cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Using Equity Participation to Support Exchange: Evidence from the Biotechnology Industry

In many industries, interfirm arrangements play an important role in the development, commercialization, and diffusion of technical know-how. These arrangements can involve various activities, including R&D, technology transfer, manufacturing, materials supply, and marketing, and can be governed by various types of organizational and contractual arrangements. Interfirm arrangements are often viewed as intermediate or hybrid forms along an institutional continuum of markets to hierarchies. Because most arrangements involve multiple dimensions of governance, however, it is extremely difficult to locate actual arrangements along this continuum. As a result, most empirical analyses have examined variance along particular structural dimensions such as the ownership of capital equipment (Monteverde and Teece, 1982b) or the contract duration (Joskow). This article examines the motives for using partial equity investments in collaborative relationships. These equity linkages include both classic joint ventures (where two or more parties create a separate, jointly owned entity) and direct minority equity investments (where one party takes an equity position in its partner).
Prospects for carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of solid fossil-fuel materials

Abstract Because of excessive line broadening in solids due to magnetic dipole—dipole interactions and chemical shift anisotropies, and because of long spin-lattice relaxation times, standard continuous wave (CW) or pulse Fourier transform techniques do not normally yield structurally informative 13 C n.m.r. spectra from solid samples. However, the techniques of dipolar decoupling, cross polarization and magic-angle spinning show great promise for routine 13 C n.m.r. studies of solids. Applications of these techniques to analysis of anthracite, lignite and algal coal samples, and to oil shale and kerogen samples, are discussed. It is shown that cross-polarization spectra obtained with dipolar decoupling display chemical shift anisotropy which interferes with attempts to distinguish the resonances of aromatic and aliphatic carbons. However, with magic-angle spinning the distinction can be made. Prospects and potential difficulties with applications of these techniques are discussed.
Hebbian learning in parallel and modular memories

Many cognitive and sensorimotor functions in the brain involve parallel and modular memory subsystems that are adapted by activity-dependent Hebbian synaptic plasticity. This is in contrast to the multilayer perceptron model of supervised learning where sensory information is presumed to be integrated by a common pool of hidden units through backpropagation learning. Here we show that Hebbian learning in parallel and modular memories is more advantageous than backpropagation learning in lumped memories in two respects: it is computationally much more efficient and structurally much simpler to implement with biological neurons. Accordingly, we propose a more biologically relevant neural network model, called a tree-like perceptron, which is a simple modification of the multilayer perceptron model to account for the general neural architecture, neuronal specificity, and synaptic learning rule in the brain. The model features a parallel and modular architecture in which adaptation of the input-to-hidden connection follows either a Hebbian or anti-Hebbian rule depending on whether the hidden units are excitatory or inhibitory, respectively. The proposed parallel and modular architecture and implicit interplay between the types of synaptic plasticity and neuronal specificity are exhibited by some neocortical and cerebellar systems.
Nonlinear features in the dielectric behavior of propylene glycol

We investigate the nonlinear dielectric effects in a glass-forming polar liquid, propylene glycol, by high-voltage frequency-domain impedance experiments. The peak amplitudes of the sinusoidal electric fields are varied between 14 and $283\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kV}∕\mathrm{cm}$. Two competing nonlinear effects are observed: a decrease of the dielectric constant reminiscent of the Langevin effect and an increase of the dielectric loss that originates from the irreversible transfer of energy from the electric field to the slow degrees of freedom of the viscous liquid. By virtue of the frequency dependence of the two features, the positive and negative changes are easily separable. Both effects can be rationalized quantitatively without adjustable parameters.
The hydration free energy of aqueous Na+ and Cl- at high temperatures predicted by ab initio/classical free energy perturbation: 973 K with 0.535 g/cm3 and 573 K with 0.725 g/cm3

The ab initio/classical free energy perturbation (ABC-FEP) method combines the free energy calculated from a classical simulation of an approximate model with the free energy of perturbing the approximate interactions to ab initio interaction energies. This method was used to calculate the hydration free energies of Na+ and Cl- at two high temperature state points (973 K with 0.535 g/cm3 and 573 K with 0.725 g/cm3). At 573 K with 0.725 g/cm3 our result for the sum of free energies for the two ions, G = −657 kJ/mol, is in good agreement (4 kJ/mol) with the well-known experimental value. The ab initio result at 973 K with 0.535 g/cm3 is G = −538 kJ/mol, in good agreement (7 kJ/mol) with semiempirical extrapolations from low-temperature experimental results. The accuracy of the ab initio methods and estimates of the sampling error indicate that this result is more reliable than previous predictions using either molecular dynamics simulations or empirically parametrized equations of state. Analysis of the res...
History and evolution of brain tumor imaging: insights through radiology.

