cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Utility of high resolution capillary electrophoresis for monitoring peptide homo- and hetero-dimer formation

Abstract The monomer and disufide-linked homo-dimer of two different peptides, one with an amino-terminal cysteine, the other with a cysteine at the carboxy-terminal, are shown to be baseline resolved by capillary electrophoresis in less than 15 min. Time-course for homo-dimer formation with both peptides, either under mild (air) or stronger (hydrogen peroxide oxidizing conditions, was easily monitored. Confirmation that the second peak appearing under oxidizing conditions was indeed the homo-dimer was obtained with mass spectrometry. The possibility that stronger oxidizing conditions led to the production of the sulfonic acid derivative of the monomeric peptide, was ruled out through generation of the derivative by performic acid oxidation. As expected, the negative charge of the sulfonic acid moiety gives the peptide a slower electrophoretic mobility than both the monomer and the dimer. Moreover, as would be expected with a sulfonic acid derivative, oxidation to the dimeric form was not possible. This was consistent with the observation that the homo-dimer peak could be reduced to monomeric form in the presence of dithiotreitol. Co-oxidization of the amino- and carboxy-terminal peptides led to the expected production of both homo-dimers and the hetero-dimer, all of which were resolved.
The influence of post-emitter processing on the current gain of bipolar transistors

The effects of post-emitter processing on the current gain of n-p-n and p-n-p transistors used in linear integrated circuits, is the subject of this paper. It is seen that during the emitter diffusion deep level impurities segregate into the bulk and space-charge regions of the emitter. The aluminum alloy process at 500°C provides a powerful scavenging action that getters the impurities. The post-alloy current gain increases by a factor of ten. This gettering is effective in phosphorus diffused emitters if the dielectric is either a CVD oxide, a plasma deposited oxide, or phosphorus glass under Si 3 N 4 . With thermally oxidized emitters there is no improvement in current gain. Boron diffused emitters, however, respond to the aluminum alloy process regardless of the dielectric. This study also identifies two processes that contribute to bandgap narrowing ( \DeltaE_{g} ) these are the emitter diffusion and the post-emitter thermal oxidation. A value of \DeltaE_{g} = 0.04 eV measured after the emitter diffusion was found to increase to 0.09 eV after thermal oxidation at 975°C. This additional component of \DeltaE_{g} is a result of the anomalous accumulation of phosphorus at the silicon surface during oxidation.
Brief report of MMPI characteristics of sexual deviation.

The notion that disturbances in sexual identity and desire for sexual change are accompanied by severe defects in ego structure were examined. Findings from 3 in-depth case studies with psychological tests and MMPI data for 34 individuals who presented problems in gender identity, with choice of sexual partner, and transvestism. Data suggest no consistent MMPI pattern to confirm the above contention. There was evident psychopathology but no clear evidence of personality disorganization in those seeking sexual change or having difficulties in sexual identity It was concluded that the presenting symptom of difficulty in gender identity or a wish for gender change is not prima facie evidence of distortion of reality or conspicuous ego defect.
Fermentation of swine waste-corn mixtures for animal feed: Pilot-plant studies

Aerobic culture with solid substrates of fresh swine waste combined with corn resulted in lactic acid fermentation with odor control. Heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria produced lactic and homologous tatty acids from acetic through valeric acid (0.1 meq/dry g) to reduce pH 2 units to 4.2 to 4.6. During the fermentation, lactic acid organisms increased from 107 to 109/dry g. Coliform organisms remained steady in number at 106 organisms/dry g. Pilot-plant scale fermentation produced a product with 21 to 39% more methionine than corn but was still limiting for this amino acid as well as lysine for young pigs. Fermentation product from fresh waste-corn cultures was fed as the major dietary component to young pigs, hens, and sheep. Pigs showed gain and gain/feed diminished by one-third in 13-day trials. Laying hens performed comparably to controls in a 21-day test, and sheep did not discriminate against fermentation product.
Genetic algorithm optimization of phase masks for focusing light through turbid media

We introduce genetic algorithms for wave-front control to focus light through scattering media. Genetic algorithms are attractive, because of their parallelism and global optimization properties.
Changes in b dimension of Na-montmorillonite with interlayer swelling.

