cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogeny of the retina and optic nerve of Xenopus laevis: IV. Ultrastructural evidence of early ganglion cell differentiation☆

Ultrastructural evidence indicates that Xenopus retinal ganglion cell axons differentiate early, between stages 28 and 32. Light microscope studies indicated the presence of argryophilic material in the ventral retina and optic stalk of early embryos. Ultrastructural analysis of this region confirmed the presence of axons in the stalk and interstices of ventral retinal cells. Axons containing aligned microtubules and neurofilaments and elongated mitochondria with a paucity of other cell inclusions are found with increasing frequency in the ventral retina from stages 28 through 3334. Central and dorsal regions of the retinas examined show little or no evidence of axons. A discrete, small bundle of axons is found in the optic stalk of stage 28 embryos and by stage 3031 the number of axons in bundles has increased, suggesting early fasciculation. Between stages 28 and 3334 (± 12 hr) extracellular space surrounding early axons diminishes and processes from neuroretinal cells in contact with axons surround developing axon bundles. The evidence presented suggests that axon initiation occurs in stages much earlier than previously reported. Other investigators have failed to detect ganglion cell differentiation prior to stage 32 possibly because they examined regions of the retina with few axons. Thus, experiments which rotate the retina in the orbit may have to be reevaluated since regenerating axons may use previously established pathways to organize and “home in” on tectal target cells.
Carbon Disclosure Project Report 2008 S&P 500

"This year’s Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) U.S. report comes at a pivotal point in the race to address global climate change. While public policy, consumer concern, and stakeholder awareness have converged on the issue, the need for corporate America to actively confront the challenges a carbon-constrained global economy presents has never been more urgent."
Der vollcomputerisierte Campus: Erste Erfahrungen

Im September 1982 beschloss der Aufsichtsrat des Potsdamer Clarkson College of Technology (jetzt: Clarkson University), jeden Studienanfanger mit einem Mikrocomputer auszurusten; dieser Plan sollte im Herbst-Semester 1983 in die Tat umgesetzt werden. Alle Vorlesungen fur Anfanger sollten soweit wie moglich diese Mikrocomputer benutzen.
Crossing the Punitive-Compensatory Divide

C ROSSING THE P UNITIVE -C OMPENSATORY D IVIDE Sharkey Draft * Do not Quote or Cite w/o Permission* C ROSSING THE P UNITIVE -C OMPENSATORY D IVIDE Catherine M. Sharkey * T ABLE OF C ONTENTS I NTRODUCTION 3 I. B LURRING C ATEGORIES OF D AMAGES 8 Explicit Category Shifting 8 1. Jurors 8 a. “Equifinality”: The Pursuit of Multiple Goals 8 b. Mock Juror Experiments 10 2. Attorneys 12 B. Implicit Category Dismantling 14 1. Legislatures 14 a. Compensatory Purpose of Punitive Damages 14 b. Insurability of Punitive Damages 15 2. Courts 17 a. Compensatory Punitive Damages 17 b. Punitive Compensatory Damages 18 A. II. A N E MPIRICAL T EST OF C ROSSOVER : “P UNITIVE ” C OMPENSATORY D AMAGES ........20 A. Data 21 1. Civil Justice Survey Data 21 2. Sample: Size & Description 22 B. Methodology 22 1. Model Specification 23 2. Dependent Variables 23 3. Independent Variables 24 a. Litigation variables 24 b. State law variables 24 i. Punitive Damages Caps 24 ii. Insurability of Punitive Damages 24 c. County demographic variables 24 i. Median Income 25 ii. Poverty 25 C. Limitations 26 D. Results 28 1. Jury Trial Verdicts 28 a. Combined Data 28 b. Auto versus Non-Auto Cases 30 2. Bench Trial Verdicts 31 E. Interpretations & Implications 31 Associate Professor of Law, Columbia Law School. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Columbia Law School Faculty Lunch Series, where I received helpful comments. I have also benefited from discussions with, and comments from, Ian Ayres, Guido Calabresi, Jonathan Cedarbaum, Ariela Dubler, Noah Feldman, Sam Issacharoff, Ed Morrison, Richard Primus, John Witt, and Kenji Yoshino.
Plasma expander and blood storage effects on capillary perfusion in transfusion after hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Treating hemorrhage with blood transfusions in subjects previously hemodiluted with different colloidal plasma expanders, using fresh autologous blood or blood that has been stored for 2 weeks, allows identifying the interaction between type of plasma expander and differences in blood storage. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Studies used the hamster window chamber model. Fresh autologous plasma, 130-kDa starch-based plasma expander (hydroxyethyl starch [HES]), or 4% polyethylene glycol–conjugated albumin (PEG-Alb) was used for 20% of blood volume (BV) hemodilution. Hemodilution was followed by a 55% by BV 40-minute hemorrhagic shock period, treated with transfusion of fresh or blood that was stored for 2 weeks. Outcome was evaluated 1 hour after blood transfusion in terms of microvascular and systemic variables. RESULTS: Results were principally dependent on the type of colloidal solution used during hemodilution, 4% PEG-Alb yielding the best microvascular recovery evaluated in terms of the functional capillary density. This result was consistent whether fresh blood or stored blood was used in treating the subsequent shock period. Fresh blood results were significantly better in systemic and microvascular terms relative to stored blood. HES and fresh plasma hemodilution yielded less favorable results, a difference that was enhanced when fresh versus stored blood was compared in their efficacy of correcting the subsequent hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: The type of plasma expander used for hemodilution influences the short-term outcome of subsequent volume resuscitation using blood transfusion, 4% PEG-Alb providing the most favorable outcome by comparison to HES or fresh plasma.
Gift Horses, Choosy Beggars, and Other Reflections on the Role and Utility of Social Enterprise Law

