cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Haloalkane dehalogenases: structure of a Rhodococcus enzyme.

The hydrolytic haloalkane dehalogenases are promising bioremediation and biocatalytic agents. Two general classes of dehalogenases have been reported from Xanthobacter and Rhodococcus. While these enzymes share 30% amino acid sequence identity, they have significantly different substrate specificities and halide-binding properties. We report the 1.5 A resolution crystal structure of the Rhodococcus dehalogenase at pH 5.5, pH 7.0, and pH 5.5 in the presence of NaI. The Rhodococcus and Xanthobacter enzymes have significant structural homology in the α/β hydrolase core, but differ considerably in the cap domain. Consistent with its broad specificity for primary, secondary, and cyclic haloalkanes, the Rhodococcus enzyme has a substantially larger active site cavity. Significantly, the Rhodococcus dehalogenase has a different catalytic triad topology than the Xanthobacter enzyme. In the Xanthobacter dehalogenase, the third carboxylate functionality in the triad is provided by D260, which is positioned on the l...
Highly Resolved Structure of a Floating Lipid Bilayer: Effects of Calcium Ions and Temperatue

Biological membranes are heterogeneous and highly dynamical organizations of lipids and proteins that define the outer boundary of a cell. Solid supported lipid bilayers have often been studied as model systems to understand the structures and properties of such cellular membranes. Such systems are constrained to a planar geometry and the strong support-membrane interaction could disrupt the inherent structural and functional properties of the membranes. To accurately mimic the biological membranes with their natural thermal fluctuations, curvature deformity and in-plane mobility of lipid molecules, a soft support is required. Hence, we have studied a double bilayer where the upper floating bilayer has the structural freedom to reproduce the morphology of a cellular membrane. Electron density profiles obtained from 1,2- dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) bilayers by reflectivity studies using synchrotron x-rays provide unprecedented structural details of this system. Further, the effects of Ca2+ ions on the structure of these systems and the distribution of these ions near the bilayer have been investigated. These ions are preferentially bound to the head group region of the bilayer, which leads to a tight packing of lipids in the film. They cause the bilayer to thicken by increasing the hydrophobic core of the bilayer. Again, these ions are observed to intensify the flexibility of the bilayers, which is exhibited by the increased interfacial roughness. With the added Ca2+ ions, the inter bilayer separation is found to increase as a function of temperature and finally the floating bilayer unbinds from the adsorbed one. Such an effect was not observed in the absence of these ions.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by Office of Basic Energy Sciences, US Department of Energy, via Grant No. DE-FG02-04ER46173.
Comparability of perioperative morbidity between abdominal myomectomy and hysterectomy for women with uterine leiomyomas

Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the perioperative morbidity associated with abdominal myomectomy with that of hysterectomy. Study Design: This was a retrospective cohort study of 394 women at an academic medical center. Main outcome measured was perioperative morbidity, with the following secondary outcomes: febrile morbidity, hemorrhage, unintended major surgical procedures, life-threatening events, and rehospitalization. Results: Morbidity was associated with myomectomy and hysterectomy in 39% and 40% of cases, respectively. The crude odds ratio for morbidity of myomectomy with respect to hysterectomy was 0.93 (95% confidence interval, 0.63-1.40). Women who underwent myomectomy were significantly younger, weighed less, and had a smaller preoperative uterine size. In a multivariable analysis that accounted for these differences the odds ratio increased to 1.46 (95% confidence interval, 0.77-2.77) but still was not statistically elevated. The study had >90% power to detect a clinically relevant 15% absolute difference in overall morbidity between the 2 groups. Conclusion: No clinically significant difference in perioperative morbidity between myomectomy and hysterectomy was detected. Myomectomy should be considered a safe alternative to hysterectomy. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;183:1448-55.)
The safety and tolerability of botulinum toxins for the treatment of cervical dystonia.

The use of botulinum toxin to treat cervical dystonia (CD) has dramatically improved the quality of life of patients with this disabling, often painful disease. Two forms of type A toxin (BOTOX® and Dysport®) and one form of type B toxin (MyoBloc®) are available in some parts of the world to treat patients with CD. The literature supports the efficacy of each in reducing the pain and movement of cervical dystonia. The dosing and side effects vary between the toxins. The potential availability of several forms of toxin will allow physicians to offer further treatment options to patients with CD. However, it is incumbent on the treating physicians to have a working knowledge of the different serotypes, different doses used of each formulation of each serotype, the side effect profile of each product and the potential for anti-body formation for each form of toxin.
Enantioselective Iridium Catalyzed Carbonyl Allylation from the Alcohol or Aldehyde Oxidation Level via Transfer Hydrogenative Coupling of Allyl Acetate: Departure from Chirally Modified Allyl Metal Reagents in Carbonyl Addition

