cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Location of the Rz gene in bacteriophage lambda

Abstract We report the nucleotide sequence of the Tn903 insertion in phage λdk23 identifying the Rz gene. The insertion is located after bp 46008 in the λ nucleotide sequence. This is 43 bp after the start of the Rz gene, which is 459 bp long. Complementation experiments verify that the lysis defect in the λRz:: Tn903 mutant lies on a restriction fragment spanning the lysis region.
Zinc oxide nanoparticle growth from homogenous solution: Influence of Zn:OH, water concentration, and surfactant additives

Zinc oxide particle growth from homogeneous solution was monitored using in situ UV-vis spectroscopy. Final particle size and overall growth rate increased with increasing zinc to hydroxide concentration ratio and were both sensitive to the surfactant added. Particle growth was fit using two models: (1) the classic coarsening model and (2) the simultaneous coarsening and oriented aggregation model. Results demonstrate that using adamantane carboxylic acid as a surfactant additive inhibits ZnO nanoparticle growth both by coarsening and oriented aggregation as compared to using other monocarboxylates (e.g., acetate and tribromoacetate). In addition, ZnO nanoparticle growth was independent of water concentration within the range of 40-100 mM for the conditions studied here (1 mM zinc perchlorate, 1.6 mM hydroxide, and 0.38 mM adamantane carboxylic acid). High-resolution transmission electron micrographs confirm inhibited growth by oriented aggregation for ZnO grown with adamantane carboxylic acid. Results are compared to previous work and generally show that ZnO growth by coarsening and oriented aggregation can be selectively inhibited or promoted by judicious selection of the surfactant additive.
Coupling reactions of Fe(benzyne)+ and Fe(naphthyne)+ in the gas phase

The gas phase ion-molecule reactions of Fe(benzyne) + and Fe(naphthyne) + with acetylene, allene, ethene, butadiene, buckminsterfullerene and cyclopropane are studied using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. In a previous study we proposed that the reaction of Fe(benzyne) + with ethene proceeds by a mechanism in which a multiple carbon-carbon bond couples with a metal-carbon bond of Fe(benzyne) + to form new carbon-carbon and metal-carbon bonds. In this study we include the reactions of Fe(naphthyne) + in order to test the generality of this mechanism and to observe the non-metallic products formed in these reactions. Fe(benzyne) + , for example, reacts with acetylene to yield Fe + and C e H,CH, exclusively. In contrast the reaction of Fe(naphthyne)+ with acetylene produces Fe + , C 10 H 6 C 2 H 2 + and a metallacyclic product Fe-C 10 H 6 -CH 2 H 2 + . This lends support that the neutral product formed in the reaction of Fe(benzyne) + with acetylene is an intact C 6 H 4 C 2 H 2 . Similarly, Fe(naphthyne) + reacts with ethene to form a metallacyclic product Fe-C 10 H 6 -C 2 H 4 + . In the reaction with C 60 , Fe(naphthyne) + is observed to yield the C 60 derivatives C 60 C 10 H 6 + and Fe-C 10 H 6 -C 60 + . These gas phase ion-molecule coupling reactions are analogous to the condensed phase coupling reactions of metal-lobenzynes with molecules containing multiple bonds.
Nanostructured silica thin films self-assembled with electron donors and acceptors to measure electron tunneling.

Surfactant-templated, mesostructured thin films are synthesized such that photoelectron donors and electron acceptors are separated spatially in the different regions of the thin film. A photoelectron donor is placed within the silica framework by using a silylated derivative of the well-known tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) cation. Selective placement of the electron acceptor is achieved by using a surfactant derivative of methyl viologen. Luminescence decay traces and luminescence spectra are collected for the electron donor in the presence of varying amounts of the electron acceptor. Because of the spatial separation of the donor and acceptor noncontact electron transfer occurs and the electron-transfer rate decreases exponentially with the distance separating the donor and acceptor. Luminescence decay traces are calculated and fit to the experimental data in order to extract a value for the contact quenching rate, k0 (s-1), as well as the exponential decay constant β (A-1) which governs how fast the ele...
Integrated receiver architectures for board-to-board free-space optical interconnects

In many computer and server communications copper cables and wires are currently being used for data transmission and interconnects. However, due to significant shortcomings, such as long transmission time, high noise level, unstable electrical properties, and high power consumption for cooling, researchers are increasingly turning their research interests toward alternatives, such as fiber optic interconnects and free-space optical communication technologies. In this paper, we present design considerations for an integrated receiver for high-speed free-space line-of-sight optical interconnects for distortion-free data transmission in an environment with mechanical vibrations and air turbulences. The receiver consists of an array of high-speed photodiodes for data communication and an array of quadrant photodiodes for real-time beam tracking in order to compensate for the beam misalignment caused by vibrations in servers. Different configurations for spatially positioning the quadrant and data photodiodes are discussed for 4×4 and 9×9 multielement optical detector arrays. We also introduce a new beam tracking device, termed the strip quadrant photodiodes, in order to accurately track highly focused optical beams with very small beam diameter.
Shear layer characteristics of supersonic free and impinging jets