IN a recent letter under this title, Low et al.1 reported that when Na montmorillonite swells in water its lateral (b) dimension increases progressively with water content until the interlayer spacing reaches values of 400 A or more. The increase in b dimension was explained as being the result of strong interaction between montmorillonite and water which modifies their respective structures. As an alternative explanation, however, Graham and Rolfe2 proposed that a solubility equilibrium exists between some component of the silicate layer (probably octahedral aluminium) and the interlayer water and that an increase in water content favours further solution of this component. They cited evidence indicating that the solution of aluminium should increase the b dimension and noted that it could also result in the formation of soluble hydrated alumino-polymers which might alter the properties of the interlayer water. Then they suggested that an experiment similar to the one conducted by Low et al.1, using clays with different silicate composition, could perhaps distinguish between the two explanations.
Continuous-risk Utility Assessment in Medical Decision Making

The authors argue that for risky medical treatment decisions, conventional utility assessment techniques are inadequate due to their emphasis on unrealistic risk magnitudes and sure consequences, leading to assessment questions that are unfamiliar to most patients, have little educational value, and do not reliably extend to the application at hand. As an alternative, medical utility assessments should be performed in a continuous-risk domain with risk levels matching those of the actual decision problem. In support of this position, the authors describe an empirical study that compares the responses of subjects under a conventional assessment protocol with those of subjects under a continuous-risk utility assessment protocol. Prelim inary results show that conventional assessment protocols result in significantly lower esti mates of the degrees of risk aversion compared with a more realistic continuous-risk protocol. Key words: continuous-risk utility assessment; decision making. (Med Decis Making 1991 ;...
Serum IgE antibodies to Trichophyton in Patients with urticaria, angioedema, asthma, and rhinitis : Development of a radioallergosorbent test

A series of patients was identified who demonstrated immediate positive skin tests to intradermal Trichophyton extract. These skin responses did not correlate with other fungal skin tests and were present both in atopic and nonatopic patients. The individuals demonstrating positive immediate skin tests included patients with urticaria, angioedema, asthma, and/or rhinitis, as well as five of 34 normal control subjects. Most skin test positive individuals had a history of local fungal infection and clinical signs suggestive of fungal infection. By use of Trichophyton tonsurans extract linked to Sepharose as the immunosorbent, it was possible to measure IgE antibodies in 26/30 sera from skin test positive individuals. With strongly positive sera, RAST bound up to 30% of the radiolabeled anti-IgE added. The results confirm that most skin test positive individuals have IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to Trichophyton. These observations support the older view that absorption of dermatophyte allergen through the skin should be considered as a possible cause of allergic disease.
The role of parameters in plasma assisted vapor deposition of tin/tin-oxide coatings

Abstract Plasma assisted vapor deposition has been used to synthesize tin–tin oxide coatings on stainless steel substrates. The effects of plasma assisted vapor-deposition process parameters have been investigated, using statistically designed experiments, the so-called response surface analysis. Substrate temperature, gas ratio and time were chosen to be the parameters, and three levels for each parameter were determined to understand their significance on thin film morphologies and amount of materials deposited. Temperature and time were found to be the effective parameters among the variables chosen. Increase in both temperature and time is seen to increase the coating weight. Oxygen presence in the plasma is observed to affect the surface morphology of the coatings by producing circular deposited clusters in the coatings. Added to this, increasing temperature causes clusters to become smaller, and the increase in time is seen to lead, to a larger cluster size.
Molecular Properties from Combined QM/MM Methods. 2. Chemical Shifts in Large Molecules

A method for calculating the chemical shielding tensor of any atom with the QM/MM approach has been developed. The method is described and applied to a number of model systems including the water dimer, NMA−water complexes, cytosine monophosphate, paired and stacked nucleic acid bases, imidazole−metal complexes, and 1‘-deoxyribose−metal ion complexes. The results demonstrate that with an appropriate QM/MM partition, good descriptions of the environmental effects on chemical shift tensors are obtained. The typical error compared to full QM calculations is 1−2 ppm for heavy atoms. At distances below 2.5 A, such as occur in hydrogen bonding, larger errors arise due to the lack of Pauli repulsion and magnetic susceptibility of the nearby groups in the current QM/MM model; including the hydrogen bonded molecules as part of the QM region is a way of solving this problem. The method is also applied to a simple model of myoglobin−CO and it is shown that the significant influence from the distal histidine on the s...
Mating behavior of a brooding Antarctic asteroid, Neosmilaster georgianus

Summary Spawning behavior and male-female superposition of Neosmilaster georgianus, a common brooding asteroid, were observed both in the field and the laboratory at Palmer Station, Antarctica, during the austral spring of 1991. Pseudocopulation is preceded by exploration, contact, and mounting of a female by individual or multiple males. Male pre-mating activity in the field was initiated by the spawning of a nearby conspecific female. However, in laboratory experiments a similar pattern of activity was triggered by the presence of spawning conspecific males or male sea urchins, indicating the presumed inductive signal lacks specificity. Pseudocopulation in this species may ensure maximal fertilization and enhance reproductive success. This is the first reported instance of aggregative spawning in an Antarctic echinoderm. Moreover, pseudocopulation is a rare phenomenon among echinoderms worldwide and N. georgianus is only the third asteroid described to utilize this fertilization strategy.
Scaling relationships for mercury and gaseous propellant ion thrusters

