cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Slow transients observed in AlGaN/GaN HFETs: effects of SiN/sub x/ passivation and UV illumination

Very slow drain current and surface potential transients have been observed in AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors that are subjected to high bias stress. Simultaneous measurements of drain current and surface potential indicate that large change in surface potential after stress is responsible for the reduction in drain current in these devices. Measurements of surface potential profile from the gate edge toward the drain as a function of time indicate that surface potential changes occur mostly near the gate. It is proposed that the surface potential changes are caused by electrons which tunnel from the gate under high bias stress and get trapped at the surface states near the gate. Passivation of the surface with SiN/sub x/ reduces the transient magnitudes to a large extent. This correlates with a large improvement in microwave power performance in these devices after passivation. UV illumination of these devices totally eliminates the drain current and surface potential transients.
Photoswitchable gas permeation membranes based on azobenzene-doped liquid crystals

We have fabricated switchable gas permeation membranes in which a photoswitchable low-molecular-weight liquid crystalline (LC) material acts as the active element. Two different LC eutectic mixtures based on cyanobiphenyls and phenyl benzoates, respectively, were doped with mesogenic azo dyes and infused into commercially available tracketched porous polycarbonate membranes with regular cylindrical pores (0.40 to 10.0 μm). Photo-induced isothermal phase changes in the imbibed mesogenic material afforded large, reversible changes in the permeability of the photoswitchable membrane to nitrogen. The membrane imbibed with the photoswitchable cyanobiphenyl LC material demonstrated low permeability in the nematic state, while the photogenerated isotropic state demonstrated a 16×-greater sorption coefficient. Both states obey a high linear sorption behavior in accordance with Henry's Law. The membrane imbibed with the photoswitchable phenyl benzoate LC showed the opposite permeability behavior to the biphenylimbibed membrane, along with nonlinear sorption behavior. Permeability switching response times for the membranes on the order of 5 s were demonstrated using alternating UV and >420-nm radiation at an intensity of 2 mW/cm2. The effect of thermomolecular motion on gas sorption and diffusion over the LC-isotropic phase transitions are, for the first time, evaluated under isothermal conditions. These photoswitchable membranes are the first examples of systems that are capable of rapid and reversible gas permeation switching. Such switchable and/or tunable membranes are in high demand for applications in analytics, screening, and membrane reactors.
The Limulus amebocyte lysate assay. A rapid and sensitive method for diagnosing early gram-negative peritonitis in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

• The Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay was used in a blinded, prospective fashion to analyze peritoneal fluids from 35 consecutive patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), who presented with clinical peritonitis. The results were correlated with standard microbiologic culture results. The LAL assay was positive in all three patients with gram-negative peritonitis, was appropriately negative in 24 of 28 gram-positive infections (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 86%) and was positive in two of five cases in which there was no microbiologic growth. One of the two patients in this last group yielded a gram-negative organism two days later. It was then demonstrated that therapeutic concentrations of a variety of antibiotics (cefazolin sodium, gentamicin sulfate, tobramycin sulfate, ticarcillin disodium, penicillin G potassium, vancomycin hydrochloride, metronidazole hydrochloride, piperacillin sodium, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole) did not interfere with the LAL assay. Together, these data indicate that the LAL assay is useful for identifying patients at high risk for gram-negative peritonitis and for excluding from possible aminoglycoside exposure the majority of patients with peritonitis undergoing CAPD, most of whom will have gram-positive infections. Furthermore, lack of antibiotic interference allows the possibility of monitoring treatment efficacy. ( Arch Intern Med 1987;147:337-340)
Early effects of right ventricular volume overload on ventricular performance and β-adrenergic signaling

Abstract Objective: Right ventricular dysfunction is a poorly understood but persistent clinical problem. This study was undertaken to evaluate ventricular performance and β-adrenergic receptor signaling in a tricuspid regurgitation model of right ventricular overload. Methods: Seventeen dogs were chronically instrumented with epicardial dimension transducers. By means of the shell-subtraction model, right ventricular pressure-volume relationships were evaluated in normal and right ventricular overload states. Right ventricular chamber performance was quantified by the stroke work at an end-diastolic volume relationship. Results: Right ventricular volume overload caused a 28% ± 11% and 31% ± 9% decline in chamber performance acutely and at 1 week, respectively, whereas end-diastolic volume increased from 45 ± 21 to 60 ± 30 mL ( P =.019). β-Adrenergic receptor signaling in myocardial samples was assessed, examining adenylyl cyclase and G-protein–coupled receptor kinase activity. Stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity significantly decreased, and G-protein–coupled receptor kinase activity significantly increased in both left and right ventricular samples caused by increased levels of β-adrenergic receptor kinase 1. No change in β-adrenergic receptor density was seen at 1 week. Conclusions: Early right ventricular overload is associated with impaired right ventricular chamber contractility, dilation, and, importantly, a biventricular alteration of β-adrenergic receptor signaling. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;119:342-9)
The preparation of Schiff bases from some sulfonamides and aromatic aldehydes.