Theinitialshearlayercharacteristicsofajetplay an important role in the initiation and development of insta- bilities and hence radiated noise. Particle image velocimetry has been utilized to study the initial shear layer develop- ment of supersonic free and impinging jets. Microjet control employedtoreduceflowunsteadinessandjetnoiseappearsto affectthedevelopmentoftheshearlayer,particularlynearthe nozzle exit. Velocity field measurements near the nozzle exit show that the initially thin, uncontrolled shear layer devel- ops at a constant rate while microjet control is characterized byarapidnonlinearthickeningthatasymptotesdownstream. The shear layer linear growth rate with microjet control, in both the free and the impinging jet, is diminished. In addi- tion, the thickened shear layer with control leads to a reduc- tion in azimuthal vorticity for both free and impinging jets. Linear stability theory is used to compute unstable growth rates and convection velocities of the resultant velocity pro- files. The results show that while the convection velocity is largely unaffected, the unstable growth rates are signifi- cantly reduced over all frequencies with microjet injection. For the case of the impinging jet, microjet control leads to near elimination of the impingement tones and an apprecia- ble reduction in broadband levels. Similarly, for the free jet, significant reduction in overall sound pressure levels in the peak radiation direction is observed.
"All This Is the Empire, I Told Myself": Australian Women's Voyages "Home" and the Articulation of Colonial Whiteness

"[JI]T IS SAFE TO SAY the average Australian girl cherishes an ambition to come to London some time or other, whether it be in search of fame, experience, or mere frivolous adventure," Alice Grant Rosman assured the readers of Everylady's Journal in October 1913. "That a large percentage realise that ambition in these days of cheap travelling may be seen from the fact-or perhaps I should say the rumour-that there are no fewer than 25,000 Australians either temporarily o[r] permanently residing in London to-day."1 Rosman's figures were more fact than rumor. Starting with a trickle of a couple of thousand per year in the 1870s, the flow of Australians and New Zealanders to England rose to around an annual 10,000 from the late 1880s beyond the turn of the century and then doubled in the interwar period.2 By 1911, there were 23,000 Australian-born residents of England and Wales, of whom 13,000 were female.3 If not always the only or even the first destination for itinerant Australians, London often served as an emotional and practical base. England-and London-held such appeal for Australian women that visits there were often measured in years or could extend indefinitely. For many Australians, London represented the center of the world that mattered, the heart of the empire, and also the place where creative or professional success was defined, where the powerful arbiters were. London, even more than the rest of Britain and Europe, held out the lure of fame and achievement because it contained the most important publishers, critics, audiences, organizational headquarters, training institutes, and art schools. In September 1902, the successful Australian opera singer Amy Castles was asked by a journalist from The New Idea whether she came across many Australian "girls" in England and Paris. "Yes, quite a lot," she replied.
Impact of process-variations in STTRAM and adaptive boosting for robustness

Spin-Torque Transfer Random Access Memory (STTRAM) is a promising technology for high density on-chip cache due to low standby power. Additionally, it offers fast access time, good endurance and retention. However, it suffers from poor write latency and write power. Additionally we observe that process variation can result in large spread in write and read latency variations. The performance of conventionally designed STTRAM cache can degrade as much as 10% due to process variations. We propose a novel and adaptive write current boosting to address this issue. The bits experiencing worst-case write latency are fixed through write current boosting. Simulations show 80% power improvement compared to boosting all bit-cells and 13% performance improvement compared to worst case latency due to process variation over a wide range of PARSEC benchmarks.
Standards for Commutating Capacitors

Problems of standardization exist for capacitors used in power semiconductor equipment. Electronic Industries Association (EIA) has taken a step forward in this area by publishing an industry standard for commutating capacitors. Details of definitions, case types, terminals, ratings, measurements, life tests, performance characteristics, and general applications of these capacitors are covered in the proposed standard. This paper describes part of the EIA program and also includes limited information on the design of commutating capacitors and their use in power semiconductor circuits.
Astronomical photometry from the moon

Abstract The Moon would be an excellent platform for photometric astronomical observations. This paper discusses such observations, emphasizing time-series photometry of oscillating stars (asteroseismology), of faint gravitating bodies (microlensing), and of the interplanetary medium. To prepare for the deployment of major new telescopes and instrumentation on the surface of the Moon, I suggest that smaller “site-survey” instruments be put in place as soon as possible. Each application suggested can derive great benifits from small site-survey instruments established relatively soon, and each would ultimately need extensive arrays of large instruments.
Prospects for long-term lidar cloud observations

Long-term observations of the atmosphere are required to understand the earth's climate and its variability. The utility of the long-term observations of clouds is explored in this paper. Several national and international experiments have shown that such observations are feasible, and the resultant scientific benefits make them desirable. Scientific requirements are discussed in terms comprehensive statistics of cloud amount, base height and depth, optical depth and microphysics, including cloud phase and effective radius. The instrumental requirements to measure the above quantities are described, indicating the increased instrumental sophistication that is required for the more detailed observations.
A home visit program for breastfeeding education and support.

