cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Excess capacitance and non-ideal Schottky barriers on GaAs

Abstract Non-ideal 1 C 2 vs V plots showing curvature concave downwards can be transformed into linear 1 (C − C 0 ) 2 vs V plots by determining the excess capacitance, C0, as the intercept of a C vs (V + V d ) − 1 2 plot, where Vd is the diffusion potential. The corrected curves indicate a uniform doping profile in agreement with independent Van der Pauw measurements. An analysis of the possible significance of C0 indicates that its value can be used as an approximate quality index for materials fabricated by different methods.
Ununifying the standard model.

We present an electroweak theory in which left-handed quarks and leptons transform as doublets under separate SU(2) gauge groups. Spontaneous symmetry breakdown results in two charged and two neutral massive vector bosons. The lightest charged and neutral gauge bosons behave like the /ital W/ and /ital Z/ of the standard SU(2)/times/U(1) electroweak model. The heavier /ital W/ and /ital Z/, which can be as light as several hundred GeV, couple primarily to quarks. Our theory predicts small deviations in the properties of the /ital Z/ which will be visible at the SLAC Linear Collider and the CERN collider LEP.
Cocaine exposure and mother–toddler social play

Abstract This study compared the play interactions of 18-month-old cocaine-exposed toddlers and their mothers (n = 48) to non-cocaine-exposed comparison toddlers and their mothers (n = 77). Coders blind to drug-exposure status reliably coded the interactions for maternal directiveness, positivity, and sensitivity; child social initiative and positivity; and dyadic responsiveness. There were no cocaine exposure group differences on any of the measures, with or without statistical controls for birth weight, SES, maternal age, and prenatal exposure to alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes. Irrespective of cocaine exposure, low birth weight was associated with fewer maternal positive vocalizations and lower levels of maternal sensitivity. In higher SES dyads, children were more likely to respond to mother requests. The absence of cocaine exposure differences in social interactive behaviors during mother–child play in a relatively large sample of mothers and their children, is discussed with respect to the existing literature.
Right hepatic lobectomy in children

Abstract 1. 1. Three children who had right hepatic lobectomy for hepatoma are reported. A fourth patient in whom diffuse multicentric hepatoma was proved by surgical exploration is alive and well three years after radiation therapy. 2. 2. Diagnostic, technical, and postoperative problems are discussed.
Pfaffians on Banach spaces

Abstract We present a theory of relative Pfaffians on infinite-dimensional Banach spaces.
Use of Isobutyl‐Cyanoacrylate Adhesive in Osteosynthesis A Preliminary Study

Isobutyl 2-cyanoacrylate was used to reattach partial-thickness cortical bone fragments from the femur in rabbits. Stability, apposition, callus formation, and inflammation around the fragments were evaluated at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. All glued bone fragments were stable, compared with 85% of controls. Good apposition was achieved in 95% of the glued bone fragments, compared with 19% of the controls. Analysis of the mean scores for callus formation revealed a significant difference only in the 8 week survival group. Bony union was noted in 20 of 21 of the glued fragments. No evidence of inflammation was seen around the glue, and viable bone was seen adjacent to the adhesive in many sections. In control legs, 13 fragments had healed by osseous union, two by fibrous union, and in six the chip had resorbed.
Nonlinear logarithmic time decay of magnetization in superconducting Rb3C60

Abstract We have measured the time decay of the magnetization for a well characterized superconducting fullerene Rb 3 C 60 . The temperature dependence of the magnetic relaxation rate dM(t)/dln(t) exhibits a maximum at a characteristic temperature T max , which decreases with increasing field. At low temperatures a nonlinear logarithmic time decay of the magnetization is observable only after several hours, but is clearly observable after much shorter times at high temperatures. This nonlinear behavior suggests the existence of a vortex glass state in Rb 3 C 60 and is consistent with the collective creep model. PACS #: 74.30.Ci, 74.60.Ge, 74.70.Wz
Surgeons and the Nobel Prize.

It has been my great fortune to serve as the 85th president of the New England Surgical Society. I am grateful to all of my colleagues for the privilege of serving in this role over the past year. Certainly, one of the greatest honors a surgeon can receive is to be selected by his peers to a leadership position in a prominent society. With the receipt of such a responsibility, the first question that probably crosses the minds of most presidents-elect is: "How can I help to maintain this society's traditions of leadership, education, and camaraderie?" This is closely followed by, "What can I possibly say in my presidential address that is worth saying?" As one reviews previous presidential addresses, it is apparent that a favorite theme is our surgical heritage, in which stories of the achievements of those surgeons recognized as giants in the field are retold. I have chosen to review the lives and contributions of the 9 surgeons whose singular accomplishments have been honored with the Nobel Prize in medicine, the highest scientific distinction.
Antennal proteins involved in the neural mechanism of quinone inhibition of insect feeding

Es wird gezeigt, dass der radioaktiv markierte Frasshemmstoff Methylnaphthochinon in den Antennen vonPeriplanetu an 2 spezifische, mit Triton X-100 extrahierbare, elektrophoretisch trennbare Proteine gekoppelt wird.
Perceptions of healthcare providers' communication skills : Do they differ between urban and non-urban residents?