This review recounts the history of brain tumor diagnosis from antiquity to the present and, indirectly, the history of neuroradiology. Imaging of the brain has from the beginning held an enormous interest because of the inherent difficulty of this endeavor due to the presence of the skull. Because of this, most techniques when newly developed have always been used in neuroradiology and, although some have proved to be inappropriate for this purpose, many were easily incorporated into the specialty. The first major advance in modern neuroimaging was contrast agent–enhanced computed tomography, which permitted accurate anatomic localization of brain tumors and, by virtue of contrast enhancement, malignant ones. The most important advances in neuroimaging occurred with the development of magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted sequences that allowed an indirect estimation of tumor cellularity; this was further refined by the development of perfusion and permeability mapping. From its beginnings wi...
SharC: checking data sharing strategies for multithreaded c

Unintended or unmediated data sharing is a frequent cause of insidious bugs in multithreaded programs. We present a tool called SharC (short for Sharing Checker) that allows a user to write lightweight annotations to declare how they believe objects are being shared between threads in their program. SharC uses a combination of static and dynamic analyses to check that the program conforms to this specification.SharC allows any type to have one of five "sharing modes" -- private to the current thread, read-only, shared under the control of a specified lock, intentionally racy, or checked dynamically. The dynamic mode uses run-time checking to verify that objects are either read-only, or only accessed by one thread. This allows us to check programs that would be difficult to check with a purely static system. If the user does not give a type an explicit annotation, then SharC uses a static type-qualifier analysis to infer that it is either private or should be checked dynamically.SharC allows objects to move between different sharing modes at runtime by using reference counting to check that there are no other references to the objects when they change mode.SharC's baseline dynamic analysis can check any C program, but is slow, and will generate false warnings about intentional data sharing. As the user adds more annotations, false warnings are reduced, and performance improves.We have found in practice that very few annotations are needed to describe all sharing and give reasonable performance. We ran SharC on 6 legacy C programs, summing to over 600k lines of code, and found that a total of only 60 simple annotations were needed to remove all false positives and to reduce performance overhead to only 2-14%.
Quantification of polymerase chain reaction products: Enzyme immunoassay based systems for digoxigenin- and biotin-labelled products that quantify either total or specific amplicons

Enzyme immunoassays were developed for quantification of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, referred to as amplicons. Amplicons were dual labelled simultaneously by enzymatic incorporation of digoxigenin and biotin during PCR. For total amplicon quantification, Microfluor B polystyrene wells, compatible with chemiluminescent detection, were coated with streptavidin. Dual labelled amplicons were bound, treated with anti-digoxigenin antibody conjugated to alkaline phosphatase to complete the two-site sandwich immunoassay configuration, and detected by the chemiluminescence generated upon hydrolysis of a phosphate substituted dioxetane substrate, AMPPD. For specific amplicon quantification, the Microfluor B wells were coated with an unlabelled DNA probe complementary to the labelled amplicon target. Subsequent steps were performed as described above. This assay detects 2 pg of specifically amplified DNA. Chemiluminescent detection provides a linear range of four orders of magnitude for amplicon quantification. The non-radioactive labels are safe and stable. PCR as described here obviates the need for labelled primers and constitutes the initial report of concurrent dual non-radioactive labelling of DNA by a DNA polymerase.
Implications of atypical biochemical data in a case of presumed anencephaly

Anomaly scan on a 21 year old primigravida at 22 weeks showed absence of the superior portion of the calvarium with poorly defined cerebral tissue floating in the amniotic fluid. Maternal serum alphafetoprotein (MSAFP) at 18 weeks was 1.4 MOM. The patient was counseled for anencephaly and amniocentesis was performed. Biochemical data consisting of amniotic fluid alphafetoprotein (AFAFP) of 1.94 MOM with weak positive acetylcholinesterase (ACHE) was atypical of classic anencephaly; karyotype was 46, XX. Following termination, fetopsy showed a gaping cranial defect with protruding brain tissue, partially covered by attenuated translucent skin; meninges were torn and congested. Amniotic bands were identified explaining the cranial findings. Radial aplasia and imperforate anus further suggested VATER. While normal MSAFP can be seen with anencephaly, a normal AFAFP and weak positive ACHE are atypical. In the context of the post-mortem findings, it is presumed that without pregnancy termination, expansion of the cranial anomaly would have eventually lead to unequivocally abnormal biochemical results. This case suggests that alternative etiologies, in particular amniotic bands, be considered when atypical biochemical data is seen at midtrimester in the presence of apparent anencephaly.
Seasonal changes in the population structure of Echinoderes coulli (Kinorhyncha)