A home visit program for breastfeeding education and intervention was developed to provide support for mothers and infants at risk for breastfeeding failure. This program was developed to supplement the Early Discharge Program for mothers and newborns who were discharged within 24 hours of delivery. A breastfeeding assessment tool was developed for use in the hospital and during the early discharge home visit. Home visits are provided by a registered nurse with mother-infant assessment skills and competence to provide breastfeeding education, problem management, emotional support, and referrals to lactation consultants or physicians as needed. The response from patients and physicians has been positive. As the demand for services grew, the program was modified to include other mothers and infants (e.g., those delivering via cesarean and high-risk, preterm, and borderline preterm infants in need of breastfeeding support). The readmission rate for breastfeeding infants who receive a home visit is lower than for infants who do not receive a home visit. Patient satisfaction surveys have been positive.
A Markov chain on the symmetric group and Jack symmetric functions

Hanlon, P., A Markov chain on the symmetric group and Jack symmetric functions, Discrete Mathematics 99 (1992) 123-140. Diaconis and Shahshahani studied a Markov chain Wf(l) whose states are the elements of the symmetric group S,. In W,(l), you move from a permutation n to any permutation of the form a(i, j) with equal probability. In this paper we study a deformation W,(a) of this Markov chain which is obtained by applying the Metropolis algorithm to Wf(l). The stable distribution of W,(a) is 6-C(Z) where C(A) denotes the number of cycles of x. Our main result is that the eigenvectors of the transition matrix of W,(a) are the Jack symmetric functions. We use facts about the Jack symmetric functions due to Macdonald and Stanley to obtain precise estimates for the rate of convergence of W,( (u) to its stable distribution.
The effect of gamma radiation and actinomycin on cortisone induction of liver enzymes.

SummaryIonizing radiation and actinomycin-D were employed in an attempt to gain further insight into the mechanisms by which cortisone induces hepatic tyrosine transaminase (L-tyrosine: 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase, EC 2.6.1.5) and tryptophan pyrrolase (L-tryptophan: H2O2 oxidoreductase, EC 1.11.1.4). Administration of the antibiotic at a dose of 200 μg/kg resulted in slight inhibition of the induction of tyrosine transaminase and tryptophan pyrrolase. Concomitant gamma radiation (6000 R) markedly enhanced this inhibition, while irradiation of the animals wthout actinomycin administration had little or no effect on the basal or induced levels of the enzymes studied. N2-di-methylene-actinomycin-C3, an analogue of actinomycin-D which does not bind to DNA, had no effect on enzyme induction.The authors thank Mrs. Annabelle Cutler for her excellent technical assistance.
The imaginary double in Poe's “William Wilson”;

(2000). The imaginary double in Poe's “William Wilson”; Lit: Literature Interpretation Theory: Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 385-402.
Micropipette manipulation technique for the monitoring of pH-dependent membrane lysis as induced by the fusion peptide of influenza virus

We have assembled a micropipette aspiration assay to measure membrane destabilization events in which large (20–30 microns diameter) unilamellar vesicles are manipulated and exposed to membrane destabilizing agents. Single events can be seen with a light microscope and are recorded using both a video camera and a photomultiplier tube. We have performed experiments with a wild-type fusion peptide from influenza virus (X31) and found that it induces pH-dependent, stochastic lysis of large unilamellar vesicles. The rate and extent of lysis are both maximum at pH 5; the maximum rate of lysis is 0.018 s-1 at pH 5. An analysis of our data indicates that the lysis is not correlated either to the size of the vesicles or to the tension created in the vesicle membranes by aspiration.
Experimental sea ranching of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill

An experiment to induce anadromy in a population of wild brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, was conducted near Sept-Iles, Quebec, in 1978–1979. Brook trout were captured from the Matamek River, tagged and transported to the Matamek River estuary during late spring and early summer, and allowed free movement between an impassable waterfall 0.7 km upstream and the sea. Fish were recaptured in autumn as they returned to fresh water. Over two years, 34.0% of the released fish were recaptured. Best returns were in the 2+ and 3+ age classes with 38.0 and 62.1% recaptured, respectively. Straying of transplanted fish appeared to be <1%. All age classes included sea run brook trout (sea trout) but the largest percentages of sea trout occurred in older fish. Growth was better in sea trout than in fish which did not develop anadromy, presumably a function of an increased food supply at sea. Severe tagging effects stunted growth and probably suppressed anadromy, especially among younger fish. Sexual characteristics of recaptured fish indicated suppressed maturation of gonads in sea trout compared to fish remaining in fresh water and there was a shift to a larger percentage of females in the sea trout. Comparisons between our results and data on other anadromous Salvelinus species underscore the potential for sea-ranching of trout and char as a moderate effort, high yield aquaculture technique.
Bending analysis of laminated plates and shells by different methods