We examined the association of place of residence—urban versus non-urban—with patients’ perceptions regarding communication and interactions with healthcare providers. Respondents’ perceptions of their healthcare providers’ communication skills were assessed by responses to six items from the 2002 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, a nationally representative survey of the civilian, non-institutionalized US population. After controlling for several covariates, respondents in urban areas reported poorer communication by their healthcare providers than non-urban respondents. Differences in perceived quality of communication could contribute to reduce use of preventive healthcare and indicates a need to improve healthcare provider–patient communication in the urban setting.
Cholinergic nerve endings in octopus brain.

—Optic lobes of the brains of Octopus dofleini werehomogenized hasaline–sucrose medium and subjected to differential and density gradient centrifugation. The fractions and subfractions thus obtained were analysed for acetylcholine (ACh) (bioassay) and protein content and were subjected to electronmicroscopy. Bound ACh was associated with particulate fractions, and a large portion of it could be recovered in subfractions that contained predominantly nerve endings. Expressed in terms of amount of ACh per mg protein, the ACh content of the nerve ending fractions was nearly 100 times greater than that of corresponding fractions previously obtained by others from mammalian brain. Calculations show that this was the minimal amount of ACh to be expected if the isolated nerve endings were predominantly cholinergic. Octopus brain tissue is in therefore very promising for future studies on ACh metabolism and compartmentation cholinergic nerve endings.
Satellite and satellite subsystems reliability: Statistical data analysis and modeling

Abstract Reliability has long been recognized as a critical attribute for space systems. Unfortunately, limited on-orbit failure data and statistical analyses of satellite reliability exist in the literature. To fill this gap, we recently conducted a nonparametric analysis of satellite reliability for 1584 Earth-orbiting satellites launched between January 1990 and October 2008. In this paper, we extend our statistical analysis of satellite reliability and investigate satellite subsystems reliability. Because our dataset is censored, we make extensive use of the Kaplan–Meier estimator for calculating the reliability functions. We derive confidence intervals for the nonparametric reliability results for each subsystem and conduct parametric fits with Weibull distributions using the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) approach. We finally conduct a comparative analysis of subsystems failure, identifying the “culprit subsystems” that drive satellite unreliability. The results here presented should prove particularly useful to the space industry for example in redesigning subsystem test and screening programs, or providing an empirical basis for redundancy allocation.
Neurological disruption by low-molecular-weight compounds from the heterobicyclic and formate ester classes

This research focused on two classes of synthetic and naturally derived toxins with the specific goal of identifying materials that elicit rapid neurological impacts. The insecticidal chemistries studied here included five heterobicyclic compounds and eight formate esters. We also tested four proven neurologically active materials as positive controls (GABA, indoxacarb, fipronil, and permethrin). Our approach involved the use of suction electrode recordings to measure spontaneous electrical activity from the intact larval housefly (Musca domestica) nervous system, before and after ligand treatments. This approach allowed for the quantification and statistical comparison of neurophysiological effects before and after treatment. Our results confirm that all heterobicyclics and several formate esters are neurologically active at the concentrations tested. Of these active compounds, menthofuran (a heterobicyclic) and butyl formate (a formate ester) were the most active. These results corroborate previous results of neurological mutant bioassays suggesting neurological activity by some materials at sodium and chloride channels. These overall findings, which verify neurological modes of action for a subset of low-molecular-weight toxins: (i) reveal key active chemistries, (ii) will enable the future testing of more refined experimental hypotheses, and (iii) will facilitate the design and testing of other novel insecticidal materials.
Substrate specificity and other properties of the β-d- galactosidase from Aspergillus niger

beta-D-Galactosidase from Aspergillus niger was purified by conventional techniques, including the repeated use of chromatography on hydroxylapatite. The final preparation represented a 112-fold purification, with a 22% yield. The specific activity of the purified enzyme was 72 mumol of D-galactose released/min/mg of protein, using p-nitrophenyl beta-D-galactopyranoside as the substrate. The substrate specificity of the enzyme was studied by using saccharides having structural linkages similar to those found in naturally occurring glycoconjugates. At substrate concentrations of 5mM, the beta-D-galactosidase efficiently hydrolyzed beta-Gal-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p, beta-Gal-(1 leads to 3)-Gal, beta-Gal-(1 leads to 3)-beta-Gal-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p, and beta-Gal-(1 leads to 3)-alpha-Gal-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p, at rates of 63, 53, 65, and 29 mumol/min/mg of protein, respectively. Slower hydrolysis was observed for beta-Gal-(1 leads to 4)-beta-Glc, beta-Gal-(1 leads to 4)-beta-GlcNAc-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p, and beta-Gal-(1 leads to 6)-beta-GlcNAc-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p, with rates of 10, 13 and 9 mumol/min/mg of protein, respectively. Poorly hydrolyzed, at rates 1/300th of that of beta-Gal-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p, were synthetic substrates having D-galactose attached beta-(1 leads to 3)- to either GalNAc or GlcNAc. The Km value for beta-D-galactosidase with beta-Gal-(1 leads to 4)-beta-GlNAc-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p was approximately 20 times that with beta-Gal-1 leads to OC6H4NO2-p. The beta-D-galactosidase of A. niger has a molecular weight of 300,000, as demonstrated by gel-filtration chromatography. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-poly(acrylamide)-gel electrophoresis indicated a single subunit having a molecular weight of 130,000.
A Note on Harmonic Measure

