cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microstructure-sensitive investigation of magnesium alloy fatigue

Abstract This article presents results relating macroscopic fatigue behavior to microplasticity, twinning activity, and early fatigue crack formation in wrought magnesium alloy specimens of the AZ series. Experimental data were obtained by testing standard-sized samples prepared to be also suitable for direct microstructural quantification using scanning electron microscopy and electron back scatter diffraction for texture, grain-scale observations and fractography, as well as surface morphology measurements using white-light interferometry. In addition, in situ nondestructive monitoring of the fatigue behavior was performed by using the Acoustic Emission method. To describe the plastic anisotropy, tension–compression asymmetry, pseudoelasticity and their evolution as a function of fatigue loading, strain-control experiments of varying amplitude were conducted in several steps. Experimental measurements at different stages of fatigue life revealed repeatable occurrences of twinning–detwinning, which is further shown to be coupled with reversible surface roughening. It was also found that although tension twinning contributes considerably to overall plasticity, it could also give rise to crack initiation towards the end of the fatigue life. The role of the reported microplasticity effects was additionally explored using a Continuum Dislocation Dynamics Viscoplastic Self-Consistent (CDD-VPSC) model for the first two cycles of the fatigue life. The intention of this section was to incorporate the effect of twinning–detwinning into the CDD-VPSC model and subsequently to capture the experimental effects associated with changes in the fatigue hysteresis observed between first and second cycle. These simulation results were consistent with the hypothesis that detwinning is responsible for the anomalous hardening behavior during the tensile part of the cyclic loading in the first few cycles of loading. This observation was confirmed for several imposed strain amplitudes and was achieved by properly defining an appropriate boundary condition that allows surface morphology changes. Furthermore, the experimental test plan allowed the quantification of the fatigue life in terms of hysteresis loop parameters including plastic/elastic energy, residual stiffness, as well as mean and extreme stresses. Finally, an energy-based relationship for the evaluation of fatigue behavior based on the Ellyin–Kujawski formulation was found to provide life predictions that agree with obtained experimental information.
A PHOTOPHYSICAL STUDY OF SOLVATOCHROMIC PROBE 6‐PROPIONYL‐Z(N,N‐DIMETHYLAMINO)NAPHTHALENE (PRODAN) IN SOLUTION

A photophysical study of 6-propionyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene (PRODAN) in room-temperature solutions under various conditions is reported. The results show no unusual photophysical properties, except for an extremely large solvatochromic shift of PRODAN fluorescence spectrum. The previously reported extra blue emission band for PRODAN in an aqueous solution is identified to be due entirely to trace water-soluble impurities in the sample. The excited-state dipole moment of PRODAN is determined based on solvatochromic results using a known twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) molecule p-(N,N-diethylamino)ethylbenzoate (DEAEB) as a reference to probe specific solute-solvent interactions. The possibility of TICT state formation in PRODAN is discussed, and a solvation equilibrium mechanism is proposed to account for the photophysical behavior of PRODAN.
Jamming in granular materials

Abstract Granular materials are one of a class of materials which undergo a transition from mechanically unstable to mechanically stable states as key system parameters change. Pioneering work by Liu and Nagel and O'Hern et al. focused on models consisting of frictionless grains. In this case, density, commonly expressed in terms of the packing fraction, ϕ, is of particular importance. For instance, O'Hern et al. found that there is a minimum ϕ = ϕ J , such that below this value there are no jammed states, and that above this value, all stress-isotropic states are jammed. Recently, simulations and experiments have explored the case of grains with friction. This case is more subtle, and ϕ does not play such a simple role. Recently, several experiments have shown that there exists a range of relatively low ϕ's such that at the same ϕ it is possible to have jammed, unjammed, and fragile states in the sense of Cates et al. This review discusses some of this recent work, and contrasts the cases of jamming for frictionless and frictional granular systems.
Predictors of in-hospital mortality after DC catheter ablation of atrioventricular junction. Results of a prospective, international, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND The Catheter Ablation Registry was the first international, multicenter, prospective study of the safety and efficacy of catheter ablation. METHODS AND RESULTS From August 1987 through March 1990, the study comprised 136 patients in whom only DC energy was used in attempted production of third-degree atrioventricular block to treat uncontrollable supraventricular tachycardias. Eight patients died during hospitalization for ablation. In seven (5.1%), the ablation may have contributed to their deaths. Causes of death included ventricular fibrillation (five patients, three with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia), progressive heart failure (one patient), and respiratory failure (two patients, one dying after resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation). Compared with survivors, patients who died were more likely to have had prior aborted sudden death (38% versus 2%, p less than 0.05), congestive heart failure (88% versus 22%, p less than 0.001), cardiomyopathy (50% versus 16%, p less than 0.05), lower baseline systolic blood pressure (106 versus 138 mm Hg, p less than 0.001), prolonged baseline and postablation corrected QT interval (p less than 0.01), and markedly reduced ejection fraction (27% versus 52%, p less than 0.001). Ablation successfully produced third-degree atrioventricular block in 88% of the patients who died and in 83% of survivors. CONCLUSIONS Catheter ablation of the atrioventricular junction with DC energy carries a significant, previously unrecognized risk of death (5.1%), particularly from lethal arrhythmias, when applied to patients with severe left ventricular dysfunction. Great care should be taken in these seriously ill patients to guard against postablation ventricular arrhythmias.
Control of coefficient of thermal expansion in elastomers using boron nitride