The preparation of eight new Schiff bases derived from therapeutically active sulfonamides is reported.
Early definitive urologic management of patient with crush pelvic trauma and deep perineal laceration

Abstract Crush pelvic injury with deep perineal laceration provides a unique situation for the urologist to examine directly avulsed urinary structures. Although the operative field may be fecally contaminated, and the prospect of sepsis likely, an aggressive approach of primary repair of the urinary tract may avoid future complexities in reconstruction. A multidisciplinary approach is a prerequisite to deciding on proper therapeutic modalities.
Regeneration of Drosophila melanogaster male leg disc fragments in sugar fed female hosts.

Fragmente von Beinimaginalscheiben regenerieren nicht, wenn sie in restriktiv ernahrten Wirten kultiviert werden, wo Proliferation unterdruckt wird. Die Regenerationshemmung ist reversibel, da solche Fragmente in gut ernahrten Wirtslarven normal regenerieren.
The influence of search stage on gaze behavior in a faceted search interface

This poster reports on a study of gaze behavior within a faceted library catalog. Initial results suggest that gaze behavior differs at definable stages within a search session.
Intramolecular electron transfer in sulfite-oxidizing enzymes: probing the role of aromatic amino acids

Sulfite oxidase (SO) is a molybdoheme enzyme that is important in sulfur catabolism, and mutations in the active site region are known to cause SO deficiency disorder in humans. This investigation probes the effects that mutating aromatic residues (Y273, W338, and H337) in the molybdenum-containing domain of human SO have on both the intramolecular electron transfer (IET) rate between the molybdenum and iron centers using laser flash photolysis and on catalytic turnover via steady-state kinetic analysis. The W338 and H337 mutants show large decreases in their IET rate constants (k ET) relative to the wild-type values, suggesting the importance of these residues for rapid IET. In contrast, these mutants are catalytically competent and exhibit higher k cat values than their corresponding k ET, implying that these two processes involve different conformational states of the protein. Redox potential investigations using spectroelectrochemistry revealed that these aromatic residues close to the molybdenum center affect the potential of the presumably distant heme center in the resting state (as shown by the crystal structure of chicken SO), suggesting that the heme may be interacting with these residues during IET and/or catalytic turnover. These combined results suggest that in solution human SO may adopt different conformations for IET and for catalysis in the presence of the substrate. For IET the H337/W338 surface residues may serve as an alternative-docking site for the heme domain. The similarities between the mutant and wild-type EPR spectra indicate that the active site geometry around the Mo(V) center is not changed by the mutations studied here.
Making the most of structured analysis in manufacturing information system design: Application of icons and cycle-time

Abstract An attempt was made to extend the usefulness of structured analysis for modelling the as-is manufacturing information data flows, by enriching both its perspective and its tools. The change in perspective involved a re-emphasis on modeling the current as-is information system as completely as possible. To support this change in perspective, an additional tool set was proposed that is to be incorporated into the structured analysis paradigm. This tool set has been termed Icon-Based Structured Analysis (ISA). The tool set includes text and mathematically-tagged iconic-based modeling techniques; these techniques include both numeric attribute cycle-time components for showing process, as well as visually oriented, user-specific graphic components that display structure. In effect, ISA extends the syntactic and interpretative elements available to the structured analysis modeler and thus allows the display of additional high-level abstractions that are understandable and analyzable by both user and modeler. This capability allows the analyst and user to move quickly to agreement on the desired characteristics of the proposed information system.
Stimulation of mitochondrial protein synthesis by metal ions

Abstract 1–10 μM Cu 2+ , Ag + , and Au 3+ were found to stimulate rat liver mitochondrial protein synthesis in vitro. Cu 2+ and Ag + also produced an increase in mitochondrial volume (“swelling”). Thus, thyroid hormones and their analogs are not unique, as suggested previously (Buchanan, J.L., Primack, M.P. and Tapley, D.F. (1970) Endocrinology 87, 993–999), in stimulating both mitochondrial protein synthesis and swelling. Furthermore, the data suggest a role for Cu 2+ in the regulation of mitochondrial protein synthesis.
Estimation of recreational bag limit noncompliance using contact creel survey data

Abstract Bag limits are commonly used to manage recreational fisheries, but the effect of noncompliance with these regulations is rarely evaluated. I developed a method to estimate noncompliance with recreational bag limits using creel survey data. This approach allowed for two populations of angler trips, compliant and potentially noncompliant, and estimated the proportion of potentially noncompliant trips. The model included a mixture of a negative binomial distribution for potentially noncompliant trips and a truncated negative binomial distribution for compliant trips. The method was applied using four separate models with different assumptions about noncompliance to harvest angler −1 trip −1 data from the recreational king mackerel ( Scomberomorus cavalla ) fishery in North Carolina, U.S. The model that estimated a single potential noncompliance parameter had the lowest (best) Akaike's Information Criterion value, and the estimated proportion of potentially noncompliant trips was about 36%. However, only about 1% of trips exceeded the bag limit because few trips reached the bag limit, which resulted in about 7% of harvest due to noncompliance. Studies that evaluate the likely consequences of bag limits on harvest and fishing mortality should include effects of noncompliance.
Absence of a circadian rhythm of protein synthesis in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus.