A model describing the doubly charged ion densities in argon and xenon ion thrusters is presented. Doubly charged ions are shown to be produced in significant numbers from both the neutral and singly ionized states. Doubly-to-singly charged ion density ratios calculated using this model are compared to experimental values of this ratio measured in the 15 cm multipole thruster using both propellants. Agreement between theory and experiment is shown to be good. Using this doubly charged ion model, and a similar one obtained previously for mercury, together with the constant neutral loss rate theory, Child's current density law and accelerator grid fabrication limitations, a set of scaling relationships are developed. These relationships show the propellant utilizations, thrust densities and discharge power levels that can be expected as thruster diameter and/or specific impulse are increased and doubly charged ion densities are held at acceptably low values.
Pulse train frequency demodulation by a muscle-load system

An important question in motor control is how low-pass filtering by a muscle-load system is divided between the active state process and muscle-load mechanics. The authors obtained the frequency response of a muscle-load system (treated as a single motor unit) using a low-rate pulse-train stimulus. Load acceleration twitches were detected and RMS displacements calculated from power spectra. Frequency response and other mechanical data indicate third-order, linear mechanics, in combination with active state pulses of about 20-ms duration. Comparable results were obtained for an intact muscle-limb system of man, using RMS displacements and surface EMG amplitude ratios obtained at different frequencies of voluntary oscillation. >
Parallelizing the cascade-correlation algorithm using Time Warp

Abstract This paper discusses the method in which the cascade-correlation algorithm was parallelzznd in such a way that it could be run using the Time Warp Operating System (TWOS). TWOS is a special-purpose operating system designed to run parallel discrete event simulations with maximum efficiency on parallel or distributed computers. The parallelization process is described, and a formula is derived for the maximum possible speedup using this technique. For the benchmark used, a speedup of 8 was obtained while running on 10 nodes of a BBN GP1000 parallel computer, indicating that this approach is a useful way of parallelizing cascade-correlation.
Notch Signaling: From the Outside In

Development makes reiterative use of a surprisingly small set of essential molecular signals: the Wingless (Wg/ Wnt), Hedgehog (Hh), Transforming Growth Factor-b (TGFb), Receptor Tyrosine Kinase/Phosphotase (RTK/P) and Notch pathways (Gerhart, 1999). These five molecular archetypes act both individually and coordinately to interpret and transmit extrinsic signals as distinct cellular transcriptional responses. They mediate the establishment of polarity and body axes, coordinate pattern formation, and ultimately choreograph the morphogenesis of individual tissues. Recent advances have elucidated both the biochemical mechanisms regulating receptor activation and the molecular participants forming the intracellular signaling cascades of each of these pathways. A number of recent reviews have provided insight into the ever-expanding efforts directed at understanding Notch biology (Angerer and Angerer, 1999; Annaert and De Strooper, 1999; Artavanis-Tsakonas et al., 1999; Baker, 000; Beatus and Lendahl, 1998; Bertrand et al., 2000; Bray, 998a,b; Chan and Jan, 1998, 1999; Deftos and Bevan, 2000; reenwald, 1998; Gridley, 1997; Hoyne et al., 2000; Joutel nd Tournier-Lasserve, 1998; Kimble et al., 1998; Lewis, 998; Miele and Osborne, 1999; Panin and Irvine, 1998; erron and Harris, 2000; Robey, 1999; Rooke and Xu, 1998; aito and Watanabe, 1998; Selkoe, 2000; Weinmaster, 1997, 000). In this review we summarize the efforts of many roups that, over the past decade, contributed to the discovry that a novel signaling paradigm, Regulated Intramembrane Proteolysis (RIP), controls Notch receptor activation. In addition to Notch, the RIP paradigm has recently been shown to impact a number of other proteins (Brown et al., 2000). RIP utilizes “dual address” proteins which function at two discrete subcellular locations. The full-length “receptor” is first held at a docking site where, in response to stimulus/ligand, it undergoes intramembranous proteolysis to release a subdomain that then translocates to a second site of action, typically the nucleus. In the case of Notch,
Damage Classification for Structural Health Monitoring Using Time-Frequency Feature Extraction and Continuous Hidden Markov Models

We propose an algorithm for the classification of structural damage based on the use of the continuous hidden Markov modeling (HMM) technique. Our approach employs HMMs to model time-frequency damage features extracted from structural data using the matching pursuit decomposition algorithm. We investigate modeling with continuous observation-density HMMs and discuss the trade-offs involved as compared to the discrete HMM case. A variational Bayesian method is employed to automatically estimate the HMM state number and adapt the classifier for real-time use. We present results that classify structural and material (fatigue) damage in a bolted-joint structure.
74 dB SNDR Multi-Loop Sturdy-MASH Delta-Sigma Modulator Using 35 dB Open-Loop Opamp Gain

