cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ibuprofen and the Phosphatidylcholine Bilayer: Membrane Water Permeability in the Presence and Absence of Cholesterol

The interactions between drugs and cell membranes can modulate the structural and physical properties of membranes. The resultant perturbations of the membrane integrity may affect the conformation of the proteins inserted within the membrane, disturbing the membrane-hosted biological functions. In this study, the droplet interface bilayer (DIB), a model cell membrane, is used to examine the effects of ibuprofen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on transbilayer water permeability, which is a fundamental membrane biophysical property. Our results indicate that the presence of neutral ibuprofen (pH 3) increases the water permeability of the lipid membranes composed of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). When cholesterol is present with the DOPC, however, the water permeability is not influenced by addition of ibuprofen, regardless of the cholesterol content in DOPC. Given the fact that cholesterol is generally considered to impact packing in the hydrocarbon chain regions, our findings suggest that a potential competition between opposing effects of ibuprofen molecules and cholesterol on the hydrocarbon core environment of the phospholipid assembly may influence the overall water transport phenomena. Results from confocal Raman microspectroscopy and interfacial tensiometry show that ibuprofen molecules induce substantial structural and dynamic changes in the DOPC lipid bilayer. These results, demonstrating that the presence of ibuprofen increases the water permeability of pure DOPC but not that of DOPC-cholesterol mixtures, provide insight into the differential effect of a representative NSAID on heterogeneous biological membranes, depending upon the local composition and structure, results which will signal increased understanding of the gastrointestinal damage and toxicity induced by these molecules.
Campylobacter fetus aortitis in a patient with HIV.

Abstract A 36-year-old man with well controlled HIV developed Campylobacter fetus aortitis. To prevent aortic rupture, emergent surgical resection and neo-aortoiliac replacement with his left femoral vein was conducted. After surgical intervention, he was successfully treated with intravenous ertapenem for 6 weeks followed by oral amoxicillin for 3 months.
Temporal changes in rainfall intensity-duration thresholds for post-wildfire flash floods and sensitivity to spatiotemporal distributions of rainfall

Abstract. Rainfall intensity-duration (ID) thresholds are commonly used to assess flash flood potential downstream of burned watersheds. High-intensity and/or long-duration rainfall is required to generate flash floods as landscapes recover from fire, but there is little guidance on how thresholds change as a function of time since burning. Here, we force a hydrologic model with radar-derived precipitation to estimate ID thresholds for post-fire flash floods in a 41.5 km2 watershed in southern California, USA. Prior work in this study area constrains temporal changes in hydrologic model parameters, allowing us to estimate temporal changes in ID thresholds. Results indicate that ID thresholds increase by more than a factor of 2 from post-fire year 1 to post-fire year 5. Thresholds based on averaging rainfall intensity over durations of 30–60 minutes perform better than those that average rainfall intensity over shorter time intervals. Moreover, thresholds based on the 75th percentile of radar-derived rainfall intensity over the watershed perform better than thresholds based on the 25th or 50th percentile of rainfall intensity. Results demonstrate how hydrologic models can be used to estimate changes in ID thresholds following disturbance and provide guidance on the rainfall metrics that are best suited for predicting post-fire flash floods.
Computability and Categoricity of Ultrahomogeneous Structures

This paper investigates the effective categoricity of ultrahomogeneous structures. It is shown that any computable ultrahomogeneous structure is \(\varDelta^0_2\) categorical. A structure \({\mathcal A}\) is said to be weakly ultrahomogeneous if there is a finite (exceptional) set of elements a 1,…,a n such that \({\mathcal A}\) becomes ultrahomogeneous when constants representing these elements are added to the language. Characterizations are obtained for the weakly ultrahomogeneous linear orderings, equivalence structures, and injection structures, and compared with characterizations of the computably categorical and \(\varDelta^0_2\) categorical structures.
The Sino-Japanese War of 1894–1895: Perceptions, Power, and Primacy

Part I. The Clash of Two Orders: The Far East on the Eve of War: 1. The reversal of the Far Eastern balance of power 2. The decline of the old order in China and Korea 3. The rise of a new order in Russia and Japan Part II. The War: The Dividing Line between Two Eras: 4. The beginning of the end: the outbreak of hostilities 5. Japan triumphant: the battles of P'yongyang and the Yalu 6. China in disgrace: the battles of Port Arthur and the Weihaiwei Part III. The Settlement: The Modern Era in Far Eastern Diplomacy: 7. The treaty of Shimonoseki and the Triple Intervention 8. The era of global politics 9. The cultural dimensions of the Sino-Japanese War Epilogue: perceptions, power, and war Bibliographic essay.
What Makes a Classical Concept Classical