Under the conditions of transfer hydrogenation employing an iridium catalyst generated in situ from [Ir(cod)Cl]2, chiral phosphine ligand (R)-BINAP or (R)-Cl,MeO-BIPHEP, and m-nitrobenzoic acid, allyl acetate couples to allylic alcohols 1a−c, aliphatic alcohols 1d−l, and benzylic alcohols 1m−u to furnish products of carbonyl allylation 3a−u with exceptional levels of asymmetric induction. The very same set of optically enriched carbonyl allylation products 3a−u are accessible from enals 2a−c, aliphatic aldehydes 2d−l, and aryl aldehydes 2m−u, using iridium catalysts ligated by (−)-TMBTP or (R)-Cl,MeO-BIPHEP under identical conditions, but employing isopropanol as a hydrogen donor. A catalytically active cyclometallated complex V, which arises upon ortho-C−H insertion of iridium onto m-nitrobenzoic acid, was characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results of isotopic labeling are consistent with intervention of symmetric iridium π-allyl intermediates or rapid interconversion of σ-allyl hapto...
Contribution of vagal afferents to breathing pattern in rats with lung fibrosis

In anesthestized male Wistar rats with bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis we examined the influence of lung vagal non-myelinated and myelinated afferents in setting breathing pattern. Fourteen days after intratracheal instillation of bleomycin, lung compliance, total lung capacity (TLC) and inspiratory capacity were reduced while functional residual capacity and residual volume were increased. Baseline tidal volume (VT) was decreased and frequency (fR) increased in the bleomycin treated rats compared with controls. Selective vagal C-fiber blockade did not affect fR or VT in any group. Vagotomy resulted in an increase in VT and decrease in fR in both groups with the percent increase in VT/TLC and decrease in fR being significantly greater in the bleomycin rats compared with controls. Vagotomy also attenuated the significantly elevated PCO2 in the bleomycin treated rats suggesting that bleomycin-induced alterations in breathing pattern contribute to blood gas abnormalities. We conclude that vagal myelinated afferents contribute to the rapid shallow breathing in bleomycin treated rats.
Changes in Perceived Attitudes toward the Goals for Science Instruction in Schools.

Four goal areas were identified by the Project Synthesis research team, including science for affecting daily living, science for resolving societal issues, career awareness in science/technology, and science necessary for further study. In 1976 15 science educators across the U.S. agreed to administer a short, one-page assessment form to at least 50 members of service clubs or community groups in their respective communities. This survey asked the respondents about the relative importance for the four goal areas across the K-12 curriculum (K-3, 4–6, 7–9, and 10–12). The 1976 survey was repeated with similar respondents during 1980, 1984, and 1986. The results indicate that the view of the importance of science as preparation for studying science further is perceived as a most important goal which changes little across grade levels or time. During the 1976–86 period respondents rated the importance of science for improvement of daily living as significantly more important; in fact, its importance was perceived almost as great as academic preparation. Similarly, science for the resolution of societal issues and for meeting career-awareness goals were viewed as significantly more important in 1986 than was the case in 1976. The respondents survey in 1984 and 1986 ranked science goals for resolving societal issues as more important than those associated with information useful in daily living. There is no way of determining how much of this change of perception is caused by professionals and/or forces at work at a given point in time. Nor is it clear how the information can or should be used to plan school programs.
Bounded color functions on graphs

The maximum edge-connectivity of any subgraph plus unity is shown to be an upper bound on the chromatic number for any graph. More generally it is shown that every graph possesses a Grundy function bounded at each vertex by the maximum edge-connectivity of the subgraphs containing that vertex. A discussion of how to construct such a Grundy function is also provided.
Using continuous data to estimate clear‐sky errors in inversions of satellite CO2 measurements

[1] We used continuous measurements of atmospheric CO2 at two stations to investigate potential errors in inversions of temporal averages of satellite clear-sky column retrievals. Compared to the complete data sets, the mid-day CO2 on clear days was systematically lower with a larger winter difference. Net ecosystem exchange (NEE) of CO2 was enhanced on clear vs. all days, the summer boundary layer was deeper, and the CO concentration was systematically lower. During winter these differences cannot account for the CO2 bias, which must be caused by advection. Summertime errors reflect a tradeoff between deeper mixing and enhanced NEE on clear days. If these sites represent mid-latitude forests and if the CO2 difference is confined to the bottom 15% column mass, then inversions of temporally-averaged satellite column data products will incur a −0.2 to −0.4 ppm bias. CO2 concentrations must therefore be assimilated at the place and time observed.
Understanding Magnetic and Electrostatic Actuators Using Bond Graphs and a Mechanical Model

Abstract Magnetic actuators in relays, solenoids, and valve positioners and electrostatic loudspeakers and microphones store electrical and mechanical energy and are inherently nonlinear. They are harder to understand than transformer or gyrator transducers such as hydraulic pistons or voice coil drives which transduce power instantaneously and are essentially linear. Bond graph models show that magnetic and electrostatic transducers are mathematically analogous although electrically dual. An all-mechanical equivalent model shows the nonlinear behavior clearly and aids in the intuitive understanding of the problems associated with the use of such actuators.
Copper Dissolution and Hydrogen Peroxide Formation in Aqueous Media