Let Ω be a subregion of {z : |z| 0, then we find a simply connected region G, where 0 ∈ G ⊆ {z : |z| 0, such that U := G ∪ Ω has the property that wU and wΩ are boundedly equivalent on ∂U. We mention consequences of this in function theory.
Differential effects of methylphenidate and dextroamphetamine on the motor activity level of hyperactive children

An acceleration-sensitive device was used to measure motor activity continuously through the day in 18 hyperactive boys in a day hospital program. The children received methylphenidate, dextroamphetamine, or placebo daily after breakfast and lunch in an 11-week double-blind crossover trial. Differential effectiveness of the two drugs in lowering motor activity was found. Methylphenidate significantly lowered activity measurements in a morning structured classroom and in less structured activities in the afternoon. Dextroamphetamine effects on activity were similar, although they did not differ significantly from placebo effects between 11:00 AM and noon in our classroom setting. Methylphenidate produced a greater decrement in motor activity than did dextroamphetamine between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM. There were no significant differences in activity level between drug doses within each drug phase across the dose ranges used (for methylphenidate 0.45 to 1.25 mg/kg given twice daily, and for dextroamphetamine 0.2 to 0.6 mg/kg given twice daily). Plasma drug concentrations did not correlate with decrements in activity for either drug.
Immunomodulation with low dose levamisole in patients with colonic polyps.

Abstract Background: Levamisole (LMS) has immunomodulatory activity, stimulates the immune system of healthy, normal volunteers and has been proposed previously as a colon cancer preventive agent. Methods: Patients with a history of colonic polyps who are at increased risk of colon cancer received LMS in a placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trail with crossover design. Primary endpoints were immunologic and included flow cytometry of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), measurement of interferon-γ copy number (IGCN) in PBMCs, and an ex vivo serum immune assay. Results: No differences were seen in the expression of multiple antigens by flow cytometry pre- and post-LMS. The IGCN partitioned subjects into two distinct groups defined by a γ-distribution which had a differential response to LMS. Those with low basal IGCN had a lower percentage of CD25 expressing PBMCs and responded to low dose LMS by producing more PBMC-derived interferon-γ and increasing the expression of CD25 and two NK cell markers, CD16 and CD56. In contrast, subjects with a high basal IGCN responded to low dose LMS with a reduction in PBMC-derived interferon-γ and a decrease in the expression of CD25. Conclusions: In aggregate, these responses suggest that LMS may act as an immunostimulatory agent for one group, those with low basal IGCN, and as an immunosuppressive agent for the other. LMS may not be an optimal agent for most patients with colonic polyps and should be avoided in patients with normal immune function. IGCN may be useful as an immunologic surrogate endpoint biomarker in future cancer prevention trials with immunomodulatory agents.
Computer-Generated Doctoral Dissertations: An Early Experience

In 1970, Dennis J. Frailey generated his doctoral dissertation using a text processor on a computer, successfully producing plain-paper output that was accepted by Purdue University's dissertation office. This was before the days of word processors or widespread availability of plain-paper printers and the process involved several steps that may be of historical interest. This may also bring nostalgic memories to others who struggled as he did in those days prior to the advent of desktop publishing.
Regulation of neurokine receptor signaling and trafficking.