Abstract Male Wistar rats chronically catheterized in the jugular vein were entrained to a 12 L:12 D (lights on at 07.00 h) photoperiod. [I-14C]Leucine was administered in behaving rats at either 10.00 (day) or 22.00 (night) h. After 45 min of incubation animals were sacrificed, brains frozen, sectioned, and autoradiographed. The relative amount of label in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) was measured as the ratio of the optical density (OD) of the image of the SCN on the autoradiograph to the OD of white matter. The relative incorporation of labelled leucine into protein did not differ in the SCN of day vs night animals. This finding is in contrast to the prominent circadian rhythm of glucose utilization which has been seen in the rat SCN at identical points in the circadian cycle.
Complementation in the Lattice of Locally Convex Topologies

We find all locally convex homogeneous topologies on (ℝ, ≤ ) and determine which of these have locally convex complements. Among the locally convex topologies on an n-point totally ordered set, each has a locally convex complement and, for n ≥ 3, at least n − 2 of them have 2 n − 1 locally convex complements. For any infinite cardinal κ, totally ordered spaces of cardinality κ which have exactly 1, exactly κ, and exactly 2 κ locally convex complements are exhibited.
A Test for Genetic Exchange in Mixed Infections of Leishmania major in the Sand Fly Phlebotomus papatasi

We tested if genetic exchange was observable between two strains of Leishmania major (Trypanosomatidae) during mixed infection of the sand fly Phlebotomus papatasi. Previous studies suggested that genetic exchange may occur in natural populations of Leishmania at a low frequency, but experimental crosses examining small numbers of progeny (less than 60) did not reveal hybrid parasites. Accordingly, a strategy was devised to increase the number of progeny that could be screened by 100-fold. Clonal derivatives from two strains that were infective to flies and contained numerous restriction fragment length polymorphisms were characterized and selected for resistance to methotrexate or tunicamycin by gene amplification. A successfully mixed infection of P. papatasi was obtained, and a method was developed for directly plating promastigotes from the gut contents of infected flies onto selective media. Twenty-five hundred independent progeny were scored for the presence of both drug resistance markers. No hybrid parasites were observed, indicating that the frequency of genetic exchange in this cross must be less than 4 x 10(-4). The lines and methods established in this work may prove useful in future studies of the mechanism and frequency of gene exchange in Leishmania.
WOC nurses as advocates for patients who are morbidly obese: a case study promoting the use of bariatric beds

Wound, ostomy, and continence nurses and healthcare providers are encountering more than ever before patients who are morbidly obese. Patients who are immobile and morbidly obese are at increased risk for complications such as skin breakdown. Strategies to predict and prevent skin and wound complications should include properly sized bariatric beds. Bariatric beds greatly reduce the risk of pressure ulcers through pressure reduction. They also promote patient independence, improve clinical outcomes, decrease staff workload, and help control unnecessary healthcare costs. The purpose of this article is to increase wound, ostomy, and continence nurses' awareness about the benefits of bariatric beds and some important issues that surround their use.
The influence of osmotic pretreatment and inoculum age on the initiation and regenerability of switchgrass suspension cultures

Experiments were conducted to study the influence of osmotic pretreatment and inoculum (callus) age on the initiation and induction of somatic embryogenesis from suspension cultures of ‘Alamo’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.). Embryogenic 10-, 20-, or 30-d-old calluses (hereafter referred to as inocula), produced from in vitro-cultured inflorescences, were used as explants to initiate the suspensions. Inocula were cultured for 30 h on MS solid medium containing 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3 M each of sorbitol and mannitol as an osmotic pretreatment. They were then transferred to liquid MS medium with 5 µM 6-benzylaminopurine and 9 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and cultured for 28 d in 2-ml Multiwell™ plantes. Individual multiwell contents were transferred to 125-ml Erlenmeyer flasks containing 20 ml of the above liquid medium and cultured for an additional 2 wk. Cultures initiated from the 10-d-old inoculum produced a higher embryogenic response than those initiated from 20- or 30-d-old inocula. Cultures initiated with 30-d-old inocula produced nonembryogenic clusters and the number of embryogenic cells was low. More embryos and a higher regeneration frequency were produced by 0.3 M than by 0.1 or 0.2 M of each of the osmostica.
Lignin Impact on Fibre Degradation: 1—Quinone Methide Intermediates Formedfrom Lignin DuringIn VitroFermentation ofCorn Stover*