Abstract Dissolution of copper in aerated water or in neutral aqueous solutions is a slow but measurable process. Sensitive analytical techniques have been developed to quantify this process. The rate of dissolution in aerated deionized water at20°C is (0.7 ± 0.1) nm/h. Hydrogen peroxide is a byproduct of this process. Measurements of the interaction between copper and aqueous media as a function of time, temperature, surface-to-volume ratio, and solute content indicate that, in general, the rates of formation of H2O2 in neutral solutions follow the same trends as those of the formation of Cu ions. Furthermore, the solute studies show that water-derived radicals (H, OH, e−aq) do not function as intermediates during the interaction of Cu with water and that the reaction leading to H2O2 formation probably proceeds through steps involving oxygenated Cu species at the metal-solution interface.
Framing as a theory of media effects

Research on framing is characterized by theoretical and empirical vagueness. This is due, in part, to the lack of a commonly shared theoretical model underlying framing research. Conceptual problems translate into operational problems, limiting the comparability of instruments and results. In this paper I systematize the fragmented approaches to framing in political communication and integrate them into a comprehensive model. I classify previous approaches to framing research along two dimensions: the type of frame examined (media frames vs. audience frames) and the way frames are operationalized (independent variable or dependent variable). I develop a process model of framing, identifying four key processes that should be addressed in future research: frame building, frame setting, individual-level processes of framing, and a feedback loop from audiences to journalists.
Control of gamic and parthenogenetic reproduction in winged aphids by temperature and light

That temperature has a strong influence on the inauguration of gamic reproduction in aphids has long been believed. The ground for this belief has been chiefly the fact that gamic forms, in those species which have them at all, appear usually in the fall. Very little evidence from controlled experiments has ever been obtained. Within tile last few years there has been a suggestion that the duration of light also influences gamic reproduction, but the experimental evidence of this is likewise slight. The previous work on both temperature and light as agents affecting the mode of reproduction has been reviewed recently (SHULT, 1929a), and is therefore not discussed here. The existence of intermediate aphids, repeatedly mentioned in the literature, indicates that differentiation between parthenogenetic and gamic reproduction may not be a single sharply defined event. It may" be either a gTadual process or a series of events occurring at different times. An understanding Of the precise nature of intermediates might reasonably be sought if the environmental agents producing them were exactly known. With this object in view, the effects of temperature and light have been intensively studied in one aphid, Macrosiphum solanifolii. Since all of the known intermediates relating to the mode of reproduction appear to be those between gamic and parthenogenetic females, and since gamic females are regularly produced by winged mothers, this study has been limited to t h e effect of temperature and light on reproduction in winged females.
The growth and characterization of Pb‐doped Bi‐Sr‐Ca‐Cu‐O thin films

The Bi-Pb-Sr-Ca-Cu-O thin films have been prepared on single crystal (001) MgO substrate by RF magnetron sputtering with a single target. With suitable amount of Pb doping and post-annealing condition, the formation of 110 K superconducting phase in the film could be ameliorated. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the film was dominated by the well-known 2212 and 2223 phases. The proper doping of Pb could not only accelerate the formation of high Tc phase but also improve the connetivity of high-Tc grain.
Experimental study of turbulent supercritical open channel water flow as applied to the CLiFF concept

Abstract An experimental study of turbulent open channel water flows was conducted that simulated basic features of the flow of molten salt in the convective liquid flow first-wall (CLiFF) concept, which is a part of the Advanced Power Extraction (APEX) study. Unlike many other studies of open channel flows, the present one concentrates on a supercritical flow regime, in which surface waviness and wave–turbulence interaction are the most important processes that determine the heat transfer rate in CLiFF flows. The current study covers the Reynolds number and Froude number range of 1×104–6×104 and 150–250, respectively, with a fixed chute inclination angle of 30°. The statistical characteristics of the wavy interface were obtained with an ultrasound transducer. A spectral analysis of the oscillating flow thickness shows that a major part of the spectrum is presented by long finite-amplitude waves (f=10–50 Hz), which carry a significant part of the volumetric flux. Based on dye technique observations, short waves are mostly responsible for mixing the liquid at the surface. The surface waviness can be characterized by a parameter built through the mean flow thickness, h, and its standard deviation (S.D.), σ, as 0.5σ/h, which is almost constant, 0.1, in all experiments. The mean flow thickness variations are predicted well with the ‘K–e’ model of turbulence [Int. J. Eng. Sci. 40/6 (2002) 693], but the fluctuations are not resolved. Thermal images of the free surface measured by an infrared (IR) camera are very non-uniform and show the ‘strike’ structures in the form of elongated strips of ‘hotter’ and ‘cooler’ liquid. The present observations are the first steps to better understanding and quantitative predictions of liquid wall flows in the CLiFF design.
Dynamic power density, wavelength, and switching time modulation of optically triggered power transistor (OTPT) performance parameters