Abstract Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) are neurally active cytokines, or neurokines. LIF signals through a receptor consisting of gp130 and the low affinity LIF receptor (LIFR), while the CNTF receptor consists of gp130, LIFR, and the low affinity CNTF receptor (CNTFR). Ser1044 of the LIFR is phosphorylated by Erk1/2 MAP kinase. Stimulation of neural cells with growth factors which strongly activate Erk1/2 decreases LIF-mediated signal transduction due to increased degradation of the LIFR as a consequence of Erk1/2-dependent phosphorylation of the receptor at Ser1044. The gp130 receptor subunit is phosphorylated, at least in part by calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, at Ser782, which is adjacent to a dileucine internalization motif. Ser782 appears to negatively regulate cytokine receptor expression, as mutagenesis of Ser782 results in increased gp130 expression and cytokine-induced neuropeptide gene transcription. The LIFR and gp130 are transmembrane proteins, while CNTFR is a peripheral membrane protein attached to the cell surface via a glycosylphosphatidylinositol tail. In unstimulated cells, CNTFR but not LIFR and gp130 is localized to detergent-resistant lipid rafts. Stimulation of cells with CNTFR causes translocation of LIFR and gp130 into the lipid rafts, while stimulation with LIF does not induce receptor translocation, raising the possibility that CNTF could induce different patterns of signaling and/or receptor trafficking than caused by LIF. We used a compartmentalized culture system to examine the mechanisms for retrograde signaling by LIF and CNTF from distal neurites to the cell bodies of mouse sympathetic neurons. Stimulation with neurokines of the distal neurites of sympathetic neurons grown in a compartmentalized culture system resulted in the activation and nuclear translocation of the transcription factor Stat3. Retrograde signaling required Jak kinase activity in the cell body but not the distal neurites, and could be blocked by inhibitors of microtubule but not microfilament function. The results are consistent with a signaling endosomes model in which the ctyokine/receptor complex is transported back to the cell body where Stat3 is activated. While both LIF and CNTF mediate retrograde activation of Stat3, the kinetics for retrograde signaling differ for the two neurokines.
Invasive mammary carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy: review of the cytologic literature and distinction from other mammary lesions containing giant cells.

Invasive carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells is an unusual type of mammary adenocarcinoma with few cases reported in the cytology literature. We present the cytologic findings in a case of invasive cribriform carcinoma of the breast containing osteoclast-like giant cells diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The smears displayed three-dimensional cohesive cluster cells of uniform epithelial cells admixed with numerous multinucleated giant cells that morphologically resembled osteoclasts. Core biopsy confirmed the cytologic diagnosis. Immunohistochemical studies indicated that the multinucleated giant cells were of histocytic origin. Knowledge of the bland cytologic pattern and the admixture of giant cells seen in invasive cribriform carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells should avoid making a false negative diagnosis on aspiration biopsy. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2004;30:396–400. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
LEOSS-R: Four Types of Police Stressors and Negative Psychosocial Outcomes Associated with Them

The present study developed the Law Enforcement Officer Stress Survey-Revised (LEOSS-R) to identify types of police stressors, then it examined which stressors were most associated with negative psychosocial outcomes for police officers. Participants included 232 Turkish police officers who completed anonymous surveys to describe work and home characteristics, to rate the 25 police stressors included in the LEOSS (Van Hasselt et al., 2008), and to report negative psychosocial outcomes that might be associated with exposure to police stressors. Factor analysis produced the 18-item LEOSS-R with four dimensions of police stressors: Critical Incidents, Department Politics, Daily Hassles, and Work-Home Conflicts. The LEOSS-R subscales showed goodness-of-fit, strong internal reliability, and support for validity in expected associations with work and home variables (work hours, police support, marital status, family support). Critical Incidents and Work-Home Conflicts were unrelated to negative psychosocial outcomes, perhaps because police officers expect and train for them. The stressor of Department Politics was associated with more police partner aggression. Daily Hassles were associated with more anger, poor self-esteem, and more romantic partner aggression. Future research could examine how departmental policy or leadership may reduce the negative impact of Daily Hassles for its officers. Past research with police officers from the USA suggests that exposure to police occupational stres- sors is associated with increased risk for negative psychosocial outcomes such as poor self-esteem and aggression to romantic partners and police partners (Violanti, 2004; Can et al., 2008; Stevens, 2008; Gershon et al. 2009; Can and Hendy, 2014). Such problems for individual officers can also increase the risk of problems for their police department's performance, absenteeism, turnover, and workman's compensation costs (Julsether, 2011). Police department Employee Assistance Programs might develop more effective interven- tions to reduce these problems if they had a brief measurement tool to guide officers to identify their most prominent types of police stressors. Employee Assistance Programs might also be enhanced by knowing which types of police stressors put officers
An empirical study on using decision support systems to solve very large choice decision problems

Choice problems as a class of decision problems have attracted great attention for the last couple of decades. As problem size increases, a decision process may be detoured and the decision outcome may be different. The impact of problem size on three important aspects of the computer-aided decision process – strategy selection, decision time/effort, and decision quality – has been investigated by Wang and Chu. This paper investigates the way a decision support system (DSS) is used to solve very large choice problems (VLCP) as well as its implications for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
On grating plateaux of nonuniformly spaced arrays

This paper investigates the optimization and synthesis of nonuniformly spaced arrays with respect to the flattening of their grating plateaux. The analysis begins with the proof that the exponential spacing gives flat space-factor grating plateaux, using Poisson's sum and the stationary phase method. The theory then is generalized to include arrays of nonisotropic elements. It is found that results of the above analysis can be reduced to very simple forms. Through the use of Parseval's theorem, the theory of the space-factor gain of nonuniformly spaced arrays is also developed.
Successive refinement lattice vector quantization