The U.S. law of social enterprise is growing rapidly. Since 2008, one-half of all U.S. states have modified their business law to establish special legal forms designed for social enterprise. Meanwhile, even with twenty-five states adopting special laws for social enterprise, the legal debate surrounding social enterprise continues. Rather than rehashing that debate, this essay sets forth the author’s personal perspective on the role and utility of social enterprise. The essay argues that, except in limited circumstances, social enterprise is superior to traditional philanthropy when it comes to solving longstanding humanitarian or environmental problems. U.S. business law thus should continue to evolve to facilitate social enterprise.
In-Situ Mineralization of Actinides for Groundwater Cleanup: Laboratory Demonstration with Soil from the Fernald Environmental Management Project

An attractive approach to decreasing the probability of actinide migration in the subsurface is to transform the ions into less mobile forms by remote treatment. The process described herein relies on a polyfunctional organophosphorus complexant to sequester the mobile metal ions by complexation/cation exchange in the near term. The cation exchanger is designed to subsequently decompose, transforming the actinides into insoluble phosphate mineral forms as the medium of stable long-term isolation. This material can be generated in situ in the subsurface thus eliminating the need for excavation to immobilize the actinide ions. Previous investigations have identified a suitable organophosphorus reagent and profiled its decomposition kinetics, verified the formation of phosphate mineral phases upon decomposition of the reagent, determined solubility limits for appropriate metal phosphates under groundwater conditions, and examined the cation exchange behavior of the calcium salt of the organophosphorus reagent. In this report, the focus is on a laboratory-scale demonstration of the concept using a soil sample from the Fernald Environmental Management Plant.
Lecture Capture Technology and Student Performance in an Operations Management Course

Lecture capture technologies (LCT) such as Echo360, Mediasite, and Tegrity have become very popular in recent years. Many studies have shown that students favor the use of such technology, but relatively little research has studied the impact of LCT on learning. This article examines two research questions: (1) whether the use of LCT actually enhances learning outcomes, and (2) how instructors can increase students’ use of lecture capture materials. We address these questions using data from an undergraduate Operations Management course at a mid-size, public university. Results indicate that access of lecture capture videos is associated with higher exam scores, even after controlling for previous exam performance. In addition, efforts to promote the use of lecture capture materials increase their use. We offer several suggestions to instructors who wish to increase their students’ use of lecture capture materials, which are equally applicable across all disciplines.
Remodeling the Pentagon After the Events of 2/23/06

The meta-stable SUSY breaking mechanism of Intriligator Seiberg and Shih can be used to simplify the Pentagon model of TeV scale physics. The simplified model has only a single scalar field and no troublesome low energy axion. One significant signature is $l^+ l^- X$ plus missing energy, where $X$ might be the two photons of gauge mediated models, but is likely to be different. There is a new strongly interacting sector with a scale around 1.5 TeV. The penta-hadrons of this sector have masses of order 6 TeV or more. Dark matter is probably the pseudo-goldstone boson of spontaneously broken penta-baryon number. This can be a viable dark matter candidate if an appropriate asymmetry in penta-baryon number is generated in the early universe. The pseudo-Goldstone particle has a mass of $\sim 1$ eV and is produced predominantly in flavor changing charged current decays of ordinary particles. The model solves the flavor problems of SUSY, but has two low energy CP violating phases, whose value is strongly constrained by experiment.
Pobreza y desigualdad: un desafío que perdura

El presente trabajo fue preparado para las sesiones plenarias del Inter-American Dialogue of the Sol Linowitz Forum, (Wye Conference Center, Maryland, Estados Unidos, 1 a 3 de mayo de 1998). Asimismo, corresponde a la Parte 1 de la publicacion The Inter-American Development Bank and Poverty Reduction: An Overview, por Nora Lustig y Ruthanne Deutsch, Unidad de Pobreza y Desigualdad, Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, marzo de 1998. La autora desea expresar su reconocimiento a Ruthanne Deutsch y Peter Hakim por sus valiosas observaciones y sugerencias. Tambien agradece encarecidamente la excelente ayuda que le presto en la investigacion Cesar Bouillon
String instability analysis of heterogeneous coupled oscillator systems