There was a time, not so very long ago, when Niels Bohr’s influence and stature as a philosopher of physics rivaled his standing as a physicist. But now there are signs of a growing despair — much in evidence during the 1985 Bohr centennial — about our ever being able to make good sense out of his philosophical views.3 I would not beg the question of whether or not Bohr’s philosophy of physics can be given a coherent interpretation, but I think that the despair is premature. What has come unraveled is the illusion of understanding given to us by Bohr’s self-appointed spokespeople in various philosophical camps — the logical positivists are chiefly to blame — who sought vindication for their own views more than an accurate reading of Bohr’s. And this does not imply that understanding is impossible. What is needed at the present juncture is really quite simple. We need to return to Bohr’s own words, filtered through no preconceived philosophical dogmas. We need to apply the critical tools of the historian in order to establish what those words were and how they changed over time. We need to assume, at least provisionally, that Bohr’s words make sense. And we need to apply the synthetic tools of the philosopher in order to reconstruct from Bohr’s words a coherent philosophy of physics. The present paper is intended as a contribution to these efforts.
Verifying Reference Counting Implementations

Reference counting is a widely-used resource management idiom which maintains a count of references to each resource by incrementing the count upon an acquisition, and decrementing upon a release; resources whose counts fall to zero may be recycled. We present an algorithm to verify the correctness of reference counting with minimal user interaction. Our algorithm performs compositional verification through the combination of symbolic temporal case splitting and predicate abstraction-based reachability. Temporal case splitting reduces the verification of an unbounded number of processes and resources to verification of a finite number through the use of Skolem variables . The finite state instances are discharged by symbolic model checking, with an auxiliary invariant correlating reference counts with the number of held references. We have implemented our algorithm in Referee, a reference counting analysis tool for C programs, and applied Referee to two real programs: the memory allocator of an OS kernel and the file interface of the Yaffs file system. In both cases our algorithm proves correct the use of reference counts in less than one minute.
Lumped-parameter model development and robust control of systems governed by 2-D parabolic convection-diffusion equation

In the present paper, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method is employed to derive a lumped-parameter model for systems governed by two-dimensional (2- D) parabolic convection-diffusion (PCD) equation. The POD method employs singular value decomposition (SVD) to explore the content of a data set in order to identify the most and least variation to choose lower-order basis functions that provide close approximations of the original data set. In this work, POD is utilized to determine a low-order model that is suitable for control design purposes; using the low-order model, an H ∞ controller is then designed to ensure closed-loop system stability and reference tracking. This control design framework is chosen since the low-order model presents both parametric uncertainty and unmodeled high frequency dynamics arising from the derivation of the low-order model. The loop-shaping method is adopted for the design a robust H ∞ controller to achieve desired tracking and disturbance rejection in the closed-loop system. The simulation results show that the robust controller designed on the basis of the low-order model provides satisfactory reference tracking performance for the system described by the full-order PCD model.
A CMOS 2 MHz self-calibrating bandpass filter for personal area networks

The design of a self-calibrating, tunable, channel select filter implemented in standard 0.25 /spl mu/m CMOS technology for personal area network applications is presented. The active RC bandpass filter is used in a low-IF receiver with a 2 MHz IF. The filter architecture is a cascade of biquadratic (biquad) sections with low-Q resonators and transfer function nulls placed at interferer frequencies. A calibration technique adjusts for center frequency skewing by using the final biquad stage as an oscillator to track process variation. The filter has been successfully fabricated in the design of a fully-integrated, single-chip 2.4 GHz CMOS RFIC. The filter, with 16 dB of gain, features a 42 dBm equivalent input third-order intercept (IP3), when tested with out of band signals, and only 63 /spl mu/V/sub rms/ input referred noise. The group delay ranges from 1.1 to 1.9 /spl mu/s, and the BPF consumes 7.4 mA from a 2.5 V supply under typical conditions.
Peanut Diseases Incited by Rhizoctonia Species

Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn can cause damage to all parts of the peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) plant and has been reported from most countries where this crop is grown. Where conditions are favorable for disease development, yield and quality losses can be severe. In Georgia, USA, alone, losses were estimated at $44 million in 1988 (Thompson, 1988). Although losses are influenced by environment, genotypes, cultural practices, and other factors, Rhizoctonia-induced diseases are consistently responsible for significant damage to peanut crops. Early planting in cool, wet soils is conducive to seed decay and/or seedling damping-off due to Rhizoctonia alone or in concert with other pathogens such as Pythium, Rhizopus, Fusarium, and Aspergillus.
Proinsulin I and II gene expression in inbred mouse strains

Mice and rats express two nonidentical insulins from a pair of unlinked genes. We have applied a nuclease protection assay, which can sensitively quantify each of the mouse insulin mRNAs, to the resolution of the following questions concerning their expression. First, it has not been established whether alterations in expression of one or both of these genes cause differing total insulin biosynthetic capacity noted between several inbred mouse strains. These studies showed that the relative abundance of mRNAs encoding mouse insulins I and II was identical in four separate mouse strains. In spontaneously obese, hyperinsulinemic (db/db)C57BL/KsJ mice, both proinsulin I and proinsulin II mRNAs were increased relative to the levels in normal (+/db) C57BL/KsJ mice, but again the ratio of the two mRNAs did not differ. The ratio was nearly identical to that for the orthologous mRNAs in rats, indicating that the mechanisms which regulate insulin mRNAs in rodents are conserved in both genes in several mouse strain...
Stacking the deck: double-tiled DNA microarrays

