cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resonant inverse photoemission involving transition-metal 3p-3d subshell interactions.

Inverse photoemission intensity variations for the Sc 3d empty states are studied for incident electron energies of 20.25 to 46.25 eV to examine interference effects related to 3p core-level excitation. A strong resonance, delayed approx.14 eV above the 3p threshold, is observed, together with an interference minimum 5--6 eV above threshold. The results reflect coupling between the inverse photoemission continuum and the Sc 3p-3d giant dipole resonant recombination channel. Angle-resolved measurements reveal photon emission dependences related to the surface dielectric response in the low-energy region.
Nephrin Regulates Lamellipodia Formation by Assembling a Protein Complex That Includes Ship2, Filamin and Lamellipodin

Actin dynamics has emerged at the forefront of podocyte biology. Slit diaphragm junctional adhesion protein Nephrin is necessary for development of the podocyte morphology and transduces phosphorylation-dependent signals that regulate cytoskeletal dynamics. The present study extends our understanding of Nephrin function by showing in cultured podocytes that Nephrin activation induced actin dynamics is necessary for lamellipodia formation. Upon activation Nephrin recruits and regulates a protein complex that includes Ship2 (SH2 domain containing 5′ inositol phosphatase), Filamin and Lamellipodin, proteins important in regulation of actin and focal adhesion dynamics, as well as lamellipodia formation. Using the previously described CD16-Nephrin clustering system, Nephrin ligation or activation resulted in phosphorylation of the actin crosslinking protein Filamin in a p21 activated kinase dependent manner. Nephrin activation in cell culture results in formation of lamellipodia, a process that requires specialized actin dynamics at the leading edge of the cell along with focal adhesion turnover. In the CD16-Nephrin clustering model, Nephrin ligation resulted in abnormal morphology of actin tails in human podocytes when Ship2, Filamin or Lamellipodin were individually knocked down. We also observed decreased lamellipodia formation and cell migration in these knock down cells. These data provide evidence that Nephrin not only initiates actin polymerization but also assembles a protein complex that is necessary to regulate the architecture of the generated actin filament network and focal adhesion dynamics.
Motivating employees for environmental improvement

This paper presents a theoretical framework for environmental performance by looking at the crucial employer and employee factors affecting environmental performance. The model focuses on the integration between top management commitment, employee empowerment, rewards, feedback and review, and environmental performance. Suggestions for managers on implementing core concepts from the model, in addition to the challenges they may encounter are discussed throughout the article.
Food allergies in hospitality management curricula: One bite can be deadly

Food Allergies in Hospitality Management Curricula: One Bite Can Be Deadly It is estimated that there are about seven million Americans that have some form of food allergies (Sweeney, 2001). Generally, allergy sufferers do not expect food service personnel to have extensive knowledge of allergies. However, they do expect them to be trained to provide accurate answers to questions about the ingredients in the food they eat. The goal of this introductory article on the topic was to determine how and if food allergies are covered in hospitality management school curricula. Respondents indicated that 73% of the programs surveyed include content on food allergies in the hospitality curriculum. Over 81% responded that a food allergy segment should be included in the curriculum yet only 70% claimed their institution had a faculty member qualified to teach the subject. The survey responses indicate most hospitality educators believe that food allergies should be included in the hospitality curriculum, but which c...
Standardization of the refractory products for the slide gates of steelcasting ladles

New technical specifications, viz., TU 14-8-185-75 and TU 14-8-213-76, for the refractory products for the slide gates of steelcasting ladles have been prepared and put into effect. The standardization of the types, dimensions, and technical specifications of the refractory products for slide gates will help to improve the quality of the products and accelerate the changeover to an advanced method of steelcasting.
Exploring prenatal outdoor air pollution, birth outcomes and neonatal health care utilization in a nationally representative sample

The impact of air pollution on fetal growth remains controversial, in part, because studies have been limited to sub-regions of the United States with limited variability. No study has examined air pollution impacts on neonatal health care utilization. We performed descriptive, univariate and multivariable analyses on administrative hospital record data from 222,359 births in the 2000, 2003 and 2006 Kids Inpatient Database linked to air pollution data drawn from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Aerometric Information Retrieval System. In this study, air pollution exposure during the birth month was estimated based on birth hospital address. Although air pollutants were not individually associated with mean birth weight, a three-pollutant model controlling for hospital characteristics, demographics, and birth month identified 9.3% and 7.2% increases in odds of low birth weight and very low birth weight for each μg/m(3) increase in PM(2.5) (both P<0.0001). PM(2.5) and NO(2) were associated with -3.0% odds/p.p.m. and +2.5% odds/p.p.b. of preterm birth, respectively (both P<0.0001). A four-pollutant multivariable model indicated a 0.05 days/p.p.m. NO(2) decrease in length of the birth hospitalization (P=0.0061) and a 0.13 days increase/p.p.m. CO (P=0.0416). A $1166 increase in per child costs was estimated for the birth hospitalization per p.p.m. CO (P=0.0002) and $964 per unit increase in O(3) (P=0.0448). A reduction from the 75th to the 25th percentile in the highest CO quartile for births predicts annual savings of $134.7 million in direct health care costs. In a national, predominantly urban, sample, air pollutant exposures during the month of birth are associated with increased low birth weight and neonatal health care utilization. Further study of this database, with enhanced control for confounding, improved exposure assessment, examination of exposures across multiple time windows in pregnancy, and in the entire national sample, is supported by these initial investigations.
Magnetic response of continuous split ring structures at visible frequencies