This paper presents a new multi-loop delta-sigma modulator which overcomes the necessity of high DC gain opamps that were needed in previous multi-loop modulators. Enabling the use of low gain opamps also allows low-voltage operation due to the reduced number of transistors between the power supply rails. In addition, all the digital filters are removed from the output of this modulator to minimize the overall system requirement. Instead, an in-loop digital addition facilitates the desired noise transfer functions of both loops. This combines stability advantage of the multi-loop structure with relaxed circuit requirement of the single-loop modulator. A fourth order modulator is implemented in a 0.18 mum CMOS technology to demonstrate this concept. Measurement results show that, with open-loop opamp gain of less than 35 dB, the implemented prototype IC achieves over 74 dB SNDR at an oversampling ratio of 16. The sampling frequency is 20 MHz and the total power dissipation is 3.2 mW at 1.2 V supply.
Dominance and Inequality in X-Rated Videocassettes.

Feminists have been concerned about the debasement of women in sexually explicit material. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of domination and sexual inequality in x-rated videocassettes through a content analysis of 45 widely available x-rated videocassettes. The sample was randomly drawn from a list of 121 adult movie titles widely available in family videocassette rental stores in southern California. Over half of the explicitly sexual scenes were coded as predominantly concerned with domination or exploitation. Most of the domination and exploitation was directed by men toward women. Specific indicators of domination and sexual inequality, including physical violence, occurred frequently. The growth of the videocassette rental industry and the popularity of x-rated films, coupled with the messages these films convey, is a cause for concern.
Coverage of Isolated, Severe Gingival Recession: A Modified Technique

Introduction: Gingival recession (GR) presents a major concern for patients, especially when associated with tooth sensitivity or esthetic concerns.Case Presentation: This report describes a modified technique for the treatment of isolated, severe GR combining a full-thickness/split-thickness coronally positioned flap with a subepithelial connective tissue graft. After treatment of severe GR of the maxillary right and left canines (5 and 6 mm, respectively), there was almost complete coverage of both canines and an increase in keratinized gingiva.Conclusion: A promising technique is presented, yielding 84% to 100% of defect coverage and gingival tissue enhancement on single teeth.
Million-Atom Count Simulations of the Effects of Carbon Nanotube Length Distributions on Fiber Mechanical Properties

The extraordinary mechanical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) make them prime candidates as a basis for super infrastructure materials. Ab initio, tight binding, and molecular dynamics simulations and recent experiments have shown that CNTs have tensile strengths up to about 15.5 million psi (110 GPa), Young’s modulus of 150 million psi (1 TPa), and density of about 80 lbs/ft3 (1.3 g/cm3). These qualities provide tensile strength-toweight and stiffness-to-weight ratios about 900 times and 30 times, respectively, those of high-strength (100,000- psi) steel. Building macromaterials that maintain these properties is challenging. Molecular defects, voids, foreign inclusions, and, in particular, weak intermolecular bonds have, to date, prevented macromaterials formed from CNTs from having the remarkable strength and stiffness characteristics of CNTs. The van der Waals forces associated with CNTsrepresent a force per unit length between CNTs. Accordingly, one would expect the bond strength between aligned CNTs to increase with overlap length. Real filaments are likely composed of CNTs with some distribution of lengths. To understand the effects that CNT length distributions have on the tensile strength of neat filaments of aligned CNTs, we performed a series of quenched molecular dynamics simulations on high performance computers using Sandia Laboratory’s Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) code. The cross-section of each filament was composed of hexagonal closest-packed (HCP) array CNT strands that formed two HCP rings. The filaments were constructed by placing (5,5) chirality CNTs end to end. While the choice of a single-chirality CNT fiber is currently unrealizable, the use of a singlechirality fiber allowed us to focus only on the effects of CNT lengths on filament response. The lengths of the CNTs were randomly selected to have Gaussian distribution with the average length ranging from 100 to 1,600A. A series of simulations were performed on filament with lengths ranging from 400 to 6,400A. For each filament, the strain was increased in small increments and quenched between strain increments. The total tensile force on the filament was recorded and used to determine the uniaxial stress-strain response of the filaments. The results of the simulations quantified the improvements in Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and critical strain as a function of the increase in the average component CNT lengths. These are the first molecular dynamics simulations that the authors are aware of that treat statistical qualities of realistic CNT structures. The simulation results are being used to guide the molecular design of CNT filaments to achieve super (1 million psi) strength. The simulations would be impractical, and perhaps impossible, without massively parallel, highperformance computational platforms and molecular dynamics simulation tools optimized to run on such platforms.
Synthesis of Tripodal Triphosphines and Their Derivatives

Abstract A general strategy for the synthesis of a series of tripodal triphosphines XC[(CH2)nPR2]3 (where X=H or Me, n=1−4) has been sought. Particular emphasis has been placed on attempts to synthesize a series member XC[(CH2)n+1PR2]3 from its precursor XC[(CH3)nPR2]3. We will present the results of our synthetic efforts, together with the characterization of a number of new tripodal triphosphines and their derivative oxides. Some “ether-legged” tripodal triphosphines have also been synthesized.
Bistatic radar scattering by a chaff cloud