Abstract A consistent set of equations for laminated composite shallow shells is used to obtain various solutions for isotropic and laminated plates and shallow shells. Exact solutions which satisfy the equations of equilibrium and boundary conditions are obtained for shear diaphragm boundaries and cross-ply laminates. The Ritz method is used to obtain the deflections and stresses for generally laminated plates and shallow shells with cantilevered and doubly-cantilevered boundaries. Triangular elements of three and six nodes as well as quadrilateral elements of four and eight nodes are developed. The finite element results are compared with both exact solutions and those obtained by the Ritz method. Isotropic and laminated materials are considered for both plates and cylindrical shell panels.
GGF2 (Nrg1-β3) treatment enhances NG2+ cell response and improves functional recovery after spinal cord injury.

The adult spinal cord contains a pool of endogenous glial precursor cells, which spontaneously respond to spinal cord injury (SCI) with increased proliferation. These include oligodendrocyte precursor cells that express the NG2 proteoglycan and can differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes. Thus, a potential approach for SCI treatment is to enhance the proliferation and differentiation of these cells to yield more functional mature glia and improve remyelination of surviving axons. We previously reported that soluble glial growth factor 2 (GGF2)- and basic fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)-stimulated growth of NG2+ cells purified from injured spinal cord in primary culture. This study examines the effects of systemic administration of GGF2 and/or FGF2 after standardized contusive SCI in vivo in both rat and mouse models. In Sprague-Dawley rats, 1 week of GGF2 administration, beginning 24 h after injury, enhanced NG2+ cell proliferation, oligodendrogenesis, chronic white matter at the injury epicenter, and recovery of hind limb function. In 2′,3′-cyclic-nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase-enhanced green fluorescent protein mice, GGF2 treatment resulted in increased oligodendrogenesis and improved functional recovery, as well as elevated expression of the stem cell transcription factor Sox2 by oligodendrocyte lineage cells. Although oligodendrocyte number was increased chronically after SCI in GGF2-treated mice, no evidence of increased white matter was detected. However, GGF2 treatment significantly increased levels of P0 protein-containing peripheral myelin, produced by Schwann cells that infiltrate the injured spinal cord. Our results suggest that GGF2 may have therapeutic potential for SCI by enhancing endogenous recovery processes in a clinically relevant time frame. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reinterpreting strength and safety in a socio-cultural context: Dynamics of domestic violence and experiences of women of Japanese descent

Despite the proliferation of research on domestic violence and child abuse in the U.S. over the last two decades, experiences of women of color remain seriously understudied. This community-based study of women of Japanese descent elucidates multiple, interlocking ways in which socio-cultural factors influence their responses to partners' violence, while exposing tensions between the constraints and benefits of culture. The constraints affect physical and emotional well-being as women are pressured to endure violence. Defying cultural proscriptions has its cost, potentially depriving a woman of her cultural integrity and her support system. This article reevaluates current social policy and programs in light of this tension, calling for a new approach that acknowledges culture as a source of strength and support, while recognizing its contribution to women's vulnerability to violence.
Technical change in forest sector models: the global forest products model approach

Technical change is developing rapidly in some parts of the forest sector, especially in the pulp and paper industry where wood fiber is being substituted by waste paper. In forest sector models, the processing of wood and other input into products is frequently represented by activity analysis (input–output). In this context, technical change translates in changes over time of the input–output (I–O) coefficients and of the manufacturing cost (labor, capital, and materials, excluding wood and fiber). In the case of the global forest products model, the I–O coefficients and the manufacturing costs are determined empirically from historical data, while correcting for possible reporting errors. The method consists of goal programming. The objective function is the sum of the weighted absolute value of the deviations from estimated and observed production in each country of interest. The constraints express the relationship between the multiple output (sawnwood, panels, pulp, paper) and input (wood, waste pap...
Sequence-dependent group scheduling problem on unrelated-parallel machines

Highlights? A group scheduling problem on unrelated-parallel machines is addressed. ? Bi-criteria objective function is considered to benefit both the producer and customers. ? Sequence-dependent setups and dynamic job releases/machine availabilities are assumed. ? A mixed-integer linear programming model is developed to solve the model optimally. ? Tabu-search based algorithms are developed to efficiently solve the industry-size problems. In this research we address a sequence-dependent group scheduling problem on a set of unrelated-parallel machines where the run time of each job differs on different machines. To benefit both producer and customers we attempt to minimize a linear combination of total weighted completion time and total weighted tardiness. Since the problem is shown to be NP-hard, meta-heuristic algorithms based on tabu search are developed to find the optimal/near optimal solution. For some small size yet complex problems, the results from these algorithms are compared to the optimal solutions found by CPLEX. The result obtained in all of these problems is that the tabu search algorithms could find solutions at least as good as CPLEX but in drastically shorter computational time, thus signifying the high degree of efficiency and efficacy attained by the former.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POTASSIUM AND VAGAL ACTION ON ATRIOVENTRICULAR TRANSMISSION.