Split ring resonators (SRRs) have been widely studied as fundamental elements of metamaterials showing magnetic response. In order to search for metamaterials with negative refractive index, we studied the electromagnetic properties of structures with modified SRRs. We proposed a structure composed of continuous SRRs showing both negative µ and negative e. Experimental results are supported by numerical results to show negative refractive index at visible frequencies.
Metabolic differences in breast cancer stem cells and differentiated progeny

In general, tumor cells display a more glycolytic phenotype compared to the corresponding normal tissue. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that tumors are composed of a heterogeneous population of cells. Breast cancers are organized in a hierarchical manner, with the breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) at the top of the hierarchy. Here, we investigate the metabolic phenotype of BCSCs and their differentiated progeny. In addition, we determine the effect of radiation on the metabolic state of these two cell populations. Luminal, basal, and claudin-low breast cancer cell lines were propagated as mammospheres enriched in BCSCs. Lactate production, glucose consumption, and ATP content were compared with differentiated cultures. A metabolic flux analyzer was used to determine the oxygen consumption, extracellular acidification rates, maximal mitochondria capacity, and mitochondrial proton leak. The effect of radiation treatment of the metabolic phenotype of each cell population was also determined. BCSCs consume more glucose, produce less lactate, and have higher ATP content compared to their differentiated progeny. BCSCs have higher maximum mitochondrial capacity and mitochondrial proton leak compared to their differentiated progeny. Radiation treatment enhances the higher energetic state of the BCSCs, while decreasing mitochondrial proton leak. Our study indicated that breast cancer cells are heterogeneous in their metabolic phenotypes and BCSCs reside in a distinct metabolic state compared to their differentiated progeny. BCSCs display a reliance on oxidative phosphorylation, while the more differentiated progeny displays a more glycolytic phenotype. Radiation treatment affects the metabolic state of BCSCs. We conclude that interfering with the metabolic requirements of BCSCs may prevent radiation-induced reprogramming of breast cancer cells during radiation therapy, thus improving treatment outcome.
Potential of umbilical cord blood cells for brain repair

Our laboratory is characterizing the mononuclear cells from human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) for possible therapeutic value. Studies on HUCB cells demonstrated their ability to respond to growth factors by increased expression of neural markers and down regulation of several genes associated with development of blood lines. HUCB cells were also transplanted into the subventricular zone of the developing rat brain. It was found that some of the HUCB cells responded to external factors and were able to adopt neural fates similar to endogenous stem cells. We also tested whether intravenously infused HUCB cells enter brain, survive, differentiate and improve neurological functional recovery after stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. HUCB cells were injected into the tail vein at least 24 h after stroke or TBI. Behavioral impairments were significantly improved as early as 14 days in both TBI and stroke animals, compared to controls. Injected cells entered brain and migrated into the parenchyma of the injured brain. Some of these expressed neuronal, astrocytic, or endothelial markers. Our data suggest that intravenous administration of HUCB cells can provide neural stem cells, and may be a useful treatment for brain repair. Acknowledgements: Supported by Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc. and a FL Hi-Tech Corridor Grant.
Simultaneous measurement of the anomalous heat capacity and resistivity of chromium near TN

Abstract The specific heat and temperature coefficient of resistivity of Cr have been measured simultaneously near the Neel temperature using an a.c. technique. The specific heat is found to diverge with a critical exponent twice that which describes the divergence of the temperature coefficient of resistivity.
On the analysis of incomplete growth curve data, a Monte Carlo study of two nonparametric procedures

The Monte Carlo simulations of a broad spectrum of dispersion structures indicates that multivariate nonparametric methods applied to regression coefficients estimated from complete or incomplete growth curve data provide tests close to the nominal significance levels. In addition, the simulations indicate that multivariate multisample rank sum and median asymptotic tests can be used satisfactorily for sample sizes of five in the bivariate case. The multivariate multisample rank sum test appears to be preferred over the multivariate multisample median test since under most conditions it had greater power. Furthermore, the simulations demonstrate that power is much affected by the dispersion structure.
Burgers, Brains, and Blasphemy

In this account of prions and various diseases to which they have been linked, Ingram spotlights researchers who have developed the field.
Ferroelectric thin film microstructure development and related property enhancement