Lattice vector quantization (LVQ) solves the complexity problem of LBG based vector quantizers, yielding very general codebooks. However, a single stage LVQ, when applied to high resolution quantization of a vector, may result in very large and unwieldy indices, making it unsuitable for applications requiring successive refinement. The goal of this work is to develop a unified framework for progressive uniform quantization of vectors without having to sacrifice the mean- squared-error advantage of lattice quantization. A successive refinement uniform vector quantization methodology is developed, where the codebooks in successive stages are all lattice codebooks, each in the shape of the Voronoi regions of the lattice at the previous stage. Such Voronoi shaped geometric lattice codebooks are named Voronoi lattice VQs (VLVQ). Measures of efficiency of successive refinement are developed based on the entropy of the indices transmitted by the VLVQs. Additionally, a constructive method for asymptotically optimal uniform quantization is developed using tree-structured subset VLVQs in conjunction with entropy coding. The methodology developed here essentially yields the optimal vector counterpart of scalar "bitplane-wise" refinement. Unfortunately it is not as trivial to implement as in the scalar case. Furthermore, the benefits of asymptotic optimality in tree-structured subset VLVQs remain elusive in practical nonasymptotic situations. Nevertheless, because scalar bitplane- wise refinement is extensively used in modern wavelet image coders, we have applied the VLVQ techniques to successively refine vectors of wavelet coefficients in the vector set-partitioning (VSPIHT) framework. The results are compared against SPIHT and the previous successive approximation wavelet vector quantization (SA-W-VQ) results of Sampson, da Silva and Ghanbari (1996).
Trends in Exceedances of the Ozone Air Quality Standard in the Continental United States, 1980-1998

In 1997, the United States National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone was revised from a 1-h average of 0.12 parts per million (ppm) to an 8-h average of 0.08 ppm. Analysis of ozone data for the ensemble of the contiguous United States and for the period 1980-1998 show that the average number of summer days per year in exceedance of the new standard is in the range 8-24 in the Northeast and in Texas, and 12-73 in southern California. The probability of exceedance increases with temperature and exceeds 20% in the Northeast for daily maximum temperatures above 305 K. We present the results of several different approaches to analyzing the long-term trends in the old and new standards over the continental United States from 1980 to 1998. Daily temperature data are used to resolve meteorological variability and isolate the effects of changes in anthropogenic emissions. Significant negative trends are found in the Northeast urban corridor, in the Los Angeles Basin and on the western bank of Lake Michigan. Temperature segregation enhances the detection of negative trends. Positive trends occur at isolated sites, mostly in the Southeast; a strong positive trend is found in Nashville (Tennessee). There is some evidence that, except in the Southwest, air quality improvements from the 1980s to the 1990s have leveled off in the past decade.
School Counselors as Resource Brokers: The Case for Including Teacher Efficacy in Data-Driven Programs

The term resource broker is offered to assist counselors with data-driven programs. A resource broker is a school professional who functions as an active force to identify, provide access to, and ensure the utilization of resources that enhance student development. A case is presented here for school counselors, as resource brokers, to include teacher efficacy in program assessments when data show inequities in student access to rigorous academic classes.
Acute inhibition of ATP-sensitive K+ channels impairs skeletal muscle vascular control in rats during treadmill exercise

The ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel is part of a class of inward rectifier K+ channels that can link local O2 availability to vasomotor tone across exercise-induced metabolic transients. The presen...
A New Mortgage Credit Availability Index

There is no question that lending standards at the height of the bubble were way too loose and the system took on too much risk. The post-crisis period, however, is often characterized at the other extreme—with credit so tight that it has hampered the recovery. In this article, the authors develop a simple intuitive, transparent measure of credit availability based on the aggregate probability of default of a particular vintage at the time of origination. That is, if mortgage loans made at every point in time were expected to face the same probability of different economic scenarios (with respect to home prices, interest rates, and so on), how would the probability of default compare across origination dates? The article first discusses the limitations of the four most commonly cited indicators of mortgage credit accessibility, the Federal Reserve’s Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices (SLO); the mortgage application denial rates based on annual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data; the Mortgage Credit Availability Index by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA); and the median borrower’s credit score at origination. The article then describes the development of a new index that distills borrower credit profiles, loan products and terms, and macroeconomic conditions into a measurement of the weighted average probability of default for mortgages originated at a given time. The article illustrates the value of this measure by empirically exploring the varying risk appetites of the market as a whole as well as of individual market segments, which directly aids evidence-based policymaking on how to open the tight credit box.
Amorphous superconducting ribbons quenched at elevated substrate temperature

Abstract Amorphous ribbons of Zr 3 Pd and Zr 3 Rh are obtained by the technique of melt spinning. Substrate temperatures are held at room and elevated (130 – 310 C) values. Using a phenomenological model, the dependence of superconducting critical temperature on annealing temperature and annealing time is analysed and from which the postquenching thermal history of the samples is discussed. A universal annealing behavior is observed. The prospects of high temperature quenching are pointed out.
Manganese Transport and Trafficking: Lessons Learned from Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Manganese represents an essential trace element that is accumulated and utilized by virtually all forms of life. This redox active metal is a key cofactor for a wide range of metalloenzymes, including oxidases and dehydrogenases, DNA and RNA polymerases, kinases, decarboxylases, and sugar
A Følner invariant for type II1 factors

