investigate the transcriptional mechanism, by which CD-RAP expression is suppressed by IL-1β, deletion constructs of the mouse CD-RAP promoter were transfected into rat chondrocytes treated with or without IL-1β. The results revealed an IL-1β-responsive element located between −2138 and −2068 bp. As this element contains a CAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) motif, the function of C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ was examined. IL-1β stimulated the expression of C/EBPβ and -δ, and the direct binding of C/EBPβ to the C/EBP motif was confirmed. The −2251-bp CD-RAP promoter activity was down-regulated by co-transfection with C/EBP expression vectors. Mutation of the C/EBP motif abolished the inhibitory response to IL-1β. Additionally, C/EBP expression vectors were found to down-regulate the construct containing the promoter and enhancer of the type II collagen gene. Finally, the enhancer factor, Sox9, was shown to bind adjacent to the C/EBP site competing with C/EBP binding. Taken together, these results suggest that C/EBPβ and -δ may play an important role in the IL-1β-induced repression of cartilage-specific proteins and that expression of matrix proteins will be influenced by the availability of positive and negativetrans-acting factors.
Crystal structure of β-Mg2SiO4: crystal-chemical and geophysical implications

Crystal-chemical and geophysical implications concerning earth mantle phase transitions from beta magnesium silicate crystal structure
Modeling emissivity of rough and textured Silicon wafers

A method for calculating the emissivity of Si wafers with planar and nonplanar (such as rough or textured) surface morphologies is described. The technique is similar to that used in modeling of light trapping in solar cells and is also applicable to those cases when the wafer may have thin dielectric or metal layers. A software package is developed that uses this method. This package includes an approach for calculating the refractive index and absorption coefficient as a function of wavelength, for various temperatures and dopant concentrations. We present results for a number of cases to demonstrate the applications of this model.
Evidence for a universal relationship between magnetization and changes in the local structure in La1–xCaxMnO3

Ca dopants introduce holes in the Mn e g band which allows electronic transport; such samples exhibit a colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) when the sample becomes ferromagnetic at low T, for x in the range 0.2 < x < 0.5. Previous EXAFS studies on the perovskite manganites La 1 - x Ca x MnO 3 indicated a correlation between changes in the local structure associated with polaron formation, and the sample magnetization for these samples. We have extended the EXAFS measurements to a wider range of Ca concentrations and to very high magnetic fields. Applying a magnetic field reduces the local distortion of each sample for temperatures near T c . These measurements provide clear evidence for a universal relationship between the local structure and the sample magnetization. For at least one sample (x = 0.3), there is still a significant change of σ 2 with T below T c when the sample is fully magnetized, i.e. distortions are still present and continuing to be removed as T is lowered well below T c .
Secondary Relaxation Behavior of Some Diene Polymers.

Abstract : It has been found that below the glass transition temperature there are two distinct secondary loss peaks for the trans isomer of polybutadiene, but not for the cis isomer. The purpose of this work is to compare the dynamic mechanical loss curves of three polymers containing the diene groups in an effort to further scrutinize this interesting behavior.
Design of miscible polyolefin copolymer blends

Theoretical guidelines are established for designing miscible blends of amorphous polyolefin copolymers. On the basis of calculations for an athermal and incompressible model of copolymer melts, limits are placed on the compositions and structural differences between blend components that are consistent with thermodynamic stability of a single liquid phase. Specific cases analyzed include binary blends of random copolymers containing short branches and blends of graft polymers with long flexible branches, either periodically or randomly placed. The predictions are shown to be in good agreement with recent experimental studies of miscibility in model polyolefin copolymer blends. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Institutional and curricular characteristics of leading graduate HRD programs in the United States

HRD graduate programs form an important component of the system of human resource education in the United States. This study investigated the institutional and curricular characteristics of fifty-five leading programs in this country, focusing on three areas: institutional arrangements, student enrollment, and core curriculum content. Findings include a large degree of heterogeneity among program names, departmental affiliations, and specializations. Compared to data from 1991, student enrollment has declined at the master's level while part-time course taking has increased. Analysis of the core curriculum at these institutions showed a disparity between course offerings and much current writing in the field.
Viral Houseguests Undertake Interior Redesign

As part of their life cycle some single-stranded RNA viruses remodel host cytoplasmic membranes into specialized organelles. In this issue, Hsu et al. (2010) demonstrate how the viruses selectively co-opt host machinery to make this unique organelle, which has a lipid composition favorable to viral replication.
Educating the future information professional