The population ecology of Echinoderes coulli (Kinorhyncha) in a South Carolina, U.S.A., Spartina alterniflora salt marsh was studied at two nearby intertidal sites. Seasonal cycles in population density, spatial dispersion, age structure, size distribution, sex-ratio and gonad condition were determined. Abundance peaked in midsummer and again during fall months at both sites. Density declined during February and abundance minima were recorded during spring. Overall, density ranged from 0·4 to 72·0 × 10 cm −2 . Based on ANOVA, significant (at the 0·05 level) seasonal variations in adult/juvenile ratio and frequency of occurrence of mature gonads in both sexes were demonstrated. Juveniles were fewest in the population during the late fall, winter and spring. Except for males in March, sexually mature individuals were present the entire year with maxima in spring and early fall. The mean length of adults fluctuated seasonally, the minimum occurred in February. Reproduction and the frequency of juveniles were greatest from March to September when an intrinsic rate of natural increase of 0·018 day −1 was achieved. Two distinct female morphotypes, one with long and one with short lateral terminal spines, are present in E. coulli . Two-way ANOVA revealed that the two morphotypes reacted similarly to seasons as no difference across seasons or interaction with seasons in the relative frequency of occurrence of each morphotype or the occurrence of eggs in each morphotype could be identified.
Acetaminophen plus ibuprofen versus opioids for treatment of post-tonsillectomy pain in children

Abstract Objective To determine the efficacy and safety of acetaminophen plus ibuprofen in treatment of post-tonsillectomy pain compared to acetaminophen plus opioids in children. Study Design Retrospective medical record review. Setting Tertiary-care children's hospital between September 2012 and March 2013. Subjects and Methods All children undergoing total tonsillectomy (n = 1065). Analysis included descriptive analysis, chi-square testing, and logistic regression controlling for age, diagnosis, trainee involvement, concurrent surgical procedures, and Coblator use for differences of outcomes: (1) post-operative bleeding, (2) emergency department (ED) visits for pain, dehydration, or bleeding, and (3) nurse phone calls from families. Results All patients received acetaminophen. Seventy-four percent received ibuprofen (n = 783) and 26.5% did not receive ibuprofen (n = 282). In the ibuprofen group, 32.2% received opioids (n = 252). Over eight percent of children had post-operative hemorrhage of any amount reported (n = 89). Forty-eight percent of these required operative intervention (n = 43). Ibuprofen prescription did not impact post-operative bleeding; operative intervention for bleeding, ED visits, or nurse phone calls either on chi-squared or logistic regression testing. Increasing age was found to increase bleeding risk as well as the likelihood of visiting the ED or calling the clinic nurses. All patients with multiple bleeding episodes were in the ibuprofen group. Conclusion Prescription of ibuprofen did not increase the risk of bleeding and did not increase the likelihood of a post-operative ED visit or nurse phone call. Ibuprofen prescription may possibly increase the risk of multiple bleeding episodes, but further prospective studies are needed. Increased age increases the risk of bleeding, ED visits, and nurse phone calls.
Vector-quantization-based scheme for data embedding for images

Today, data hiding has become more and more important in a variety of applications including security. Since Costa's work in the context of communication, the set of quantization based schemes have been proposed as one class of data hiding schemes. Most of these schemes are based on uniform scalar quantizer, which is optimal only if the host signal is uniformly distributed. In this paper, we propose pdf -matched embedding schemes, which not only consider pdf -matched quantizers, but also extend them to multiple dimensions. Specifically, our contributions to this paper are: We propose a pdf-matched embedding (PME) scheme by generalizing the probability distribution of host image and then constructing a pdf-matched quantizer as the starting point. We show experimentally that the proposed pdf-matched quantizer provides better trade-offs between distortion caused by embedding, the robustness to attacks and the embedding capacity. We extend our algorithm to embed a vector of bits in a host signal vector. We show by experiments that our scheme can be closer to the data hiding capacity by embedding larger dimension bit vectors in larger dimension VQs. Two enhancements have been proposed to our method: by vector flipping and by using distortion compensation (DC-PME), that serve to further decrease the embedding distortion. For the 1-D case, the PME scheme shows a 1 dB improvement over the QIM method in a robustness-distortion sense, while DC-PME is 1 dB better than DC-QIM and the 4-D vector quantizer based PME scheme performs about 3 dB better than the 1-D PME.
Conducting organics and polymers for electronic and optical devices

Abstract In the past 20 years, organic molecular crystals and organic polymers have been prepared in a variety of forms such that electrical conductivity can be systematically controlled over a range of 10 orders of magnitude. Recently, a number of potential applications have emerged from this research. This paper provides a brief overview of current research into the possibility of using organic polymers and charge-transfer complexes to fabricate electronic and optical devices.
Ceftazidime therapy of infections caused by Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Sixteen patients with serious Gram-negative bacillary infections were treated with intravenous ceftazidime, 2 g every 8 h. The majority of patients had bacteraemia or pneumonitis or both. Ten patients were cured and six improved. Seven of ten patients infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa were cured, and three improved. No adverse reactions occurred. Four strains of Ps. aeruginosa became resistant to ceftazidime in patients who were cured or improved clinically. Ceftazidime is effective as single drug therapy for serious Gram-negative infections, including those due to Ps. aeruginosa.
Assessment of shifting global competitiveness: Patent applications and grants in four major trading countries