Microarrays-high-throughput platforms for analyzing the gene expression and features of total genomic DNA, among other applications-are gaining in popularity as researchers discover ever more uses for their unbiased and broad feature sets. At present, microarray analyses are limited by the number of individual features that can be placed on each array. Here we describe a double-tiling method that significantly increases the number of sequences present on an array, and we show that successful transcriptional profiling is possible and straightforward with such arrays. With this method, we and others can save money and precious samples by using fewer arrays to cover a region, or can carry out investigations at significantly higher resolution without incurring prohibitive costs or increasing the amount of sample required for the experiment.
Hemodialysis Graft Resistance Adjustment Device

Up to eight percent of patients develop steal syndrome after prosthetic dialysis access graft placement, which is characterized by low blood flow to the hand. Steal syndrome results in a cold hand, pain, and in extreme cases, loss of function and tissue damage. A practical and easy way of adjusting the fluidic resistance in a graft to attenuate the risk of steal physiology would greatly benefit both surgeons and patients. This paper describes the design and development of a device that can be attached to a dialysis access graft at the time of surgical implantation to enable providers to externally adjust the resistance of the graft postoperatively. Bench level flow experiments and magnetic setups were used to establish design requirements and test prototypes. The Graft Resistance Adjustment Mechanism (GRAM) can be applied to a standard graft before or after it is implanted and a non-contact magnetic coupling enables actuation through the skin for graft compression. The device features a winch-driven system to provide translational movement for a graft compression unit. We expect such a device to enable noninvasive management of steal syndrome in a manner that does not change the existing graft and support technologies, thus reducing patient complications and reducing costs to hospitals.
SPatial REgression Analysis of Diffusion tensor imaging (SPREAD) for longitudinal progression of neurodegenerative disease in individual subjects

Abstract Objectives To develop a novel statistical method for analysis of longitudinal DTI data in individual subjects. Materials and Methods The proposed SPatial REgression Analysis of Diffusion tensor imaging (SPREAD) method incorporates a spatial regression fitting of DTI data among neighboring voxels and a resampling method among data at different times. Both numerical simulations and real DTI data from healthy volunteers and multiple sclerosis (MS) patients were used in the study to evaluate this method. Results Statistical inference based on SPREAD was shown to perform well through both group comparisons among simulated DTI data of individuals (especially when the group size is smaller than 5) and longitudinal comparisons of human DTI data within the same individual. Conclusions When pathological changes of neurodegenerative diseases are heterogeneous in a population, SPREAD provides a unique way to assess abnormality during disease progression at the individual level. Consequently, it has the potential to shed light on how the brain has changed as a result of disease or injury.
A xenon ion propulsion module for enhanced spacecraft capability

Design, development and preliminary testing of a two-engine xenon ion propulsion module for early flight evaluation is described. Extensive use is made of flight spare propellant system components and also engineering model 30-cm ion engines and assemblies originally developed for the Solar Electric Propulsion System program. Significant design features include a redundant propellant feed system that incorporates a novel gas pulse assembly for rapid and completely reliable engine startup, a central neutralizer subsystem with dual neutralizers for redundancy, and major ion engine performance improvements resulting in a nearly doubling of the 30-cm engine thrust in addition to operating on xenon rather than mercury propellant. At a module input power of 10.0 kw, maximum thrust and specific impulse are projected to be 0.4 N and 3,500 sec. respectively, for a total module efficiency of 67 percent. Total mass of the xenon ion module, including the propellant tank, is only 70.2 kg. The technical approaches taken towards developing and integrating the subsystems comprising this ion propulsion module are presented and discussed in detail.
Neurotensin: Topographical distribution of brain sites involoved in hypothermia and antinociception

When administered into the cerebroventricular system of the rat, neurotensin (NT) produces a variety of effects, including a decrease in colonic temperature and an increase in nociceptive threshold. The previous study described in detail the localization of immunohistochemical NT in the rat brain. In this study, bilateral injections of NT were made into 223 separate loci in the rat brain and a map was generated showing the brain regions where NT produced a decline in colonic temperature and an increase in hot plate response latency. It was found that some of the brain areas which contain immunohistochemically identified NT responded to locally administered NT. Further, most NT-sensitive brain loci contain NT cell bodies as well as fibers. Areas in the brain where NT produced an antinociceptive response were not the same areas where NT evoked hypothermia. An antinociceptive response was consistently produced after NT injection into the nucleus amygdaloideus centralis, rostral area praeoptica medialis, the ventral thalamus dorsomedial and medial to the lemniscus medialis, rostral mesencephalic periventricular gray, and medial pontine formatio reticularis. Less-consistent antinociception was also observed in the mesencephalic formatio reticularis and the caudal diagonal band of Broca. Hypothermia was induced by NT in the area praeoptica medialis contiguous with the area anterior hypothalami, nucleus ventralis tegmenti (Tsai), floor of the fourth ventricle, and tractus spinalis nervi trigemini. Less profound hypothermia was also produced in the posterior hypothalamus. The fact that all these responsive brain areas contain NT indicates that the microinjection of NT may be mimicking the effects of endogenously released NT, thus supporting the possible physiological significance of NT as an endogenous modulator of body temperature or nociceptive sensory information.
Multi-user diversity without transmitter CSI