Experiments were conducted to determine whether formation of quinone methide intermediates from lignin occurs during ruminal fermentation of corn stover, as indicated by nucleophilic addition reaction with sulphur-containing reducing agents. Corn stover leaf and stem fractions harvested at full maturity were incubated in buffered ruminal fluid without reducing agents or with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 (S-control), Na 2 S.9H 2 O, cysteine-HCl (cysHCl), or cysHCl plus Na 2 S.9H 2 O ; and in only buffer with or without cysHCl plus Na 2 S.9H 2 O. Mixed reducing agents (cysHCl plus Na 2 S.9H 2 O) enhanced (P < 0.001) in vitro fibre degradation after 48 h, tended to increase solubilisation of fibre (P = 0.07) and dry matter (P = 0.06) in buffer alone, and elevated (P < 0.001) S-content of residual fibre. In vitro incorporation of S into the undegraded fibre was determined for corn stover fractions of varying lignin compositions that were harvested at two maturities (early dent and full maturity) in 2 years. Extent of fibre degradation was correlated with extent of S-incorporation (r=-0.54, P < 0.001), and with lignin methoxyl content (r=-0.84, P < 0.001). The negative association of lignin methoxyl content with digestibility is explained by the relative likelihood of quinone methide intermediate formation from guaiacyl and syringyl units in lignin.
Geometric binding site design for surface-tension driven self-assembly

Surface-tension driven self-assembly techniques have been successfully employed to assemble and align micro parts on hydrophobic binding sites on a substrate. The driving force for assembly is provided by a liquid lubricant meniscus confined between two hydrophobic surfaces in an aqueous environment. Therefore, the hydrophobic pattern design becomes a critical issue for the self-assembly process. With an ideal design, the part can assemble in a unique position and orientation. In this paper, we study a series of geometric designs based on a first-order approximation energy model. An optimization method is developed to evaluate them, and a class of optimal designs is found consisting of asymmetric rings with additional geometric constraints.
Reinstatement of extinguished drug-taking behavior in rats: effect of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist, U69593

Rationale: Results of a previous study indicated that prior administration of the kappa-opioid receptor agonist, U69593, blocked the ability of cocaine to reinstate extinguished cocaine-taking behavior. Objectives: In order to determine whether the effect of U69593 was specific to cocaine or was common to cocaine seeking produced by other dopamine uptake inhibitors, the effects of U69593 on cocaine seeking produced by experimenter-administered injections of cocaine, the dopamine uptake inhibitor, GBR 12909, or the cocaine analogs, WIN 35,428 and RTI-55, were compared. Methods: Reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-taking behavior was measured for rats that received injections of the kappa-opioid agonist, U69593 (0.0 or 0.32 mg/kg, SC), 15 min prior to injections of cocaine- (0.0–20.0 mg/kg, IP), GBR 12909- (0.0–30.0 mg/kg, IP), WIN 35,428- (0.0–3.0 mg/kg, IP) or RTI-55 (0.0–0.50 mg/kg, IP). Results: All of the drugs produced a dose-dependent reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-taking behavior. However, only the effects of cocaine and RTI-55 were attenuated by prior administration of U69593 (0.32 mg/kg, SC). The U69593-produced attenuation of cocaine-produced cocaine seeking was reversed by prior administration of the kappa-opioid antagonist, norbinaltorphimine (30.0 µg, ICV), indicating that the effect was mediated by central kappa-opioid receptors. Conclusions: The failure of U69593 to attenuate GBR 12909- or WIN 35,428-produced cocaine seeking suggests that the effect of this kappa-opioid receptor agonist on cocaine seeking is not mediated by interactions at the dopamine transporter. The ability of U69593 to attenuate RTI-55-produced cocaine seeking raises the possibility that kappa-opioids and cocaine may interact at common sites on the serotonin transporter.
Christina Bratt Paulston & G. Richard Tucker (eds.), The early days of sociolinguistics: Memories and reflections . (Publications in sociolinguistics, 2.) Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics, 1997. Pp. xii, 362.

As a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1970s, I took what everyone called the “Grandfathers” course, which provided an overview of the field through the work of individual scholars (Dell Hymes was the professor). It had a more proper title we all ignored, probably “History of linguistics.” Now, The early days of sociolinguistics provides an updated and more complete version of that course, except that it emphasizes sociolinguistics rather than all of linguistics; it presents substantial information about the development of the field, as seen through the eyes of one scholar after another. As we enter the new millennium, the discussion appropriately now includes “grandmothers” as well as “grandfathers.” This has the flavor of salvage linguistics: get the elders to report what they know before they die (or forget), in order to preserve the details for future generations. This goal is perhaps most obviously visible in the selection by Charles Ferguson. It is not a piece he actually contributed; rather, it is constructed from interviews conducted by his friends, colleagues, and students during his recuperation from a series of severe strokes (77). Given the centrality of Ferguson in the history of sociolinguistics – he is “identified by a majority of the contributors as the principal architect for the field” (321) – his inability to write his own summary of events justifies the remainder of the individual histories.
Functional coupling of human right and left cortical motor areas demonstrated with partial coherence analysis

Although a linear correlation between oscillatory activities in the right and left motor cortices during movements has been shown in monkeys, there has been a debate whether scalp-recorded EEG coherence in human reflects a similar association. By applying partial coherence analysis, we demonstrated that interhemispheric coherence during movements cannot be explained by contamination from the occipital alpha rhythm or common reference signal. A significant increase of net interhemispheric communication in the beta1 band was shown during movements. We propose that the partial coherence method can be a useful tool to measure cortico-cortical functional coupling reliably.
Taste Stimuli: Quality Coding Time

Rats conditioned to avoid drinking 300 millimolar NaCl recognized and rejected this solution within 250 to 600 milliseconds of onset of stimulus, a period containing the phasic portion of the peripheral neural response. They generalized to 500 millimolar NaCl but not to 500 millimolar sucrose. Rejection was based on quality identification neurally encoded within this brief period.
Prevalence and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in the US.