In this paper we consider the disturbance response for a heterogeneous string of harmonic oscillators. We assume the individual controllers can communicate with a limited range of neighbors and be tuned independently. Motivated by the speed-dependent spacing policy in vehicle platooning, we develop an extension of the concept of time headway for oscillator systems. Using fundamental limitations theory, we derive a lower bound on the peak magnitude response of the transfer function that describes how a disturbance applied to the lead oscillator propagates along the string to produce a response in the last oscillator. We then give sufficient conditions for string instability in terms of the separation policy, communication ranges, certain time domain performance specifications, and bandwidth limitations.
Major depression duration reduces appetitive word use: An elaborated verbal recall of emotional photographs

Introduction Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by cognitive biases in attention, memory and language use. Language use biases often parallel depression symptoms, and contain over-representations of both negative emotive and death words as well as low levels of positive emotive words. This study further explores cognitive biases in depression by comparing the effect of current depression status to cumulative depression history on an elaborated verbal recall of emotional photographs.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase in cultured human cells. I. Growtha and metabolic studies.

Methylenetetrahy drofolate Reductase in Cultured Human Cells. I. Growth and Metabolic Studies
Double adult renal allografts

D espite renewed efforts l’ocused on education of the public on the great disparity between the number of organ donors relative to the number of patients awaiting organ transplantation in the United States, the gap continues to increase. Currently, there are over 50,000 patient registrations on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list. Thirty-four thousand seven hundred sixty-six patients are awaiting kidney transplantation. It is estimated that 10 patients die each day awaiting transplantation. In 1996, there were 5,411 cadaveric organ donors. Although the waiting list size has increased approximately 20% per year, the cadaveric organ donor pool has only increased 4% per year. Median waiting times have nearly doubled for all organs in the last 6 years. From 1988 to 1995, cadaveric donors in the 18-34 age group decreased from 41% to 29%. During the same time period, the percentage of older donors (50 years) doubled from 12% to 24% and likely will continue to increase in prevalence as the population ages. Innovative strategies to compensate for this major constraint to kidney transplantation provided the impetus to conduct a protocol for the use of kidneys from older donors with suboptimal nephron mass, kidneys that otherwise might not have been used for transplantation. The protocol was initiated in 1994 and entailed the simultaneous transplantation of both kidneys from a single donor into a recipient. The background for this novel approach was based on several elegant
High-performance probes for light and electron microscopy

We describe an engineered family of highly antigenic molecules based on GFP-like fluorescent proteins. These molecules contain numerous copies of peptide epitopes and simultaneously bind IgG antibodies at each location. These 'spaghetti monster' fluorescent proteins (smFPs) distributed well in neurons, notably into small dendrites, spines and axons. smFP immunolabeling localized weakly expressed proteins not well resolved with traditional epitope tags. By varying epitope and scaffold, we generated a diverse family of mutually orthogonal antigens. In cultured neurons and mouse and fly brains, smFP probes allowed robust, orthogonal multicolor visualization of proteins, cell populations and neuropil. smFP variants complement existing tracers and greatly increase the number of simultaneous imaging channels, and they performed well in advanced preparations such as array tomography, super-resolution fluorescence imaging and electron microscopy. In living cells, the probes improved single-molecule image tracking and increased yield for RNA-seq. These probes facilitate new experiments in connectomics, transcriptomics and protein localization.
Developing a Dynamic Pharmacophore Model for HIV-1 Integrase

We present the first receptor-based pharmacophore model for HIV-1 integrase. The development of "dynamic" pharmacophore models is a new method that accounts for the inherent flexibility of the active site and aims to reduce the entropic penalties associated with binding a ligand. Furthermore, this new drug discovery method overcomes the limitation of an incomplete crystal structure of the target protein. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation describes the flexibility of the uncomplexed protein. Many conformational models of the protein are saved from the MD simulations and used in a series of multi-unit search for interacting conformers (MUSIC) simulations. MUSIC is a multiple-copy minimization method, available in the BOSS program; it is used to determine binding regions for probe molecules containing functional groups that complement the active site. All protein conformations from the MD are overlaid, and conserved binding regions for the probe molecules are identified. Those conserved binding regions define the dynamic pharmacophore model. Here, the dynamic model is compared to known inhibitors of the integrase as well as a three-point, ligand-based pharmacophore model from the literature. Also, a "static" pharmacophore model was determined in the standard fashion, using a single crystal structure. Inhibitors thought to bind in the active site of HIV-1 integrase fit the dynamic model but not the static model. Finally, we have identified a set of compounds from the Available Chemicals Directory that fit the dynamic pharmacophore model, and experimental testing of the compounds has confirmed several new inhibitors.
Serum oestradiol and β-HCG measurements after day 3 or 5 embryo transfers in interpreting pregnancy outcome