A number of prominent educators, executives of professional associations, and business leaders address the positive and negative characteristics of contemporary library education. They stress the need for professionals to have a broad understanding of the field, vision, orientation to the future, and a balance of traditional and new skills. Information professionals of the future must have a broad understanding of the organization of knowledge, communication and interpersonal skills, management ability, and orientation toward problem solving and decision making. They must also be able to analyze, synthesize, interpret, and evaluate information and knowledge. Technology is mentioned by all contributors to the forum; most emphasize the need for information professionals to be able to manage and use technology as a tool—a means to an end, but not an end itself.
Remarkable rate enhancement of orotidine 5'-monophosphate decarboxylase is due to transition-state stabilization rather than to ground-state destabilization

The remarkable rate enhancement of orotidine 5‘-phosphate decarboxylase (ODCase) has been attributed to ground-state destabilization (GSD) by desolvation and more recently to GSD by electrostatic s...
Polarization Engineering of III-Nitride Nanostructures for High-Efficiency Light Emitting Diodes

The concept of polarization engineering of InGaN quantum wells are discussed as an approach for improving the radiative recombination rate of III-Nitride based active region. Two quantum wells were discussed as follow: 1) staggered InGaN quantum well, and 2) type-II InGaN-GaNAs quantum well. Staggered InGaN quantum wells (QW) grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition was demonstrated as improved active region for visible light emitters. Fermi's Golden Rule indicates that InGaN QW with step-function like In distribution leads to significantly improved radiative recombination rate and optical gain due to increased electron-hole wavefunction overlap, in comparison to that of conventional InGaN QW. Spontaneous emission spectra of both conventional and staggered InGaN QW were calculated based on energy dispersion and transition matrix element obtained by 6-band k•p formalism for wurtzite semiconductor, taking into account valence-band-states mixing, strain effects, and polarization-induced electric fields. The calculated spectra for the staggered InGaN QW showed enhancement of radiative recombination rate, which is in good agreement with photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence measurements at emission wavelength regime of 425-nm and 500-nm. Experimental results of light emitting diode (LED) structures at 450-nm utilizing staggered InGaN QW show improvement in output power much higher than what is predicted theoretically. In addition to the staggered InGaN QW, type-II InGaN-GaNAs QW was also investigated theoretically with potential of implementation for high efficiency LEDs.
The tympanostomy tube: An ingenious invention of the mid 19th century

The introduction of the tympanostomy tube in the treatment of otitis media with effusion in the mid 20th century completely revolutionized its therapy. Nevertheless, it was not a new idea. The aim of this research is to elucidate the origin of prosthetic middle ear ventilation in the mid 19th century. A review of primary sources revealed at least seven different models of tympanostomy tube which were manufactured between 1845 and 1875. These included: Frank's gold tube, Lincke's rubber tube, Bonnafont's silver cannula, Politzer's hard rubber drain, Miot's metallic eyelet, Voltolini's gold ring, and Bonnafont's eyelet. Study of these early innovations shows that all of the technical and surgical principles of the tympanostomy tube were known in the mid 19th century. Widespread introduction into otological practice did not occur until the mid 20th century invention of the operating microscope.
Universality of single-particle spectra of cuprate superconductors.

All the available data for the dispersion and linewidth of the single-particle spectra above the superconducting gap and the pseudogap in metallic cuprates for any doping have universal features. The linewidth is linear in energy below a scale ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ and constant above. The cusp in the linewidth at ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ mandates, due to causality, a waterfall, i.e., a vertical feature in the dispersion. These features are predicted by a recent microscopic theory. We find that all data can be quantitatively fitted by the theory with a coupling constant ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{0}$ and an upper cutoff at ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$, which vary by less than 50% among the different cuprates and for varying dopings. The microscopic theory also gives these values to within factors of $O(2)$.
Thermal Vaporization of Biological Nanoparticles: Fragment-Free Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoionization Mass Spectra of Tryptophan, Phenylalanine−Glycine−Glycine, and β-Carotene

A simple, new way to introduce fragile biomolecules into the gas phase via thermal vaporization of nanoparticles is described. The general utility of this technique for the study of biomolecules is...
Circular dichroism of reduced and oxidized recombinant human epidermal growth factor