Abstract Purpose To assess the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and to quantify associations between putative risk factors and erectile dysfunction in the US adult male population. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of data from 2126 adult male participants in the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Erectile dysfunction assessed by a single question during a self-paced, computer-assisted self-interview. These data are nationally representative of the noninstitutionalized adult male population in the US. Results The overall prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men aged ≥20 years was 18.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 16.2-20.7), suggesting that erectile dysfunction affects 18 million men (95% CI, 16-20) in the US. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction was highly positively related to age but was also particularly high among men with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, men with hypertension, and men with a history of cardiovascular disease, even after age adjustment. Among men with diabetes, the crude prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 51.3% (95% CI, 41.9-60.7). In multivariable analyses, erectile dysfunction was significantly and independently associated with diabetes, lower attained education, and lack of physical activity. Conclusions The high prevalence of erectile dysfunction among men with diabetes and hypertension suggests that screening for erectile dysfunction in these patients may be warranted. Physical activity and other measures for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and diabetes may prevent decrease in erectile function.
The phosphopeptide-binding specificity of Src family SH2 domains

Abstract Background: Src homology 2 (SH2) domains mediate protein/protein interactions by binding phosphotyrosyl proteins with high specificity. The protein Lck, a Src-like lymphocyte-specific tyrosine kinase which is important in signals involved in T -cell development, contains one such domain. The crystal structure of a complex of the Lck SH2 domain with a high-affinity ligand, pY324, is known. This ligand has the sequence EPQpYEEIPIYL. Results: We designed and synthesized a series of phosphopeptides with single amino-acid changes in the four residues C-terminal to the phosphotyrosine (pTyr) in pY324. Surprisingly, the Glu one residue C-terminal to the phosphotyrosine (at position pY+1) is sensitive to substitution, whereas the Ile at position pY+3 is much less sensitive, accommodating a Glu with only modest loss of binding affinity. Replacement of the Glu and Pro on either side of the Ile had little effect, as predicted. Truncated phosphopeptides that end at position pY+5 and have only an acetyl group N-terminal to the pTyr bound with only slightly lower affinity than pY324. In addition, naturally occurring phosphopeptide sequences that span a 1 000-fold range in binding affinity for the Lck SH2 domain have been identified. Conclusions: The Lck SH2 domain is highly selective for phosphotyro syl-peptide binding; its specificity is dictated by the first and third residues C-terminal to the pTyr.The unexpected effects of some amino-acid substitutions indicate that the interactions seen between SH2 domains and ligand in the crystal structure may not be identical to those that occur in solution.
Preparation and properties of vapor detector arrays formed from poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene-poly(styrene sulfonate)/insulating polymer composites

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene−poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT−PSS) was used as the conductive component in a matrix of chemically different insulating polymers to form an array of vapor detectors. Such composites produced larger relative differential resistance responses when exposed to polar analytes than did the corresponding carbon black filled polymer composite detectors. However, the PEDOT−PSS composites produced smaller responses than carbon black composites when exposed to nonpolar analytes. The resolving power of a PEDOT−PSS detector array was compared to that of a carbon black composite array for a broadly construed set of organic vapors. The PEDOT−PSS array exhibited better, on average, discrimination between pairs of polar analytes and polar/nonpolar analytes than did the carbon black composite array. The carbon black composite array outperformed the PEDOT−PSS array in discriminating between nonpolar compounds. The addition of PEDOT−PSS composites to an array of carbon black composite detecto...
Why do effective quantum controls appear easy to find