In this paper, we consider both the down-link and up-link of a cellular communication system operated under strict delay constraints. We further assume that, except for the one-bit ACK/NACK signal associated with the automatic retransmission request (ARQ) protocol, no channel state information (CSI) is available at the transmitter(s). In this setting, we establish the critical role of multi-user diversity in facilitating ARQ gain, while satisfying an upper-bound on the maximum overall delay (i.e., queuing plus transmission). In order to distinguish between the different types of gains offered by multi-user diversity, we first derive our results for a symmetric multi-user channel where we consider the down-link (broadcast) and up-link (multiple-access) scenarios separately. This reveals the interaction between multi-user diversity and ARQ gain. Then, we extend our study to the multi-user relay channel where a number of half-duplex relays are devoted to facilitate the communication. The analysis of this scenario highlights the role of multiuser diversity in allowing a large number of users to significantly benefit from a few dedicated relays
Determinations of N-nitrosodimethylamine at part-per-trillion concentrations in contaminated groundwaters and drinking waters featuring carbon-based membrane extraction disks

A new solid-phase extraction procedure extracts N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) at part-per-trillion (ng/L) concentrations from aqueous samples using a C18 (reversed-phase) membrane extraction disk layered over a recently introduced carbon-based extraction disk. The reversed-phase disk removes nonpolar water-insoluble neutrals and is set aside; the carbon-based disk is extracted with a small volume of dichloromethane. NDMA is quantified in the organic extract using a gas chromatograph equipped with both a short-path thermal desorber and a chemiluminescent nitrogen detector. The detection limit for the procedure, calculated using two statistically unbiased protocols, is 3 ng of NDMA/L; the analyte recovery is ∼57%. A related procedure substitutes a standard automatic sampler for the short-path thermal desorber and is suitable for determining NDMA in heavily contaminated (>300 ng of NDMA/L) aqueous samples. The detection limit for the procedure, calculated in the same manner as above, is 300 ng of NDMA/L, wit...
Salt and pH effects on electrochemistry of myoglobin in thick films of a bilayer-forming surfactant

Abstract Salt concentration and pH of external solutions were shown to control the electrochemistry of the heme protein myoglobin (MbFe(III)H 2 O) in stable, ordered films of didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). Protonation of aquometmyoglobin (MbFe(III)H 2 O) in these films precedes electron transfer from electrodes, causing formal potentials to shift negative as pH increases from 5 to 8. At pH > 8, MbFe(III)H 2 O dissociates to MbFe(III)OH, which is reduced directly at the electrode at higher rates than MbFe(III)H 2 O. Corelations of voltammetric data with FT-IR spectra suggested that at pH
Endocytosis and compartmentation of peroxidases and cationized ferritin in neuroblastoma cells

To investigate further the selectivity of retrograde axonal transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) isoenzymes previously observed in the rat central visual pathways, cultured mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone N18) were examined for selectivity of endocytosis of peroxidases and cationized ferritinin vitro. Differentiating N18 cells were incubated with proteins in various timing and pulse-chase experiments, and examined for the ultrastructural localization of endocytosed protein using cytochemical techniques. Semi-quantitative morphometry was performed on some of the samples. Major findings were as follows. (1) The protein was internalized into vesicles (coated and uncoated), short tubules and occasional small cup-shaped bodies within the first few minutes, and transferred via tubules and uncoated vesicles to secondary lysosome-like organelles (vacuoles, multivesicular bodies and dense bodies) from 5 to 15 min, with dense bodies representing the final site of protein accumulation. All the proteins tested were endocytosed through the same pathways in the soma and neurite of the cell. (2) There was no indication of a net orthograde or retrograde neuritic transport of proteins. (3) There were induced increases in both vesicle and tubule formation as a result of protein endocytosis, with HRP isoenzyme C showing the greatest effect. (4) The apparent rate of internalization of HRP isoenzyme C into vesicles during the initial 5 min was significantly greater than for other peroxidases and cationized ferritin. (5) Relatively more tubules than vesicles were involved in the uptake of protein as endocytosis was prolonged from 5 min to 8 h, with HRP isoenzyme C showing the largest effect. (6) There were indications of preferential compartmentation of endocytosed protein into certain organelles.
The amygdala in down's syndrome and familial Alzheimer's disease: Four clinicopathological case report