To further elucidate the role of the disulfide bonds in determining the protein folding of recombinant human epidermal growth factor (r-HuEGF) we studied the structure of reduced and oxidized r-HuEGF using circular dichroism (CD). The far UV CD spectrum of reduced r-HuEGF in 10 mM sodium phosphate pH 3.0 is very different from that of the oxidized molecule. The spectrum of the reduced molecule consists of a plateau from 225 to 200 nm, consistent with the presence of alpha-helix, beta-sheet, and unordered structure. The addition of the alpha-helix inducer trifluoroethanol to the reduced molecule resulted in an enhancement of alpha-helix, at the apparent expense of beta-sheet, while the oxidized molecule was unaffected by the presence of this reagent. Secondary structure predictions based on the amino acid sequence of EGF correlate most closely with the structure of the reduced molecule. From these results, it appears that the r-HuEGF has a more regular secondary structure in the absence of the disulfide bonds than in their presence. This suggests that the folding of EGF occurs by destroying the regular secondary structure that was present in the reduced state, and that the structure of the native molecule is dictated largely by disulfide bonding.
Effect of marine biofilms on cathodic protection

Abstract Catholic protection is the most important method used for controlling marine corrosion, and the economics of the process are most favorable when calcareous deposits form on the metal surface. Films of marine bacteria were formed on stainless alloy surfaces, and the interactions between these films and calcareous deposits were investigated as a function of the applied current density. A pre-existing bacterial film made the calcareous deposit more uniform at all current densities. The combined bacterial/calcareous film acted as a beneficial diffusion barrier at high current density, but the film acted as a detrimental cathodic depolarizer, increasing the current necessary for protection at low current density. The implications for cathodic protection under various conditions are discussed.
Fluctuating-surface-current formulation of radiative heat transfer: Theory and applications

We describe a fluctuating-surface current formulation of radiative heat transfer between bodies of arbitrary shape that exploits efficient and sophisticated techniques from the surface-integral-equation formulation of classical electromagnetic scattering. Unlike previous approaches to nonequilibrium fluctuations that involve scattering matrices---relating ``incoming'' and ``outgoing'' waves from each body---our approach is formulated in terms of ``unknown'' surface currents, laying at the surfaces of the bodies, that need not satisfy any wave equation. We show that our formulation can be applied as a spectral method to obtain fast-converging semianalytical formulas in high-symmetry geometries using specialized spectral bases that conform to the surfaces of the bodies (e.g., Fourier series for planar bodies or spherical harmonics for spherical bodies), and can also be employed as a numerical method by exploiting the generality of surface meshes/grids to obtain results in more complicated geometries (e.g., interleaved bodies as well as bodies with sharp corners). In particular, our formalism allows direct application of the boundary-element method, a robust and powerful numerical implementation of the surface-integral formulation of classical electromagnetism, which we use to obtain results in new geometries, such as the heat transfer between finite slabs, cylinders, and cones.
A process to build new product development cycle time predictive models combining fuzzy set theory and probability theory

New product development (NPD) is a dynamic environment and the cycle times of the projects undertaken in this environment vary significantly. To develop and judge the performance of a theoretical model to adequately fit this environment requires the combination analytical methods. The data and model should include quantitative and qualitative characteristics. Certain statistical performance characteristics of a model are easily identifiable. Empirical evidence and expert opinion form a foundation for the model to ensure that the model performance represents the real world operating environment. This paper describes a modelling approach for predicting NPD project cycle time based on both statistical and fuzzy data. Statistical performance characteristics are used to determine the fit of a model. Fuzzy set theory is used to define the membership of the statistical performance in a well performing model and to aggregate the statistical and 'soft' performance characteristics to determine good overall model performance.
Abstract 5178: Homing of circulating prostate cancer cells to bone is regulated by alpha 1,3 fucosyltransferase 7