Abstract In this article, we introduce an isomorphism invariant for type II 1 factors using the Connes–Folner condition. We compute bounds of this number for free group factors.
Role for Circulating Osteogenic Precursor Cells in Aortic Valvular Disease

Objective—Approximately 13% of aortic valves removed from patients with end-stage aortic valve disease contain heterotopic ossification (HO). Recently, we identified a novel population of circulating osteogenic precursor (COP) cells that are derived from bone marrow and have the capability to form bone. These cells are identified by coexpression of the osteogenic marker type 1 collagen or osteoclacin and the hematopoietic marker CD45. We tested the hypothesis that these cells may contribute to heart valve stenosis. Methods and Results—Quantification of CD45+ osteoclacin+ COP cells by flow cytometry showed that they represent up to 1.1% of mononuclear cells. Clonally derived COP cells produce bone morphogenetic proteins 2 and 4 by immunohistochemical analysis. We reviewed 105 cases of end-stage aortic valvular disease and confirmed HO in 13 archived specimens. Using immunohistochemistry, we identified COP cells by coexpression of CD45 and type 1 collagen. There was a statistically significant association b...
Evolutionary rate variation, genomic dominance and duplicate gene expression evolution during allotetraploid cotton speciation

Here, we describe the evolution of gene expression among a diversified cohort of five allopolyploid species in the cotton genus (Gossypium). Using this phylogenetic framework and comparisons with expression changes accompanying F(1) hybridization, we provide a temporal perspective on expression diversification following a shared genome duplication. Global patterns of gene expression were studied by the hybridization of petal RNAs to a custom microarray. This platform measures total expression for c. 42 000 duplicated genes, and genome-specific expression for c. 1400 homoeologs (genes duplicated by polyploidy). We report homoeolog expression bias favoring the allopolyploid D genome over the A genome in all species (among five polyploid species, D biases ranging from c. 54 to 60%), in addition to conservation of biases among genes. Furthermore, we find surprising levels of transgressive up- and down-regulation in the allopolyploids, a diminution of the level of bias in genomic expression dominance but not in its magnitude, and high levels of rate variation among allotetraploid species. We illustrate how phylogenetic and temporal components of expression evolution may be partitioned and revealed following allopolyploidy. Overall patterns of expression evolution are similar among the Gossypium allotetraploids, notwithstanding a high level of interspecific rate variation, but differ strikingly from the direction of genomic expression dominance patterns in the synthetic F(1) hybrid.
Micromachined microwave actuator (MIMAC) technology-a new tuning approach for microwave integrated circuits

The authors describe a novel approach to the realization of tunable/variable III-V planar microwave integrated circuits, which uses micromachined electrostatically controlled actuator technology. This technology is potentially compatible with conventional MMIC (monolithic microwave integrated circuit) fabrication techniques, and allows precise positioning and re-positioning of metal conductors on an insulating substrate after fabrication is complete. A variety of structures has been fabricated, including electrostatic micro-motors, rotating microwave switches, and variable interdigitated capacitors. A rotating microwave transmission line switch exhibited less than 0.5 dB insertion loss and greater than 35 dB isolation from DC to 45 GHz. A variable interdigitated capacitor exhibited a variation from 35 fF to 100 fF. >
Economic Growth: A Unified Approach

Introduction Part I. Positive Growth Theory: 1. The welfare of society and economic growth 2. The growth process 3. A production function of central importance 4. The CES production function as a general mean (in collaboration with Robert M. Solow) 5. Capital-labour substitution and economic growth (in collaboration with Robert M. Solow) 6. The long-term growth rate as a random variable, with an application to the U.S. Economy Part II. Optimal Growth Theory: 7. Optimal growth theory: an introduction to the calculus of variations 8. Other major tools for optimal growth theory: the Pontryagin Maximum Principle and the Dorfmanian 9. First applications to optimal growth 10. Optimal growth and the optimal savings rate Part III. A Unified Approach: 11. Preliminaries: interest rates and capital valuation 12. From arbitrage to equilibrium 13. Optimal savings: a general approach 14. Problems in growth: common traits between planned economies and poor countries 15. From Ibn Khaldun to Adam Smith, and a proof of Smith's conjecture 16. In conclusion: on the convergence of ideas and values through civilizations Further readings, and data on growth Index.
SRC: stable rate control for streaming media

Rate control, in conjunction with congestion control, is important and necessary to maintain both the stability of the overall network and high quality of individual data transfer flows. We study stable rate control algorithms for streaming data, based on control theory. We introduce various control rules to maintain both sending rate and receiver buffer stability. We also propose an adaptive two-state control mechanism to ensure the rate control algorithms are compatible with TCP traffics. Extensive experimental results are shown to demonstrate the effectiveness of the rate control algorithms.
Resistance as a tool in the study of old and new drug targets in Toxoplasma.