Abstract Senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles were quantified in 14 subnuclei of the amygdala in the brains of 3 patients with Down's syndrome (DS), aged 19, 56, and 64 years, and in 1 patient with familial Alzheimer's disease (AD), aged 54 years. The amygdala of the 19-year-old Down's case contained numerous senile plaques (SPs) but no neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The distribution of neuropathological change in the amygdala was similar among the Down's and the Alzheimer's cases. Medial and ventral regions contained more SPs and NFTs than did lateral regions, and the SPs in ventromedial subnuclei generally were the "mature" type with a prominent amyloid core. In general, the numbers of SPs and NFTs were parallel in a given subnucleus with the striking exceptions of the deep medial basal, deep cortical, and lateral central nuclei that contained far more SPs than NFTs, and the medial and lateral superficial cortical nuclei that contained numerous NFTs but few SPs. Several subnuclei strongly interconnected with hippocampus and entorhinal cortex were more heavily involved than subnuclei related to the nucleus basalis of Meynert. The patterns of SP and NFT deposition are consistent with amygdaloid abnormalities found by others in sporadic AD. These findings demonstrate the similarity in amygdaloid pathology among Down's syndrome, familial Alzheimer's disease, and sporadic AD. The presence of senile plaques in the amygdala of the 19-year-old patient with DS suggests that the amygdala is a focus of early pathological change in DS and possibly AD.
Renal urea transporters.

Purpose of review Urea is transported across the kidney inner medullary collecting duct by urea-transporter proteins. Two urea-transporter genes have been cloned from humans and rodents: the UT-A (Slc14A2) gene encodes five protein and eight cDNA isoforms; the UT-B (Slc14A1) gene encodes a single isoform. In the past year, significant progress has been made in understanding the regulation of urea-transporter protein abundance in kidney, studies of genetically engineered mice that lack a urea transporter, identification of urea transporters outside of the kidney, cloning of urea transporters in nonmammalian species, and active urea transport in microorganisms. Recent findings UT-A1 protein abundance is increased by 12 days of vasopressin, but not by 5 days. Analysis of the UT-A1 promoter suggests that vasopressin increases UT-A1 indirectly following a direct effect to increase the transcription of other genes, such as the Na+-K+-2Cl− cotransporter NKCC2/BSC1 and the aquaporin (AQP) 2 water channel, that begin to increase inner medullary osmolality. UT-A1 protein abundance is also increased by adrenalectomy, and is decreased by glucocorticoids or mineralocorticoids. However, each hormone works through its own receptor. Knockout mice that lack UT-A1 and UT-A3, or lack UT-B, have a urine-concentrating defect and a decrease in inner medullary interstitial urea content. Summary Urea transporters play a critical role in the urine-concentrating mechanism. Their abundance is regulated by vasopressin, glucocorticoids, and mineralocorticoids. These regulatory mechanisms may be important in disease states such as diabetes because changes in urea-transporter abundance in diabetic rats require glucocorticoids and vasopressin.
Minimizing supply chain disruption risk through enhanced flexibility

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of a strategic approach (contingency planning) to minimize risk exposure to a supply chain disruption. Specifically, the relationship between several attributes of a contingency planning process and flexibility are examined.Design/methodology/approach – This effort develops a model that will provide both researchers and practitioners a means of determining the attributes with the highest relationship to flexibility. The model is then tested using multiple regression techniques.Findings – Based on the sample used in this survey, top management support, resource alignment, information technology usage, and external collaboration provide the largest contributions to flexibility. Flexibility has been shown to enhance the ability to minimize risk exposure in the event of a supply chain disruption.Research limitations/implications – In this research effort, the multiple regression results produced an R2 of 0.45, indicating that additional variables of in...
Possible Observation of Local Plasmon Modes Excited by Electrons Tunneling through Junctions

The light emitted by small-particle tunnel junctions is partially polarized. The excess light polarized perpendicular to the junctions is possibly due to the radiative decay of localized surface plasmons that are excited by tunneling electrons. Both the angular distribution and the intensity versus photon energy of this light are in agreement with recent theoretical calculations based on the excitation and radiative decay of surface plasmons in a small metal particle located above a metal film.
Angiogenesis in Lymphoproliferative Disorders

In this review, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying angiogenesis in lymphoproliferative disorders are summarized, alongside with possible therapeutic applications. Although most of the initial studies in angiogenesis were done on solid tumors, recent data demonstrate the importance of angiogenesis in hematological malignancies including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Expression of angiogenic polypeptides vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) correlate with clinical characteristics in leukemia and lymphoma, and their serum concentrations serve as predictors of poor prognosis. Antiangiogenic drugs, including thalidomide, arsenic trioxide, endostatin, vasostatin, and neutralizing antibodies to VEGF receptors, used alone or in combination with established chemo- or immunotherapy regimens, constitute a promising approach for the treatment of lymphoproliferative disorders.
REORIENTATION OF GLOBAL CORONAL MAGNETIC FIELDS DUE TO DIFFERENTIAL ROTATION