Circulating cancer cells are known to bind vascular surfaces and then to extravasate into target tissues. How such binding occurs is an essential, yet ill-defined step in metastasis. We and others have proposed that cancer cells exploit identical adhesive determinants as hematopoietic cells in order to bind microvascular endothelial cells. In particular, sialyl Lewis X (sLe(X)) on prostate cancer (PCa) cells is thought to promote metastasis by mediating PCa cell binding to microvascular endothelial (E)-selectin. Nonetheless, regulation of sLe(X) and related E-selectin ligand expression in PCa cells is a poorly understood factor in PCa metastasis. Here, we describe an important glycobiological mechanism regulating E-selectin-mediated adhesion and metastatic potential of PCa cells to the bone marrow. We demonstrate that alpha1, 3 fucosyltransferases (FT) 3, 6, and 7 are markedly elevated in bone- and liver-metastatic PCa tissue and dictate synthesis of sLe(X) and E-selectin ligands on metastatic PCa cells. Upregulated FT3, FT6, or FT7 expression induced robust PCa PC-3 cell adhesion to bone marrow endothelium and to inflamed postcapillary venules in an E-selectin-dependent manner. Membrane proteins, CD44, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), podocalyxin-like protein (PCLP), and melanoma cell adhesion molecule (MCAM) were major scaffolds presenting E-selectin-binding determinants on FT-upregulated PC-3 cells. Strikingly, elevated FT7 expression promoted PC-3 cell trafficking to and retention in bone marrow through an E-selectin dependent event. These results highlight alpha1, 3 FTs as potent enhancers of PCa cell metastatic efficiency to the bone marrow via an E-selectin-dependent trafficking mechanism. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5178.
Wonderful Life: An Interview with Herb Boyer

Once upon a time, not so very long ago, before restriction enzymes were ordered from a New England Biolabs catalog and vectors arrived in neat packages from Promega, and before molecular biologists added patents or a company to their CV, there was Herb Boyer. One can almost define the revolution in molecular genetics by Herb's story alone—the discovery of the iconic restriction enzyme EcoR1 and the definition of its sticky ends, the collaboration with Stan Cohen that produced recombinant DNA, and the genesis of the enduring gold standard in biotechnology, Genentech.
An informational externality in a competitive market

Abstract Consider a (new) competitive market with unknown demand. The market price generated by incumbents conveys information that firms, including potential entrants, use for future decisions. Yet the incumbents are not rewarded for their assistance, suggesting that an inefficiency can exist. It has been argued that greater entry generates more information about a new market and should be subsidized. A simple model of partial information and learning is developed, finding that an informational externality can exist in competitive markets, but there may be excessive entry. Free entry and a public price, conditions for competitive market efficiency, are conditions for inefficiency.
A physical study of the degradation of periodate–oxidized amylose

Changes in the viscosity of amylose that had been oxidized In an aqueous medium at pH 3.0 by sodium metaperiodate were followed as a function of time. Levels of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% periodate oxidation were attained. The rate of hydroxyl ion cleavage of the periodate oxidized amylose [(d1/[η]2)/dt = k] is proportional to the square of the degree of oxidation. That is, the hydroxyl ion hydrolysis of periodate oxyamylose occurs predominately at the site where two or more oxidized units exist side by side. A reaction mechanism is postulated to account for this slow breakdown of an isolated oxidized unit and for the fast degradation of two adjacent oxidized glucose; units. When two or more oxidized units exist side by side, the free aldehyde at carbon atom 3 is believed to be in equilibrium with a hydrate instead of a hemiacetal structure as in the case of a single, isolated, oxyglucose unit in amylose. The greater reversibility of the hydrate to the free aldehyde structure results in a greater possibility of β-alkoxycarbonyl elimination at sites where two or more oxidized glucose units exist side by side.
Paralogous origin of the rhodopsinlike opsin genes in lizards.

Rhodopsinlike opsins constitute a distinct phylogenetic group (Yokoyama 1994, Mol. Biol. Evol. 11:32–39). This RH2 group includes the green-sensitive opsins in chicken and goldfish and the blue-sensitive opsin in a nocturnal lizard gecko. In the present study, we isolated and sequenced the genomic DNA clones for the RH2 opsin gene, rh2Ac, of the diurnal lizard Anolis carolinensis. This single-copy gene spans 18.3 kb from start to stop codons, making it the longest opsin gene known in vertebrates. Phylogenetic analysis strongly suggests that rh2Ac is more closely related to the chicken green opsin gene than to the gecko blue opsin gene. This gene tree differs from the organismal tree, where the two lizard species should be most closely related, implying that rh2Ac and the gecko blue-sensitive opsin genes have been derived from duplicate ancestral genes.
Developing Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) in online communities: a conceptual perspective from search, experience and credence segmentation

Consumers and marketers can jointly build online communities. Several properties of such communities are challenging the accumulated wisdom on how to produce Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) and manage trust. This paper contributes to the development of IMC strategies in online communities from a Search, Experience and Credence (SEC) segmentation framework. Communication types in an online community are divided along three dimensions: individualisation (Personal/Impersonal), interactivity (Interactive/Non-interactive) and partiality (Impartial/Partial). This paper proposes that impersonal and non-interactive communications (partial or impartial) will work best in search segments; impersonal and interactive communications through the use of frequent retail promotion like free or inexpensive trials will work best in experience segments; heavy reliance on personal and interactive communications will work best in credence segments; and strong efforts to facilitate impartial sources such as educating consumers and developing a reputation reporting system and professional rating system will work best also in credence segments. This paper concludes by discussing the implications for the managers and users of current and future online communities and identifies some important open issues for future research.
A Methodology for Designing Robust Multivariable Nonlinear Feedback Control Systems