R ecord U.S. trade deficits during the 1980s have directed increasing research attention to national competitiveness. U.S. trade deficits have been equated with the deteriorating competitiveness of U.S. firms in the world market. However, the recent dollar depreciation has allowed U.S. trade deficits to decline, particularly with Western Europe, while the deficits still remain a relatively sticky problem with Japan. In the political arena, foreign trade barriers (particularly in Japan, China, and other Asian countries) often have been blamed, for mounting U.S. trade deficits. However, data from GAIT and other sources suggest that in addition to competitive weaknesses in U.S. industry, the United States has a comparably high level of tariff and non-tariff barriers to Western Europe and Japan. The President's Commission on Industrial Competitiveness (1985) defines U.S. competitiveness as the degree to which the United States can, under free and fair market conditions, produce goods and services that meet the test of international markets while simultaneously maintaining or expanding the real income of its citizens. At a quantitative level, no single indicator accurately measures all aspects of U.S. competitiveness. The trade balance is a partial reflection of a nation's competitiveness, but it also reflects exchange rate fluctuations and trade barriers. Variants of trade balance, such as a natiora's share of world exports and its import penetration, also are frequently used measures of competitiveness. These measures, similar to the trade deficit, reflect past performance and are less indicative of a nation's current and future competitiveness. Numerous studies have shown the importance of a nation's innovative ability as a foundation for future competitiveness in international trade. A nation's product and process innovations have become increasingly critical prerequisites for the success of its firms in global competition. Patent data also cast some concern over future U.S. cornTrends in patent applications and grants in four countries studied suggest not only a decline in the U.S. competitive position, but an apparent technological life cycle as well.
Verification of the extended statistical model of overlap: Application to gas chromatograms containing variable peak densities

An extended statistical model of overlap that is fairly insensitive to the density of single-component peaks was applied to gas chromatograms of lime oil. These chromatograms were developed in three different ways. In the first way, chromatograms were developed to contain a constant Poisson density of single-component peaks. In the second way, chromatograms were developed by simple temperature ramps, with no concern about the densities of single-component peaks. In the third way, chromatograms were developed by extreme variations of heating rate to generate single-component peaks having wide density variations. The extended statistical model of overlap was used to predict the number of components in all three types of chromatograms. These numbers were essentially equal to those predicted by an earlier model, which because of theoretical limitations could be applied only to chromatograms developed the first way. This equivalence of component numbers verifies that the extended model is more powerful than its predecessor and, under appropriate circumstances, can be used to interpret chromatograms with little or no concern about the density of single-component peaks.
Curriculum Mapping in Academic Libraries

Librarians at four different academic institutions concurrently completed curriculum mapping projects using varying methods to analyze their information literacy instruction. Curriculum mapping is a process for systematically evaluating components of an instructional program for cohesiveness, proper sequencing, and goal achievement. There is a dearth of documentation of how this process has applied to an information literacy curriculum; however, the benefits of an organized examination of course progression is clear. The librarians explored curriculum mapping using different methodologies and approaches in order to formulate a more strategic approach to teaching students information literacy skills.
Geocenter variations derived from GPS tracking of the GRACE satellites

Two 4.5-year sets of daily geocenter variations have been derived from GPS-LEO (Low-Earth Orbiter) tracking of the GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) satellites. The twin GRACE satellites, launched in March 2002, are each equipped with a BlackJack global positioning system (GPS) receiver for precise orbit determination and gravity recovery. Since launch, there have been significant improvements in the background force models used for satellite orbit determination, most notably the model for the geopotential, which has resulted in significant improvements to the orbit determination accuracy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential for determining seasonal (annual and semiannual) geocenter variations using GPS-LEO tracking data from the GRACE twin satellites. Internal comparison between the GRACE-A and GRACE-B derived geocenter variations shows good agreement. In addition, the annual and semiannual variations of geocenter motions determined from this study have been compared with other space geodetic solutions and predictions from geophysical models. The comparisons show good agreement except for the phase of the z-translation component.
Interfacially polymerized metalloporphyrin thin films for colorimetric sensing of organic vapors

Abstract Interfacial polymerization chemistry has been employed to produce robustly structured supported films of sensor materials. Thin-film materials that incorporate several metalloporphyrins (M = Co(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)) to use as colorimetric sensors for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including alcohols, ketones and chlorocarbons have been synthesized. Upon exposure to these VOCs, the sensors’ absorption spectra undergo reversible changes that can be monitored to discriminate amongst analyte species. Sensor sensitivity and selectivity is affected by the metal identity.
A comparative study of the mechanical properties of Mytilid byssal threads.