The thermal expansion properties of three commercial elastomers; Pebax®, Estane® and Hytrel® modified with 2.5–10 wt % boron nitride were investigated. The glass transition temperatures of the filled materials were relatively unaffected; however boron nitride did effectively reinforce all the three elastomers as seen by dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile tests. The coefficients of thermal expansion of the composite materials do not obey the rule of mixtures and show a large decrease without the loss of ductility typically associated with filled elastomers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 5153–5161, 2006
Nanocrystal in dendron-box: a versatile solution to the chemical, photochemical, and thermal instability of colloidal nanocrystals

Abstract This account summarizes the recent development of dendron and dendron-box stabilized nanocrystals (dendron-nanocrystals and box-nanocrystals) by Peng’s research group. The rationale, the design of the dendron ligands, and the strategies for the formation of a box-nanocrystal are all discussed. The superior stability of the box-nanocrystal against harsh chemical, photochemical and thermal treatments is discussed. Two examples of the applications of box-nanocrystals are given. A brief perspective is provided for the future development of this emerging research area. To cite this article: G. Guo, X. Peng, C. R. Chimie 6 (2003).
Reply to Campbell, Martin, and Kelly

Seeing is a way of learning about the word by exploring how things look. But looks, on the view developed in Action in Perception, are not "mental intermediaries." They are, rather, aspects of the things we see. Our problem is not that of getting from "in here" to "out there," but rather that of learning how things are from a place. Perceptual experience is always an encounter with objects but it is also always an encounter with objects that is shaped by one's situation or perspective. The challenge of the theory of perception is to appreciate how perception can be, in this way, an encounter with how things are, when the nature of things necessarily exceeds what can be taken in a glance. But this challenge cannot even be brought into focus until one appreciates what I will call the two-dimensionality, or duality, of perceptual content. Sean Kelly rejects the duality of perceptual experience; he says my phenomenology is bad and my proposal otiose. He insists that an "important adjunct to Noe's dual content view, for example, is adherence to a certain kind of primacy claim: not only do we represent both the apparent and the real properties of objects, on this view, but the apparent property is in some sense the primary one." And he adds: "This puts Noe in league with a certain kind of sense-datum theorist, and indeed he admits that his view "leaves unscathed what is really the sense-datum theory's core idea" (Action in Peception, p. 81).
PCAF Modulates PTEN Activity

The PTEN protein has a single catalytic domain possessing both lipid phosphoinositol and protein phosphatase activities. The lipid phosphoinositol phosphatase activity is essential for PTEN to block the cell cycle in the G1 phase and thereby to suppress tumor formation and progression (Cantley, L. C., and Neel, B. G. (1999) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 96, 4240-4245), although the mechanisms governing PTEN activity under normal and neoplastic growth conditions remain unclear. Here, we report that PTEN interacts physically and functionally with PCAF, a histone acetyltransferase that regulates gene transcription through interaction with p300/CBP and various sequencespecific transcription factors (Nakatani, Y. (2001) Genes Cells 6, 79-86). Expression of PCAF results in increased acetylation of lysine residues (Lys125 and Lys128) within the catalytic cleft of PTEN, a structure essential for phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate specificity (Lee, J. O., Yang, H., Georgescu, M. M., Di Cristofano, A., Maehama, T., Shi, Y., Dixon, J. E., Pandolfi, P., and Pavletich, N. P. (1999) Cell 99, 323-334). The acetylation of PTEN caused by PCAF expression depends on the presence of growth factors. Reduction of endogenous PCAF activity using shRNA results in a loss of PTEN acetylation in response to growth factors and restores the ability of PTEN to down-regulate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and to induce G1 cell cycle arrest. The retention of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling and cell cycle regulatory activities of acetylationresistant PTEN K125R and K128R mutants in the presence of enforced PCAF expression suggest a causal relationship. Together, these findings indicate a mechanism of PTEN regulation that forges a link between distinct cancer-relevant pathways central to the control of growth factor signaling and gene expression.
The budget impact of endoscopic screening for esophageal varices in cirrhosis.