Because of the progressive decrease in rotation rate of the solar plasma at increasing latitudes, the photospheric foot-points of large-scale closed magnetic structures in the corona, which are originally widely separated in longitude, may ultimately be brought into proximity. Magnetic mergers and reconnections between magnetic fields of opposite polarity are presumed to occur, producing major structural changes in the corona and in the locations of underlying filaments. Thus we believe that the differential rotation phenomenon is essential to understanding both gradual (evolutionary) and sudden (transient) changes in the corona, and that they can occur without any observable change in the photospheric magnetic flux. A process is suggested for the splitting or bifurcation of a high-latitude magnetic structure, producing two separate components at the same latitude, whose rotation rates are influenced by their respective magnetic linkages to other regions on the Sun.
AN EVALUATION OF JAQUES’ STUDIES OF PAY IN THE LIGHT OF CURRENT COMPENSATION RESEARCH

Summary Elliott Jaques’ work in the area of compensation is evaluated for two major reasons: first, to ascertain its methodological fitness and meaningfulness; and, second, to discuss the impact of his work on the course of psychological research on pay. It is concluded that, although Jaques is the first psychologist to have attempted to bind theoretically a number of vaguely related concepts such as job analysis, equity, level of work, and pay curves, his pay technology has not achieved its goal due to a poor methodological foundation. Replication of Jaques’ studies is virtually impossible because his instruments and concepts are poorly defined. Furthermore, some of the hypothesized relationships among the constructs contained within the model appear inconsistent. However, Jaques’ work is valuable because it has served as a first approximation to a general program of research on pay. Furthermore, his work has highlighted a number of important, fundamental issues which investigators who research pay must ultimately resolve. Several of these issues are discussed.
Gallium arsenide photocathode for the free electron laser

The efforts of the FEL source have been concentrated on cesiated GaAs(100) wafers. These crystals have shown photoyield of <.1 to 9% quantum efficiency with the cesium and oxygen treatment. The work function and coverage curves exhibit the same properties as measured in the literature. The use of Auger Electron Spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy have been instrumental in determining the surface cleanliness and the surface oxidation states. The sputtered surfaces have been investigated as a function of rare gas mass and sputter ion voltage, giving similar results to earlier literature values. Temperature annealing appears to be critical after sputter cleaning in achieving any significant photoyield. Contacts of Ag-Mn and Ni-Si have been deposited, heated, and analyzed using Auger Depth Profiling techniques. 16 refs., 9 figs.
Focusing of synchrotron radiation using tapered glass capillaries

Abstract A simple technique for focusing synchrotron radiation and thereby providinghigh intensity x-ray beams as small as 0.1 micron in diameter is described. Gradually tapered glass capillaries serve as the focusing elements. The first measurements of gain in the intensity of x-rays using focusing capillaries have been made.
Properties of electroplax protein part III

Abstract 1. 1. The isolation and characterization of a protein fraction from the electric organ of Electrophorus electricus is described. The protein was a material of relatively low molecular weight. It was soluble in water, dilute base and dilute acid and had many of the characteristics of mucoproteins. 2. 2. Analytical studies revealed the presence of galactose, N -acetylgalactosamine, glucuronic acid and of N -acetylneuraminic acid. Evidence is presented which indicated, however, that the carbohydrate constituents did not occur as a single polysaccharide moiety. The protein or polypeptide moiety apparently does not contain any of the aromatic amino acids. 3. 3. Physical studies of the isolated sialoprotein reveal marked polyanionic characteristics. Dye-binding and dye-displacement studies as measured by fluorescence quenching demonstrated that “receptor-like” function was simulated by this materiall. It was concluded, however, that this particular sialoprotein, in the form isolated, merely showed ion-exchange capabilities and lacked the high degree of specificity postulated for biological receptors.
Estimating shrinkage of container media mixtures with linear and/or regression models

Abstract Shrinkage occurs when container medium components of different particle sizes are mixed which poses a major problem in computer modeling of container media. We have devised a theoretical model, linear in nature, which requires shrinkage determination only at the 1: 1 v/v proportions and that predicts shrinkage in binary and ternary mixes. Therefore, it is simple, rapid and economical to use. Regression models were also utilized to characterize shrinkage estimation, but they require a large number of laboratory determinations to develop and are cumbersome to use in comparison to the theoretical model.
An Examination of “Nonleadership”: From Laissez-Faire Leadership to Leader Reward Omission and Punishment Omission

Laissez-faire leadership has received much less attention than have the 3 transactional leadership dimensions of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ). However, laissez-faire leadership has shown strong negative relationships with various leadership criteria, and the absence of leadership (laissez-faire leadership) may be just as important as is the presence of other types of leadership. This article focuses on a single type of laissez-faire leadership (i.e., the lack of response to subordinate performance). Using a reinforcement perspective, the authors developed measures and examined the effects of the lack of performance-contingent reinforcement in 2 forms: reward omission (leader nonreinforcement of good subordinate performance) and punishment omission (leader nonreinforcement of poor subordinate performance). They found strong evidence in support of the construct validity of the new measures and found that omission was related to follower satisfaction with the leader, subordinate-rated leader effectiveness, subordinate-perceived role clarity, and supervisor-rated subordinate performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved).
Synthesis of Molybdenum Nanowires with Millimeter-Scale Lengths Using Electrochemical Step Edge Decoration