The bistatic radar scattering cross section of a chaff cloud is investigated in the ground-based system for arbitrarily polarized transmitters and receivers. The chaff cloud considered consists of a large number of identical thin conducting wires whose thickness is very small compared to their length and to the wavelength. Numerical results for bistatic cross sections for the cases of orientations uniform in azimuth and Gaussian in elevation, and also for uniformly random orientation in both azimuth and in elevation are presented in the form of three-dimensional graphs, for a few typical examples. >
The Lost Letter Technique as a Measure of Social Variables: Some Exploratory Findings

Milgram's lost letter technique was used to test the hypothesis that large-city dwellers are less responsive to the needs of their fellow man than are small-town dwellers. Two experiments are reported in which lost letters were dropped in major cities, medium size communities and very small towns. In the first experiment the letters were stamped, but in the second experiment they were unstamped. Significant differences were found but they did not support the hypothesis. The results suggested the presence of regional differences in return rates and a possible source of bias was identified. Milgram, Mann, and Harter (1965) introduced an imaginative research tool which they labeled the lost letter technique. The lost letter technique consists of placing a large number of addressed, stamped, sealed, but unmailed letters in public places. When a person discovers one of these letters it appears to have been lost. When confronted with a lost letter, the finder may chose to ignore it, mail it, or destroy it. In the initial use of this technique, Milgram et al. varied the name of the organization to which the letter was addressed and were thereby able to obtain specific return rates for various organizations. Presumably, the individual return rates reflected the popularity or public acceptance of the organizations. Milgram et al. demonstrated that community attitudes toward various organizations could be measured with the lost letter technique. Similarly, Milgram (1969), and Shotland, Berger, and Forsythe (1970) demonstrated that the outcome of an election could be predicted by the return rates of lost letters addressed to campaign organizations. It would appear that the usefulness of the lost letter technique is not limited to the assessment of community attitudes. The present paper reports two attempts to expand the lost letter technique into other areas of social research. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM The mass communications media tend to characterize the urban dweller as isolated, selfcentered, and unconcerned with the needs of his fellow man. The widely publicized murder of Kitty Genovese on the streets of New York is often used as an illustration of the callousness and indifference of the urban dweller. In marked contrast, the small-town dweller is often characterized as friendly, helpful and socially responsible. The mass media appear to enjoy reporting stories of the humanitarian efforts of small towns in helping their members in need. If these characterizations are correct, if smalltown dwellers are indeed more concerned about their fellow man, then one could hypothesize that more lost letters would be returned from small communities than from large urban areas.
Structure and patterns of sequence variation in the mitochondrial DNA control region of the great cats.

Mitochondrial DNA control region structure and variation were determined in the five species of the genus Panthera. Comparative analyses revealed two hypervariable segments, a central conserved region, and the occurrence of size and sequence heteroplasmy. As observed in the domestic cat, but not commonly seen in other animals, two repetitive sequence arrays (RS-2 with an 80-bp motif and RS-3 with a 6–10-bp motif) were identified. The 3 0 ends of RS-2 and RS-3 were highly conserved among species, suggesting that these motifs have different functional constraints. Control region sequences provided improved phylogenetic resolution grouping the sister taxa lion (Panthera leo) and leopard (Panthera pardus), with the jaguar (Panthera onca). Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Numerical and experimental studies of linear systems subjected to non-Gaussian random excitations

This paper presents a numerical simulation scheme for generating symmetric non-Gaussian random processes governed by prescribed kurtosis and spectral density. The generated process is represented as a continuous stationary random signal with occasional spikes superimposed on a Gaussian random background. The generated time history data records are used to simulate random excitations acting on linear single-degree-of-freedom systems. The results of the numerical simulation are compared with those measured experimentally. For a wide-band random excitation with kurtosis close to 3, the response kurtosis is found to be very sensitive to small changes in the excitation kurtosis. This is manifested by the appearance of significant spikes in the time history records when the excitation records do not display any significant spikes. The influence of the system damping is also examined for narrow-band and wide-band random excitations, and some differences are reported in the results.
Congenital cholesteatomas in the tympanic membrane

The etiology of congenital middle ear (ME) cholesteatomas is unclear. One etiologic possibility of ME cholesteatoma may be progression of a congenital tympanic membrane (TM) cholesteatoma. We recently have encountered three cases of congenital tympanic membrane cholesteatoma. Each child, ages 1, 3, and 14 years, presented with cholesteatoma of the tympanic membrane extending into the middle ear. These children have not had previous otologic surgery including myringotomy, nor had they had repeated middle ear infections, perforation, or trauma. Neither the 3-year-old nor 14-year-old child complained of hearing loss. Audiograms demonstrated only a mild conductive loss. Each child underwent excision with tympanoplasty. Although the middle ear component of the cholesteatoma was always more extensive than the pearl seen, the point of attachment was the TM and not the middle ear. This demonstrates one possible source for congenital cholesteatomas.
Politics and International Investment