Background The cost-effectiveness of screening for esophageal varices in cirrhosis remains uncertain. Previous analyses found that screening with upper endoscopy (EGD) may not be cost effective versus empiric beta-blocker (BB) therapy. However, these models were conducted before advances in variceal screening, including capsule endoscopy (CE), and they did not measure the budget impact (vs cost-effectiveness) of variceal screening. Objective To compare the managed care budget impact of variceal screening strategies. Design Budget impact model. Setting Hypothetical managed care organization with 1 million covered lives. Patients Patients with compensated cirrhosis. Interventions Compared 5 strategies: (1) empiric BB, (2) screening EGD followed by BB if varices present (EGD → BB), (3) EGD followed by endoscopic band ligation if varices present (EGD → EBL), (4) CE followed by BB if varices present (CE → BB), and (5) CE followed by EBL if varices present (CE → EBL). Main Outcome Measurement Per-member per-month cost. Results BB was the least expensive, and CE → EBL was the most expensive. Substituting CE → BB in lieu of BB cost each member an additional $0.20 per month to subsidize. Compared with CE → BB, both EGD-based strategies were more expensive. However, CE was not viable in managed care organizations capable of reducing the cost of endoscopy below $410, unless the cost of CE was reduced in lockstep. Limitations Data on CE remain limited. Conclusions Screening for varices may have an acceptable budget impact but is highly sensitive to local costs of EGD and CE. In managed care organizations willing to subsidize EBL for variceal prophylaxis, it is inefficient to screen with CE compared with EGD.
Myosin MgADP Release Rate Decreases at Longer Sarcomere Length to Prolong Myosin Attachment in Skinned Rat Myocardial Strips

Cardiac contractility increases as sarcomere length (SL) increases, suggesting that intrinsic molecular mechanisms underlie the Frank-Starling relationship to confer increased cardiac output with greater ventricular filling. Myosin's capacity to generate force is Ca2+-regulated by thin-filament proteins and sarcomere length, which dictates the number of potential actin-myosin cross-bridge interactions. One mechanism underlying greater cardiac contractility at longer SL could involve longer myosin attachment duration (ton). To test this idea, we used stochastic length-perturbation analysis in skinned rat papillary muscle strips to measure ton as [MgATP] varied (0.05-5 mM) at 1.9 and 2.2 µm SL. From this ton-MgATP relationship, we calculated cross-bridge MgADP release rate (k-ADP) and MgATP binding rate (k+ATP). As MgATP increased ton decreased hyperbolically for both SL, but ton was roughly 50% longer for 2.2 vs. 1.9 µm SL at each [MgATP] (25±3 vs. 16±1 ms at 5 mM MgATP, 17° C, p<0.05). These ton differences arose from slower k-ADP at 2.2 µm SL (42±3 vs. 74±8 s−1, p<0.001), as MgATP binding rates did not differ with SL (281±56 vs. 327±93 mM−1 s−1). Absolute tension values were greater at 2.2 vs. 1.9 µm SL for relaxed (4.4±0.7 vs. 0.8±0.2 kPa at pCa 8.0, p<0.001) and maximally activated (20.0±1.4 vs. 14.2±1.6 kPa at pCa 4.8, p<0.001) conditions, and the force-pCa relationship was more sensitive to Ca2+ at 2.2 µm SL (pCa50=5.45±0.01 vs. 5.36±0.01, p<0.05). These increased tension values suggest that cross-bridges may bear greater loads at longer SL, which diminishes MgADP release to prolong ton and amplify cooperative cross-bridge contributions to thin filament activation. Therefore, load-dependent rates of the actomyosin cross-bridge cycle may vary with SL to contribute, in part, to the Frank-Starling relationship in the heart.
On the characteristics of inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by 2,2′-anhydro-1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine

Abstract Anhydro-ara-C, a cyclic anhydride of cytosine arabinoside, is initially a very weak inhibitor of DNA synthesis in L1210 murine leukemia cells. With increasing incubation times, such inhibition markedly increases. No evidence could be found to indicate uptake of unaltered anhydro-ara-C, although the drug appears to be a weak inhibitor of the uptake of cytosine arabinoside. Anhydro-ara-C is, however, gradually hydrolyzed, apparently by a non enzymatic process, to form cytosine arabinoside in the extracellular space. Rapid uptake of the latter compound then results in progressive inhibition of DNA synthesis.
Electrical influence on monomer orientation in hydrogen bonded and other weakly bonded complexes

Abstract The role of the simple electrical interaction between static and polarized charge distributions of molecules is shown to be very important in determining the approach orientations of monomers making up hydrogen bonded complexes. The orientational angles describing the structures of complexes can be predicted by searching the surface of the electrical interaction energy, computed using several low-order moments of the molecular charge distributions and associated polarizabilities. Over twenty complexes were considered, and the model is successful in every case where experimental information is available, except possibly the ammonia dimer, and in every case where comparison can be made with high-level ab initio calculations, including the ammonia dimer. Assumptions made in the interpretation of the experimental data on the ammonia dimer may be the cause of the disagreement.
Joint Use of Traveling Wave Dielectrophoresis and AC-Electroosmosis for Particle Manipulation

Joint effect of traveling wave dielectrophoresis and AC electroosmotic fluid flow is used to sort bacteria from other particles and increase the bacteria output concentration in a microfluidic device. The device consists of a thin and long rectangular channel with two interdigitated electrode arrays, one at the bottom and one at the top of the channel, that are used to generate a nonuniform electric field. A four-phase signal at high frequency superposed on a low frequency signal is applied. At the end of the channel, the fluid is collected in two outputs: the bacteria are collected on one side and fluid without bacteria is collected on the other side. We have previously demonstrated a method to optimize cell separation using multiple frequency dielectrophoresis. The device presented here illustrates a novel use of multiple frequencies that permits the combined use of traveling wave dielectrophoresis and AC electroosmotic fluid flow.© 2009 ASME
Approximate solutions for the formation of the lithosphere