SUMMARY Mytilid bivalves employ a set of threads (the byssus) to attach themselves to both hard and soft substrates. In this study, we measured the mechanical properties of byssal threads from two semi-infaunal mytilids ( Geukensia demissa Dillwyn and Modiolus modiolus Linnaeus) and two epifaunal mytilids ( Mytilus californianus Conrad and Mytilus edulis Linnaeus). We compared material properties with and without the assumption that changes of length and area during tensile testing are insignificant, demonstrating that previous researchers have overestimated extensibility values by 30% and may also have underestimated strength values. We detected significant differences in thread properties among tested mytilid species, contrary to previous findings. Threads from semi-infaunal species were significantly thinner than those from epifaunal species, perhaps to allow the production of a greater number of threads, which form a dense network within the substrate. Geukensia demissa threads were weaker than those of the other species, and had a significantly lower stiffness at failure. Modiolus modiolus threads were significantly stiffer than M. edulis threads but also significantly less extensible, suggesting a trade-off between stiffness and extensibility. The only thread property that did not show significant differences across species was toughness – even when byssal threads differ in strength or stiffness, they seem to absorb similar amounts of energy per unit volume prior to failure. This study reveals notable differences between the byssal thread properties of different mytilid bivalves and provides a reliable and thorough methodology for future comparative studies.
Is more better?: the relationship between nurse staffing and the quality of nursing care in hospitals.

Objective The objective of this study was to examine the effects of nurse staffing and process of nursing care indicators on assessments of the quality of nursing care. Research design This study examined the variation in inpatient hospital staff nurses' assessments of the quality of nursing care and the effects of nurse staffing (patient workload), patient safety problems (medication errors and patient falls with injuries), and unfinished care (number of nursing tasks left undone) on the variation in those assessments. Secondary analysis of a survey of nurses using multivariate regression models was undertaken. Subjects Data were derived from a 1999 statewide survey of 8670 inpatient staff nurses working in acute care hospitals in Pennsylvania. Results Quality of nursing care ratings were significantly associated with the number of patients who nurses care for, rates of unfinished care for those patients, and the frequency of patient safety problems. The effect of patient workload on quality ratings was attenuated substantially by the effects of unfinished care and patient safety problems. Unfinished care had the strongest relationship of all, with over 40% of the variation in quality ratings associated with the number of tasks left undone. Conclusions Assessments of the quality of nursing are associated with both structural (workload) and process of care indicators (unfinished clinical care and patient safety problems), with the relationship strongest between process of care and quality. Explicating the interrelationship between structure and process of care is key to understanding the influence of both on quality. Studies that assess the causal influence of these features on quality of care and patient outcomes are warranted.
Parallel processing of controlled multibody mechanical system dynamics

A parallel processing methodology for high-speed dynamic simulation of controlled multibody mechanical systems is proposed for shared memory multiprocessor implementation. A dual-rate integration method is developed first to account for different time scales of mechanical and control subsystems and to employ different integration algorithms and step sizes that are best suited for individual subsystems. A parallel processing algorithm is designed for shared memory multiprocessors to exploit nested parallelism in a high as well as a medium level. Procedure dependency due to the recurrence relations in the Newton-Euler formulation is eliminated by utilizing a modified system graph that creates independent parallel threads. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated using an example on an Alliant FX/8.
Effect of Thermodynamic Conditions on Droplet Size in Diesel Engines: Importance of an Advanced Surface Tension Model

The effort described in this extended abstract aims at elucidating how droplet secondary breakup is affected by surface tension behavior at thermodynamic conditions relevant to diesel engine operation. The droplet surface tension coefficient is calculated using the method of MacLeod and Sugden, which takes into account mixture and high-pressure phase equilibrium effects. To this end, high-pressure binary phase equilibrium is computed for prescribed droplet interface conditions using a Peng-Robinson equation of state. Finally, droplet propensity to secondary breakup is estimated based on recently developed criteria. The model thus obtained is compared to spray sizing data acquired in a Diesel Engine Simulator for dodecane.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Patient comorbidity score predicting the incidence of perioperative complications: assessing the impact of comorbidities on complications in spine surgery.

Object Present attempts to control health care costs focus on reducing the incidence of complications and hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). One approach uses restriction or elimination of hospital payments for HACs. Present approaches assume that all HACs are created equal and that payment restrictions should be applied uniformly. Patient factors, and especially patient comorbidities, likely impact complication incidence. The relationship of patient comorbidities and complication incidence in spine surgery has not been prospectively reported. Methods The authors conducted a prospective assessment of complications in spine surgery during a 6-month period; an independent auditor and a validated definition of perioperative complications were used. Initial demographics captured relevant patient comorbidities. The authors constructed a model of relative risk assessment based on the presence of a variety of comorbidities. They examined the impact of specific comorbidities and the cumulative effect of multipl...
X-ray transitions in Br XXIV-XXVIII.