The relationship between the effects of potassium and vagal stimulation on transmission through the atrioventricular transmission system was investigated. It was observed that infusion of isotonic potassium chloride alleviated atrioventricular block induced by vagal activity. This occurred at plasma potassium levels ranging from 4.8 to 6.9 mEq/liter. This antagonism does not appear to be mediated by catecholamine release since infusion of epinephrine (0.23 µg/min) did not relieve the block. At plasma levels higher than those capable of inhibiting vagal action, potassium enhances parasympathomimetic actions on A-V transmission and, at still higher levels, potassium is capable of inducing A-V block which is independent of the vagus.
Echocardiographic morphometry and geometry of the left ventricular outflow tract in fixed subaortic stenosis.

Objectives. This study was designed to identify, by echocardiography, morphometric abnormalities of the left ventricular out-flow tract in children with fixed subaortic stenosis and to determine whether these abnormalities precede the development of subaortic obstruction. Background. Fixed subaortic stenosis typically develops and progresses after the 1st year of life and is therefore often regarded as an acquired lesion. Although it has been speculated that there may be an underlying anatomic substrate, there are no data to support this hypothesis. Methods. The size of the aortic annulus, mitral-aortic valve separation, aorto-left ventricular septal angle and degree of aortic override were determined in two groups of children. Group 1 comprised 35 patients with isolated subaortic stenosis noted on initial echocardiogram who were compared with an age- and weight-matched normal control group (Group 1A). Group 2 comprised 23 patients with ventricular septel defect or coarctation of the aorta, or both, who had no subaortic stenosis on initial echocardiogram but who developed it subsequently. This group was compared with an age-, weight- and lesion-matched control group (Group 2A). Results. Compared with control subjects, patients with isolated subaortic stenosis hed a significantly wider mitral-aortic separation ([mean ± SD] 5.1 ± 1.3 vs. 3.4 ± 0.9 mm, p < 0.001), a steeper aortoseptal angle (131 ± 6 ° vs. 144 ± 5 °, p < 0.001) and an exaggerated aortic override (p < 0.05). Similar differences were found on initial echocardiogram in Group 2 patients before development of subaortic stenosis: wider mitral-aortic separation (4.2 ± 1.2 vs. 2.5 ± 0.7 mm, p < 0.001), a steeper aortoseptal angle (132 ± 7 ° vs. 145 ± 7 °, p < 0.001) and an exaggerated aortic override (p < 0.05). Conclusions. A left ventricular outflow tract malformation characterized by a wider mitral-aortic separation, an exaggerated aortic override and a steeper aortoseptal angle are present in children with ventricular septal defect or coarctation of the aorta or both, who subsequently develop subaortic stenosis. These morphometric features can be used to identify by echocardiography patients who are at risk for developing fixed subaortic stenosis.
Environmental enhancement of in vitro chondrogenesis.

Abstract In most in vitro tissue interaction studies, it is assumed that the negative control of the culture system (i.e., the tissue which does not differentiate when isolated) is representative of an in vivo situation, and that the isolated tissue is quite unable to differentiate without the interacting tissue. It is becoming increasingly obvious that the failure of isolated tissues to differentiate in vitro may be due to the techniques of the experimenter, not necessarily to metabolic deficiencies of the tissue. The results reported here show that while it is possible to demonstrate an effective interaction in which notochord promotes the differentiation of cartilage from somitic tissue, the negative result (somites alone failing to undergo chondrogenesis) applies only to a prescribed set of culture conditions. By substituting fetal calf serum and other nutrient supplements for horse serum, which was previously used in the nutrient medium, the incidence of in vitro chondrogenesis is markedly enhanced in somites cultured in the absence of notochord. The notochord therefore does not impose chondrogenic information upon the somites, it only permits or enhances a preexisting chondrogenic bias of the somites. In addition, DNA synthesis and proliferation were found to have only a desultory relation to chondrogenesis. The primary role of proliferation is to provide new cells for a continuing process of chondrogenic differentiation.
Processing effect on structural changes of high acid-catalysed silica gel

The structure of silica gels prepared by hydrolysis of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with high acid content has been investigated. The gels were obtained by varying the nitric acid contents at a constant H2O/TEOS molar ratio of 10. The molar compositions were TEOS: H2O∶HNO3 =1∶10: x(x=0.1–1.0). The effects of acid content and drying temperature on structural changes in the gels were examined. In addition, the surface area, pore volume, pore size distribution, and the microstructure were determined. The results showed that the pore structure changed to larger pore sizes and broader size distributions as a result of increasing the drying temperature. However, at a constant drying temperature, a higher acid content yielded a higher pore volume. The gels dried at lower temperatures had slit-shaped micropores and a narrow pore size distribution; whereas, the gels dried at higher temperatures had ink bottle-shaped pores and a relatively broad size distribution.
Adverse impact of multileaf collimator field shaping on lens dose in children with acute leukemia receiving cranial irradiation