Political risk has been a major concern of international business scholars up to the 1970s, yet this line of research has become rather quiet in recent years. Maybe, businesses found the world rather predictable between “Iran 1979” and “Indonesia 1997”. Yet, the end of the cold war has not eliminated political risk. Recently research has taken a more subtle perspective, incorporating as political risk small changes in local institutions that may affect investors' profitability.
Estimating colonization potential of migrant tree species

Plant populations migrating in response to climate change will have to colonize established communities. Even if a population disperses to a new region with a favorable climate, interactions with other species may prevent its establishment and further spread. The potential of these species to grow along with residents will be a critical factor controlling their response to climate change. To determine the capacity of migrating species to colonize established communities we conducted extensive long-term transplant experiments where potential tree migrant species, i.e. species within ‘migration range,’ were planted side by side with resident ones. Potential immigrants were selected to be representative species of their native communities. For both groups, residents and potential migrants (17 species), we compared their growth response along gradients in soil moisture and light availability. Rather than manipulate climate directly, we exploited natural microclimatic gradients and the fluctuations in climate that occurred during the 5-year experiment. Experimental results were used to estimate growth in the context of novel climate and relevant establishment factors. Results suggest that potential immigrant species had similar growth rates in the new environment than those from resident species ensuring their ability to establish in the area. However, contrary to our expectations, the soil moisture requirements for the immigrant group were similar to those of the resident species. These results could have major implications for vegetation changes under the predicted drier climate for the region. If it is the case that neither resident species nor potential migrants are able to maintain stable populations, the region may experience a decline in local biodiversity.
Location of the optimized centerline of the glenoid vault: a comparison of two operative techniques with use of three-dimensional computer modeling.

Background: The three-dimensional vault geometry beneath the glenoid face reduces to a narrow width in many individuals, creating a risk of perforation of the glenoid component pegs or keel in total shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to introduce the concept of a centerline of the glenoid vault determined by computed optimization and to compare this centerline geometry against two existing surgical methods for orienting the glenoid component. Methods: Thirty-four subject-specific computer models of three-dimensional scapular geometry were created from computed tomography scans. The glenoid vault centerline was calculated by slicing the vault into a series of cross sections, determining the center of each section, and fitting a centerline with use of optimization. Vault centerline orientations were compared with the drill-line orientations determined by two surgical techniques, the face plane technique, which drills perpendicular to the glenoid face, and the neutralization technique, which drills parallel to the scapular body resulting in 0° of glenoid version. Distances between the drill lines and the vault wall, throughout the vault depth, were also calculated. Results: The vault centerline intersected the articular surface of the glenoid at an intersubject average (and standard deviation) of 1.1 ± 0.8 mm posterior to the glenoid face center point. In comparison with the neutralization direction, the centerline was oriented an average of 9.4° ± 5.1° posteriorly and the face plane perpendicular direction was oriented an average of 7.3° ± 4.0° posteriorly. Minimum distances between the centerline and the vault wall averaged 5.1 mm (minimum, 2.6 mm), whereas they averaged 4.4 mm (minimum, 1.0 to 1.4 mm) for the center peg drill lines of both surgical techniques. Conclusions: The normal glenoid vault centerline is directed from lateral-posterior to medial-anterior, and it crosses, on the average, close to the glenoid face center. The neutralization direction, on the average, anteverts the glenoid relative to the vault centerline and the face plane perpendicular. Relationships between these directions vary across the subjects. Clinical Relevance: The vault centerline represents optimal containment of the glenoid central peg within the vault. This study provides an understanding of the location of this centerline relative to scapular landmarks and relative to the drill directions from two existing surgical techniques.
Work in progress — Ultra-low power and the Millennium Generation

Millennials are a generation of young people currently in training at universities and colleges, and entering the workforce. They have several characteristics that could potentially make them one of the most productive generations ever. On the other hand the concepts of sustainability and energy awareness are part of their vocabulary and most of the jobs will be related to these terms. This work relates an attempt to tailor a microcomputers course to appeal to this generation of students. What we have found is that the traditional teaching formulas have to be adapted to make them usable by millennials who do not know a world without internet, wireless communications and social networking.
Circulating levels of total angiopoietin-2 and the soluble Tie-2 receptor in women during ovarian stimulation and early gestation

Circulating levels of Ang-2 and sTie-2 receptor were detectable but invariant in women during COS cycles. During the postimplantation period, the rise in Ang-2 (but not sTie-2) levels probably reflects placental rather than luteal production.
Progress on small mercury ion clock for space applications