Abstract Factors that control phase evolution, microstructural development and ferroelectric domain assemblage are evaluated for chemically prepared lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films. Zirconium to titanium stoichiometry is shown to strongly influence microstructure. As Ti content increases, there is an apparent enhancement of the perovskite phase nucleation rate, grain size becomes smaller, and the amount of pyrochlore phase, if present, decreases. While the pyrochlore matrix microstructure for near morphotropic phase boundary composition thin films consists of two interpenetrating nanophases (pyrochlore and an amorphous phase); the pyrochlore microstructure for PZT 20/80 films deposited on MgO substrates is single phase and consists of 10 nm grains. Zirconium to titanium stoichiometry also has a substantial influence on process integration. Near morphotropic phase boundary films exhibit extensive reaction with underlying TiO2 diffusion barriers; conversely, there is no chemical reaction for identi...
Inhibition of Androgen-Induced Precocious Puberty by Progesterone

The average time for the appearance of the first vaginal estrus was 37.0 days in rats treated with 0.1 mg of testosterone propionate on 21 and 23 days of age, as compared with 44.6 days in untreated controls. Treatment with 0.5 mg of progesterone 6 hr prior to the injection of the androgen delayed the appearance of the first estrus to 43.1 days. The time of vaginal opening was 42.4 days of age for the control rats and 33.5 days for the androgentreated rats. Treatment with progesterone delayed the average time of vaginal opening to 37.9 days in the androgen-treated rats. Progesterone also returned the average length of the first estrous cycle from 5.1 days seen after treatment with testosterone to 7.3 days as in control rats. It was concluded that progesterone inhibits the action of androgen at the level of the central nervous system and at the level of the vagina, and that the hormone is more effective at the former site. (Endocrinology 84: 669, 1969)
A theoretical model of multi-regime convection in a stratocumulus-topped boundary layer

The possible effects on stratocumulus circulations caused by drizzle and radiative cooling or heating are investigated theoretically using a simple Nonlinear Dynamical System (NDS). These effects are incorporated implicitly via the background temperature profile, and are expressed as departures from neutral conditions. These neutral conditions are assumed to be dry adiabatic in the surface, sub-cloud and inversion regions, and moist adiabatic in the cloud region. The NDS domain is divided into six distinct regions that represent those commonly observed in the planetary boundary layer (PBL): 1) the surface layer, 2) the sub-cloud layer, 3) the cloud-base layer, 4) the cloud layer, 5) the cloud-top layer, and 6) the capping inversion. The NDS successfully represents the effects of the capping inversion. Circulations are limited in their upward extent by the inversion, and would only penetrate into it when surface forcing rates are quite large. Surprisingly, when there are identical forcing rates but different initial conditions for the dynamic and thermodynamic flelds, the NDS yields two solutions throughout a wide range of cloud-base stabilities. This range covers the transition from a stable to an unstable cloud-base layer (layer 3 above). The first solution is a steady one having a decoupled form, with separate circulations in the sub-cloud region and the cloud region. The second solution is a temporally varying one exhibiting periodic coupling. The circulation in this case starts as a shallow eddy near the surface. This eddy grows into a deeper plume that penetrates into the inversion before finally dying and beginning the process again. The existence of these two fundamentally different solutions for the same forcing rates, or multi-regime convection, suggests that the PBL response to a particular forcing rate may depend critically on the initial conditions of the dynamic and thermodynamic fields. As a consequence, future modeling efforts of the PBL should consider a broad range of initial flelds.
Following the Green: Coupled pastoral migration and vegetation dynamics in the Altay and Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang, China

Abstract Pastoralists depend on extensive herding to ensure forage availability and pasture sustainability; however, their mobile lifestyles are being challenged by sedentarization policies of the Chinese government. This paper quantifies pastoral migration patterns and their relationships with vegetation dynamics in the Altay and Tianshan Mountains of Xinjiang, China. Using data collected from semi-structured interviews, land use mapping, Geographic Positioning System (GPS) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) imagery, we show that migration patterns in the two study areas differ regarding distance, elevation change, number of times of migration, and land use. Our analysis reveals that greater migration efforts are largely driven by the shortage of forage in the overwintering villages. The results strongly suggest that current and potential sedentarization policies will compromise the pastoralists' welfare. Therefore, future pastoral policy-making must be built on the long-established relationships between migration patterns and vegetation dynamics.
Variations of the asymmetry of disk-integrated solar line profiles

Mean line bisector positions were found for the neutral iron line at γ 5250.2 using disk-integrated sunlight. After correction for the apparent time variation of the instrumental profile, it was found that the mean bisector position was constant during the period from May 1982 to February 1983. The correlation between the total magnetic flux as measured at Mount Wilson and the line asymmetry results of Livingston is not high. In particular, the magnetic flux dropped in 1982, suggesting a large line asymmetry that was not observed. However, the correlation between the 30-day average of the mean magnetic field and Livingston's results is quite high (-0.95), suggesting that the asymmetry of the disk-integrated line profile is related to the old plage regions rather than to the active regions.
Interrelations between the Microbiotas in the Litter and in the Intestines of Commercial Broiler Chickens

The intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens and the microbiota in the litter have been well studied, but the interactions between these two microbiotas remain to be determined. Therefore, we examined their reciprocal effects by analyzing the intestinal microbiotas of broilers reared on fresh pine shavings versus reused litter, as well as the litter microbiota over a 6-week cycle. Composite ileal mucosal and cecal luminal samples from birds (n = 10) reared with both litter conditions (fresh versus reused) were collected at 7, 14, 21, and 42 days of age. Litter samples were also collected at days 7, 14, 21, and 42. The microbiotas were profiled and compared within sample types based on litter condition using PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE). The microbiotas were further analyzed using 16S rRNA gene clone libraries constructed from microbiota DNA extracted from both chick intestinal and litter samples collected at day 7. Results showed significant reciprocal effects between the microbiotas present in the litter and those in the intestines of broilers. Fresh litter had more environmental bacteria, while reused litter contained more bacteria of intestinal origin. Lactobacillus spp. dominated the ileal mucosal microbiota of fresh-litter chicks, while a group of bacteria yet to be classified within Clostridiales dominated in the ileal mucosal microbiota in the reused-litter chicks. The Litter condition (fresh versus reused) seemed to have a more profound impact on the ileal microbiota than on the cecal microbiota. The data suggest that the influence of fresh litter on ileal microbiota decreased as broilers grew, compared with temporal changes observed under reused-litter rearing conditions.
Cluster tests for geographical areas with binary data

Abstract Consider an area subdivided into non-overlapping districts, e.g. a state divided into counties, and assume that some districts are marked for having some distinguishing property. Then the question arises whether the marked districts are distributed randomly or exhibit some spatial clustering. This question is pursued here to some extent theoretically, in particular using regular tesselations of the plane (hexagons in a honeycomb), and to some extent by simulations using these regular constellations as well as real situations, in particular 171 counties in six Bundeslander of Germany. Connectivity regions (maximal regions of marked districts) turn out to be a bad choice in general. Instead, clusters are formed from triplets of marked districts. Approximate statistical tests are developed. They are simple enough to be used for data mining where potentially a large number of tests has to be performed.
EFFECTS OF RUMINATION AND INITIAL SEVERITY ON REMISSION TO COGNITIVE THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION.

Trait rumination, a tendency to focus on depressive symptoms and negative information, is associated with longer and more severe episodes of depression. This study examined whether trait rumination was also associated with initial remission from unipolar depression in Cognitive Therapy, which we hypothesized would target this coping style. Eighty one patients completed measures of depressive severity and rumination before and after 16–20 sessions of procedurally determined Cognitive Therapy. Pre-treatment rumination and severity were generally associated with later initial remission and lower odds of achieving remission. Limited evidence also suggested that for the most severe patients, rumination was associated with earlier initial remission and greater odds of achieving initial remission. Cognitive Therapy was associated with significant reductions in both rumination and severity. Results suggest that (1) pre-treatment assessment of rumination and severity could help to plan treatment course and (2) Cognitive Therapy is associated with changes in cognitive coping styles.
Technique for removing samples from bags of dialysate solution.

The pharmacy department at our medical center prepares replacement fluid and dialysate solutions for patients on continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF). We used to prepare 1-L bags with various electrolyte concentrations. For 24 hours of CVVHDF therapy, with a minimum of 1 L of replacement
Non-DNA-Templated Addition of Nucleotides to the 3′ End of RNAs by the Mitochondrial RNA Polymerase of Physarum polycephalum

Mitochondrial gene expression is necessary for proper mitochondrial biogenesis. Genes on the mitochondrial DNA are transcribed by a dedicated mitochondrial RNA polymerase (mtRNAP) that is encoded in the nucleus and imported into mitochondria. In the myxomycete Physarum polycephalum, nucleotides that are not specified by the mitochondrial DNA templates are inserted into some RNAs, a process called RNA editing. This is an essential step in the expression of these RNAs, as the insertion of the nontemplated nucleotides creates open reading frames for the production of proteins from mRNAs or produces required secondary structure in rRNAs and tRNAs. The nontemplated nucleotide is added to the 3' end of the RNA as the RNA is being synthesized during mitochondrial transcription. Because RNA editing is cotranscriptional, the mtRNAP is implicated in RNA editing as well as transcription. We have cloned the cDNA for the mtRNAP of Physarum and have expressed the mtRNAP in Escherichia coli. We have used in vitro transcription assays based on the Physarum mtRNAP to identify a novel activity associated with the mtRNAP in which non-DNA-templated nucleotides are added to the 3' end of RNAs. Any of the four ribonucleoside triphosphates (rNTPs) can act as precursors for this process, and this novel activity is observed when only one rNTP is supplied, a condition under which transcription does not occur. The implications of this activity for the mechanism of RNA editing are discussed.
Spontaneous and deterministic three-dimensional curling of pre-strained elastomeric bi-strips