Drug resistance generated in vitro in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is described.We focus on drugs that are in use in patients, that show some promise for such use, or that represent lead compounds for further development. No instance has yet been reported where resistance to any of these drugs has arisen in a patient or in the field although different strains do show varying degrees of sensitivity. For many of these drugs, however, resistant lines have been generated in the laboratory and these have proven very useful for elucidating a given drug's target.These targets range from metabolic pathways in the cytosol to organellar functions encoded in the mitochondrion or plastid. Such information makes predictions about how fast resistance will arise in the field but more importantly, it helps identify targets that are crucial to the parasite and predicts which combinations of drugs should act synergistically. © 2001 Harcourt Publishers Ltd
GENDER AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: Gender Processes in Women's Self-Help Movements

Mainstream theory and research in the field of social movements and political sociology has, by and large, ignored the influence of gender on social protest. A growing body of feminist research demonstrates that gender is an explanatory factor in the emergence, nature, and outcomes of all social movements, even those that do not evoke the language of gender conflict or explicitly embrace gender change. This article draws from a case study of the postpartum depression self-help movement to outline the relationship between gender and social movements. Linking theories of gender to mainstream theories on social movements allows us to recognize gender as a key explanatory factor in social movements and, in turn, to identify the role that social movements play in the social construction of gender.
Raman Spectroscopy-Based Sensing of Glycated Hemoglobin: Critical Analysis and Future Outlook

Glycated hemoglobin is a clinically established important biomarker that provides retrospective value of blood glucose concentration over the preceding 2-3 months. Owing to the biochemical specificity and multiplexing capability, Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a promising tool for detection and quantification of blood constituents in a label-free and non-destructive manner. Here, we critically review the Raman spectroscopy-based approach to detect and quantify this important biomarker. The potential of this spectroscopy-based approach and its possible clinical translation from the current optical bench will be also briefly discussed along with the future prospects.
A new metric for measuring condition in large predatory sharks

A simple metric (span condition analysis; SCA) is presented for quantifying the condition of sharks based on four measurements of body girth relative to body length. Data on 104 live sharks from four species that vary in body form, behaviour and habitat use (Carcharhinus leucas, Carcharhinus limbatus, Ginglymostoma cirratum and Galeocerdo cuvier) are given. Condition shows similar levels of variability among individuals within each species. Carcharhinus leucas showed a positive relationship between condition and body size, whereas the other three species showed no relationship. There was little evidence for strong differences in condition between males and females, although more male sharks are needed for some species (e.g. G. cuvier) to verify this finding. SCA is potentially viable for other large marine or terrestrial animals that are captured live and then released.
Unique Lipids from a Common Human Bacterium Represent a New Class of Toll-Like Receptor 2 Ligands Capable of Enhancing Autoimmunity

Recent reports suggest that commensal bacteria may play a down-regulatory role in autoimmune disease. In the present studies, we demonstrate that phosphorylated dihydroceramides, uniquely structured lipids derived from the common human oral bacterium Porphyromonas gingivalis and from bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal tract and other organs, are capable of enhancing autoimmunity. We have previously reported that these lipids have proinflammatory effects on human fibroblasts in vitro and, in preliminary studies, have recovered these lipids from surgically removed human carotid atheroma, suggesting that they may play a role in human inflammatory disease. To investigate whether these lipids have functional effects on autoimmunity, we administered phosphorylated dihydroceramides to mice with the murine model of multiple sclerosis, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE). We find that these lipids, and particularly the phosphoethanolamine dihydroceramide (PE DHC) fraction, significantly enhanced EAE. Mechanistically, PE DHC enhances EAE in mice lacking natural killer T cells, fails to enhance EAE in Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-deficient mice and, in vitro, induces dendritic cell interleukin-6 secretion in a TLR2-dependent manner. Finally, PE DHC-treated mice with EAE demonstrate a decreased percentage of spinal cord Foxp3+ T cells, suggesting that these lipids may affect regulatory aspects of adaptive immune responses. Overall, our results suggest that phosphorylated dihydroceramides derived from common human bacteria function as TLR2 ligands and may play a previously unrecognized role in human autoimmune diseases.
Local linear regression for efficient data-driven control

The problem of data-driven control (DDC) represents an important topic in the area of automation, due to the availability of large amount of data generated by the production processes occurring in industrial plants. The aim of this work is the study of an efficient DDC approach for nonlinear dynamic systems that exploits the data directly coming from the plant. In this framework, the control problem consists in the design of an automatic regulator able to execute a task by using the data collected during the successful operation of the plant, regulated by a reference controller such as a human operator. The proposed synthetic regulator is based on local linear regression models chosen for their simplicity of training and efficiency in incorporating new data generated by the plant. The conditions under which the derived controller converges to the optimal one are analysed in the context of statistical learning theory, which provides an appropriate framework to efficiently address this kind of DDC problem. Simulation results involving a dynamical system are provided to show the properties of the proposed method in an applicative context.
State Retail Sales Taxes, 1999-2001: The Recession Hits