We have recently completed a breadboard ion-clock physics package based on Hg ions shuttled between a quadrupole and a 16-pole rf trap. With this architecture we have demonstrated short-term stability ∼1–2×10−13 at 1 second, averaging to 10−15 at 1 day. This development shows that Hmaser quality stabilities can be produced in a small clock package, comparable in size to an ultra-stable quartz oscillator required for holding 1–2×10−13 at 1 second. This performance was obtained in a sealed vacuum configuration where only a getter pump was used to maintain vacuum. The vacuum tube containing the traps has now been under sealed vacuum conditions for over three years with no measurable degradation of ion trapping lifetimes or clock short-term performance. We have fabricated the vacuum tube, ion trap and UV windows from materials that will allow a ∼ 400°C bake-out to prepare for tube seal-off. This approach to the vacuum follows the methods used in flight vacuum tube electronics, such as flight TWTA's where tube operation lifetime and shelf life of up to 15 years is achieved.
FT-IR Studies of Ionomers

Perhaps the most widely accepted model of ionomer superstructure is the multiplet-cluster concept advanced by Eisenberg [1,2]. This framework has dominated the interpretation of many vibrational spectroscopic studies to the extent that specific infrared bands and Raman lines have been separately assigned to multiplets or clusters. We were no exception to this general rule and our initial FT-IR studies of the sodium and calcium salts of ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymers were interpreted in terms of Eisenburg’s model [3,4]. Specific sharp bands in the spectra of quenched films or films held at elevated temperatures (in the range 70 to 130°C) were assigned to multiplets. Broad bands observed upon annealing these films for extended periods of time at room temperature were assigned to clusters. However, as a result of subsequent work on the salts of other group I and group II elements, we were forced to reevaluate these somewhat simplistic initial assignments [5]. In addition, even trace amounts of water can be shown to have a profound effect on the spectrum [6]. Because our publications in this field are, in effect, a series of successively modified interpretations, we will take this opportunity to present an overview of our work, with emphasis on the sensitivity of infrared spectroscopy to the local order found in these systems.
Contemporary and future insights into fertility preservation in male cancer patients.

In recent years, survival rates of cancer patients have increased, resulting in a shift of focus from quantity to quality of life. A key aspect of quality of life is fertility potential; patients suffering from iatrogenic infertility often become depressed. Since many cancer therapies—chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery—and even cancer itself have detrimental effects on the male reproductive system, it is important to preserve fertility before any treatment commences. Currently, the only reliable method of male fertility preservation is sperm banking. For patients who are unable to provide semen samples by the conventional method of masturbation, there are other techniques such as electroejaculation, microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration and testicular sperm extraction that can be employed. Unfortunately, it is presently impossible to preserve the fertility potential of pre-pubertal patients. Due to the increasing numbers of adolescent cancer patients surviving treatment, extensive research is being conducted into several possible methods such as testicular tissue cryopreservation, xenografting, in vitro gamete maturation and even the creation of artificial gametes. However, in spite of its ease, safety, convenience and many accompanying benefits, sperm banking remains underutilized in cancer patients. There are several barriers involved such as the lack of information and the urgency to begin treatment, but various measures can be put in place to overcome these barriers so that sperm banking can be more widely utilized.
Definir y recrear la identidad nacional: los colombianos en el exterior

From discussing the implications of national identity and nationalism and presenting some of the trajectories around the concept of identity, this paper challenges these conceptions, through inquiry in a transnational experience: the migration. Through the narratives of Colombian migrants, it examines how national identity is recreated and define doutside the national territory
Team Up with Your TA: Incorporating Late-Night TV Elements into the LRW Classroom

This article introduces an innovative pedagogical technique of strategically integrating the student teaching assistant into the legal research and writing (LRW) classroom dynamic. The technique incorporates established learning and educational psychology principles to foster a deeper, more effective learning of critical LRW skills. The article demonstrates how the TA’s in-class participation – including periodic, strategically planned exchanges with the professor (harkening the entertaining style of popular late night talk/variety shows) and occasional presentations – refreshes the students’ attention, enhances the professor’s presentation, keeps the class engaged, and promotes student-TA interaction outside of class. The technique taps the TA’s unique roles as former LRW student, student-peer, and bridge from the classroom to the law office, where LRW skills being taught today will be directly applied in the real world much sooner than fledgling 1L’s think. The article will be of value to new and veteran LRW professors, TA’s, and law professors who teach skills courses that utilize former students as TA’s.
Green Supply Chains

Unlike conventional supply chains, green supply chains are designed to ensure that value creation, rather than risk and waste, accumulates at each step, from design to disposal and recovery. As a primer, this note is suitable for undergraduate, MBA, or executive students exploring corporate response to environmental degradation, rising energy and materials prices, and the growing challenges of international global supply chains. Managing complex relationships and flows of materials across companies and cultures poses a key challenge for green supply chains. But "greening" a supply chain nets many benefits.
Nano-Structured Optics for Surface Metrology Research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

