cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Infrared spectroelectrochemical reduction of iron porphyrin complexes.

The spectroelectrochemistry of iron porphinones and their nitrosyl complexes were examined by infrared spectroscopy, as well as ferrous octaethylporphyrin nitrosyl. With the use of d8-THF, the solvent was transparent down to 1200 cm−1. For the porphinones, the reduction of the macrocycle ring could be observed by the changes in the νCO band and, for the nitrosyl complex, the changes in the nitrosyl ligand were directly observable from the νNO band. Formation of the ferrous complexes led to a small downshift in the νCO band. Further reduction to the formal Fe(“I”) complex led to more complex spectra which were interpreted with the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The reduction of Fe(OEP)(NO) and its porphinone analogues was also examined. The reduction of the iron porphyrin and porphinone nitrosyl complexes lead to substantial decreases in the νNO band from 1665 to 1670 cm−1 to 1442−3 cm−1. The energy of the νNO band in the reduced complex was unaffected by the presence of carbonyl gro...
Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass using Fenton chemistry.

Abstract In an attempt to mimic white-rot fungi lignin degradation via in vivo Fenton chemistry, solution phase Fenton chemistry (10 g biomass, 176 mmol hydrogen peroxide and 1.25 mmol Fe 2+ in 200 mL of water) was applied to four different biomass feedstocks. An enzymatic saccharification of Fenton pretreated biomass showed an average 212% increase relative to untreated control across all four feedstocks ( P Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium beijerinckii . These results demonstrate the use of solution phase Fenton chemistry as a viable pretreatment method to make cellulose more bioavailable for microbial biofuel conversion.
PRERIGOR TREATMENT AND ENDPOINT TEMPERATURE EFFECTS ON U.S. CHOICE BEEF TENDERNESS

Bone and connective tissues at the 12th thoracic vertebra and round/loin junction on one side of each of three U.S. Choice beef carcasses were cut 90 min postmortem (prerigor treatment, Tendercut), while opposite sides served as controls. Effect of prerigor treatment was determined on 10-day aged Longissimus (LM), Rectus femoris (RF), and Biceps femoris (BF) steaks cooked to different endpoint temperatures (EPT: 65.6, 70.0, 76.7C). Treated RF steaks had higher (less perceptible) connective tissue scores than controls. Myofibrillar and overall tenderness in all treated muscles were not different (P>0.05) than controls. Treated carcasses resulted in lower (P<0.05) Warner-Bratzler peak force values for LM and longer sarcomeres for all muscles. Tendercut resulted in lower (P < 0.05) values for Lee-Kramer peak force (LM at 65.6C and 76.7C; RF at 65.6C) and total energy (LM at 70.0C and 76.7C) than controls. Tendercut did not affect the BF at any EPT.
Effectiveness of Animal Advisory Messages on Dynamic Message Signs as a Speed Reduction Tool: Case Study in Rural Montana

Animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) are a growing concern as the number of vehicle miles traveled and human encroachment into wildlife habitat increase throughout the United States. Measures to prevent AVCs, such as fencing and wildlife passages, can impose significant investments for transportation agencies. An alternative and potentially less expensive approach is the use of signs to modify driver behavior to reduce these collisions. This study investigated the effectiveness of seasonal animal movement advisories as a speed reduction tool on Interstate highways. Two permanent and one portable dynamic message signs (DMSs) were used to post messages advising motorists to watch for wildlife moving across Interstate 90 in the Bozeman Pass region of southwestern Montana. One control and three treatment messages were displayed on the DMSs, and driver reactions to these messages were recorded through speed observations. The control message comprised a blank message; and the treatment messages included a general t...
Changes in the fluorescence of the Caribbean coral Montastraea faveolata during heat-induced bleaching