Transitions in the wavelength region 4.9\char21{}8.1 A\r{} from Br , , , , and have been identified in spectra from laser-produced plasmas. The identifications were made using ab initio calculations of wavelengths and oscillator strengths. Spatially resolved spectra were recorded for laser irradiation intensities from 3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{13}$ to 4\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{14}$ W/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$. The dependence of the spectral lines on the distance from the target and on the irradiation intensity was very useful in distinguishing the transitions from different ionization stages.
PhiC31 recombination system demonstrates heritable germinal transmission of site-specific excision from the Arabidopsis genome

Background: The large serine recombinase phiC31 from broad host range Streptomyces temperate phage, catalyzes the site-specific recombination of two recognition sites that differ in sequence, typically known as attachment sites attB and attP. Previously, we characterized the phiC31 catalytic activity and modes of action in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Results: In this work, the phiC31 recombinase gene was placed under the control of the Arabidopsis OXS3 promoter and introduced into Arabidopsis harboring a chromosomally integrated attB and attP-flanked target sequence. The phiC31 recombinase excised the attB and attP-flanked DNA, and the excision event was detected in subsequent generations in the absence of the phiC31 gene, indicating germinal transmission was possible. We further verified that the genomic excision was conservative and that introduction of a functional recombinase can be achieved through secondary transformation as well as manual crossing. Conclusion: The phiC31 system performs site-specific recombination in germinal tissue, a prerequisite for generating stable lines with unwanted DNA removed. The precise site-specific deletion by phiC31 in planta demonstrates that the recombinase can be used to remove selectable markers or other introduced transgenes that are no longer desired and therefore can be a useful tool for genome engineering in plants.
Pharmacological effects of various venoms on cutaneous capillary leakage

Studies to counteract the cutaneous vasopermeability actions of a wasp (Vespa orientalis), an anemone (Bolocera tuediae) and three jellyfish (Chironex fleckeri, Chrysaora quinquecirrha and Physalia physalis) venoms were conducted by using various pharmacological antagonists. Piripost (a leukotriene inhibitor) reduced vasopermeability if administered 5 min prior to challenge with the three jellyfish venoms. Methysergide counteracted the vasopermeability of three of four coelenterate venoms, whereas indomethacin was effective against capillary leakage induced by Chironex venom. These studies indicate that anti-dermonecrotic therapy against various venoms will have to be species-specific.
Scaling Structure Factor Amplitudes in Electron Cryomicroscopy Using X-Ray Solution Scattering

The structure factors derived from electron cryomicroscopic images are modified by the contrast transfer function of the microscope's objective lens and other influences. The phases of the structure factors can be corrected in a straightforward way when the positions of the contrast transfer function rings are determined. However, corrected amplitudes are also essential to yield an accurate distribution of mass in the reconstruction. The correct scale factors for the amplitudes are difficult to evaluate for data that are merged from many different micrographs. We opt to use X-ray solution scattering intensity from a concentrated suspension of the specimen to correct the amplitudes of the spherically averaged structure factors. When this approach is applied to the three-dimensional image data of ice-embedded acrosomal bundles, the core of a filament in a three-dimensional reconstruction of the acrosomal bundle becomes denser and matches more closely the outer density ascribed to scruin.
The effects of salinity and temperature on the density and sinking velocity of eggs of the calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa Dana

Abstract The potential effects of changes in seawater salinity and temperature on the density and sinking velocity of the eggs of the coastal/estuarine calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa Dana were evaluated in the laboratory using the Percoll density gradient centrifugation method. The developmental stage of the eggs also was investigated to determine if the density and sinking velocity of the eggs changed as the eggs developed. Results of developmental stage experiments for A. tonsa eggs spawned in seawater at a salinity of 15%. and a temperature of 20 °C indicated no statistically significant differences in measured mean egg densities or calculated sinking velocities between the different developmental stage groups (range of egg densities of 1.083 to 1.088 g/ml). Results of salinity experiments indicated that, for eggs spawned at a salinity of 15%. and a temperature of 20 °C, the measured mean egg density was 1.066 g/ml, while for eggs spawned at a salinity of 31%. and 20 °C, mean egg density was 1.086 g/ml. Measured mean egg densities and calculated sinking velocities were significantly different between the two experimental salinity conditions. Salinity crossover experiments, designed to investigate the effects of post-spawning changes in seawater salinity on the density or sinking velocity of the eggs, demonstrated a statistically significant change in density and sinking velocity for eggs which were exposed to different experimental salinities post-spawning. These results indicate osmoregulation by the eggs. Results of the temperature experiments demonstrated that the mean densities and sinking velocities of eggs spawned at a temperature of 20 or 30 °C (salinity of 31%.) were significantly different. For these experiments, eggs spawned at a temperature of 20 °C and 31%. salinity exhibited a mean egg density of 1.087 g/ml. Eggs spawned at a temperature of 30 °C and a salinity of 31%. exhibited a mean egg density of 1.077 g/ml. The results of the salinity and temperature experiments demonstrated that both salinity and temperature significantly affected the density and sinking velocity of the eggs of A. tonsa. At temperatures ≥20 °C, typical sinking velocities
Factors influencing the ejection fraction and the mean rate of circumferential fibre shortening during atrial fibrillation in man.