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess the clinical value of serum oestradiol concentration 8 days after embryo transfer (D8E2) and β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG-β) concentration 12 days after embryo transfer (D12HCG-β) in the prediction of pregnancy and the outcome of pregnancy following assisted reproduction, taking into account the day of transfer, which was either day 3 (D3) or day 5 (D5). The objective was to improve patient counselling by giving quantitative and reliable predictive information instead of non-specific uncertainties. A total of 2035 embryo transfer cycles performed between January 2003 and June 2005 were analysed retrospectively. Biochemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy and first-trimester abortions were classified as non-viable pregnancies; pregnancies beyond 12 weeks gestation were classified as ongoing pregnancies (OP). Significantly higher D8E2 and D12HCG-β were obtained in D5 transfers compared with D3 transfers with regard to pregnancy and OP ( P ≤ 0.001). For D3 embryo transfers, the cut-off value of D8E2 in predicting OP was 130 pg/ml (sensitivity 80%, specificity 72%), compared with 98 mIU/ml (sensitivity 89%, specificity 69%) for D12HCG-β. For D5 embryo transfers, the values were 179 pg/ml (sensitivity 79%, specificity 84%) and 257 mIU/ml (sensitivity 78%, specificity 81%) respectively. It appears that serum post-embryo transfer D8E2 and D12HCG-β concentrations provided clear information regarding pregnancy and the outcome of pregnancy following IVF–embryo transfer.
Sulfhydryl oxidation in rat nasal mucosal tissues after chlorine inhalation

Abstract Male F-344 rats were exposed to target concentrations of 2.5, 5, or 10 ppm Cl2 for various amounts of time, after which respiratory and olfactory nasal mucosal tissues were analyzed for changes in total sulfhydryl (TSH) content. No changes in olfactory mucosa TSH content were observed at the maximum Cl2 exposure. Decreases in content of respiratory mucosa TSH were seen after 6 hr exposures to 5 ppm and 10 ppm, but not 2.5 ppm. The concentration of TSH returned to control values 19 hr after termination of exposure. Analysis of TSH changes in concentration × time (CT) studies suggested that decreases in TSH were dependent on the airborne concentration of Cl2 and not on ‘dose’ (the CT product). The results suggest that inhaled Cl2 can oxidize tissue sulfhydryl groups at the point of entry, but not at deeper regions of the respiratory tract.
Chronic Diarrhea: An Uncommon Side Effect of Celiac Plexus Block

Celiac plexus (CP) block is commonly performed for the diagnosis and/or treatment of abdominal visceral pain arising from malignant or benign origins (1-3). Neurolytic CP block produces long-lasting pain relief in 70%-90% of cancer patients (4) but commonly produces unwanted side effects of local pain (96%), diarrhea (44%), and hypotension (38%). Block-induced diarrhea occurs early and usually is transient (5-7) ; persistent diarrhea is rarely reported (8,9). We describe a case of chronic, profuse, watery diarrhea after neurolytic CP block with alcohol that was refractory to both conventional and newer antidiarrheal treatments in a patient with chronic posttraumatic pancreatitis.
A multifold coincidence-veto circuit using transistors

A versatile coincidence-anticoincidence circuit in the 50 nsec time range is described capable of being used with large number of counters. Basic considerations with detailed circuits, operation and performance are given.
Double-resonance lineshapes in a cell with wall coating and buffer gas

Microwave double resonances were measured in a wall-coated Rb vapor cell as a function of additional buffer-gas pressure. These data were compared with similar measurements in an uncoated cell. It was found that the linewidth in the coated spherical cell of diameter 1.6 cm displays a distinct maximum around 0.2 kPa. This agrees well with theoretical solutions of the diffusion equation, assuming a complex reflection coefficient at the wall. It was also found that at intermediate pressures the lineshapes of the microwave resonances become asymmetric with a low-frequency tail. This agrees with the explanation that where the alkali mean free path is substantially smaller than the average distance between wall collisions at zero pressure, there exist two classes of atoms in the cell. The atoms that get trapped near the walls accumulate much larger phase shifts than those toward the center of the cell. This effect is not seen in the longitudinal relaxation rate, indicating that it is related to a phase-shift effect.
An NF-κB gene expression signature contributes to Kaposi's sarcoma virus vGPCR-induced direct and paracrine neoplasia

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is the most frequent AIDS-associated malignancy, etiologically linked to the infection with the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8/KSHV). This member of the γ-herpesviridae family encodes 81 open reading frames, several bearing oncogenic potential. A constitutively active virally encoded G protein–coupled receptor (vGPCR) readily induces KS-like lesions when expressed in endothelial cells in vivo, and unmasks the oncogenic potential of other HHV-8 genes in a paracrine fashion. How vGPCR causes endothelial cell transformation is still not fully understood. Using full-genome microarray analysis we show here that the expression of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-regulated genes is a prominent feature triggered by vGPCR in cells expressing this viral oncogene and in cells exposed to vGPCR-induced secretions, thus mimicking its paracrine effect. Indeed, vGPCR activates the NF-κB pathway potently, and NF-κB activation is a hallmark of both human and experimental KS. Of interest, whereas constitutive NF-κB signaling is not sufficient to promote endothelial cells transformation, NF-κB function is strictly required for vGPCR-induced direct and paracrine neoplasia. Taken together, these results strongly support the role of NF-κB regulated genes in KS pathogenesis, thus providing the rationale for the development of novel mechanism-based therapies for this angioproliferative disease.
Non-treatment-related sudden gains in depression: The role of self-evaluation