In order to evaluate the response of commonly occurring green and orange fluorescent host-based pigments, a thermal stress experiment was performed on specimens of the Caribbean coral Montastraea faveolata.Seven paired samples were collected from a small oceanic reef near Lee Stocking Island in the Bahamas. Seven of the fourteen corals were subjected to elevated temperatures for 28 d, followed by a recovery period lasting 53 d. Throughout the experiment, high-resolution (;400 mm pixel 21 ) multispectral images of induced fluorescence were recorded at wavelengths corresponding to the green and orange host pigments, plus chlorophyll. These images revealed that the fluorescence of both host pigments was concentrated at polyp centers and declined by 70‐90% in regions between polyps. Chlorophyll fluorescence, however, was distributed almost uniformly across the entire coral surface, but with decreases of 10‐30% around polyp centers. A normalized difference ratio between the green and orange pigments (GO ratio) was developed to facilitate comparison with chlorophyll fluorescence as a bleaching indicator. Analysis showed a high correspondence between a sustained GO ratio of less than zero and the death of corals. Finally, this ratio was resistant to contamination from other sources of chlorophyll fluorescence, such as filamentous algae. Beginning with the work of Kautsky and Hirsch (1931), induced chlorophyll fluorescence has been used to gain a better understanding of the photosynthetic apparatus in plants. Mohammed et al. (1995) and Lazar (1999) provide recent reviews of relevant techniques and required instrumentation. Expanding on these methods, induced fluorescence from photosynthetic pigments has long been used to investigate the physiological state, spatial distribution, and other characteristics associated with phytoplankton (Lorenzen 1966; Oneill et al. 1975). Owing to their dinoflagellate symbionts, collectively referred to as zooxanthellae, hermatypic (reef-building) corals also contain photosynthetic pigments (Jeffrey and Haxo 1968). Corals, moreover, often contain additional fluorescent pigments in their animal tissue (Kawaguti 1944; Limbaugh and North 1956; Catala 1959; Shibata 1969; Mazel 1995) whose ecological significance is under current investigation. Using both the benthic spectrofluorometer (BSF), a submersible handheld spectrometer/fluorometer, and a laboratory-based spectrofluorometer, Mazel (1997 a,b) measured the reflectance and fluorescence spectra in situ from several hundred Caribbean coral specimens. Analysis of the data revealed that combinations of four pigments accounted for the majority of observed fluorescent colors. Based on the ap1
In-situ formation of SiC-reinforced Al-Si alloy composites using methane gas mixtures

Theoretical and experimental studies on the in-situ formation of an Al-Si alloy composite using a methane gas mixture were carried out. An Al-Si alloy composite with in-situ formed SiC as a reinforced phase was produced by bubbling methane gas at temperatures from 1223 to 1423 K. An optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and electron microprobe were used for the product characterization. Primary and eutectic silicon were observed in the samples taken from the top part of the crucible, and only eutectic silicon was observed in the samples taken from the bottom of crucible. The SiC formation rate increased with the decrease in the bubble size. A silicon concentration gradient existed at different vertical positions of the liquid alloy. The silicon concentration close to the top of the liquid alloy was higher than that at the bottom. The SiC concentration was very low in the bulk alloy. The bubbling of the gas mixture in the melt resulted in the formation of a layer of foam on top of the crucible. Formed SiC particles were enriched in the foam and carried out of the crucible by the overflow foam to a composite collector located under the crucible. The foam in the composite collector was broken, and composites in the foam contained up to 30 wt pct SiC. The particle size of the SiC is in the range of 1 to 10 µm. The bubbling process resulted in the unevenness of the silicon concentration and the different crystallizing processes. The SiC formation rate was found to be about 12.5 mg/(L·s). A kinetic model was developed. The model-predicted results are in very good agreement with the experimental results.
Synthesis of [(dfepe)Pt(Me)(NC5F5)]+B(C6F5)4−, a Highly Active Ethylene Dimerization Catalyst