Abstract The lithosphere is interpreted as a thermal boundary layer. Approximate solutions of the boundary layer cooling problem are developed which include mantle radioactivity, partial melt in the asthenosphere, a temperature gradient in the asthenosphere, and a non-zero lithospheric thickness at the ridge crests. The cooling history of oceanic lithosphere is found to be remarkably insensitive to assumptions about the amount of radioactivity in the upper mantle and the extent of melting in the asthenosphere. Determinations of the thickness of oceanic lithosphere and the depths of oceans as a function of age are in excellent agreement with boundary layer predictions which include a heat flux from the asthenosphere. However, the determinations do not resolve how much of the total asthenospheric heat flux might be caused by a temperature gradient in the asthenosphere. Simple thermal arguments indicate that the initial lithospheric thickness, L0, at ridge crests should depend on the local half-spreading rate, V, as L0 = 3 km/V(cm/year).
Partial Pooling in Tandem Lines with Cooperation and Blocking

For a tandem line of finite, single-server queues operating under the production blocking mechanism, we study the effects of pooling several adjacent stations and the associated servers into a single station with a single team of servers. We assume that the servers are cross-trained (so that they can work at several different stations) and that two or more servers can cooperate on the same job. For such a system, we provide sufficient conditions on the service times and sizes of the input and output buffers at the pooled station under which pooling will decrease the departure time of each job from the system (and hence increase the system throughput). We also show that pooling decreases the total number of jobs in the system at any given time and the sojourn time of each job in the system if the departure time of each job from the system is decreased by pooling and there is an arrival stream at the first station. Moreover, we provide sufficient conditions under which pooling will improve the holding cost of each job in the system incurred before any given time, and extend our results to closed tandem lines and to queueing networks with either a more general blocking mechanism or probabilistic routing. Finally, we present a numerical study aimed at quantifying the improvements in system performance obtained through pooling and at understanding which stations should be pooled to achieve the maximum benefit. Our results suggest that the improvements gained by pooling may be substantial and that the bottleneck station should be among the pooled stations in order to obtain the greatest benefit.
Poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation) of nuclear matrix proteins in alkylating agent resistant and sensitive cell lines.

Summary Using Walker 256 breast carcinoma cell lines either with or without acquired resistance to alkylating agents, the structural framework proteins of the nucleus, the nuclear matrix proteins, were found to be effective acceptors for poly(ADP-ribose). Incubation of isolated nuclei with nicotinamide adenine [ 32 P] dinucleotide ([ 32 P] NAD), followed by the isolation of the nuclear matrix, demonstrated that two polypeptides of approximate molecular weight (M r ) 105 000 and 116 000 were extensively poly(ADP-ribosylated). By an in vitro [ 32 P] NAD assay, the nuclear matrix fraction was found to maintain approx. 15% of the total nuclear matrix activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Confirmation that the trichloroacetic acid (TCA) precipitable material represented ADP-ribose units was achieved by enzymatic digestion of the nuclear matrix preparation with snake venom phosphodiesterase (SVP). Within 15 min, greater than 85% of the 32 P label was digested by SVP and the final digestion products were found to be phosphoribosyl-AMP (PR-AMP) and adenosine 5′-monophosphate (5′-AMP) by thin layer Chromatographie analysis. The average polymer chain length was estimated to be 6–7 ADP-ribose units. Because poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase has a putative role in DNA repair, a comparison of the nuclear matrix fractions from Walker resistant and sensitive tumor cell lines was made. In both cell lines, the quantitative and qualitative patterns of the nuclear matrix associated poly(ADP-ribosylation) were similar.
Thermal Resistance of Semiconductor Thin Films Predicted From Lattice Dynamics Calculations and Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Semiconductor thin films are pervasive in advanced technological devices. For example, the active region in a quantum cascade laser contains films of direct bandgap semiconductors with thicknesses of 1–10 nm [1]. Superlattices, periodic materials that contain films of alternating species with thicknesses as small as 1 nm, are being studied for their potential to increase the efficiency of thermoelectric energy conversion devices [2]. Because these film thicknesses are less than the mean free paths of the phonons in the corresponding bulk material, the thermal transport properties of semiconductor thin films are different than their corresponding bulk values [3]. To aid in the design of devices employing thin films, accurate models for the thermal transport properties of the film are required.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
A spray breakup model for low injection pressures