A number of studies have demonstrated that recovery from depression is often marked by precipitous improvements during the course of treatment. The present research examined sudden gains occurring outside of the context of treatment in a sample of college students with current major depressive disorder (n=60), and tested whether variables pertaining to cognitive style, hope, self-evaluation, and life events would be associated with these gains. Results indicated that 60% of the sample experienced sudden gains, with over half of those sudden gains reversing before the end of the 9-week observation period. Sudden gainers were significantly less depressed at the end of the observation period but were no more likely to have achieved remission compared to non-sudden gainers. Although changes in cognitive style did not precede sudden gains, individuals with sudden gains had significantly higher self-esteem at baseline compared to non-sudden gainers. Furthermore, decreases in the frequency of social comparison occurred in the week prior to sudden gains. These results suggest that sudden gains do occur outside of the context of treatment and that self-evaluation processes may play an important role in recovery from depression.
Can Genetic Testing Improve Our Aim in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

See related article, pages 1549–1552 Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a common inherited disorder with an estimated prevalence of ≥1 in 500 worldwide. The disease is inherited in families in an autosomal dominant fashion and is usually caused by mutations in genes encoding contractile proteins such as cardiac β-myosin heavy chain ( MYH7 ), cardiac troponin T ( TNNT2 ), cardiac myosin binding protein-C ( MYBPC3 ), cardiac troponin I, α-myosin heavy chain, cardiac α-actin, α-tropomyosin, titin, myosin regulatory light chain, and myosin essential light chain. Several HCM disease genes remain to be identified. The most obvious clinical manifestation of HCM is left ventricular hypertrophy. Although such hypertrophy is classically asymmetrical with prominent involvement of the interventricular septum, both concentric and apical hypertrophy can also occur. In fact, affected individuals may not exhibit any hypertrophy. Other clinical features are similarly variable in their expression and include sudden cardiac death, heart failure, arrhythmias, stroke, heart block, and infective endocarditis. Some patients remain asymptomatic throughout their lifetime. Many HCM patients have no or only minor symptoms, and asymptomatic affected children and adolescents are often diagnosed during family screening after another family member comes to medical attention.1 The average annual risk of sudden cardiac death in a HCM patient is 1%,2 and in high risk patients, prophylactic defibrillator implantation can be lifesaving. Given marked variation in penetrance and expressivity, early diagnosis and reliable prognostic tools are crucial for primary prevention and proper followup of affected individuals and their family members. Current guidelines recommend that all first-degree relatives of an individual affected by HCM should be clinically evaluated by history, physical examination, electrocardiography, and echocardiography. With increased understanding of the molecular genetic causes of HCM and advances in modern laboratory technology, clinical genetic testing for HCM has become increasingly feasible.3 The GeneTests database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/GeneTests) currently lists 5 …
Kidney Growth During Catabolic Illness: What It Does Not Destroy Makes It Grow Stronger

The kidney undergoes hypertrophy under conditions that paradoxically cause a loss of lean body mass, such as diabetes, acidosis, and chronic kidney disease. What unique mechanisms account for kidney growth during negative nitrogen balance? One adaptation is that renal tubular cells substantially decrease protein breakdown during kidney cell growth. In this review, we discuss how acidosis and diabetes reduce protein breakdown within the kidney and the intracellular signaling pathways that may regulate protein metabolism. Our results suggest that in cell culture models and in acute diabetes, kidney cells specifically reduce protein breakdown by the lysosomal pathway of chaperone-mediated autophagy. This differs from the activation of proteolysis by the ubiquitin-proteasome system in muscle in acute diabetes and uremia. A shared signaling pathway regulates protein breakdown in both kidney and skeletal muscle, namely, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase signaling. Diabetes mellitus activates signaling through this pathway in the kidney while down-regulating it in skeletal muscle. We conclude that similar signaling pathways may regulate distinct proteolytic pathways in different tissues.
Auxin‐regulated gene expression in higher plants

The naturally occurring auxin, indole‐3‐acetic acid, is thought to regulate normal growth and developmental processes in higher plants, including cell extension, cell division, and cell differentiation. Applied auxins, including synthetic and natural auxins, can dramatically alter normal growth and developmental patterns, and applied auxins have been shown to modify expression of genes transcribed by all three classes of nuclear RNA polymerase (i.e., RNA polymerase I, II, and III). The regulation of specific genes by auxin may occur over long (e.g., several hours to days) or short (e.g., minutes) time spans after hormone application. The more interesting responses to applied auxins are the short‐term responses since these are more likely primary responses to the hormone. Several experimental approaches have been used to demonstrate that applied auxins rapidly alter gene expression, and these include in vivo labeling of polypeptides, in vitro translation of mRNAs, and cDNA cloning of auxin‐regulated mRNAs ...
Adhesion of coatings to sheet metal under plastic deformation