Abstract Experimental evidence shows that effective quantum controls in diverse applications appear surprisingly easy to find. The underlying reasons for this attractive behavior are explored in this work through an examination of the quantum control landscape of 〈 O ( T ) 〉 = Tr ( ρ ( T ) O ) directly in terms of the physically relevant control field ɛ ( t ) and the density matrix ρ ( T ) at the target time T, including an elaboration of the topology around the critical points, where δ 〈 O ( T ) 〉 / δ ɛ ( t ) = 0 ∀ t , of an arbitrary physical observable O . It is found that for controllable quantum systems the critical points of the landscape 〈 O ( T ) 〉 correspond to the global maximum and minimum and intermediate saddle points of 〈 O ( T ) 〉 . An upper bound is shown to exist on the norm of the slope δ 〈 O ( T ) 〉 / δ ɛ ( t ) anywhere over the landscape, implying that the control landscape has gentle slopes permitting stable searches for optimal controls. Moreover, the Hessian at the global maximum (minimum) only possesses a finite number of negative (positive) non-zero eigenvalues and the sum of the corresponding eigenvalues is bounded from below (above). The number of negative eigenvalues of the Hessians evaluated at the saddle points drops as the critical point value 〈 O ( T ) 〉 becomes smaller and finally converts to all positive non-zero eigenvalues at the global minimum. Collectively, these findings reveal that (a) there are no false traps at the sub-optimal extrema in the landscape, (b) the searches for optimal controls should generally be stable, and (c) an inherent degree of robustness to noise exists around the global optimal control solutions. As a result, it is anticipated that effective control over quantum dynamics may be expected even in highly complex systems provided that the control fields are sufficiently flexible to traverse the associated landscape.
Residential Construction Volatility: A Seasonal and Cyclical Inventory Adjustment Analysis

The seasonality of inventories and the seasonality and cyclicality of sales of new single-family residences by speculative builders may be formally introduced into a partial production adjustment inventory model of housing starts. The theoretical results include variables that imply an interaction between seasonality and cyclicality. A specification error bias in the estimation of the partial adjustment coefficient is evaluated for models that exclude the interaction between seasonality and cyclicality. Stabilization policy is more complex when cyclical instability changes season to season. In this view, justification is found for a seasonal stabilization policy in housing.
Initial adhesion of human fibroblasts in serum-free medium: Possible role of secreted fibronectin

Experiments were carried out to test the hypothesis that the initial attachment and spreading of human fibroblasts in serum-free medium occurs to cell fibronectin which has been secretd spread on tissue culture substrata in serum-free medium in 60 min. When potential protein adsorption sites on the substratum were covered with bovine serum albumin before initial human fibroblasts attachment, their subsequent attachment to the substratum was prevented. When substratum adsorption sites were covered immediately after initial attachment, subsequent cell spreading was prevented. The distribution of fibronectin on human fibroblast surfaces during initial attachment and spreading was studied by indirect immunofluorescence analysis using a monospecific anti-cold-insoluble globulin antiserum. The initial appearance (10 min) of fibronectin was in spots over the entire cell surface. Concomitant with human fibroblast spreading, the random distribution of sites disappeared, and most fibronectin was subsequently observed in spots at the cell substratum interface (60 min). A fibrillar pattern of fibronectin appeared later (2-8 hr). The sites beneath the cells could be visualized as footprints on the substratum following treatment of the attached human fibroblasts with 0.1 M NaOH. A second fluorescence pattern of fibronectin secreted on the substratum was characterized by a diffuse halo around the cells and a very faint, diffuse staining elsewhere on the substratum. Another cell type (baby hamster kideny cells) was used to assay biologically for the presence or absence of the factor secreted by human fibroblasts on the substratum. Human fibroblasts were found to secrete an adhesion factor for baby hamster kidney cells into the substratum in a time- and temperature-dependent fashion, and immunological studies indicated that the factor secreted by human fibroblasts was cross-reactive with cold-in-soluble globulin, the plasma form of fibronectin. The conditioning factor secreted by the human fibroblasts was also found to be an attachment and spreading factor for human fibroblasts in experiments measuring human fibroblast adhesion to fibronectin footprints of human fibroblasts. Substratum-adsorbed cold-insoluble globulin was also found to be an attachment and spreading factor for human fibroblasts. Based upon the timing of appearance of conditioning factors on the substratum and the immunofluorescence patterns, it seems that the diffusely organized fibronectin on the substratum constitutes the sites to which cell attachment occurs. The bright spots of fibronectin that appear beneath the cells may represent fibronectin reorganization during cell spreading.
Short Term Suppression of the Hormone-Stimulable Adenylyl Cyclase System in the Granulosa Cells of the Domestic Hen by Luteinizing Hormone*

In the avian ovary, granulosa cells are target cells for LH. The present experiments were performed to determine if the adenylyl cyclase (AC) system is desensitized after exposure to LH. In Exp 1, hens were injected iv with 25 or 100 μg ovine LH 12 h before ovulation. At various times postinjection, hens were killed, granulosa (Gr) cells removed from the largest (F1), second largest (F2), and third largest (F3) follicles, and AC activity was measured. The progesterone released in response to 25 fig LH was also quantitated. In Exp 2, Gr cells were isolated from the F1 follicle and subjected to one of four treatments before the AC activity was measured: 1) assayed immediately, 2) maintained at 4 C for 1 h, 3) preincubated with BSA at 37 C for 1 h, or 4) preincubated with LH at 37 C for 1 h. Results (Exp 1) were similar for both doses of LH, except that 100 μg ovine LH caused a greater suppression of AC activity. The suppression of AC activity in Gr cells of F1 and F2 follicles occurred 5 min after the injec...
Prevention of neuroleptic-induced dopamine D2 receptor supersensitivity by chronic iron salt treatment