Optical modulation by varying the intensity, wavelength, or switching time can dynamically alter the performance parameters of direct optically controlled power semiconductor device. Understanding the effect of optical parameters on these parameters from a first principle approach is necessary for making optimal design choices and gaining design insights. We focus on performance parameters whose variations with direct optical modulation have not been reported previously for a power semiconductor such as switching times and on-state resistance. We carry out analytical modeling and two-dimensional (2D) finite-element simulations for a GaAs/AlGaAs based superjunction lateral optically controlled power transistor that has been fabricated and successfully tested for high-voltage capability. It is shown that optical power density can modulate on-state resistance and more importantly the trade-off curve between breakdown voltage and on-state resistance. A closed-form analytical equation relating switching times with optical parameters via logarithmic function is derived and the nonlinear variation of on-state resistance and switching time with optical wavelength is illustrated. We also derive the analytical expression for power device rise time as a function of optical signal rise time and show that they are related by Lambert's W-function with exponential coefficients.
Prevention of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in Lewis rats by treatment with an anti-rat CD5 antibody (OX19).

Abstract Treatment of Lewis rats with a single dose of OX 19 antibody, specific for rat CD5, uniformly prevented the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). This protective effect had several notable characteristics: (1) it persisted for at least 10 days; (2) it could be achieved with either high doses of the antibody (>200 μg) or lower doses (100–200 μg), which did not deplete T cell populations; and (3) the treated animals were able to mount comparable T cell responses to both myelin basic protein and myelin-unrelated antigens. In addition, antibody treatment consistently prevented the development of adoptively transferred EAE, suggesting that enhanced suppressor cell activity may have contributed to the protection. Antibodies such as OX19 appear capable of blocking the development of EAE, and perhaps other autoimmune diseases as well.
Lifelong roles and cameo appearances: Elderly parents and relationships with adult children

Abstract At the heart of the changed relationship between parent and child, as each grows older, is the adult status that parents maintain and children acquire. Roles that once distinguished parent from child are roles now shared: The bio-social process of aging moves interaction between parent and child to the level playing field of adulthood. Expectations about the nature of lifelong family roles and extant patterns of interaction are challenged and redefined when these two generations occupy adult statuses. This article draws upon three qualitative community studies-a total of fifty-seven women and men sixty years old and older-to explore the understandings elderly parents, predominantly mothers, have of their relationships to adult children. In this pooled study, parents made cameo appearances in the lives of their adult children and vice versa. Lifelong parental roles were vestigial parts of the social identity of community-dwelling elderly parents.
Potassium uptake by plants, as characterized by root density, species and K/Rb ratio

A small fraction of the plant K requirement is attained by root interception. The bulk of K has to be transported to the growing roots by mass-flow and diffusion in which diffusion mechanism plays the major role. Studies were undertaken to evaluate soil and plant parameters that might have influence on K supply mechanisms in soil and on plant uptake of K. Increasing wheat plant density led to competition for K absorption and resulted in lower K uptake by plant. In high plant density treatment, about 60% of the K requirement was met by diffusion process whereas in low plant density treatment mass-flow contributed most of the K demand. Solution diffusion and mass-flow were the major mechanisms of K supply to wheat roots. The mechanism of K supply to wheat root was compared with corn and onion. The major mechanism of K supply to corn and onion roots was exchange and solution diffusion. The mechanism of K supply to different crop species is attributable to differences in the K requirements, water flux rates and to the differences in root parameters.
Preliminary validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale for children.

Introduction Evidence is growing that an addictive process may play a role in problematic eating behavior. The majority of research on this topic has examined the concept of “food addiction” solely in adult samples. If certain foods have addictive potential, children may be impacted as much as (or more) than adults due to psychological and neurobiological vulnerabilities at younger developmental stages. In the current study, we developed a measure of food addiction in children that reflects the diagnostic indicators of addiction.
Effect of creatinine and specific gravity normalization on urinary biomarker 1,6-hexamethylene diamine

Urine amine levels used as biomarkers of diisocyanate exposure have usually been normalized with creatinine concentration. The suitability of using creatinine concentration or specific gravity for these biomarkers in exposure assessment has not been established. We investigated the effect of creatinine concentration and specific gravity on urine 1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HDA) levels in multiple mixed linear regression models using quantitative dermal and inhalation exposure data derived from a survey of automotive spray painters occupationally exposed to 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Painters' dermal and breathing-zone HDI exposure were monitored for an entire workday for up to three workdays spaced approximately one month apart. One urine sample was collected before the start of work with HDI-containing paints, and multiple samples were collected throughout the workday. Both creatinine concentration and specific gravity were highly significant predictors (p < 0.0001) of urine HDA levels. When these two were used together in the same model, creatinine remained highly significant (p < 0.0001), but specific gravity decreased in significance (p-values 0.10–0.17). We used different individual factors to determine which affected creatinine and specific gravity. Urine collection time was a highly significant predictor of specific gravity (p = 0.003) and creatinine concentration (p = 0.001). Smoker status was significant (p = 0.026) in the creatinine model. The findings indicate that creatinine concentration is more appropriate to account for urine water content than specific gravity and that creatinine is best used as an independent variable in HDI exposure assessment models instead of traditional urine normalization with creatinine concentration.
Transport of amino acids in ehrlich ascites cells: Competitive stimulation