This study presents a new technique to evaluate adhesion of coatings to sheet metal under plastic deformation. Based on the concept of the forming limit diagram (FLD), the present work evaluates coating performance with the notch-coating adhesion test, the cross-hatch tape test (ASTM D3359), accelerated conditioning, the uniaxial tensile test, and the rectangular stretch bend test. Experiments were conducted on two types of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-coated sheet metals: one with polyester primer and other with polyurethane primer. The areas with coating failures were identified, and results of the evaluation were plotted according to major and minor strains depicting coating durability. The constructed durability limit diagram can be used in conjunction with the FLD to determine the feasibility of a complex forming operation. Optical microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to understand the nature and composition of debonded surfaces after conditioning and application of strain. Comparative results were presented in terms of number of damaged grids in each sample for different applied strains and different durations of conditioning. This procedure combines the key attributes of various experimental techniques and shows that the methodology is successful in characterizing the strength and weakness of two different types of coated materials.
A circuit to generate trigger signals synchronous with the time base of a digital recording device

Abstract A circuit is described by which the excitation of an experiment is synchronized to the sample clock of a digital recording device. The synchronization avoids the triggering ambiguity of these recorders. Consequently, the time origins of the recorded signals are predictable and the ultimate time resolution of the recorder is usable.
Dispatch from India

The puzzle was how the surgeons in India do it. Take a town like Nanded, 400 miles east of Mumbai (as Bombay is now called), in the center of India. The public hospital in Nanded serves a district of 1400 villages and 2.3 million people. It has 500 beds, three operating rooms and, I found when I visited, just nine general surgeons. (Think Washington, D.C., with just nine surgeons.) Its two main buildings are four stories high and made of cement and stucco. Surgeons arrive each morning to a crush of several hundred people pressing their way into the clinics. . . .
Toward maximizing immunotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer - rationale for combinatorial approaches using chemotherapy.

Prostate cancer is particularly suited for active immunotherapy because of the expression of a distinctive number of antigens which are overexpressed on prostate cancer cells and cell lines. There is evidence in this disease that tumors promote immune tolerance starting early in the disease course. As such, chemotherapy, by suppressing tumors and activating immune system homeostatic mechanisms, may help overcome this tumor-induced immune tolerance. Sipuleucel-T which has recently been approved in the US, is an autologous cellule product immunotherapy that induces immune activity likely through activation of dendritic cells. This was associated with a survival benefit in the absence of significant toxicity. However, a post hoc analysis of phase III trial participants found a substantial survival benefit to receiving docetaxel some months after sipuleucel-T. However, another phase III immunotherapy trial combining a prostate cancer therapeutic vaccine G-VAX plus docetaxel versus standard docetaxel therapy in advanced prostate cancer, observed a lower overall survival with the vaccine regimen. These trials highlight major unresolved questions concerning the optimum choice, dosing, and timing of chemotherapy relative to active immunotherapy and the overall merits of considering this approach. The ideal treatment approach remains unclear; advances in biomarker validation and trial design may likely improve our ability to assess biologic benefit irrespective of the development of true anti-tumor immunity.
Insect growth regulators: evaluation procedures and activity against mosquitoes.

In the laboratory, 10 insect growth regulators (IGR) were evaluated against 4th-instars and 4 IGR’s were evaluated against 1st-instal’s and pupae of Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus Say. The latter 4 IGR’s also were evaluated against 4th-instars of Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann. One IGR, TH-6040 [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3(2,6-difluoro-benzoyl)-urea], showed outstanding activity against all stages of the 2 species. The 4 most active and readily available IGR’s were evaluated against asynchronous populations of Culex tarsalis Coquillett in the field. RO-20-3600 (6,7-epoxy-3-methyl-7-ethyl-1-[3,4-(methylenedioxy)-phenoxy] cis/trans -octene) suppressed emergence of adults for ca. 3–5 days at the rates of 0.25 and 0.5 lb AI/acre. HE-24108 [3-Butyn-2-yl N-( p -chlorophenyl)carbamate] inhibited adult emergence only at the high rate of 0.5 lb/acre, 1 day posttreatment. R-20458 [1-(4′-ethylphenoxy)-6,7-epoxy-3,7-dimethyl-2-octene] yielded complete inhibition of adult emergence from isolates 1 day posttreatment but not 5 days. TH-6040 was the most effective compound evaluated, producing high to complete inhibition of adult emergence 5–15 days posttreatment. An EC and a WP formulation of this compound were equally effective.
Aqueous EuII-Containing Complex with Bright Yellow Luminescence

EuII-containing materials have unique luminescence, redox, and magnetic properties that have potential applications in optoelectronics, sensors, and imaging. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of EuII-containing aza-222 cryptate that displays yellow luminescence and a quantum yield of 26% in aqueous media. The crystal structure reveals a staggered hula-hoop geometry. Both solid-state and solution-phase data are presented that indicate that the high quantum yield is a result of the absence of OH oscillators in the inner sphere of the complex. We expect that EuII-containing aza-222 cryptate is a step toward EuII-containing luminescent materials that can be used in a variety of applications including biological imaging.
Observation of sharp-line lanthanide fluorescence in high temperature superconductors

Abstract Lanthanide fluorescence has been observed for the first time in the high temperature superconductors that have been recently discovered. Laser excited fluorescence and fluorescence excitation spectra of La1.85-xRExSr0.15CuO4 for RE=Pr and Eu and x=0.02, 0.18, 0.36 and 1.85 are presented. There is substantial inhomogeneous broadening caused by the Sr2+ in the materials containing a single rare earth and additional broadening caused by the ionic size mismatch in the materials with two rare earths. The samples have 3 crystallographic sites for the lanthanide ion. No fluorescence was observed for the higher temperature superconductors, Y1Ba2Cu3O9-δ, doped with 10 and 100% Eu3+.
A quantitative assay for linking microbial community function and structure of a naphthalene-degrading microbial consortium.