Metrology holograms are critical for interferometric testing of precision aspheric and free-form surfaces with low uncertainty. We describe a new facility for fabrication and research of metrology holograms at NIST.
The Effects of Width Transitions on the Reliability of Interconnects

Experimental and modeling studies of Al-based interconnects with narrow-to-wide transitions show that the width transition is a site of atomic flux divergence due to the discontinuity in diffusivities between the narrow and wide segments, which have different microstructures. Lifetimes have been experimentally determined for populations of lines with width transitions, which have varying line-width ratios and varying locations of the width transitions with respect to the line end. The electromigration failure rate is increased as the width-transition is moved closer to the electron-source via. Correlation of the effects width transitions on lifetimes allows determination of the critical stress range for void -nucleation failure, which was found to be 600 ± 108 MPa.
Effects of No. 2 fuel oil water-soluble-fractions on growth and reproduction in Neanthes arenaceodentata (Polychaeta: annelida)

Effects of water-soluble-fractions (WSFs) from No. 2 Fuel Oil on growth and reproduction in a laboratory strain of Neanthes arenaceodentata were studied in experiments simulating conditions of acute and chronic sublethal exposure. Effects were defined relative to concentrations of diaromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalenes) and total dissolved hydrocarbons. Hatching of metatrochophore larvae was inversely related to WSF concentration and to the length of time larvae were exposed prior to hatching. Growth of larvae into juveniles was unaffected by low concentrations. Inhibition of larval growth by higher WSF concentrations was reversible upon return of larvae to hydrocarbon-free sea water. Growth of juveniles into adult polychaetes was inversely related to concentration. Rate of development to the feeding juvenile stage was not affected by WSF in three successive generations of continuously exposed polychaetes. Oocyte maturation rates in the four WSF concentrations (2.5, 5, 10, 2507o) increased with each successive generation. All concentrations suppressed fecundity in each generation. Survival to the 32-segment juvenile stage (brood mortality) was inversely related to concentration in first generation animals. Brood mortality in all WSF concentrations decreased with successive generations thereafter. Levels of naphthalenes in worms declined with each generation. Naphthalenes concentrations in third generation animals was very similar to those of exposure media.
CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF AEROPROPULSION ENGINE HEAT EXCHANGERS PART 1: MICRO CHANNELS AND SELECTION OF ADVANCED CONFIGURATIONS

A major challenge which emerged while looking at approaches for reduction of aviation Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions was the design of a core exhaust heat recovery system. As a part of the FAA program under US Department of Transportation Contract Number DTRT57-11-P-80083, an LP Turbine Exhaust Driven (TED-T) secondary cycle was proposed for contrail mitigation as well as an increment of 3% pts. in overall powerplant efficiency. The compact heat exchanger emerged as a critical component for the realization of TED-T. In this work some of the existing advanced compact heat exchanger (HEX) technologies are identified & presented. A 1-D steady state code was developed for heat transfer calculations. A parametric analysis was carried out for the baseline configuration. In this paper, a similar parametric study is presented for an off-set finned HEX operating at the proposed TED-T cycle conditions.
Anomalous Iliac Vein Development: A Case Report and Literature Review

Congenital pelvic venous malformations comprise a small portion of the myriad of documented vascular anomalies and can be distinguished from defects found in vena cava development. The following case demonstrates a patient with a novel separation of the right internal iliac vein with drainage into the proximal left common iliac vein. A 30-year-old male presented to the institution with a chief complaint of abdominal pain, constipation, and bloating. After further work up, a Computed Tomography with contrast of the abdomen and pelvis was performed. This demonstrated a split right internal iliac vein draining into proximal left common iliac vein as well as an associated duplication of the right renal collecting system. Correct identification and documentation of these anomalies continues to warrant high priority with respect to interventional procedures such as placement of inferior vena cava filters and when planning various intra-abdominal and intra-pelvic surgeries.
An analysis of price transmission mechanism between eggs' main producing areas and main sales areas

In order to explore the egg price transmission mechanism between egg's main producing areas(Shandong,Hebei,Henan,Liaoning,Jiangsu) and main sales areas(Beijing),the variation of the egg's prices was investigated based on the local monthly egg price data from 2010 to 2012.Using the methods of unit root test,granger causality test,VAR model,impulse response analysis and variance analysis,the egg prices in main producing were found could predicate the egg price in main sales areas,but a month lag when fluctuations of egg price in eggs' main producing areas transmitted to egg price in Beijing.It was also found that the egg price fluctuation of Shandong had greatest impact on egg price in Beijing than that of other areas.In order to avoid the great fluctuation of Beijing eggs' price,some measures such as the epidemic prevention and control system in the eggs main producing areas should be taken to stabilize the prices,and improve the market circulation efficiency in eggs main sales areas,establish warning system between the main producing areas and sales areas.