Sixty-six cardiac cycles in 10 patients with valvular heart disease and depressed left ventricular performance who had atrial fibrillation were analysed by measurement of arterial pressure, R-R interval and the cineangiographically derived end-diastolic volume, ejection fraction, and mean rate of circumferential fibre shortening at the minor left ventricular equator. For each beat the independent influence on left ventricular performance of variations in end-diastolic volume, aortic diastolic pressure and abrupt charges in cycle length was assessed. The most prominent influence on beat-to-beat alterations in left ventricular performance in these patients appeared to be mediated through the Frank-Starling mechanism.
Hsp90–peptide complexes stimulate antigen presentation through the class II pathway after binding scavenger receptor SREC-I ☆

Abstract Molecular chaperones such as heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) have been shown to form complexes with tumor antigens and can be used to prepare anticancer vaccines largely due to this property. Earlier studies had suggested that mice immunized with a molecular chaperone-based vaccine derived from tumors became immune to further vaccination and that both CD8 + and CD4 + T cells were activated by the chaperone vaccine in a manner dependent on scavenger receptor SREC-I. Here we have investigated mechanisms whereby SREC-I might facilitate uptake of Hsp90-conjugated peptides by APC into the MHC class II pathway for presentation to CD4 + T cells. Our studies showed that antigenic peptides associated with Hsp90 were taken up into the class II pathway by a mechanism dependent on SREC-I binding and internalization and presented to CD4 + T cells. In addition our studies showed that SREC-I could associate with MHC class II molecules on the cell surface and in intracellular endosomes, suggesting a mechanism involving facilitated uptake of peptides into the MHC class II pathway. These studies in addition to our earlier findings showed SREC-I to play a primary role in chaperone-associated antigen uptake both through cross priming of MHC class I molecules and entry into the class II pathway.
Moiré volume Bragg grating filter with tunable bandwidth

We propose a monolithic large-aperture narrowband optical filter based on a moire volume Bragg grating formed by two sequentially recorded gratings with slightly different resonant wavelengths. Such recording creates a spatial modulation of refractive index with a slowly varying sinusoidal envelope. By cutting a specimen at a small angle, to a thickness of one-period of this envelope, the longitudinal envelope profile will shift from a sine profile to a cosine profile across the face of the device. The transmission peak of the filter has a tunable bandwidth while remaining at a fixed resonant wavelength by a transversal shift of incidence position. Analytical expressions for the tunable bandwidth of such a filter are calculated and experimental data from a filter operating at 1064 nm with bandwidth range 30-90 pm is demonstrated.
The Effect of Gate Oxide Thickness on the Radiation Hardness of Silicon-Gate CMOS

Significant improvements have been made in the radiation hardness of silicon-gate CMOS by reducing the gate oxide thickness. The device studied is an 8-bit arithmetic logic unit designed with Sandia's Expanded Linear Array (ELA) standard cells. Devices with gate oxide thicknesses of 400, 570 (standard), and 700 A were fabricated. Irradiations were done at a dose rate of 2 × 106 rads (Si) per hour. N- and P-channel maximum threshold shifts were reduced by 0.3 and 1.2 volts, respectively, for the thinnest oxide. Between a linear and squared relationship is found for threshold shift versus thickness. The functional radiation hardness of the full integrated circuit was also measured. Maximum power supply current after irradiation was reduced by an order of magnitude for the thinnest oxide. The speed degradation of parts after 1 × 106 rads (Si) was reduced by 30 percent. Dose rate and annealing behavior at room temperature were also studied. A dose rate of 1 × 103 rads per hour results in no increase in power supply current. The speed change was similar to high dose rate plus anneal. Annealing after high dose rate (2 × 106 rads (Si) per hour) results in recovery of the N-channel threshold towards accumulation. Functionally, power supply current decreases and the parts slow down with time after irradiation. Thinning gate oxide of the silicon-gate CMOS results in better radiation hardness for all annealing studies as well.
Histone Demethylation and Timely DNA Replication

It is well-established that silent regions of the genome replicate late during S phase. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Black et al. (2010) uncover a conserved role for the JMJD2 family of histone demethylases in promoting replication within silent chromatin regions that contain histone H3 lysine 9 methylation and HP1.
Foreign currency - Denominated debt: An empirical examination