Abstract Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the impact of multileaf collimator (MLC) on lens dose in children with leukemia undergoing cranial irradiation. Methods and Materials: This is a prospective study utilizing three common cranial irradiation techniques. Technique A uses a half-beam, nondivergent radiation field. Technique B has the anterior divergent field edge at the lateral bony canthus. Technique C is similar to B, but with a field collimator angle. Thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) lens dose measurements were obtained in children and phantom with all three techniques. Results: Seventeen children were studied. Lens dose measurements were obtained in 14 children with technique A using MLC and blocks. In 7 of 14 children, dose measurements were obtained with MLC only. One child was treated with technique B and 2 children were treated with C, with MLC ± blocks. In all 3 techniques, with MLC alone, the lens dose increased by 64%, 119%, and 72%, respectively. Similar results were obtained in phantom. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that independent of irradiation technique, additional custom blocking is required to maximally protect the lens with MLC shaped fields. This is due to the lack of conformity between MLC and the desired field edge at the lateral bony canthus.
Antimutagenic specificities of two plant glycosylases, oxoguanine glycosylase and formamidopyrimidine glycosylase, assayed in vivo.

The base-excision repair process protects genomes by removing and replacing altered bases in DNA. Two analogous glycosylases, oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG) and formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (FPG), can start the process by removing oxidized guanine, the most common modification that leads to misreading of DNA. Plants possess genes for both types of glycosylases. We have tested the hypothesis that the two enzymes in plants have diverged in their specificities by inserting the genes for each enzyme from Arabidopsis thaliana L. into Escherichia coli strains designed to indicate the frequencies of the six possible single-base changes. Both enzymes retain the ability to reduce the rate of GC → TA transversion mutations. Both enzymes also reduce the frequency of two other base-change mutations, GC → AT and AT → TA. We do not find a divergence in the repair capabilities of the two enzymes, as measured in E. coli, although surprisingly FPG appears to increase the rate of mutations in one particular strain.
Nonlinear birefringence in fluids containing nonspherical molecules: I. Response and mode coupling theory

Abstract The orientation density in nonequilibrium systems is expressed in terms of equilibrium time-correlation functions to quadratic order in the gradients in density, pressure and velocity fields. These are evaluated by mode coupling theory in the reversible bare vertex approximation, at infinite dilution of the nonspherical component and using a two-variable model prediction for the two-point orientation correlations. A very simple nonlinear correction term is found, predicting no nonlinear shear birefringence and a nonlinear acoustic birefringence which scales as ΩI 1 2 Г with respect to the linear birefringence (Ω is the driving frequency, I is a dimensionless acoustic intensity and Г is the equilibrium orientation relaxation rate).
Laser trap studies of end-on E. coli adhesion to glass.

Abstract Rod-shaped Escherichia coli K12:D21 bacteria were previously found to adhere by their ends (poles) [J.F. Jones, J.D. Feick, D. Imoudu, N. Chukwumah, M. Vigeant, D. Velegol, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69 (2003) 6515.]. In the current study we used a Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser trap to quantify the fraction of adherent bacteria and the time scale for the adhesion to occur. For the E. coli studied, 15.9 ± 3.4% of the bacteria adhered when presented end-on for 15 s to a cleaned glass surface that was not treated for specific interactions. These bacteria were found to adhere either instantaneously (approximately
Effect of temperature on thermal properties of spray applied fire resistive materials

Abstract Thermal properties of fire insulation namely thermal conductivity, specific heat, thermal strain and mass loss play a critical role in determining the effectiveness of these materials to improve fire resistance of steel structural members. These properties vary with temperature and are predominantly governed by moisture content and chemical constituents. This paper presents the effect of temperature on thermal properties of different types of spray applied fire resistive materials (SFRM). High temperature property tests were carried out on three types of commercially available SFRM to measure thermal conductivity, specific heat, mass loss and thermal strain in the range of 20–1000 °C. Data from these tests show that temperature has significant influence on thermal conductivity, thermal expansion and mass loss of fire insulation. The measured test data are utilized to develop thermal property relationships for fire insulation in terms of temperature. The proposed relations can be used as input data in thermo-mechanical analysis for evaluating fire resistance of steel structures.
Simultaneous determination of malachite green, gentian violet and their leuco metabolites in catfish or trout tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography with visible detection.