This paper presents an outline of a methodology for the design of nonlinear dynamic compensators for nonlinear multivariable systems with guarantees of closed-loop stability, robustness, and performance. The method is an extension of the Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian with Loop-Transfer-Recovery (LQG/LTR) methodology for linear systems, thus hinging upon the idea of constructing an approximate nonlinear inverse operator for the plant. A major feature of the method is a unification of both the state-space and Input-Output formulations. The major results of the paper are: i) Properties of the solution of certain optimal control problems; ii) New results on nonlinear estimation, including a new nonlinear observer with certain guaranteed properties; iii) The Loop Operator Recovery (LOR) procedure, and iv) Inclusion of command-following and disturbance rejection with a goal of a closed-loop stable, robust system.
Temporal correspondence between pluvial lake highstands in the southwestern US and Heinrich Event 1

Pluvial lakes were abundant in the southwestern United States during Pleistocene glaciations, particu- larly in the Great Basin. Many of these lakes occupied closed basins; therefore, fluctuations of their water surface elevations are valuable sources of paleoclimate information. Histories of the largest lakes are well constrained, whereas dozens of smaller lakes that were present in this region have received relatively little scientific attention. Given their dimensions, these smaller lakes were climatically sensitive and can offer important information about Quaternary climate variability. Here we present new ages for the highstands of three previously undated small lakes based on radiocarbon dating of gastropod shells recovered from beach ridges. These results are combined with other published and unpublished 14 C ages to yield an extensive compilation of highstand shoreline ages for lakes of all sizes throughout the southwestern US. The results indicate that although some lakes reached highstands during the Last Glacial Maximum, the strongest temporal correspondence is between highstands and Heinrich Event H1. These results are consistent with speleothem-based reconstructions of effective moisture in the southwestern US, which show increased precipitation during stadials of the last glacial cycle. Copyright # 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Molecular electronics: science and technology for the future

The following topics are discussed: the emergence of molecular electronics research; nanometer scale components; assembly techniques; synthetic organic molecules and biomolecules; the role of protein engineering; hierarchy of biological information processing; common infrastructure for molecular electronics, biosensor and molecular actuator technology; interfacing problems; molecular self-assembly and self-repair. >
Meeting Filial Responsibilities in Brothers-Only Sibling Groups

Objectives. This research examined how sons in brothers-only sibling groups meet the needs of their elderly parents. Methods. 49 pairs of brothers without sisters whose parents were 74 years of age or older participated in openended interviews to explain how their parents' needs were met. Inductive analysis of interviews identified elements of these brothers' approaches. Results. Brothers were in routine contact with and performed "masculine" services for their parents. Brothers acted independently and expected to be asked rather than volunteering help to their parents, except during times of crisis and transition. They defined their parents as self-sufficient, even when their parents' situations were precarious, and acted to reestablish their parents' independence when it was threatened. They viewed their parents' use of informal networks and formal services as appropriate. Brothers' wives provided "gender-appropriate" services. Wives' levels of involvement appeared to be a function of the quality of their relationships with their parents-in-law. Wives who helped were part of a support network.
Generalization of the rate-distortion function for Wyner-Ziv coding of noisy sources in the quadratic-Gaussian case

We extend the rate-distortion function for Wyner-Ziv coding of noisy sources with quadratic distortion, in the jointly Gaussian case, to more general statistics. It suffices that the noisy observation Z be the sum of a function of the side information Y and independent Gaussian noise, while the source data X must be the sum of a function of Y, a linear function of Z, and a random variable N such that the conditional expectation of N given Y and Z is zero, almost surely. Furthermore, the side information Y may be arbitrarily distributed in any alphabet, discrete or continuous. Under these general conditions, we prove that no rate loss is incurred due to the unavailability of the side information at the encoder. In the noiseless Wyner-Ziv case, i.e., when the source data is directly observed, the assumptions are still less restrictive than those recently established in the literature. We confirm, theoretically and experimentally, the consistency of this analysis with some of the main results on high-rate Wyner-Ziv quantization of noisy sources.