Abstract The ability of neuroleptics to induce dopamine D 2 receptor supersensitivity has been linked to the onset of tardive dyskinesia, the major side-effect of these drugs. Brain iron metabolism has been shown to be involved in the regulation of dopamine D 2 receptors. We now examined the effect of chronic treatment with FeCl 2 on chlorpromazine-induced D 2 receptor supersensitivity. The results show that FeCL 2 (5 mg/kg per day for 21 days) given to rats treated with chlorpromazinc (10 mg/kg per day, for 21 days) prevented the onset of supersensitive biochemical and behavioral (apomorphine) expressions of DA D 2 receptor. Inclusion of iron did not affect the chlorpromazine-induced sedation or hypothermia. Moreover, the combined chronic iron-chlorpromazinc treatment produced the same net effects as chronic chlorpromazine on striatal amounts of dopamine, DOPAC (dihydroxyphenylacetic acid) and HVA (homovanillie acid). Chlorpromazine medication caused a decrease in liver non-haem iron levels (40%) but not in brain iron. The effect of the neuroleptic drug on iron stores and the involvement of iron in the neuroleptic-induced dopamine supersensitivity suggest that mobilization of iron from the periphery into the brain may play an important role in the mechanism of action of the neuroleptics.
The neural regulation of gene expression in the muscle cell

Abstract Although it has long been known that the myosin adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activity of fast muscle is greater than that of slow muscle, qualitative differences between these myosins have only recently been demonstrated. The ATPase of slow myosin is relatively acid-stabile and alkali-labile whereas that of fast muscle is acid-labile and alkali-stabile. Moreover, the myosin from each of these types of muscle possesses specific closely associated proteins of low molecular weight (subunits) that are electrophoretically distinct. Thus, in these respects, the myosins of slow and fast muscles appear to be different proteins. After cross-reinnervation of cat slow and fast muscles, these qualitative properties of myosin become altered. The cross-reinnervated slow muscle does not merely develop increased myosin ATPase activity (as has been been previously reported), but the enzyme becomes more alkali-stabile and acid-labile; furthermore, the myosin loses its characteristic subunits and acquires those of fast-muscle myosin. The converse changes occur in cross-reinnervated fast muscle. Although the specific activity of enzymes is regulated in many ways (inhibition by metabolites, binding to intracellular constituents, changes in rate of protein degradation), the synthesis of proteins is qualitatively specified by gene action. Our observation that a qualitatively different myosin appears in cross-reinnervated muscle indicates that a new species of protein has been synthesized, and we therefore suggest that the nerve influences gene expression in the muscle cell.
Copper-mediated synthesis of N-acyl vinylogous carbamic acids and derivatives: synthesis of the antibiotic CJ-15,801.

Copper(I)-mediated C−N bond formation has been employed to prepare both N-acyl vinylogous carbamic acids and ureas. The novel N-acyl vinylogous carbamic acid antibiotic, CJ-15,801, was synthesized using this methodology.
Room temperature gas sensor based on metallic nanowires

Abstract Novel and cost effective methods of fabricating nanosturctures is very important in the current state of art of nanotechnology. Arrays of palladium nanowires have been electrodeposited from aqueous plating solution of Pd onto the step edges of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). The structural characterization of the nanowires was performed using atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The deposition of the continuous wires was achieved by optimizing the deposition parameters. The AFM studies revealed that the nanowires were granular in nature and the diameter of the grain was approximately 250 nm in order to form continuous nanowires. SEM images proved that the deposited wires on the substrate formed parallel arrays. The wires were transferred onto non-conducting polymer surfaces in order to study the electrical and the gas sensing properties. Silver contact pads across the nanowires were patterned by thermal evaporation using shadow masking. The electrodes silver contact pads were connected to the macroelectrodes for measuring the electrical characteristics and the sensing properties of the nanowires. The structural changes of the Pd nanowires in the presence of H 2 were carefully monitored using scanning electron microscopy. The sensor response to hydrogen was fast and resembled a switch with two-order magnitude change in the conductance. A sensor mechanism is proposed based on the SEM studies and the sensor response.
‘But That's Not Evidence; It's Not Even True!’

If p is false, it isn't evidence for anything. This view is central in one important response to a familiar sceptical argument. I consider and reject various motivations for refusing to accept this view – proposals arising from, e.g., our practice of providing rationalising explanations of people's beliefs, various locutions appearing to relativise evidence to persons, the significance of people's mental states for attributions of reasons to them, and the role of evidence in epistemic principles and requirements. I close by considering responses to the ‘New Evil Demon Argument’. What emerges is an affirmation of the principle that p doesn't provide evidence unless it is true, a response to an important version of the Evil Demon argument for scepticism, and also a deeper interpretation of our epistemic practice.
Conditioned enhancement of human's liking for flavor by pairing with sweetness.