Abstract 1. 1. The term ‘competitive stimulation’ refers to an experimental finding in which the uptake of one amino acid is increased in the presence of another amino acid when both are initially present extracellularly. The uptake of both amino acids of such pairs was investigated with use of double-label techniques. 2. 2. For all amino acid pairs examined which showed competitive stimulation, the uptake of one amino acid was increased whereas that of the other was decreased. Furthermore, the decrease in uptake of the latter was considerably greater than the increase in uptake of the former. 3. 3. In time studies it was found that the distribution ratio of the amino acid whose uptake was stimulated was increased at all incubation times up to 30 min. The amino acid whose uptake was inhibited showed not only a markedly decreased uptake but also a significantly altered curve of time dependent of uptake.
A study of the performance potential of DHT-based overlays

We use simulation to study whether overlays based on the recent distributed hash tables (DHTs) have the potential to deliver performance comparable to that of overlays based on measurements. Our work is motivated by the use of DHTs for services such as multicast, which is already targeted by measurement-based overlays; there is currently little understanding of how the two approaches compare at scales where both are viable. We compare three DHT-based overlays (CAN, Chord and Pastry) with two measurement-based overlays (Narada and NICE), as well as power-law random graphs (PLRGs) that represent Gnutella. To enable comparisons, we configure the overlays with the same average out-degree and focus on moderate scale. To gauge potential, we look at current and idealized DHT algorithms. We find that basic versions of DHTs have a latency stretch that is at least twice that of NICE and Narada, but similar performance in terms of bandwidth hotspots. However, DHT performance can be improved considerably with routing heuristics and topology-aware overlay construction, which have the potential to bring DHT performance at par with NICE. We also report on performance of overlays with power-law structure and the impact of hierarchy on performance.
Can fear arousal in public health campaigns contribute to the decline of HIV prevalence

Most American health professionals who work in HIV/AIDS do not support the use of fear arousal in AIDS preventive education, believing it to be counterproductive. Meanwhile, many Africans, whether laypersons, health professionals, or politicians, seem to believe there is a legitimate role for fear arousal in changing sexual behavior. This African view is the one more supported by the empirical evidence, which suggests that the use of fear arousal in public health campaigns often works in promoting behavior change, when combined with self-efficacy. The authors provide overviews of the prevailing American expert view, African national views, and the most recent findings on the use of fear arousal in behavior change campaigns. Their analysis suggests that American, post-sexual-revolution values and beliefs may underlie rejection of fear arousal strategies, whereas a pragmatic realism based on personal experience underlies Africans' acceptance of and use of the same strategies in AIDS prevention campaigns.
Multiuser detection for overloaded CDMA systems

Multiuser detection for overloaded code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems, in which the number of users is larger than the dimension of the signal space, is of particular interest when bandwidth is at a premium. In this paper, certain fundamental questions are answered regarding the asymptotic forms and performance of suboptimum multiuser detectors for cases where the desired and/or interfering signal subspaces are of reduced rank and/or have a nontrivial intersection. In the process, two new suboptimum detectors are proposed that are especially well suited to overloaded systems, namely, the group pseudo-decorrelator and the group minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) detector. The former is seen to be the correct extension of the group decorrelator in the sense that it is the limiting form (in the low-noise regime) of the group MMSE detector. Pseudo-decorrelation is also used as a feedforward filter in a new decision feedback scheme. For the particular case of real-valued modulation, it is shown that the proposals of the so-called "improved" linear (also known as "linear-conjugate" or "widely linear") detectors were more simply derived earlier using the idea of minimal sufficiency, which we also apply to the new detectors of this paper.
An Overview of Renal Physiology

The kidney is responsible for varied and critical functions that maintain homeostasis (this can be seen in Table 7.1, which demonstrates the excretory capacity of the kidney). These functions include maintaining the volume and composition of the extracellular fluid (despite drastic and variable difference in daily intake), removal of toxic waste products (such as the end-products of metabolism such as urea, phosphates, sulfates, and uric acid), the conservation of essential nutrients (glucose, amino acids, electrolytes), regulation of acid–base balance, production of hormones (active 1,25-vitamin D and erythropoietin), regulation of blood pressure, and the excretion of drugs that are metabolized. In order to achieve these functions, the kidney acts as an integrative organ of its constitutive parts: the nephrons. There are approximately 1.2 million nephrons per kidney at birth and it is the function of these units that controls homeostasis.
Single exposure shift-invariant object recognition digital holography

We examine a method of digital holography to analyze three- dimensional (3D) scenes. We present a method for recognizing objects in 3D scenes using single exposure digital holography that can be used to detect the presence and position of a three-dimensional object within the scene as well as detect if it has an out of plane rotation. The use of a single hologram allows for a more practical implementation in real world applications such as those involving moving targets or those applications where noise is involved. Correlation methods are used to recognize the 3D reference object within the 3D scene and detect the position of that object.
The light ion trough.