The synthesis of cationic adducts (dfepe)Pt(Me)(L)+ (dfepe = (C2F5)2PCH2CH2P(C2F5)2; L = MeCN, CO, C2H4, C5F5N, μ-Cl) are reported. Treatment of (cod)Pt(Me)Cl with AgSbF6 in acetonitrile followed by the addition of dfepe afforded (dfepe)Pt(Me)(CH3CN)+SbF6−. Addition of B(C6F5)3 to (dfepe)Pt(Me)(O2CCF3) in methylene chloride afforded the structurally characterized borane association product (dfepe)Pt(Me)[(O2CCF3)B(C6F5)3] in high yield. Attempts to displace the [(O2CCF3)B(C6F5)3]− anion with donor ligands resulted in loss of borane and regeneration of (dfepe)Pt(Me)(O2CCF3). Addition of the mesitylenium acid (1,3,5-C6H4Me3)+B(C6F5)4− to (dfepe)PtMe2 in methylene chloride at ambient temperatures resulted in chloride abstraction and the precipitation of the chloride-bridged dimeric complex [{(dfepe)Pt(Me)}2(μ-Cl)]+B(C6F5)4−, which has been structurally characterized. In contrast, treatment of (dfepe)PtMe2 with (1,3,5-C6H4Me3)+B(C6F5)4− in pentafluoropyridine at ambient temperature resulted in the precipitatio...
Born believers: the science of children's religious belief

Karl Marx famously painted a metaphorical picture of religion as an insidious opiate that is societally manufactured to manipulate the minds of the masses. Born Believers: The Science of Children's...
Zero-valent iron/biotic treatment system for perchlorate-contaminated water: Lab-scale performance, modeling, and full-scale implications

AbstractThe computer program AQUASIM was used to model biological treatment of perchlorate-contaminated water using zero-valent iron corrosion as the hydrogen gas source. The laboratory-scale column was seeded with an autohydrogenotrophic microbial consortium previously shown to degrade perchlorate. Consortium biokinetic parameters and data from column experiments were used to verify the model. The model was then used to simulate full-scale performance of an in-situ zero-valent iron permeable reactive barrier perchlorate-treatment system. Simulation results indicate full-scale field treatment systems have the potential to degrade significant concentrations of perchlorate in the presence of oxygen under a variety of operating conditions.
The synthesis and characterization of thiocyanate-isocyanide complexes of palladium(ii)

Summary The syntheses of the complexes [Pd (CNR) 2 (SCN) 2 ] (R=phenyl, cyclohexyl), [Pd(CNR) {P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 } (SCN) 2 ] (R=phenyl, cyclohexyl, p-nitrophenyl), and [Pd(CNC 6 H 5 ) {As(C 6 H 5 ) 3 } (SCN) 2 ], via substitution reactions between the corre sponding cis-dichloro and trans-diiodo derivatives and silver thiocyanate in chloroform solution, are described. Molecular weight, conductivity, near and far infrared (solid state and solution) and solution visible-ultraviolet data are presented for each of the complexes. The thiocyanate complexes were generally isolated as the cis -isomer in the solid state but isomerized completely to the trans -isomer in chloroform solution. The [Pd(CNR) 2 (SCN) 2 ] complexes contain only S-bonded thiocyanates, whereas the [Pd(CNR) {P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 } (SCN) 2 ] complexes contain an appreciable number of N -bonded groups (most probably sterically induced), especially in the solid state. The decomposition of the complexes involves the formation of bridging thiocyanate groups. It is concluded that the isocyanides function primarily as σ-donors in these complexes, their trans-influence being insufficient to promote antisymbiotic behavior on the part of the thiocyanates.
The ASA Framework: A Field Study of Group Personality Composition and Group Performance in Military Action Teams

A theoretical model integrating Schneider's Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA) framework, group personality composition, and group performance is presented. The proposed model focuses on three operationalizations of group composition based on the Big Five personality traits. This model suggests that for certain types of teams group minimum scores vary more than group mean scores, resulting in more robust predictors of group effectiveness. Results indicate that group minimum Agreeableness and Conscientiousness correlate positively with supervisor ratings of performance, group average scores correlate positively with performance, and variance of Conscientiousness correlate inversely with group performance. Minimum scores for both Agreeableness and Conscientiousness vary more than mean scores, and teams with increased levels of both Agreeableness and Conscientiousness receive higher performance ratings than other types of teams. Initial support for the proposed model is presented, practical and research im...
Who are we? Indigenous microbes and the ecology of human diseases.