Molybdenum (Mo0) nanowires with diameters ranging from 13 nm to 1 μm and having lengths of up to 500 μm have been synthesized by a two-step process involving the electrodeposition of molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface followed by reduction of the MoO2 nanowires at 500 °C to form molybdenum metal. MoO2 nanowires were electrodeposited reductively from an alkaline MoO42- solution using a low overpotential of 30 μm-1) of MoO2 nuclei was formed along each step edge on the graphite surface. With continued growth, MoO2 nuclei that were 10−15 nm in diameter coalesced with adjacent nuclei along the step edge to form continuous nanowires having approximately this same diameter. Longer deposition times, tdep, produced smooth MoO2 nanowires with diameters proportional to tdep1/2. These nanowires had a uniform diameter and a ...
Misincorporation of the proline analog azetidine-2-carboxylic acid in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis: a hypothesis.

The misconstruction of proteins as a result of the displacement of one of more proline residues by their congener, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze), can result in various disorders. A number of lines of evidence suggest that multiple sclerosis may be among these. This concept adheres to the current view that multiple sclerosis lesions originate in the myelin sheath and that the underlying molecular abnormality involves the myelin basic protein. The Aze hypothesis posits that myelin basic protein and possibly other closely related molecules are misassembled in sites of lesion formation because of the substitution of Aze for one or more prolines within consensual epitopes. These include a highly conserved myelin basic protein hexapeptide sequence, PRTPPP, and an α helix bounded by prolyls. Recent studies have focused on the immunopathogenetic effects of posttranslational modification of this region. This hypothesis proposes that the domain is structurally, functionally, and antigenically altered by the intrusion of Aze in place of proline and that such misassembly may involve other proteins and adversely affect interactions with neighboring molecules. This report reviews evidence supporting the hypothesis that ingestion of Aze in the diet, in conjunction with genetic susceptibility, may predispose or contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.
Environmental particulate (PM2.5) augments stiffness-induced alveolar epithelial cell mechanoactivation of transforming growth factor beta.

Dysfunctional pulmonary homeostasis and repair, including diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and tumorigenesis have been increasing over the past decade, a fact that heavily implicates environmental influences. Several investigations have suggested that in response to increased transforming growth factor - beta (TGFβ) signaling, the alveolar type II (ATII) epithelial cell undergoes phenotypic changes that may contribute to the complex pathobiology of PF. We have previously demonstrated that increased tissue stiffness associated with PF is a potent extracellular matrix (ECM) signal for epithelial cell activation of TGFβ. The work reported here explores the relationship between tissue stiffness and exposure to environmental stimuli in the activation of TGFβ. We hypothesized that exposure of ATII cells to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) will result in enhanced cell contractility, TGFβ activation, and subsequent changes to ATII cell phenotype. ATII cells were cultured on increasingly stiff substrates with or without addition of PM2.5. Exposure to PM2.5 resulted in increased activation of TGFβ, increased cell contractility, and elongation of ATII cells. Most notably, on 8 kPa substrates, a stiffness greater than normal but less than established fibrotic lung, addition of PM2.5 resulted in increased cortical cell stiffness, enhanced actin staining and cell elongation; a result not seen in the absence of PM2.5. Our work suggests that PM2.5 exposure additionally enhances the existing interaction between ECM stiffness and TGFβ that has been previously reported. Furthermore, we show that this additional enhancement is likely a consequence of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to increased TGFβ signaling events. These results highlight the importance of both the micromechanical and biochemical environment in lung disease initiation and suggest that individuals in early stages of lung remodeling during fibrosis may be more susceptible than healthy individuals when exposed to environmental injury adjuvants.
A comparison of lobeline and nicotine at the frog neuromuscular junction.

The actions of d-tubocurarine, lobeline and nicotine were studied at the end-plate region of frog sartorius muscle fibers bathed in Frog-Ringer solution containing 12 mM MgCl2. End-plate potentials (EPPs) evoked by stimulation of the sciatic nerve were monitored with KCl-filled microelectrodes using standard techniques. Quantal content (m) was calculated from the coefficient of variation of 110 repetitively evoked EPPs at 1 Hz.
Transportation of a liquid droplet at ultra-low voltages by tunable wetting on conjugated polymer electrodes

This paper presents the experimental results on the controlled transportation of a liquid droplet on dodecylbenzenesulfonate doped polypyrrole (PPy(DBS)) electrodes for ultra-low voltage digital microfluidics applications. The PPy(DBS) surface fabricated by the electropolymerization method exhibits a tunable wettability upon reduction and oxidation at low voltages (-0.9~0.6V). By utilizing an asymmetric change of surface wettability on patterned PPy(DBS)-coated electrodes, lateral, controllable transportation of liquid droplets on the PPy(DBS) surface with underlying electrodes was successfully demonstrated with low voltages (<; 1V). The actuation behavior of the liquid droplet during the transportation was characterized and analyzed.
Quasi-real-time fluorescence imaging with lifetime dependent contrast