In this work, a physical model based on the formulation of Harper et al. (1972) is proposed for spray breakup under low injection pressures. The model accounts for both aerodynamic and surface tension forces. The model solves the Euler equations for the flow field inside the droplet, and couples the solution with the external aerodynamic field to determine droplet deformation and breakup. The proposed breakup model has been successfully implemented in KIVA-3. A series of 2-D axisymmetric simulation studies is conducted to optimize the model's computational parameters, and demonstrate model predictions for changes in physical parameters.
Comprehensive characterization of some silica-based stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract Comprehensive studies have been carried out on the effect of the silica support in preparing optimized bond-phase packing for high-performance liquid chromatography. Different covalently bonded reversed-phase silica-based chromatographic materials have been investigated with respect to lingand density, residual silanol group type, and concentration. Results from diffuse-reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental and thermogravimetric analysis, and1H solid-state- and29Si cross-polarization magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance techniques were combined with liquid chromatographic data to provide quantative insights regarding the properties of silica-based bonded-phase packings. We have determined that unfavorable adsorption of basic compouds and low hysdrlytic stability of alkyl bonded-phase ligands can attrilbuted to the existence of siolated, non-hydrogen-bridged, high acidic SiOH groups. Contrary to comon belief, a stable silica support with the lowest adsorptivity for basic compounds must contain the highest possible (and not the lowest) concentration of homogeneously distributed, associated or bonded SiOH groups to ensure a minium concentration of deleterious highly acidic, isolated silanols. Under these conditions, silica-based bonded-phase packings exhibit higher hydrolytic staility and a substantially lower order of adsorptivity towards basic organic compounds.
A low temperature sensor for the detection of carbon monoxide in hydrogen

Abstract A sensor to detect the carbon monoxide in a reformate stream that fuels a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is presented. This electrochemical sensor consists of a Nafion® electrolyte and Pt- or Ru-based electrodes and works on the principle of differential CO poisoning of the various precious metal electrodes. Varying the composition and loading of the precious metal in the electrode optimized the response of the sensor. A sensor with a working electrode of Pt and a pseudo-reference electrode of Pt–Ru alloy and a precious metal loading of 10 mg/cm2 showed a stable and reproducible response to 10–200 ppm of CO at room temperature and 100–1000 ppm CO at 70 °C.
Earthquakes Along the Passive Margin of Greenland: Evidence for Postglacial Rebound Control

— An intriguing observation in Greenland is a clear spatial correlation between seismicity and deglaciated areas along passive continental margins, a piece of evidence for earthquake triggering due to postglacial rebound. Another piece of evidence for induced seismicity due to deglaciation derives from earthquake source mechanisms. Sparse, low magnitude seismicity has made it difficult to determine focal mechanisms from Greenland earthquakes. On the basis of two normal faulting events along deglaciated margins and from the spatial distribution of epicenters, earlier investigators suggested that the earthquakes of Greenland are due to postglacial rebound. This interpretation is tested here by using more recent data. Broadband waveforms of teleseismic P waves from the August 10, 1993 (mb= 5.4) and October 14, 1998 (mb= 5.1) earthquakes have been inverted for moment tensors and source parameters. Both mechanisms indicate normal faulting with small strike-slip components: the 1993 event, strike = 348.9°, dip = 41.0°, rake =−56.3°, focal depth = 11 km, seismic moment = 1.03 × 1024 dyne-cm, and Mw= 5.3; the 1998 event, strike = 61.6°, dip = 58.0°, rake =−95.5°, focal depth = 5 km, seismic moment = 5.72 × 1023 dyne-cm, and Mw= 5.1. These and the two prior events support the theory that the shallow part of the lithosphere beneath the deglaciated margins is under horizontal extension. The observed stress field can be explained as flexural stresses due to removal of ice loads and surface loads by glacial erosion. These local extensional stresses are further enhanced by the spreading stress of continental crust and reactivate preexisting faults. Earthquake characteristics observed from Greenland suggest that the dominant seismogenic stresses are from postglacial rebound and spreading of the continental lithosphere.
Abstract B240: Inhibition of MSP‐RON signaling pathway in cancer cells by a novel soluble form of RON variant containing the complete sema sequences

The RON receptor tyrosine kinase and its ligand macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) play a role in epithelial tumorigenesis. We report here a novel RON variant that antagonizes the RON‐MSP pathway in various cancer cells. The variant was an 85 kDa soluble protein from a mRNA transcript with an insertion of 49 nucleotides between exons 5 and 6. The insertion created a stop code leading to a RON variant composed of a full 35kDa α‐chain and a 45 kDa partial extracellular β‐chain. The protein was featured by a sema domain, a hinge and a portion of the first IPT unit (designated as RON 85). RON 85 directly bound to the MSP, formed the MSP‐RON 85 complex, and inhibited RON phosphorylation. RON 85 disrupted RON or RON 160 dimerization, prevented their phosphorylation, and attenuated their downstream signaling events. The action of RON 85 was specific to RON and had no effect on MET and EGFR. In colon and pancreatic cancer cells, RON 85 inhibited spontaneous or MSP‐induced Erk1/2 and AKT phosphorylation, which results in impaired cell proliferation and colony formation. RON 85 also inhibited spontaneous or MSP‐induced cell migration. We concluded that RON 85 is an antagonist to the MSP‐RON pathway with therapeutic potentials for controlling tumorigenic phenotypes of cancer cells. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):B240.
Planning and financial performance among small firms in a growth industry

This paper examines the relationship between planning process sophistication and the financial performance of a select group of small firms in a growth industry. Multivariate analysis of variance is used to identify statistically significant differences between firms that employ sophisticated plans and those that do not. The results support previous research on strategic planning and financial performance.
A regulatory role of protein synthesis on the activity of RNA polymerase of HeLa nuclei