Three dimensional curls (“hemi-helices”) consisting of multiple, periodic and alternating helical sections of opposite chiralities, separated by perversions, are one of a variety of complex shapes that can be produced by a simple generic process consisting of pre-straining one elastomeric strip, joining it side-by-side to another and then releasing the bi-strip. The initial wavelength of the hemi-helix and the number of perversions are determined by the strip cross-section, the constitutive behavior of the elastomer and the value of the pre-strain. The hemi-helix has no net twist. Topologically, the perversions separate regions of the hemi-helix deforming principally by bending from those where twisting dominates.
Information theoretic criteria for non-Gaussian ARMA order determination and parameter estimation

The problem of determining the orders and parameters of autoregressive moving average (ARMA) processes with an unknown but non-Gaussian probability density function is addressed. Asymptotically optimal, information theoretic criteria are developed based on higher-order statistics of the observed processes. The proposed algorithms rely upon sample cumulants, or polyspectra, and allow non-minimum phase and non-causal models unlike the conventional second-order correlation based methods. Unlike the linear rank-based cumulant methods, the nonlinear information theoretic type methods do not require subjective thresholding and yield strongly consistent estimators for the ARMA orders as well as the parameters. Simulation examples illustrate the feasibility of the theory. >
Application and Architectural Bottlenecks in Large Scale Distributed Shared Memory Machines

Many of the programming challenges encountered in small to moderate-scale hardware cache-coherent shared memory machines have been extensively studied. While work remains to be done, the basic techniques needed to efficiently program such machines have been well explored. Recently, a number of researchers have presented architectural techniques for scaling a cache coherent shared address space to much larger processor counts. In this paper, we examine the extent to which applications can achieve reasonable performance on such large-scale, cache-coherent, distributed shared address space machines, by determining the problems sizes needed to achieve a reasonable level of efficiency. We also look at how much programming effort and optimization is needed to achieve high efficiency, beyond that needed at small processor counts. For each application, we discuss the main architectural bottlenecks that prevent smaller problem sizes or less optimized programs from achieving good efficiency. Our results show that while there are some applications that either do not scale or must be heavily optimized to do so, for most of the applications we studied it is not necessary to heavily modify the code or restructure algorithms to scale well upto several hundred processors, once the basic techniques for load balancing and data locality are used that are needed for small-scale systems as well. Programs written with some care perform well without substantially compromising the ease of programming advantage of a shared address space, and the problem sizes required to achieve good performance are surprisingly small. It is important to be careful about how data structures and layouts interact with system granularities, but these optimizations are usually needed for moderate-scale machines as well.
Average bit-error-rate performance of band-limited DS/SSMA communications

Direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS/SSMA) communications, strictly band-limited transmitter chip waveforms with excess bandwidth in the interval between zero and one, pseudo-random spreading sequences, an additive white Gaussian noise channel, and matched filter receivers are considered. First, a new expression for the average bit error rate (BER) is derived for systems with quaternary phase-shift keying (QPSK) spreading, the conventional matched filter receiver, a coherent detector for binary phase-shift keying (BPSK) data symbols, and chip waveforms that result in no interchip interference. The expression consists of a well known BER expression based on the standard Gaussian approximation to multiple-access interference and a few correction terms. It enables accurate BER evaluations without any numerical integration for various choices of system parameters of interest. The accuracy of the expression is guaranteed as long as the conditional Gaussian approximation to the cross-correlation coefficients between the desired user's spreading sequence and the interfering users' spreading sequences is valid. The expression well reflects the effect of filtering on the system performance. Extensions of the expression are discussed for systems with QPSK spreading and different detection schemes, systems with BPSK spreading, and systems with different transmit and receive filters. Monte Carlo simulation results are also provided to verify the accuracy.
Atomistic simulation of the effect of trace elements on grain boundary of aluminum

Molecular statics simulations are used in conjunction with the Embedded Atom Method to study the segregation tendency of magnesium and the effect of doping on aluminum symmetric tilt grain boundaries (STGB). It is observed that a state of hydrostatic stress exists predominantly near the grain boundary and influences the segregation energy of magnesium. The origin of hydrostatic stress is explained in terms of local geometrical arrangement of atoms at the grain boundary. The energy of a given grain boundary is found to increase with addition of Mg atoms and the increase depends on the normal distance of the atom from the grain boundary.
Bounds and estimates for the properties of nonlinear heterogeneous systems