Several fundamental characteristics of LIT (light ion trough), including evidence of diurnal variation as well as response to magnetic disturbances, are identified. These identifications were made using the Bennett radio frequency ion mass spectrometer onboard the OGO-6 from 1969 to 1970. It was shown that the LIT, rather than the total ionization trough, appears as a more meaningful indicator of the plasmapause. This makes the LIT a fundamental parameter for studies of the formation and maintenance of the plasmasphere.
Iron-Nickel Alloy in the Earth's Core

[1] The phase relations of an Fe10wt%Ni alloy were investigated in a diamond anvil cell up to 86 GPa and 2382 K. Adding nickel into iron stabilizes the fcc phase to higher pressures and lower temperatures compared to pure iron, and a region of two-phase coexistence between fcc and hcp phases is observed. Iron with up to 10 wt% nickel is likely to be in the hcp structure under inner core conditions. The axial ratio (c/a) of hcp-Fe10wt%Ni has a weak pressure dependence, but it increases substantially with increasing temperature. The extrapolated c/a ratio at ∼5700 K and ∼86 GPa is approximately 1.64, lower than a theoretically predicted value of nearly 1.7 for hcp-Fe at 5700 K and inner-core pressure. A lower c/a ratio should have an effect on the longitudinal anisotropy of the hcp phase, and hence, may influence the interpretation of the seismic wave anisotropy of the inner core.
The Reformation and the Decay of Medieval Ideals

the school of economic determinism. The institutional historian tends to see the Reformation as part of the growth of the centralized national state while yet others say that the revolt was the result of corruption and abuse within the mother institution itself-the Catholic Church. Those who see the movement as part of the vast intellectual revolution of the era, hail the Protestant revolution as the "coming-of-age" of medieval Europe-the emancipation of the laity and the lay mind from the tutelage of the ecclesiastical.2 It is unnecessary to enumerate further. The only point which I have to contribute along these lines is to say that all of these suggested reasons fail to explain adequately three aspects of the Reformation which historians at least have tended to ignore. First, the intensity of the appeal of the Protestant doctrines should not be underestimated. It seems impossible that men should have died in agony merely as a symptom of some unseen economicsocial-political force. When Hugh Latimer turned to Nicholas Ridley as they stood chained to the stake and said "Be of good comfort, master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out,"3 Latimer was not speaking as the victim of a shapeless and terrifying monster known as an economic force which was inevitably leading him to his martyrdom. We sometimes forget we are still dealing with human history and though words cannot adequately describe the experience of a martyr at the stake, it is assuredly not an expression
The Decline of the License Raj: Indian Software Export Policies

This article addresses the followed questions : What roles has the Indian state assumed in promoting the software industry ? What different forms of power (instrumental, structural, symbolic, or transformational) have been used by the Indian state to this end ?
Nest Site Selection and Nesting Behavior of the Bee Lithurgopsis apicalis (Megachilidae: Lithurginae)

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the biology of Lithurgopsis apicalis (Cresson) that were found excavating nests in the dead and dying flower/seed stalks of Agave in southern Arizona. Females normally gain entry to the soft inner tissue of the stalk by seeking out naturally occurring longitudinal cracks in the hard outer surface of the stalk. Once inside they chew branching tunnels through the soft plant tissue, at the end of which are one or more extremely elongate brood cells. The cells were normally found to contain one or more eggs, each in a small empty pocket entirely within the provisions of soft pollen, which completely filled the cell. The attachment of the egg to the provisions is described, as is the egg itself. The first four larval instars remain attached to the provisions while the elongate fifth (final larval) instar is free from the provisions and starts defecating while still eating the food, which gradually intermixes with fecal pellets. Toward the end of defecation, larvae start spinning ...
A CRITICAL GUIDE TO BUSH V. GORE SCHOLARSHIP

▪ Abstract This review evaluates the emerging legal and political science scholarship created in the wake of the United States Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore, the case that ended the 2000 Florida election controversy between supporters of George W. Bush and those of Al Gore. The article surveys scholars' answers to four central questions: (a) Were the Supreme Court's majority or concurring opinions legally sound? (b) Was the Supreme Court's result justified, even if the legal reasoning contained in the opinions was unsound? (c) What effects, if any, will the case and the social science research it has spurred have on the development of voting rights law? (d) What does the Court's resolution of Bush v. Gore tell us about the Supreme Court as an institution?
SnO 2 nanowires for detection of chemical warfare agents