Diseases date back to the dawn of humankind. As humans have evolved, so too have their diseases: some that were once rare have become common, others have disappeared and new varieties have emerged. Many of these changes have taken place in the wake of important transformations in human civilizations and ecology. It is therefore feasible to propose that diseases succeed and fail in response to humanity's advances. My hypothesis to explain the appearance and disappearance of some of these diseases—both infectious and chronic—is that changes in human ecology result in changes in the microbes that populate our bodies. This, in turn, affects our physiology and ultimately our health. > …diseases succeed and fail in response to humanity's advances The invention of agriculture about 10,000 years ago led to a massive increase in the human population, but at a price: by living in closer proximity to domesticated animals and those that parasitized their food supply (such as rats), humans became more susceptible to measles, plague, tuberculosis and other zoonoses. Urbanization during the Middle Ages was one of the main factors facilitating the devastating spread of Yersinia pestis through the crowded cities of Europe—the Black Death subsequently killed about 30% of the continent's population. Improved hygiene in the nineteenth century eventually reduced the prevalence of plague, along with cholera, dysentery, materno‐fetal mortality, childhood infections and other ancient foes. The agricultural revolution after the Second World War relegated famine and its associated diseases—such as pellagra, which is a deficiency of niacin—to history, at least in the industrialized world. ![][1] In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, industrialization—and the scientific revolution that preceded and facilitated it—also gave humans new tools for controlling infectious diseases. Due to improvements in sanitation, antibiotics and vaccines, smallpox has now been eradicated, polio is on the brink of extinction and many other … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
Transduction by bacteriophage P1 and the properties of the lac genetic region in E. coli and S. dysenteriae

Abstract Transduction of the lac + property to lac − recipient bacteria by phage P1 was used to study the properties of the transducing particles and the structure of the lac genetic regions in E. coli and S. dysenteriae . The lac + property requires the function of two loci, z (β-galactosidase gene) and y (permease gene). In transduction with E. coli donors and S. dysenteriae recipients or vice versa, many transductants are lac + heterogenotes, in which a z + gene from S. dysenteriae and a y + gene from E. coli are present as endogenote and exogenote, in either combination. The exogenote is often a defective prophage Pl dl , and defective phage particles Pl dl are present at high concentrations in lysates from these heterogenotes. Other transductants possess, integrated in their chromosome, a hybrid lac region derived partly from E. coli , partly from S. dysenteriae by recombination. These hybrids have various levels of β-galactosidase, ranging from the high values of E. coli to the low values found in the S. dysenteriae parent strain. It was found that most mutations in the z locus of E. coli , in addition to suppressing production of β-galactosidase, also reduce the level of permease formed under the control of the adjacent y locus.
Consumer-Directed Health Plans And The RAND Health Insurance Experiment

Today’s consumer-directed health plans, with their high deductibles, bear a strong resemblance to the high-deductible plan of the RAND Health Insurance Experiment (HIE), although they come into a post–managed care world. The high deductibles and the tools of managed care should complement each other, the former directed primarily at the initiation of care for an episode of illness and the latter at the costliness of episodes, especially ongoing chronic disease episodes. Although the RAND experiment established the effects of varying prices to patients, future experiments with how physicians respond to the various tools of managed care may be useful.
Coleridge in Bristol, 1795–1796: Literature, Politics, and the City

In this essay, the author discusses the evolution of Coleridge's thought about the city during his residence in and around Bristol in 1795–1796 in terms of the conceptual frameworks that shaped his thought. In his lectures, Coleridge rails against the accumulative system and inequality correlative with the growth of cities. His utopian scheme of Pantisocracy is an attempt to escape the geography shaped by such processes. But when he abandons Pantisocracy, he also abandons the commonplace topos of the virtuous country and vicious city. Instead, he recognizes each position comes with advantages and disadvantages. In the crisis poem “Reflections on Having Left a Place of Retirement,” Coleridge poses his choice of residence as a dilemma and considers ways to overcome or transcend that dilemma. His resistance to the seeming inexorability of the accumulative system constitutes a return of utopianism, an attempt to establish religious and cultural truths indifferent to geography. If this displacement overlooks o...
Augmented Intensional Reasoning in Knowledge‐Based Accounting Systems