A powerful and versatile variational principle, allowing the estimation of the effective properties of nonlinear heterogeneous systems, has been introduced recently by Ponte Castaneda (1992). The central idea is to express the effective energy-density function of a given nonlinear composite in terms of an optimization problem involving the effective energy-density functions of linear comparison composites with similar microstructure. This permits the computation of bounds and estimates for the effective properties of given classes of nonlinear heterogeneous systems directly from well-known bounds and estimates for the effective properties of corresponding classes of linear comparison composites. In this paper, we review the variational principle and apply it to determine bounds and estimates for the effective properties of certain classes of nonlinear composite dielectrics with homogeneous, isotropic phases. Thus, nonlinear bounds of the Hashin-Shtrikman and Beran types are obtained for composites with overall isotropy and prescribed volume fractions (of the phases). While nonlinear (second-order) bounds of the Hashin-Shtrikman type have been obtained previously, in different form, by other methods, the nonlinear (higher-order) Beran bounds are the first of their type. Finally, exact estimates are also obtained for nonlinear composites with ‘sequentially layered’ microstructures. These special composites, which have proved to be extremely useful in assessing the optimality of bounds for linear systems, are also useful, although to a lesser extent, in assessing the sharpness of the nonlinear bounds.
Generation of transgenic porcine chimeras using primordial germ cell-derived colonies

In mice, two pluripotent cell lines, embryonic stem (ES) cells and embryonic germ (EG) cells, have been identified. We present here results indicating that porcine EG cell lines can be isolated, genetically transformed, and utilized to make transgenic chimeras. Briefly, primordial germ cells (PGCs) were isolated from Day 25-27 fetuses and plated on STO feeder cells in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium:Ham's F-10 medium supplemented with 0.01 mM nonessential amino acids, 2 mM glutamine, 15% fetal bovine serum, 0.1 mM 2-mercaptoethanol, 40 ng/ml human stem cell factor, 20 ng/ml human basic fibroblast growth factor, and 20 ng/ml human leukemia inhibitory factor. For genetic transformation, cells were electroporated with a construct containing the green fluorescent protein under control of the cytomegalovirus promoter. After electroporation, cells were plated and later examined under fluorescein isothiocyanate excitation. Fluorescent colonies were selected for chimera generation. Blastocysts collected from gilts on Day 5 were injected with 10-15 transgenic PGC-derived cells and transferred into recipient gilts. Gilts were hysterectomized on Day 25, and fetal tissues were analyzed by Southern blotting. Three chimeras out of 20 fetuses analyzed were transgenic. Additionally, when one recipient gilt was allowed to go to term, one piglet with transgenic contribution was identified.
Reinforcement and environmental degradation of nylon-6/clay nanocomposites

Hybrid organic/inorganic nanocomposites are being developed to improve the physical and mechanical properties of polymeric materials without adversely effecting their processing characteristics. One such nanocomposite developed by Toyota and commercialized by Ube Industries is the nylon-6/montmorillonite clay nanocomposite. The mechanism of reinforcement in nylon-6/clay nanocomposite materials is investigated through tensile experiments, infrared absorption spectrography, and dynamic mechanical analysis. 200% improvements in modulus and 175% improvements in yield stress are attributed to the complexation of mid-chain carbonyl groups with the exfoliated clay lamellae. Because of the initial use of these materials in automotive components, and the known deleterious effects of the air pollutant NOx on nylon-6, the degradation of the nanocomposites in NOx was examined through post-exposure tensile experiments. It was found that NOx degrades the mechanical performance of the nanocomposites regardless of the constraining effect of clay lamellae.
Temperature-dependent carrier distributions and level degeneracy in self-assembled quantum dots

Femtosecond spectroscopy is used to study the transparency conditions in In/sub 0.4/Ga/sub 0.6/As self-organized quantum dots. The spatial degeneracy of excited state is experimentally observed and a multilevel model is shown to be consistent with the temperature-dependent behavior.
The Role of STAT-3 in the Induction of Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells by Benzyl Isothiocyanate

Methods Human pancreatic cancer cells (BxPC-3, AsPC-1, Capan-2, MiaPaCa-2, and Panc-1) and immortalized human pancreatic cells (HPDE-6) were treated with vehicle or with BITC at 5 – 40 µ M, cell survival was evaluated by sulforhodamine B assay, and apoptosis by caspase-3 and poly-ADP ribose polymerase cleavage or by a commercial assay for cell death. Total and activated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) protein expression in the cells were examined by western blotting, STAT-3 mRNA levels by reverse transcription – polymerase chain reaction, and STAT-3 DNA-binding and transcriptional activity by commercially available binding and reporter assays. The effects of BITC treatment on tumor growth, apoptosis, and STAT-3 protein expression in vivo were studied in xenografts of BxPC-3 pancreatic tumor cells in athymic nude mice. All statistical tests were two-sided. Results BITC treatment reduced cell survival and induced apoptosis in BxPC-3, AsPC-1, Capan-2, and MiaPaCa-2 cells, and to a much lesser extent in Panc-1 cells, but not in HPDE-6 cells. It also reduced levels of activated and total STAT-3 protein, and as a result, STAT-3 DNA-binding and transcriptional activities. Overexpression of STAT-3 in BxPC-3 cells inhibited BITC-induced apoptosis and restored STAT-3 activity. In mice that were fed BITC (60 µ mol/wk, five mice, 10 tumors per group), growth of BxPC-3 pancreatic tumor xenografts was suppressed compared with control mice (at 6 weeks, mean tumor volume of control vs BITC-treated mice = 334 vs 172 mm 3
Respiratory Symptoms and Pulmonary Function in an Elderly Nonsmoking Population