Abstract Puromycin and cycloheximide are powerful inhibitors of protein synthesis in mammalian cells (Mueller, et , al. , 1962; , Zimmerman, 1963; , Young, et , al. , 1963; , Ennis and Lubin, 1964) . This report describes the acute depression of RNA synthesis that accompanies the inhibition of protein synthesis by these agents. In partial explanation of this phenomenon, it has been found that pretreatment of exponentially growing cells with amounts of puromycin and cycloheximide which inhibited in , vivo synthesis of protein and RNA greatly reduced the RNA polymerase activity of isolated nuclei. The antibiotics had no effect when added in , vitro to the nuclear RNA polymerase system. The data suggest that nuclear RNA polymerase activity depends strongly on the synthesis of new protein. This dependency may be important in the regulation of RNA synthesis in mammalian cells.
Evidence for toroidal nuclei

Abstract Recent heavy ion experiments have shown a multifragment breakup mode where most of the mass of the total system is divided among three to five fragments of roughly equal mass. The most striking feature of the mode is its large cross section, up to 22% of the total reaction cross section. The lightest member of the reacting pair ranged from Al to Kr. The beam energies ranged from 11 to 44 MeV/u. The available data can be explained as the breakup of nuclei with a toroidal shape. The model suggests that toroidal nuclei will be formed in any nuclear reaction if the reactants are heavy enough and the bombarding energy is in the right range.
Nrf2 is increased by CYP2E1 in rodent liver and HepG2 cells and protects against oxidative stress caused by CYP2E1

Induction of CYP2E1 by ethanol is one pathway through which ethanol generates oxidative stress. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that regulates important antioxidant and phase II detoxification genes. Nrf2 induction by CYP2E1 and its importance in the adaptive response to increased oxidative stress caused by CYP2E1 was studied. Increases in Nrf2 protein and mRNA were observed in livers or hepatocytes of chronic alcohol-fed mice or rats and of pyrazole-treated rats or mice, conditions known to elevate CYP2E1. HepG2 cells expressing CYP2E1 (E47 cells) showed increased Nrf2 mRNA and protein expression compared with control HepG2 C34 cells. Nrf2 is activated in E47 cells as shown by an increase in nuclear Nrf2 levels and Nrf2-antioxidant-responsive element binding activity, and upregulation of Nrf2-regultated genes, glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1). Increases in Nrf2 protein and mRNA are blocked by inhibitors of CYP2E1 activity and a reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger, N-acetylcysteine, which decrease ROS levels as well as Nrf2 mRNA induction. Upregulation of GCLC and HO-1 in E47 cells is dependent on Nrf2 and is prevented by siRNA-Nrf2. Blocking Nrf2 by siRNA-Nrf2 decreases glutathione and increases ROS and lipid peroxidation, resulting in decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and loss of cell viability of E47 cells but not C34 cells. These results suggest that Nrf2 is activated and that levels of protein and mRNA are increased when CYP2E1 is elevated. In conclusion, Nrf2 plays a key role in the adaptive response against increased oxidative stress caused by CYP2E1.
Molecular weight estimation of Triton X-100 solubilized proteins by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Abstract A polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system is described which employs the nonionic detergent Triton X-100 as a protein solvent. Aside from the obvious advantages of this detergent over ionic detergents and urea in the preservation of protein structure and function, it is demonstrated that the ancillary benefits of gel electrophoresis, i.e., molecular size and charge determination, are possible.
Dual-mode optical imaging system for fluorescence image-guided surgery

In this Letter, we present a novel imaging concept that a single imaging system can image different spectral bands with different aperture sizes. It is achieved by using a filter with different transmitted spectral bands in different annular rings as the aperture stop. This concept will enable more efficient system configurations and practical clinical applications. We have demonstrated this concept with a dual-mode near-infrared fluorescence image guided surgical system.
Contrasting leaf and 'ecosystem' CO2 and H 2O exchange in Avena fatua monoculture: Growth at ambient and elevated CO2.