A comprehensive culture-independent assay, called Q-FAST, was developed for concurrent identification and quantification of active microorganisms involved a specific function in a given microbial community. The development of Q-FAST was achieved by integrating the concept of stable isotope probing technique into a new quantitative fingerprinting assay called real-time-t-RFLP for microbial community structure analysis. The Q-FAST was successfully validated by using a three-member artificial microbial community containing a known naphthalene-utilizing bacterium (Pseudomonas putida G7) and two nonnaphthalene-degrading bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus thuringiensis). The application of Q-FAST to identify and quantify a guild of naphthalene-utilizing microorganisms in soils revealed the involvement of eight members, with six members relating to several phylogenetic groups of eubacteria (three in β-proteobacteria, two in γ-proteobacteria, and one in genera Intrasporangium of Gram-positive bacteria) and t...
Snapshots of Dioxygen Activation by Copper: The Structure of a 1:1 Cu/O2 Adduct and Its Use in Syntheses of Asymmetric Bis(μ-oxo) Complexes

The X-ray structure of a 1:1 Cu/O2 adduct revealed side-on (η2) O2 coordination. Density functional calculations corroborated the structure, indicated a significant contribution of a Cu(III)−(O22-) resonance form, and provided insights into the key bonding interactions. Reaction of a 1:1 adduct supported by a slightly different β-diketiminate ligand with Cu(I) reagents resulted in the formation of novel asymmetric bis(μ-oxo) complexes that were identified by EPR, UV−vis, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as by an X-ray structure in one instance.
β2-microglobulin as a negative regulator of the immune system: High concentrations of the protein inhibit in vitro generation of functional dendritic cells

Two common features in human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and hematologic malignancies including multiple myeloma are elevated serum levels of β2-microglobulin (β2M) and activation or inhibition of the immune system. We hypothesized that β2M at high concentrations may have a negative impact on the immune system. In this study, we examined the effects of β2M on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs). The addition of β2M (more than 10 μg/mL) to the cultures reduced cell yield, inhibited the up-regulation of surface expression of human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen (HLA)–ABC, CD1a, and CD80, diminished their ability to activate T cells, and compromised generation of the type-1 T-cell response induced in allogeneic mixed-lymphocyte reaction. Compared with control MoDCs, β2M-treated cells produced more interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and IL-10. β2M-treated cells expressed significantly fewer surface CD83, HLA-ABC, costimulatory molecules, and adhesion molecules and were less potent at stimulating allospecific T cells after an additional 48-hour culture in the presence of tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1β. During cell culture, β2M down-regulated the expression of phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases, extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK), and mitogen-induced extracellular kinase (MEK), inhibited nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and activated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) in treated cells, all of which are involved in cell differentiation and proliferation. Thus, our study demonstrates that β2M at high concentrations retards the generation of MoDCs, which may involve down-regulation of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, inactivation of Raf/MEK/ERK cascade and NF-κB, and activation of STAT3, and it merits further study to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.
Materials for terahertz science and technology

Terahertz spectroscopy systems use far-infrared radiation to extract molecular spectral information in an otherwise inaccessible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Materials research is an essential component of modern terahertz systems: novel, higher-power terahertz sources rely heavily on new materials such as quantum cascade structures. At the same time, terahertz spectroscopy and imaging provide a powerful tool for the characterization of a broad range of materials, including semiconductors and biomolecules.
Insulinoma: Pitfalls in preoperative localization

In patients with biochemical evidence of insulinoma, many techniques have been advocated as the procedures of choice for diagnostic localization without a clear-cut consensus as to their utility. Despite the small size of insulinomas, 90% are solitary and nearly 100% are intrapancreatic. A commonly held belief is that once the diagnosis of autonomous hyperinsulinism is confirmed, it is necessary to secure as much information as possible about the precise location prior to surgery. Although frequently used, preoperative localization studies are expensive, potentially morbid, and worse yet, may be misleading. We present a case study in which the preoperative studies falsely localized the insulinoma to the pancreatic head. Since the introduction of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS), it is now unusual not to identify and excise the insulinoma in patients undergoing exploration for functioning β -islet cell lesions. Our experience, along with support from the literature, led us to recommend a simplified localization approach, namely IOUS combined with surgical palpation.
On the multiscale modeling of heart valve biomechanics in health and disease