Objective: To examine risk factors for chronic airway disease (CAD) in elderly nonsmokers, as determined by pulmonary function tests (PFTs), and to correlate reported respiratory symptoms with PFT measures. Design: An observational survey. Setting: Several communities in California. Measurements: Exposures and respiratory history were assessed by standardized questionnaire. PFTs were performed and prediction equations derived. Results: Significant risk factors for obstruction on PFTs in multiple logistic regression included reported environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (relative risk [RR] 5 1.44), parental CAD or hay fever (RR 5 1.47), history of childhood respiratory illness (RR 5 2.15), increasing age, and male sex. The number of years of past smoking was of borderline significance (RR 5 1.29 for 10 years of smoking; p 5 0.06). The prevalence of obstruction on PFTs was 24.9% in those with definite symptomatic CAD, compared with 7.5% in those with no symptoms of CAD. The prevalence of obstruction was 36.0% among those with asthma and 70.6% among those with emphysema. Also, symptomatic CAD correlated with reduction in lung function by analysis of covariance. The mean percent predicted FEV1 adjusted for covariates was 90.6% in persons with definite symptoms of CAD, compared with 97.8% in those without it (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Age, sex, parental history, childhood respiratory illness, and reported ETS exposures were significant risk factors for obstruction on PFTs. Self-reported respiratory symptoms also correlated significantly with PFTs. (CHEST 1999; 115:49 ‐59)
The Biopsychology of Sexual Orientation

6. A.E. Kazdin, Treatment of Antisocial Behav ior in Children and Adolescents (Dorsey, Home wood, IL, 1985). 7. C. Baum and R. Forehand, Long term follow up assessment of parent training by use of multiple outcome measures, Behavior Therapy, 12, 643-652 (1981). 8. P. Long, R. Forehand, M. Wierson, and A. Morgan, Moving into adulthood: Does parent train ing with young noncompliant children have long term effects? Behaviour Research and Therapy (in press). 9. M.T. Greenberg and M.L. Speltz, Attach ment and the ontogeny of conduct problems, in Clinical Implications of Attachment, J. Belsky and T. Nezworski, Eds. (Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ, 1988). 10. R. Forehand and M. Wierson, The role of developmental factors in planning behavioral inter ventions for children: Disruptive behavior as an ex ample, Behavior Therapy (in press).
Curcumin-encapsulated nanoparticles as innovative antimicrobial and wound healing agent

Burn wounds are often complicated by bacterial infection, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Agents commonly used to treat burn wound infection are limited by toxicity, incomplete microbial coverage, inadequate penetration, and rising resistance. Curcumin is a naturally derived substance with innate antimicrobial and wound healing properties. Acting by multiple mechanisms, curcumin is less likely than current antibiotics to select for resistant bacteria. Curcumin's poor aqueous solubility and rapid degradation profile hinder usage; nanoparticle encapsulation overcomes this pitfall and enables extended topical delivery of curcumin. In this study, we synthesized and characterized curcumin nanoparticles (curc-np), which inhibited in vitro growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in dose-dependent fashion, and inhibited MRSA growth and enhanced wound healing in an in vivo murine wound model. Curc-np may represent a novel topical antimicrobial and wound healing adjuvant for infected burn wounds and other cutaneous injuries.
Failure mechanisms in CMOS-based RF switches subjected to RF stress

We investigate the reliability of RF switches for high-power, high dynamic range RF applications. Switches in two different CMOS technology platforms (180 nm and 130 nm) were observed to fail catastrophically beyond 33 dBm RF input power. The switches were single-pole double-throw with series-shunt topology. The reliability of a standalone switching series transistor from a single-pole double-throw switch was analyzed to investigate the failure mechanisms involved. Gate dielectric breakdown at high RF input power is demonstrated to lead to the failure of RF switches. Finally, the effect of transistor failure on switch operation is discussed.
The natural history of human papillomavirus infections of the mucosal epithelia

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs), members of a very large family of small DNA viruses, cause both benign papillomas and malignant tumors. While most research on these viruses over the past 30 years has focused on their oncogenic properties in the genital tract, they also play an important role in diseases of the upper aerodigestive tract. Rapidly accelerating advances in knowledge have increased our understanding of the biology of these viruses and this knowledge, in turn, is being applied to new approaches to prevent, diagnose, and treat HPV-induced diseases. In this introductory article, we provide an overview of the structure and life cycle of the mucosal HPVs and their interactions with their target tissues and cells. Finally, we provide our thoughts about treatments for HPV-induced diseases, present and future.
Nonlinear water waves in channels of arbitrary shape