Elevated CO2 (ambient + 35 Pa) increased shoot dry mass production in Avena fatua by ∼ 68% at maturity. This increase in shoot biomass was paralleled by an 81% increase in average net CO2 uptake (A) per unit of leaf area and a 65% increase in average A at the ‘ecosystem’ level per unit of ground area. Elevated CO2 also increased ‘ecosystem’ A per unit of biomass. However, the products of total leaf area and light-saturated leaf A divided by the ground surface area over time appeared to lie on a single response curve for both CO2 treatments. The approximate slope of the response suggests that the integrated light saturated capacity for leaf photosynthesis is ∼ 10-fold greater than the ‘ecosystem’ rate. ‘Ecosystem’ respiration (night) per unit of ground area, which includes soil and plant respiration, ranged from-20 (at day 19) to-18 (at day 40) μmol m-2 s-1 for both elevated and ambient CO2Avena. ‘Ecosystem’ below-ground respiration at the time of seedling emergence was ∼-10 μmol m-2 s-1, while that occuring after shoot removal at the termination of the experiment ranged from -5 to-6 μmol m-2 s-1. Hence, no significant differences between elevated and ambient CO2 treatments were found in any respiration measure on a ground area basis, though ‘ecosystem’ respiration on a shoot biomass basis was clearly reduced by elevated CO2. Significant differences existed between leaf and ‘ecosystem’ water flux. In general, leaf transpiration (E) decreased over the course of the experiment, possibly in response to leaf aging, while ‘ecosystem’ rates of evapotranspiration (ET) remained constant, probably because falling leaf rates were offset by an increasing total leaf biomass. Transpiration was lower in plants grown at elevated CO2, though variation was high because of variability in leaf age and ambient light conditions and differences were not significant. In contrast, ‘ecosystem’ evapotranspiration (ET) was significantly decreased by elevated CO2 on 5 out of 8 measurement dates. Photosynthetic water use efficiencies (A/E at the leaf level, A/ET at the ‘ecosystem’ level) were increased by elevated CO2. Increases were due to both increased A at leaf and ‘ecosystem’ level and decreased leaf E and ‘ecosystem’ ET.
Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values

The article reviews the book “Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values,” by Geert Hofstede.
Distribution of 111 in-bleomycin complex in small cell lung cancer cells by autoradiography

The distribution of 111 In-bleomycin Complex (111In-BLMC) in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells was studied by autoradiography. SCLC cells were exposed to 111In-BLMC and 111Indium chloride (111InCl3) for 1 hour, 3 hours, and 4 hours; washed with fresh medium; and spread on slides. The slides were smeared with NTB2. (NTB3) emulsion by wet or dry-mount technique and exposed 3 to 15 days. 111In-BLMC was found to localize in the cell nucleus and nuclear membrane (78.3%); 111InCl3 located mainly in the cytoplasm (52.3%). This distribution of labeled BLM may explain the mechanism of killing SCLC cells by 111In-BLMC.
How creative leaders think: Experimental findings and cases

Abstract To direct innovative efforts, leaders must possess creative thinking skills. The available evidence, however, suggests that leaders may express their creative thinking skills in a unique way. In the present effort, we argue that leader creativity is based on experiential cases, a form of situated cognition, where idea generation occurs through evaluative operations. Evidence supporting this argument is provided using a series of experimental studies as well as incidents of “real-world” creative leadership in manufacturing, finance, and service industries. The implications of these observations for understanding leader performance, leader development, and leader–follower interactions are discussed.
Homology and hierarchies : problems solved and unresolved

Homology as a topic in phylogenetic analysis has to do with what is conserved in evolution. The problem of homology in systematics — to find homologues, and in so doing, to identify taxa — is distinct from the problem of identifying what kinds of features tend to be conserved, how and why. The two sets of issues are fundamentally interdependent at the point that one selects the appropriate taxonomic units, identifies the characters one wishes to study, or decides what constitutes a single character. Homology as a phenomenon is a manifestation of replication and of continuity of biological information. Replication occurs at many levels in the biological hierarchy: from the DNA replication that accompanies cell replication, to the replication of gross phenotypic characteristics within individual organisms that results in iterative homologues, to the replication of individuals to form a population that persists (in replication through successive generations) in evolutionary time. In replication, biological information may persist unchanged, or it may be disrupted or transformed. Different patterns of change may be expressed at different levels of the biological hierarchy. Here a concept developed in arguments on levels of selection becomes useful: change at one level of the hierarchy — e.g., genes or gross phenotype — may be screened off from changes at other levels. Understanding the manner in which phenotypic features develop or are replicated, the mechanisms of screening off, and the evolutionary origin and transformation of these mechanisms is a major challenge for understanding the biological basis of homology. The recognition or coding of characters for a phylogenetic analysis calls for decisions on what level of description and how complex a unit character is to be recognized. Here an additional point of comparison within the biological hierarchy — the relationship between organisms and taxa — becomes important. We use characters of organisms to trace phylogenies of taxa; yet because traits can arise and subsequently become fixed in different segments of a population linage, phylogenies of organismal characters can conflict with the phylogeny of the taxa that compairse them. For these reasons, a full understanding of evolutionary changes undergone in lineages will require us to combine phylogenetic analyses with analyses of development, studies of developmental and population genetics, and comparisons of gross phenotype.
Stretch reflex coupling between the hip and knee: implications for impaired gait following stroke