Conventional fluorescence lifetime imaging requires complicated algorithms to extract lifetimes of fluorophores and acquisition of multiple data points at progressively longer delay times to characterize tissues. To address diminishing signal-to-noise ratios at these progressively longer time delays, we report a time-resolved fluorescence imaging method, normalized fluorescence yield imaging that does not require the extraction of lifetimes. The concept is to extract the "contrast" instead of the lifetime value of the fluorophores by using simple mathematical algorithms. This process converts differences in decay times directly to different intensities. The technique was verified experimentally using a gated iCCD camera and an ultraviolet light-emitting diode light source. It was shown that this method can distinguish between chemical dyes (Fluorescein and Rhodamine-B) and biomedical samples, such as powders of elastin and collagen. Good contrast was obtained between fluorophores that varied by less than 6% in lifetime. Additionally, it was shown that long gate times up to 16 ns achieve good contrast depending upon the samples to be studied. These results support the feasibility of time-resolved fluorescence imaging without lifetime extraction, which has a potential clinical role in noninvasive real-time imaging.
The Tyro3 Receptor Kinase Axl Enhances Macropinocytosis of Zaire Ebolavirus

Axl, a plasma membrane-associated Tyro3/Axl/Mer (TAM) family member, is necessary for optimal Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) glycoprotein (GP)-dependent entry into some permissive cells but not others. To date, the role of Axl in virion entry is unknown. The focus of this study was to characterize entry pathways that are used for ZEBOV uptake in cells that require Axl for optimal transduction and to define the role of Axl in this process. Through the use of biochemical inhibitors, interfering RNA (RNAi), and dominant negative constructs, we demonstrate that ZEBOV-GP-dependent entry into these cells occurs through multiple uptake pathways, including both clathrin-dependent and caveola/lipid raft-mediated endocytosis. Other dynamin-dependent and -independent pathways such as macropinocytosis that mediate high-molecular-weight dextran uptake also stimulated ZEBOV-GP entry into these cells, and inhibitors that are known to block macropinocytosis inhibited both dextran uptake and ZEBOV infection. These findings provided strong evidence for the importance of this pathway in filovirus entry. Reduction of Axl expression by RNAi treatment resulted in decreased ZEBOV entry via macropinocytosis but had no effect on the clathrin-dependent or caveola/lipid raft-mediated endocytic mechanisms. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that Axl enhances macropinocytosis, thereby increasing productive ZEBOV entry.
Web Service Interactions: Analysis and Design

Summary form only given. A fundamental promise of the Web services paradigm lies in the ease of sharing information and resources that are provided in the form of Web processes. A common approach to support such sharing is to allow Web processes to interact through an asynchronous messaging mechanism. This approach lies in the core of many Web services standards (SOAP, WSDL, BPEL, WS-CDL, WSCL ...). In this paper, we examine Web service interaction models and formalizing some of them into the concept of a "conversation" that captures ordering constraints on messages during Web service interactions. We discuss a few technical results based on the conversation model. For example, the use of FIFO queues for incoming messages has a significant impact on conversations, and therefore is an important design decision. We also present technical results concerning static analysis and automated design of Web services in the conversation model
Absorption and Elimination Profile of Isoproterenol III:The Metabolic Fate of dl-Isoproterenol-7-3H in the Dog

Intravenous injection of isoproterenol-7- 3 H in dogs, in doses ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 mcg./kg. body weight, immediately induced tachycardia which declined with a half-life of about 1 min. The resulting levels of radioactivity in blood declined with a significantly longer half-life of 3–4 min. Unchanged isoproterenol accounted for less than 1 percent of the total radioactivity in plasma after intravenous medication. After oral administration of 15 mg. of isoproterenol-7- 3 H hydrochloride to dogs, a biphasic time course was observed for both heart rate and radioactivity in blood with maxima occurring at 0.5 and 1–2 hr. after medication. The metabolic fate of isoproterenol was determined by the route of medication, the intravenous and intraportal route giving rise mainly to 3- O -methyliso-proterenol, while oral medication was converted mainly to a sulfuric acid ester which was formed either by the intestinal flora or during passage through the intestinal wall. The rapid decrease in tachycardia after intravenous medication is consistent with the rapid conversion of the drug to inactive metabolites while the more prolonged tachycardia induced by oral medication results from slow absorption.
Building Privacy into Software Products and Services

In the marketplace, customer trust is paramount. As consumers increasingly rely on the Internet for shopping, banking, and other daily activities, privacy is both a major public concern and a barrier to e-commerce growth: fear of data breaches and identity theft threaten to erode trust in the Internet. Once the core privacy team (CPT) is built, it can begin to define the program, deploy its processes, and enforce the rules.