Theoretical models of the human heart valves are useful tools for understanding and characterizing the dynamics of healthy and diseased valves. Enabled by advances in numerical modeling and in a range of disciplines within experimental biomechanics, recent models of the heart valves have become increasingly comprehensive and accurate. In this paper, we first review the fundamentals of native heart valve physiology, composition and mechanics in health and disease. We will then furnish an overview of the development of theoretical and experimental methods in modeling heart valve biomechanics over the past three decades. Next, we will emphasize the necessity of using multiscale modeling approaches in order to provide a comprehensive description of heart valve biomechanics able to capture general heart valve behavior. Finally, we will offer an outlook for the future of valve multiscale modeling, the potential directions for further developments and the challenges involved.
Evaluation of Retail Lighting

(1995). Evaluation of Retail Lighting. Journal of the Illuminating Engineering Society: Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 33-49.
Adaptive control via embedding in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces

This paper derives a formulation of an adaptive tracking control problem for systems having uncertain nonlinear dynamics by embedding an original L1 adaptive control problem in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). This paper proves the well-posedness of the closed loop evolution laws in the RKHS and derives sufficient conditions for stability and tracking convergence. When the uncertainty in the dynamics is represented in a RKHS that satisfies certain fundamental smoothness properties, the adaptive controller yields a closed loop system whose stability and convergence properties are analogous to that obtained for conventional model reference and L1 control for systems of ordinary differential equations.
Uniting theory and practice in the ethnography of social movements: Notes toward a hopeful realism

L'A. montre en quoi l'anthropologie appliquee et l'ethnographie, et non seulement la sociologie, peuvent assurer une meilleure approche des mouvements sociaux de la part des organisateurs et des manifestants et surtout une meilleure comprehension des raisons pour lesquelles le nombre de participants diminue. La peur, l'ignorance et la faineantise n'expliquent pas a elles seules le refus des Bresiliens a manifester que ce soit a l'appel des Communautes de base chretienne, de l'Eglise liberationniste en faveur des religieux noirs, ou des associations de voisinage
Stochastic incentive problems with partial dynamic information and multiple levels of hierarchy

Abstract We formulate and solve a class of three-agent incentive decision problems with strict hierarchy and decentralized information. The agent at the top of the hierarchy (leader) observes a random linear combination of the decisions of the other two agents and constructs his policy based on this, as well as some static information. We show that for general concave utility functions, and under some reasonable conditions on the random variables involved, the leader has an optimal incentive policy which is linear in the partial dynamic measurement and which induces the desired behavior on the two followers.
Simple excision or biopsy plus radiation therapy as the primary treatment for potentially curable cancer of the breast

This retrospective study compares in detail the pretreatment clinical findings and therapeutic results following initial treatment of 77 patients by various types of biopsy and major radiation therapy with those in a similar number having only radical surgery and a second group treated by radical mastectomy and postoperative irradiation. Of the 77 having biopsies, 27 had an aspiration, 33 incisional and 17 exeisional biopsy or what may be considered a simple excision. The amount of primary irradiation delivered to these patients varied considerably but the best results were obtained following a total dosage of 6,000 rads or more. While none of these methods of treating primary operable and infiltrating carcinoma of the breast cured all the patients, there were significant differences in therapeutic results. Those subjected to a radical mastectomy with or without postoperative irradiation had a longer clinically free interval, a lower incidence of local recurrence, and a higher total survival rate than the patients treated by various biopsies and primary irradiation. The physical intolerance to a radical breast operation has greatly decreased, but there is now an increased emphasis on limited surgery by a few doctors so as to preserve feminine appearance. While this is desirable, there remains an essential need for more accurate and reliable means to select patients for such treatment in order to obtain therapeutic results equally good as those which follow radical mastectomy.
Evaluating complex and unfolding interventions in real time

This article discusses an approach to managing the evaluation of complex interventions. Complex interventions pose significant challenges to the role and conduct of evaluations. In particular, they combine with reflexive learning and change to produce significant uncertainties making it hard to describe in advance what the intervention will do or what the outcomes might be. These uncertainties vary in nature and addressing these uncertainties leads to different evaluation approaches. That such evaluations often take place in ‘real time’ and have a strong formative dimension adds to the challenge. This article proposes a way of approaching this problem by incorporating the concepts of uncertainty and complexity into a Theory of Change-based approach.
Reaction of CH3OH on Pd/ZnO(0001) and PdZn/ZnO(0001) model catalysts

The adsorption and reaction of CH 3 OH on Pd and PdZn films and particles supported on the (0001) surface of a ZnO single crystal were studied using temperature-programmed desorption (TPD). At 300 K, vapor-deposited Pd films followed a two-dimensional island growth mode and preferentially blocked the active sites for dissociative adsorption of methanol on the ZnO(0001) surface. Upon heating, the Pd films agglomerated into particles and reacted with the ZnO substrate to form a PdZn alloy. Methanol was found to undergo complete dehydrogenation on the supported Pd and PdZn films and particles producing CO and H 2 . Consistent with previous studies, alloying of Pd with Zn decreased the strength of the interaction of CO with the metal surface, as evidenced by a decrease in the CO desorption temperature. A low-temperature pathway for the oxidation of CO to CO 2 on Pd/ZnO(0001) and PdZn/ZnO(0001), in which oxygen was supplied by the ZnO(0001) support, was also identified.