Abstract This paper reports a procedure, like classical conditioning, that produces enhancement of liking for flavors by humans. The procedure is “pairing” of a relatively neutral flavor with sugar (a hedonically positive taste). Specifically, subjects drank 24 small samples of flavor A sweetened and 24 small samples of flavor B unsweetened. They were then tested for their liking for flavors A and B, both sweetened and unsweetened. In three different studies, varying in a number of aspects of stimulus presentations and context, a relative enhancement in liking for flavor A appeared both on the day of exposure and 1 week later. An absolute enhancement in liking of flavor B (a “mere exposure” effect) also occurred in two of the three experiments.
Finite-point method for efficient timing characterization of sequential elements

Timing characterization of sequential elements, such as latches and flip-flops, is one of the critical steps for timing closure in the pipelined design. Traditional characterization of setup and hold time constraints is computationally intensive, due to the demand on high accuracy in monitoring the operation failure. To improve the efficiency, this work proposes a finite-point based method for the characterization of setup and hold time constraints. The finite-point method identifies several critical data points in the non-linear curve of timing characteristics, and abstracts the essential setup/hold information from them. Moreover, compact models are derived for each point, further reducing the computation cost. The proposed method is general for all sequential elements in the standard cell library. It is comprehensively validated using benchmark circuits at 45nm node. Experimental results demonstrate approximately 25i? reduction in characterization time, with the prediction error in setup and hold time within 9% of FO4 nominal delay, as compared to that of SPICE simulation results. An efficient method for setup / hold time constraints using Finite-Point approach.Critical data points abstracted from non-linear curve of timing characteristics.Significant reduction in computation cost and data volume achieved.Accuracy comparable to SPICE simulation data.Same approach can be extended for all sequential cells for all technology nodes.
Materials and surface engineering to control bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation: A review of recent advances

Bacterial adhesion to surfaces and subsequent biofilm formation are a leading cause of chronic infections and biofouling. These processes are highly sensitive to environmental factors and present a challenge to research using traditional approaches with uncontrolled surfaces. Recent advances in materials research and surface engineering have brought exciting opportunities to pattern bacterial cell clusters and to obtain synthetic biofilms with well-controlled cell density and morphology of cell clusters. In this article, we will review the recent achievements in this field and comment on the future directions.
In vitro branching tubulogenesis: Implications for developmental and cystic disorders, nephron number, renal repair, and nephron engineering

In vitro branching tubulogenesis: Implications for developmental and cystic disorders, nephron number, renal repair, and nephron engineering. Branching tubulogenesis of the ureteric bud is critically important for kidney development. Recent findings using three-dimensional cell culture systems for in vitro branching tubulogenesis are likely to shed light on the mechanisms of ureteric bud morphogenesis. Here, we try to unify these findings with those obtained using genetic approaches and organ culture of the embryonic kidney into a working model of ureteric bud branching tubulogenesis. It appears that the balance between branching tubulogenesis facilitating growth factors such as epidermal growth factor receptor ligands, hepatocyte growth factor, insulin-like growth factors, and inhibitory growth factors such as transforming growth factor beta family members may regulate branching morphogenesis. Growth factors induce epithelial cell proliferation, migration, and modulate the expression of a variety of proteins. Downstream in the growth factor-mediated tubulogenesis pathway, extracellular proteases, protease inhibitors, extracellular matrix proteins, and integrins are likely to act as effectors and regulators of branching tubulogenesis. Discussed in some detail are the relevance of insights gleaned from in vitro models of branching tubulogenesis to congenital urogenital abnormalities, cystic kidney diseases, oligonephropathies and hypertension, tubular cell regeneration after injury, and tubular engineering.
Precipitate stability and morphology in irradiation environments

A solid under irradiation constitutes a nonequilibrium dynamical system, and therefore the modeling of phase stability in such systems requires a kinetic approach. This paper presents some recent advances in the atomistic modeling of precipitation under irradiation, using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. It illustrates that vacancy-assisted and thermodynamically driven phase separation, in competition with forced atomic mixing promoted by nuclear collisions, can lead to three very different outcomes: dissolution of pre-existing precipitates, the formation of compositional patterns at the nanoscale, or macroscopic decomposition. Interstitial transport, on the other hand, when coupled with solute fluxes, can induce the precipitation of mushy precipitates, even in ideal alloy systems. These diverse phase evolutions are shown to be rationalized by continuum modeling.
Electrical and mechanical sustained automaticity of the isolated heart of the 13-lined ground squirrel: Both circannually and arousing from hibernation

Abstract 1. 1. A unique method is described for monitoring the electrical and mechanical performance of the isolated heart at 5° C. The cardiac tissue alone provides energy for sustained activity without perfusion or oxygenation. 2. 2. Isolated hearts from 239 hibernating and active ground squirrels demonstrated: 1. (a) The resistance to the cold of the isolated myocardium (resulting in longer sustained automaticity) increases as a circannual event. 2. (b) Hearts isolated from animals hibernating naturally in winter, or induced to hibernate in summer, consistently performed electrically for 8 or more hours in the cold, whereas the hearts of active animals stopped after 1 2 –3 hr depending on the season.