The author looks at the impact of the national recession on state sales taxes. He finds that collections for 2001 were lower than they had been in 2000 for several states.
Dogma Disputed: Why Intravenous Sodium Bicarbonate Doesn’t Work

Sodium bicarbonate is an ideal buffer for the treatment of metabolic acidosis if the following conditions are present: 1) the desired pH is close to 6.1, 2) the recipient has the ability to excrete instantly any additional carbon dioxide generated, and 3) the additional osmoles do not shift the pKa of all buffers downward. Unfortunately, none of these three conditions are met. Intravenous sodium bicarbonate might provide a benefit if the patient who has metabolic acidosis needs more extracellular fluid volume (eg, those who have lactic acidosis). However, in trials comparing the effect of sodium bicarbonate with sodium chloride or albumin, sodium bicarbonate was not superior. Consequently, the intravenous administration of sodium bicarbonate is not recommended for the treatment of newborns who have metabolic acidosis.
From Priest's Whore to Pastor's Wife: Clerical Marriage and the Process of Reform in the Early German Reformation. By Marjorie Elizabeth Plummer. (Farnham, United Kingdom: Ashgate, 2012. Pp. xv, 340. $129.95.)

This well‐researched and well‐written book breaks new ground in our understanding of clerical marriage in the early Reformation and also provides valuable reading for anyone seeking to understand m...
Intravenous injection of hypertonic NaCl solution stimulates pulmonary C-fibers in dogs

Intravenous injection of hypertonic NaCl solution evokes reflex bradycardia and hypotension, effects thought to result from stimulation of afferent vagal endings in the lungs. To identify the afferents responsible for these effects, we recorded vagal impulses arising from endings in the lungs and lower airways of anesthetized dogs and examined the response to injection of hypertonic solutions into the pulmonary circulation. Injection of 4,800 mmol/l NaCl solution (1 ml/kg) stimulated 39 of 49 pulmonary C-fibers, their impulse frequency increasing 35-fold. Stimulation was concentration dependent, the minimum effective concentration being between 1,200 and 4,800 mmol/l. Rapidly adapting receptors were also stimulated in a concentration-dependent manner, 35 of 41 receptors being stimulated by 4,800 mmol/l NaCl solution, firing increasing fivefold. Bronchial C-fibers were not stimulated by injection into the pulmonary circulation but were by injection into the bronchial artery. Hypertonic urea solutions had qualitatively similar but smaller effects on pulmonary C-fibers and rapidly adapting receptors. The results suggest that the reflex effects of intravenous injection of hypertonic solutions result principally from stimulation of pulmonary C-fibers.
Cross-correlation analysis reveals laminar differences in thalamocortical interactions in the somatosensory system.

1. Spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity were recorded from corresponding somatotopic representations in the ventroposterolateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus and primary somatosensory (SI) co...
Time Course Field Analysis of COMT-Downregulated Switchgrass: Lignification, Recalcitrance, and Rust Susceptibility

Modifying plant cell walls by manipulating lignin biosynthesis can improve biofuel yields from lignocellulosic crops. For example, transgenic switchgrass lines with downregulated expression of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase, a lignin biosynthetic enzyme, produce up to 38 % more ethanol than controls. The aim of the present study was to understand cell wall lignification over the second and third growing seasons of COMT-downregulated field-grown switchgrass. COMT gene expression, lignification, and cell wall recalcitrance were assayed for two independent transgenic lines at monthly intervals. Switchgrass rust (Puccinia emaculata) incidence was also tracked across the seasons. Trends in lignification over time differed between the 2 years. In 2012, sampling was initiated in mid-growing season on reproductive-stage plants and there was little variation in the lignin content of all lines (COMT-downregulated and control) over time. COMT-downregulated lines maintained 11–16 % less lignin, 33–40 % lower S/G (syringyl-to-guaiacyl) ratios, and 15–42 % higher sugar release relative to controls for all time points. In 2013, sampling was initiated earlier in the season on elongation-stage plants and the lignin content of all lines steadily increased over time, while sugar release expectedly decreased. S/G ratios increased in non-transgenic control plants as biomass accumulated over the season, while remaining relatively stable across the season in the COMT-downregulated lines. Differences in cell wall chemistry between transgenic and non-transgenic lines were not apparent until plants transitioned to reproductive growth in mid-season, after which the cell walls of COMT-downregulated plants exhibited phenotypes consistent with what was observed in 2012. There were no differences in rust damage between transgenics and controls at any time point. These results provide relevant fundamental insights into the process of lignification in a maturing field-grown biofuel feedstock with downregulated lignin biosynthesis.