Among the wide range of interesting potential applications for nanowires (NWs) of semiconducting oxides, we have focused our attention on the sensing properties of SnO 2 NWs. SnO 2 NWs networks were prepared using evaporation/condensation technique. The morphology, crystalline structure, and composition of nanowires structures were investigated using scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and related energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Conductometric sensors based on SnO 2 NWs were developed and tested for chemical warfare simulants detection, a challenging application to demonstrate the different contribution of the above-mentioned technology to the gas-sensing field. SnO 2 NWs gas sensors were able to detect acetonitrile, dimethyl methyl phosphonate and dipropylene glycol methyl ether at concentrations close or below their Immediately Dangerous for Life and Health (IDHL) value.
Estimating the shadow prices of SO2 and NOx for U.S. coal power plants: A convex nonparametric least squares approach

Abstract Weak disposability between outputs and pollutants, defined as a simultaneous proportional reduction of both outputs and pollutants, assumes that pollutants are byproducts of the output generation process and that a firm can “freely dispose” of both by scaling down production levels, leaving some inputs idle. Based on the production axioms of monotonicity, convexity and weak disposability, we formulate a convex nonparametric least squares (CNLS) quadratic optimization problem to estimate a frontier production function assuming either a deterministic disturbance term consisting only of inefficiency, or a composite disturbance term composed of both inefficiency and noise. The suggested methodology extends the stochastic semi-nonparametric envelopment of data (StoNED) described in Kuosmanen and Kortelainen (2011). Applying the method to estimate the shadow prices of SO 2 and NO x generated by U.S. coal power plants, we conclude that the weak disposability StoNED method provides more consistent estimates of market prices.
Bandwidth Extension of High-Gain CMOS Stages Using Active Negative Capacitance

A method of extending the bandwidth of a CMOS amplifier by the use of a negative capacitance circuit is presented. Nonideal effects of the negative capacitance circuit are combined with the one-pole amplifier response resulting in a two-pole response. Proper selection of element values leads to a maximally-flat magnitude response with a significantly improved bandwidth for the amplifier. Specific guidelines are given for the design of an effective negative capacitance circuit. Simulations using TSMC 0.25-micron device models show a bandwidth improvement approaching two orders of magnitude in a typical CMOS high-gain stage.
Implementing a Highly Parameterized Digital PIV System on Reconfigurable Hardware

This paper presents PARPIV the design and prototyping of a highly parameterized digital Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system implemented on reconfigurable hardware. Despite many improvements to PIV methods over the last twenty years, PIV post-processing remains a computationally intensive task. It becomes a serious bottleneck as camera acquisition rates reach 1000 frames per second. In this research, we aim to substantially speed up PIV processing by implementing it in reconfigurable hardware. Furthermore, this implementation is highly parameterized, supporting adaptation to a variety of setups and application domains. The circuit is parameterized by the dimensions of the captured images as well as the dimensions of the interrogation windows and sub-areas, pixel representation, board memory width, displacement and overlap. Through this work a parameterized library of different VHDL components was built. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first highly parameterized PIV system implemented on reconfigurable hardware reported in the literature. For a typical PIV configuration with images of 512×512 pixels, 40×40 pixel interrogation windows and 32×32 pixel sub-areas, we achieved about 65\ times speedup in hardware over a standard software implementation.
Diallel crosses reveal patterns of variation in fruit-set, seed mass, and seed number in Asclepias incarnata

Plants from each of two populations of Asclepias incarnata ssp. incarnata were hand-pollinated in diallel crosses and seed number per fruit, mean individual seed mass per fruit and fruit-set were determined for the parental plants. Two diallels were performed on the glasshouse-grown plants, one involving six plants from one population and the other involving five plants from the second population. The contributions to total phenotypic variation from joint, maternal, paternal, and two types of interaction sources of variation were then estimated. Variance attributable to maternal effects, reflecting differences between maternal plants resulting from environmental or genetic factors or both, comprised 31.3–68.4% of total variance in seed mass, 20.5–37.1% of variance in seed number, and 0.7–7.5% of variance in fruit-set. Interaction effects that depended on the direction of the cross accounted for 7.3–46.5% of variance in seed mass and 31.4–39.1% of variance in seed number. These interaction effects are consistent with the hypothesis that maternal plants provision resources differently to seeds depending on the specific genotypes of the embryos they contain. In the analysis of fruit-set, interaction effects independent of the direction of the cross (combined variance) explained 22.9–78.0% of phenotypic variance. These effects could have several causes, including inbreeding depression, shared incompatibility alleles, or ‘control’ of fruit-set by zygotes via hormonal signals or patterns of resource acquisition.
Metabolism of hydroxylysine by rats.