We examine the determinants of debt issuance in 10 major currencies by large U.S. firms. Using the fraction of foreign subsidiaries and tests exploiting the disaggregated nature of our data, we find strong evidence that firms issue foreign currency debt to hedge their exposure both at the aggregate and the individual currency levels. We also find some evidence that firms choose currencies in which information asymmetry between domestic and foreign investors is low. We find no evidence that tax arbitrage, liquidity of underlying debt markets, or legal regimes influence the decision to issue debt in foreign currency.
Farmcarts to Fords: A History of the Military Ambulance, 1790-1925

This book is the first history of the techniques, systems, and technologies used to evacuate wounded from the battlefield. Historically, the word "ambulance "described those facilities that provided temporary assistance to the wounded, thus distinguishing them from stationary hospitals where military personnel received more permanent care. Americans and British, however, applied the term to the two-to four-wheeled transport conveyances that carried wounded from the battlefield to the war hospitals. With the aid of fifty-four illustrations, John S. Haller traces the histories of both meanings of the word from the Napoleonic era through the Great War and its aftermath. He concentrates on the development of British and American evacuation procedures and technology with a focus on hand conveyances and wheeled vehicles. His intent is not to cover all aspects of medical evacuation but to accurately recount the common medical evacuation problems, incongruities, and controversies that existed for warring nations.
Abstract LB-443: The Simple Western rapidly generates quantitative profiles of MAPK and PI3K proteins in clinical specimens

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL In this era of targeted therapeutics, there is a need for highly sensitive and quantitative methods to measure proteins in clinical specimens to define and predict of specific therapies for patients. However, the current gold standard in proteomic analysis, Western Immuno Blotting, has many manual steps, is insensitive and provides only semi-quantitative data. Here, we present the first report of a novel automated platform, the Simple Western(TM), a novel automated nanovolume size-based protein separation platform used to quantify proteomic profiles of clinical specimens. Since the Simple Western automates all steps of proteomic analysis including sample loading, size-based protein separation, immunoprobing, washing, detection and data analysis, we are able to make up to 96 measurements in a single experiment, in a highly quantitative manner, minimizing errors due to manual variability. We were able to perform direct proteomic comparison of oral cavity tumors paired with adjacent normal tissues, acquired from the Stanford University Tissue Bank that had been preserved at -80C in Optimum Cutting Temperature Compound (OCT). Tissues were homogenized and lysed in a commercially available Bicine/CHAPS lysis buffer, denatured and loaded in duplicate in a 384-well plate at a final concentration of 1-2 mg/ml in each well. 40 nanoliters of lysate was used for each protein measurement. We measured 10 proteins (including AKT and ERK) from the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, normalized to loading controls (β-actin) from 4 distinct clinical specimens and 2 additional cell line controls. It took 1 hour to prepare a run and 14 hours of unattended automated machine time to generate the analyzed data. Therefore this technology enables us to report highly quantified protein profiles to the clinical team in less than 24 hours of receiving a clinical sample. Moreover, the highly quantitative nature of the measurements allowed us to determine that AKT2 levels were 80% lower in the tumor tissue as compared to their adjacent normal samples. Furthermore, we have been able to show that levels of both ERK1 and ERK2 were independently lower by 71% and 70%, respectively, in the tumor samples as compared to their corresponding adjacent normal tissues. The ability to make rapid and quantitative measurements will be useful to measure and predict responses to targeted therapeutics. The Simple Western is an extremely efficient, quantitative and high-throughput platform that can be used to rapidly generate proteomic profiles for clinical specimens for the development of novel diagnostic and predictive biomarkers. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-443. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-443
Prenatal Tetrodotoxin Infusion Blocks Segregation of Retinogeniculate Afferents

In the adult mammalian visual system, ganglion cell axons from the two eyes are segregated from each other into separate layers within their principal target, the lateral geniculate nucleus. The involvement of spontaneously generated action potential activity in the process of segregation was investigated during the fetal period in which segregation normally occurs in the cat, between embryonic day 45 (E45) and birth (E65). Tetrodotoxin, which blocks the voltage-sensitive sodium channel, was used to prevent action potentials. Fetuses received continuous intracranial infusions of tetrodotoxin from osmotic minipumps implanted in utero on E42. After a 2-week infusion, intraocular injections of anterograde tracers revealed that tetrodotoxin prevented segregation. The contralateral projection filled the lateral geniculate nucleus uniformly, and the ipsilateral projection expanded to occupy most of what would normally be contralaterally innervated layer A. Thus, in the fetus, long before the onset of vision, spontaneous action potential activity is likely to be present in the visual system and to contribute to the segregation of the retinogeniculate pathway.