The generalized channel Boussinesq (gcB) two-equation model and the forced channel Korteweg-de Vries (cKdV) one-equation model previously derived by the authors are further analysed and discussed in the present study. The gcB model describes the propagation and generation of weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersiveand weakly forced long water waves in channelsof arbitrary shape that may vary both in space and time, and the cKdV model is applicable to unidirectional motions of such waves, which may be sustained under forcing at resonance of the system. These two models are long wave approximations of a hierarchy set of section-mean conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy, which are exact for inviscid fluids. Results of these models are demonstrated with four specific channel shapes, namely variable rectangular, triangular, parabolic and semicircular sections, in which case solutions are obtained in closed form. In particular, for uniform channels of equal mean water depth, different cross-sectional shapes have a leading-order effect only on the variations of a K-factor of the coefficient of the term bearing the dispersive effects in the model equations. For this case, the uniform-channel analogy theorem enunciated here shows that long waves of equal (mean) height in different uniform channels of equal mean depth but distinct K-shape factors will propagate with equal veolcity and with their effective wavelengths appearing K times of that in the rectangular channel, for which K=1. It also shows that the further channel shape departs from the rectangular, the greater the value of K. Based on this observation, the solitary and cnoidal waves in a K-shaped channel are compared with experiments on wave profiles and wave velocities. Finally, some three-dimensional features of these solitary waves are presented for a triangular channel.
Perceptual Assessment of Spatial Neglect Within a Virtual Environment

Spatial neglect is commonly assessed using batteries of "paper-and-pencil" tests (e.g., line bisection). However, these tests have several drawbacks due to their fixed and repetitive nature. Although neglect has been most commonly assessed and studied in the horizontal spatial dimension, recent studies have shown neglect along the radial and vertical axes of space as well. We have developed and tested a virtual reality based assessment tool for visual spatial neglect in multiple spatial dimensions. The performance of two stroke patients with neglect, during a target detection task, was compared to that of six healthy control subjects and a stroke patient without neglect. Our initial results indicated a significant difference between the neglect patients and the control subjects in all three dimensions, for both the reaction time and detection accuracy. Moreover, the neglect patients exhibited an obvious left as well as near neglect, mostly in pripersonal space. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using virtual reality based assessment tool for characterizing multidimensional visual neglect.
Actuarial Survival of Transvenous Pacing Leads in a Pediatric Population

This study was undertaken to examine the actuarial survival of endocardial pacing leads in a pediatric population. We prospectively followed 148 children and young adults age 4 months to 38 years. Of these, 58 had normal cardiac anatomy and 90 had surgically corrected congenital heart disease. A total of 213 leads were inserted in these patients. Actuarial analysis showed that at 5 years 76.0% of the pacemaker leads were still in use. The reasons for abandonment included death (10), exit block (8), lead fracture (8), adapter malfunction (7), and other including infection, lead migration, and pacemaker malfunction (12). Excluding deaths, an actuarial survival curve was constructed. Stepwise discriminant analysis and independent measures of association showed a significant difference in lead abandonment when the leads placed in the atrium were compared to those placed in the ventricle (30 vs 5; P < 0.0005). Lead insulating material, cardiac anatomy, and/or indication for pacemaker placement had no statistically significant impact on lead survival.
Does a Repeated Benign Aspirate Change the Risk of Malignancy After an Initial Atypical Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration?

Repeated fine-needle aspiration of the thyroid is sometimes recommended after an atypical diagnosis. However, histologic follow-up for patients with a benign second aspirate is limited. I reviewed the results of all thyroid aspirations with repeated aspirations and surgical resection for the last 13 years at Baptist Hospital, Miami, FL, and Homestead Hospital, Homestead, FL, and combined these with the results of intraoperative cytology and the literature. During the period, a total of 7,089 cases were aspirated and 1,331 resections were performed. There were 6 (1.7%) of 361 false-negative cases. Relevant intraoperative cytology was available for 24 cases. The order of the diagnoses (benign then atypical, atypical then benign) did not significantly affect the risk of malignancy (15% and 9%; P = .30). Patients with an atypical and benign diagnosis had a risk of malignancy (15%) higher than a single negative aspirate (3%; P < .001) and lower than that of patients with a single atypical diagnosis (27%; P < .001). Repeated aspirates are not independent events. Patients with a benign diagnosis after an atypical diagnosis have a risk of malignancy between the risks of a single benign or atypical diagnosis. Cytologists should strive to better communicate this risk.
Competition between intermolecular and intramolecular association in polyatomic molecules: Theory and simulation

A brief review of the basis for equations of state for complex fluids is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on extensions of a theory due to Wertheim. These extensions are the basis for the successful SAFT equation of state. We combine these extensions with a new theory for intramolecular hydrogen bonding to study the effect of the competition between intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonding on the thermodynamic properties of polyatomics. Comparisons with molecular simulation results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the theory. By considering the limit of complete intramolecular association, an accurate equation of state of cyclic molecules is obtained.