Abstract A sensitive analytical procedure for the determination of residues of leucomalachite green (LMG)-malachite green (MG) and leucogentian violet (LGV)-gentian violet (GV) in catfish or trout tissue is presented. Frozen (−20°C) fish fillets were cut into small pieces and blended in a Waring blender. A 20-g amount of homogenized fish tissue was extracted with acetonitrile-buffer, partitioned against methylene chloride, and cleaned up on tandem neutral alumina and propylsulfonic acid cation-exchange solid-phase extraction cartridges. Samples of 100 μl (0.8 g equiv.) were chromatographed isocratically in 10 min using an acetonitrile-buffer mobile phase on a short-chain deactivated (SCD) reversed-phase column (250×4.6 mm I.D.) in-line with a post-column PbO2 oxidation reactor. The PbO2 post-column reactor efficiently oxidized LMG to the chromatic MG, and LGV to the chromatic GV permitting visible detection at 588 nm for all four compounds. Linearity was demonstrated with standards over the range of 0.5–50 ng per injection. Recoveries of LMG, MG, LGV and GV from catfish tissues fortified at 10 ng/g were 75.4±3.0, 61.3±4.1, 72.6±3.7 and 87.9±2.5, respectively, while trout tissues fortified at 10 ng/g yielded recoveries of 82.6±2.3, 48.6±1.8, 72.1±2.1 and 83.8±4.6 (mean±S.D., n=4), respectively.
Endovascular Treatment of Failed Prior Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Failure of endovascular or conventional abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair may occur as a result of attachment site endoleak (type I) or paraanastomotic aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm formation. This study examined the results of the use of secondary endovascular grafts for the treatment of failed prior infrarenal AAA repair procedures. Forty-seven patients were treated with endovascular grafts. These included 14 patients with type I endoleaks (5 proximal, 8 distal, 1 proximal and distal) and 33 patients with paraanastomotic aneurysms after standard open surgical AAA repair (3 proximal aorta, 5 distal aorta, 21 iliac, 4 proximal and distal). The interval between the primary aortic procedure and the endovascular repair was significantly shorter for failed endovascular procedures (mean, 18.2 months; range, 1-42 months) than for failed conventional procedures (mean, 108.9 months; range, 12-216 months) (p <0.01). The endovascular devices used for correction of the failed AAA repairs were Talent (23), physician-made (19), AneuRx (2), Vanguard (2), and Excluder (1). Transrenal fixation was used for repair of all proximal anastomotic failures. Mean follow-up after reintervention was 12.2 months in patients with failed endovascular grafts and 10.6 months in patients with failed conventional grafts. Patient demographics were as follows: average age, 78 years; 36 male and 11 female; and 4.1 comorbid medical conditions per patient. The endovascular graft was successfully deployed in all 47 cases; 1 patient experienced a persistent proximal attachment site endoleak after endograft deployment. Endovascular grafts may be used to treat previously failed endovascular and conventional AAA repair procedures with good short- and intermediate-term results. Endovascular treatments in these cases may avoid the difficulties of aortic reoperation or AAA repair in the setting of prior endovascular aortic grafting.
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators in the Pediatric and Congenital Heart Population

Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) have become the treatment of choice for primary and secondary prevention of sudden cardiac death, though pediatric indications often differ from the adult population. Pediatric indications include primary electrical disease, structural congenital heart disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and dilated cardiomyopathy. The role of ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in patients with congenital heart disease remains imprecise due to the relatively small population size and the infrequency of events. Technical aspects of ICD implantation can be uniquely challenging in younger pediatric patients and those with congenital heart disease, particularly those with complex anatomy. Issues that must be considered include patient size, venous anatomy, and the presence of residual intracardiac shunts. The limitations encountered when considering ICD implantation for a pediatric or congenital heart patient have led to a number of creative, nontransvenous system implants. However, these various nontransvenous techniques have been associated with a high incidence of early failure. Advances in ICD system construction and function will serve to expand the indications for these populations, particularly as it applies to primary prevention.
Islands at Risk: Coastal Hazard Assessment and Mapping in The Hawaiian Islands

Seven natural phenomena have been identified as posing significant threats to coastal areas of the Hawaiian Islands. These “hazards” include: coastal erosion, sea-level rise, major storms, volcanic and seismic activity, tsunami inundation, coastal stream flooding, and extreme seasonal high wave events. In addition to these phenomena, coastal slope and local geologic setting are important factors for accurately determining the hazard potential for specific areas. To quantify the effects of individual hazards, their past magnitudes and occurrence have been evaluated from historical records and a semiquantitative ranking scheme applied. The intensity of each hazard has been ranked low, moderately low, moderately high, or high using definitions based on their historical occurrence and magnitude. Comparison and statistical ranking and weighting of all hazard rankings for a given segment of coast, combined with geologic character and morphologic slope, are used to define the Overall Hazard Assessment which provides a guideline for management decisions regarding coastal land use and planning.
Hold the croissant! The European Union declares war on obesity

In this paper, we argue that EU institutions have demonstrated an interest in diet/nutrition for some time, but only in the last five years has obesity risen to the top of the agenda. How did the Commission and European parliament become involved in fighting obesity? It is not because national governments or societal interest groups or public health agencies pushed EU officials to reduce the body mass of European citizens. Rather, drawing on the literature on transnational policy actors, we show that the current attention to obesity is heavily influenced by WHO research reports. Moreover, the WHO's recommendations on obesity supply EU institutions with a new agenda, which in turn mobilizes pan-European groups and private sector interests. Obesity provides a further example of entrepreneurial Commission officials pursuing alliances with international institutions in order to take advantage of their scientific expertise and to carve out a new EU agenda.
Phosphorylation of substrates destined for secretion by the Fam20 kinases