Individuals with hemiparetic stroke often exhibit an abnormal coupling between the frontal plane of the hip and saggital plane of the knee during gait. The purpose of this study was to determine if stretch sensitive reflexes, which are known to be altered following stroke, exhibit similar coupling between the muscles of the hip and knee in the post-stroke population. Eighteen subjects were recruited for this study including ten with hemiparesis resulting from stroke and eight unimpaired, age-matched controls. A servomotor was used to apply ramp and hold perturbations to both the hip and knee joints in separate sessions and electromyographic activity was recorded in eight muscles of the lower limb. Hip abduction perturbations elicited abnormal activation in rectus femoris (RF) in seven of ten stroke subjects with amplitudes ranging from 3.2 to 12.5% of the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC). Only two of eight control subjects exhibited any activity in RF and these responses were only 2.1 and 2.7% of MVC. To determine if the responses in the stroke group were a result of muscle stretch, a musculoskeletal model was used to simulate the experimental abduction perturbations and estimate muscle length changes. The simulation revealed that RF should be shortened by the perturbations and this suggests that the response was not likely due to direct stretch. Moreover, knee flexion perturbations elicited responses in the hip adductors (AL) with a mean amplitude of 5.1 ± 3.8% of MVC across all stroke subjects while no significant responses were recorded in controls. The presence of a reciprocal, reflex-mediated coupling between RF and AL following stroke suggests that changes in the excitability of spinal networks may contribute to the development of abnormal inter-joint coordination patterns observed during hemiparetic gait.
Experimental verification of nondiffracting X waves

The propagation of acoustic waves in isotropic/homogeneous media and electromagnetic waves in free space is governed by the isotropic/homogeneous (or free space) scalar wave equation. A zeroth-order acoustic X wave (axially symmetric) was experimentally produced with an acoustic annular array transducer. The generalized expression includes a term for the frequency response of the system and parameters for varying depth of field versus beam width of the resulting family of beams. Excellent agreement between theoretical predictions and experiment was obtained. An X wave of finite aperture driven with realizable (causal, finite energy) pulses is found to travel with a large depth of field (nondiffracting length). >
NDE of interfaces in the tube geometry with piezofilm transducers

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) transducers are used in the evaluation of interfaces in coaxially extruded Zirconium-Zircaloy tubes and the clamping condition of Nitinol couplers over stainless steel tubing. A detailed description of the evaluation interface in a Zirconium-Zircaloy tube, on which the same transducer was used both as the transmitter and the receiver, is given. The multiple echo signals were analyzed and reflection coefficients as small as 0.006 were accurately measured. Comparisons are made with the measurement results of conventional transducers. >
POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITS OF THE COMPARABLE WORTH MOVEMENT

The emergence and growth of the comparable worth or pay-equity movement in the United States in the last six years signals a major shift in strategies for women's economic advancement—away from affirmative action strategies aimed at job integration, toward upgrading conditions for gender-segregated work itself. Although much has been written on comparable worth from technical and structural perspectives, my research explores a different set of questions. From qualitative research on two California localities, I ask what the issue represents to those involved and how they perceive their interests. As a political movement, comparable worth overcomes the narrow base of affirmative action. While building on the rising expectations affirmative action encouraged, comparable worth helps improve job conditions without attacking the gendered division of labor. However, comparable worth does not unite all women, it pits women against men of the same class, and may exacerbate the plight of women in the lowest level ...
DSP removal of respiratory trend in photoplethysmographic blood volume pulse measurements

Three different digital signal processing algorithms for removing the respiratory trend from photoplethysmographic blood volume pulse (BVP) signals are investigated. The goal of this processing is to avoid the distortion introduced by the low-frequency trend contaminating the BVP signals recorded for the purpose of exercise evaluation. The three approaches are compared in terms of the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) achieved and the preservation of the morphology of the BVP pulses, as both are important for the determination of indices derived from this signal.
Morphology-dependent optical properties of substituted poly(p-phenylene–ethynylene) (PPE) films

Two different batches of substituted poly(p-phenylene–ethynylene) [PPEs] were synthesized, where the substituents: di-2-butyl(a) and di-2-ethylhexyl(d), were placed on the 2 and 5 positions of the backbone phenyl rings. The photoinduced absorption (PA) spectrum of PPE(a) shows a polaron band at about 850 cm � 1 , whereas PPE(d) does not show polaron bands at all. At T ¼ 10 K the PA spectrum of PPE(a) in the visible spectral range has two main bands around 1.25 and 1.9 eV, respectively, and a broad shoulder at 2.1 eV. Using the photoinduced absorption detected magnetic resonance (PADMR) spectroscopy, we found that in PPE(a) the 1.9 eV PA band is associated with spin 1 ; thus it is due to long-lived photogenerated polarons, whereas both the 1.25 eV PA band and 2.1 eV band do not have any spin 1 ; resonance. In PPE(d) there is a very sharp peak at 1.45 eV, which is due to triplets excitons, and a broad band around 2.0 eV similar to PPE(a), which is due to aggregates. r 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Depression and anxiety among Cambodian refugee women in France and the United States.

This study reports on Cambodian refugee data related to signs symptomatic of depression and anxiety, the tendency to worry or ruminate over past events (a culture-bound syndrome called ''Khoucherang''), and differences that might be influenced by social system and cultural practice. A sample consisting of 155 women of Cambodian national origin were interviewed in their homes in the USA and France. Answers to the research questions were collected by a focused interview to elicit demographic information, and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) in the Cambodian language to elicit depression and anxiety scores. Women residing in France (87%) were significantly more likely to show signs symptomatic of depression than women residing in the USA (65%). Women in the study reported about three times as much depression as the average American woman. Large numbers of women residing in both countries were symptomatic of anxiety (82% on average). Both groups experienced extreme symptoms of the culture-bound syndrome, ...