DL- and DL-allo-5-hydroxylysine-6-14C and L-5-hydroxlysine-3H were administered intraperitoneally to intact rats and the degradative products were trapped by the metabolite overloading technique. Hydroxylysine was readily oxidized; ap proximately 40% of the 14Cwas expired as I4CO2in 24 hours. Urinary 5- hydroxy- pipecolate, o-ketoadipate, glutarate and crotonate were identified as labeled degrada tion products isolated from the urine. The specific activities of glutamate, aspartate and alanine isolated from the carcass protein were too low to permit the determina tion of the labeling pattern. This low activity and the rapid release of 14CO2suggests that CÂ«)of hydroxylysine reaches these amino acids via 14CO2. The degradation of hydroxylysine appears to proceed by reactions parallel to those which degrade lysine with the site of dehydroxylation as yet uncertain.
Early findings of prospective anti-HLA donor specific antibodies monitoring study in pancreas transplantation: Indiana University Health Experience

The significance of donor-specific antibodies (DSA) is not well known in the setting of pancreas transplantation. Since December 2009, we prospectively followed pancreas transplant patients with single-antigen-luminex-bead testing at one, two, three, six, and then every six months for the first two yr. Thirty-five of the 92 patients that underwent pancreas transplantation (13 pancreas-alone [PTA], 20 with a kidney [SPK], and two after a kidney [PAK]) agreed to participate in study. Median age at transplant was 45 yr and follow-up was 23 months. Majority were Caucasian (n = 33) and male (n = 18). Rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin induction was used. Median HLA-mismatch was 4.2 ± 1.1. Eight patients (7SPK, 1PAK) developed post-transplant DSA at median follow-up of 76 d (26-119), 1 SPK had pre-formed DSA. Seven patients had both class I and class II DSA, one with class I and one with class II only. Mean peak class I DSA-MFI was 3529 (±1456); class II DSA-MFI was 5734 (±3204) whereas cumulative DSA MFI (CI + CII) was 9264 (±4233). No difference was observed in the patient and donor demographics among patients with and without DSA. One patient in non-DSA group developed acute cellular rejection of pancreas. From our data it appears that post-transplant DSA in pancreas allograft recipients may not impact the early-pancreatic allograft outcomes. The utility of prospective DSA monitoring in pancreatic transplant patients needs further evaluation and long-term follow-up.
Influence of LEED branding on building occupants' pro-environmental behavior

Abstract In this paper, we examine the influence of branding a building as LEED certified on occupants' pro-environmental behavior (individual participation in an activity that promotes sustainable (green) practices by reducing or eliminating negative environmental impacts). Branding is defined as identifying a building as LEED certified and emphasizing the aspects of the building's green features to its users. One hundred participants were randomly assigned to one of the two experimental groups: (1) the branding group, in which the building was branded as being LEED certified, and (2) the control group, in which no information was provided about the building being LEED certified. Through the use of an immersive virtual environment, two examples of pro-environmental behaviors were examined between the two groups: participants' choices in using natural light vs. artificial light for increasing the lighting levels in the room, as well as their choices of recycling bin vs. regular trashcan for placing scrap paper. The results show that the participants in the branding group chose natural light and recycling bin significantly more than the participants in the control group, suggesting that LEED branding motivates occupants' pro-environmental behaviors. The results also show that participants' environmental values and views had significant effects on the influence of LEED branding. The results also suggest that increasing building occupants' knowledge about environmental issues might improve their pro-environmental behaviors.
How to decide whether to buy new medical equipment.

These tips and tools will help you determine whether this type of investment will be beneficial to your practice.
Renal tubular transport of some nitro and amino hippuric acids.

SummaryRenal disposal of m and p nitro and amino hippuric acids was examined in the dog. Administration of sodium bicarbonate did not change urinary excretion of PAH, but increased that of the other compounds. The latter may undergo tubular re-absorption, in accord with their greater lipoid solubility. The 4 substances do not differ in their maximal rates of tubular excretory transport.
Migraine diagnosis and treatment: A knowledge and needs assessment among primary care providers:

BackgroundStudies reveal that migraine is often under-recognized, misdiagnosed and inadequately treated in the primary care setting.ObjectiveThe objective of this article is to assess primary care ...
Futuristics and Innovation in Marketing

Technological changes are occurring so rapidly in many industries that firms can no longer rely on myopic strategic planning. Futurist forecasting is suggested as an alternative which incorporates a longer range qualitative prediction into the process. The techniques are proposed as a necessary and viable addition to the current more quantitative planning models. Communications, pharaceuticals, automotive, and energy are shown as industries which present innovative challenges and opportunities in the 80,s. The planning of alternative future scenarios involve a higher degree of uncertainty but potentially much greater rewards.
Study on the Environmental Factors of Sunlight Greenhouse and Chinese Toona Tree's Growth in Flatland Areas of Northwest Hebei

The environmental factors of the sunlight greenhouse in the northwestern Hebei dam cold area was analysed. The results showed that the Chinese toona tree could grow in the sunlight greenhouse in the northwestern Hebei dam cold area. The result of cultivation of the Chinese Toona tests showed that: the two-year seedlings of Chinese toona had the largest annual growth, the highest yield in the sunlinght greenhouse.