Since the discovery of protein kinases, protein phosphorylation has emerged as a key regulatory mechanism. The majority of phosphoproteins reside within the nucleus and cytoplasm; however, many secreted proteins are phosphorylated by unknown kinases located within the secretory pathway and/or in the extracellular space. The Fam20 kinases are emerging as the enzymes responsible for phosphorylating secreted proteins and proteoglycans. Evolutionary analysis reveals that these kinases are exclusively present in metazoans and contain conserved features that are common among all eukaryotic protein kinases. Mutations in the Fam20 family members cause disorders of biomineralization in humans that highlight the physiological significance of secreted protein phosphorylation.
Maximum key-profile correlation (MKC) as a measure of tonal structure in music

Tonal structure is musical organization on the basis of pitch, in which pitches vary in importance and rate of occurrence according to their relationship to a tonal center. Experiment 1 evaluated the maximum key-profile correlation (MKC), a product of Krumhansl and Schmuckler’s key-finding algorithm (Krumhansl, 1990), as a measure of tonal structure. The MKC is the maximum correlation coefficient between the pitch class distribution in a musical sample and key profiles,which indicate the stability of pitches with respect to particular tonal centers. The MKC values of melodies correlated strongly with listeners’ ratings of tonal structure. To measure the influence of the temporal order of pitches on perceived tonal structure, three measures (fifth span, semitone span, and pitch contour) taken from previous studies of melody perception were also correlated with tonal structure ratings. None of the temporal measures correlated as strongly or as consistently with tonal structure ratings as did the MKC, and nor did combining them with the MKC improve prediction of tonal structure ratings. In Experiment 2, the MKC did not correlate with recognition memory of melodies. However, melodies with very low MKC values were recognized less accurately than melodies with very high MKC values. Although it does not incorporate temporal, rhythmic, or harmonic factors that may influence perceived tonal structure, the MKC can be interpreted as a measure of tonal structure, at least for brief melodies.
Experimental Results of a High Voltage Wideband Load Driven by a Pulse Transformer and Opening Switch Power Conditioning System

As a part of the University Consortium for high power microwave integration, the University of Missouri-Columbia concentrated on the development and testing of a flux compression generator simulator, non-magnetic core spiral-strip pulse transformers, and exploding wire fuses. Additionally, an oscillator, consisting of a tri-plate high voltage capacitor and shunt inductor, was built and tested as a prototype system load. The effectiveness of the prototype load as a hyperband oscillator in initial experiments and its relative simplicity prompted further investigation of a second generation prototype. The low inductance, high voltage capacitor has been redesigned from a tri-plate geometry to a cylindrical geometry. The diameter of the capacitor is less than 15.24 cm, which fits the capacitor within the same size constraints as the pulse transformer and exploding wire fuse. The capacitance of the new high voltage capacitor is designed to be several hundred picofarads, more than double that of the first prototype. The dramatically reduced capacitor volume results in an overall energy density increase. The capacitor design and construction was adapted from the methods used for the spiral-strip pulse transformer, which also has a cylindrical form and has previously been successful in holding off high voltage gradients. While testing the new low inductance, high voltage capacitor with the full power conditioning system, the system was driven by a much lower current source to reduce excess input energy without significant sacrifice to peak load voltages. The ability of the power conditioning system to achieve capacitor load voltages on the order of hundreds of kilovolts with much smaller inductively-stored energies demonstrates the system's compatibility with both smaller flux compression generators and other current sources. This paper describes the design and construction methods of the new RF load oscillator and the scaling of the system input energy. The experimental results are reported of the full power conditioning system and load driven by the simulator of a flux compression generator. Three modes of operation are discussed.
The Timing of Perceptual Decisions for Ambiguous Face Stimuli in the Human Ventral Visual Cortex

When observers must discriminate a weak sensory signal in noise, early sensory areas seem to reflect the instantaneous strength of the sensory signal. In contrast, high-level parietal and prefrontal areas appear to integrate these signals over time with activity peaking at the time of the observer’s decision. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how the brain forms perceptual decisions about complex visual forms in a challenging task, requiring the discrimination of ambiguous 2-tone Mooney faces and visually similar nonface images. Face-selective areas in the ventral visual cortex showed greater activity when subjects reported perceiving a face as compared with a nonface, even on error trials. More important, activity was closely related to the time of the subject’s decision for face judgments, even on individual trials, and resembled the time course of activity in motor cortex corresponding to the subject’s behavioral report. These results indicate that perceptual decisions about ambiguous facelike stimuli are reflected early in the sensorimotor pathway, in faceselective regions of the ventral visual cortex. Activity in these areas may represent a potential rate-limiting step in the pathway from sensation to action when subjects must reach a decision about ambiguous face-like stimuli.