A limitation of existing accounting systems is their lack of knowledge sharing and knowledge reuse, which makes the design and implementation of new accounting systems time‐consuming and expensive. An important requirement for knowledge sharing and reuse is the existence of a common semantic infrastructure. In this article we use McCarthy's (1982) Resource‐Event‐Agent (REA) model as a common semantic infrastructure in an accounting context. The objective is to make knowledge‐intensive use of REA to share accounting concepts across functional boundaries and to reuse these concepts in different applications and different systems, an approach we call augmented intensional reasoning. Intensional reasoning is the active use of conceptual structures in information systems operations such as design and information retrieval. For augmented intensional reasoning, the conceptual structures are extended with domain‐specific REA knowledge. Sections II and III describe different dimensions of augmented intensional rea...
Bolstering Components of the Immune Response Compromised by Prior Exposure to Adenovirus: Guided Formulation Development for a Nasal Ebola Vaccine

The severity and longevity of the current Ebola outbreak highlight the need for a fast-acting yet long-lasting vaccine for at-risk populations (medical personnel and rural villagers) where repeated prime-boost regimens are not feasible. While recombinant adenovirus (rAd)-based vaccines have conferred full protection against multiple strains of Ebola after a single immunization, their efficacy is impaired by pre-existing immunity (PEI) to adenovirus. To address this important issue, a panel of formulations was evaluated by an in vitro assay for their ability to protect rAd from neutralization. An amphiphilic polymer (F16, FW ∼39,000) significantly improved transgene expression in the presence of anti-Ad neutralizing antibodies (NAB) at concentrations of 5 times the 50% neutralizing dose (ND50). In vivo performance of rAd in F16 was compared with unformulated virus, virus modified with poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG), and virus incorporated into poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) polymeric beads. Histochemical analysis of lung tissue revealed that F16 promoted strong levels of transgene expression in naive mice and those that were exposed to adenovirus in the nasal cavity 28 days prior to immunization. Multiparameter flow cytometry revealed that F16 induced significantly more polyfunctional antigen-specific CD8+ T cells simultaneously producing IFN-γ, IL-2, and TNF-α than other test formulations. These effects were not compromised by PEI. Data from formulations that provided partial protection from challenge consistently identified specific immunological requirements necessary for protection. This approach may be useful for development of formulations for other vaccine platforms that also employ ubiquitous pathogens as carriers like the influenza virus.
A novel procedure for the purification of apolipophorin III

Abstract A procedure for the purification of the lipophorin apoprotein, apolipophorin III (apoLp-III), is described. Apolipophorin III was isolated from both Manduca sexta and Thasus acutangulus lipophorins. Lipophorin was delipidated by extraction with chloroform-methanol, the apoLp-III extracted from the residual apoproteins and contaminating apoproteins removed by chromatography on concanavalin A sepharose. The isolated M. sexta apoLp-III was identical to apoLp-III isolated by Kawooya et al. (1984) ( J. biol. Chem. 259 , 10,733–10,737). T. acutangulus apoLp-III was determined to be a non-glycosylated polypeptide of M r = 20,000. Amino acid analysis revealed that the composition of T. acutangulus apoLp-III was similar to that of M. sexta apoLp-III. Both apoproteins lack cysteine and tryptophan and possess one or two tyrosines, which accounts for the observed A 230 A 280 ratio of ten or more. The biological activity of apoLp-III, prepared by this method, was assessed by the ability of radioiodinated apoLp-III to associate with their respective host lipophorin in vivo .
Determination of peak urethral pressure by retrograde gas studies

Abstract The clinical value of peak urethral pressure measurements is limited because of the physiologic variability and lack of reproducibility in normal unanesthetized patients. The test, however, does provide a rapid, simple, and safe method to determine the completeness of external sphincterotomy and the degree of urethral compression exerted by the implantable incontinence prostheses.
Structural Determinants of Active Site Binding Affinity and Metabolism by Cytochrome P450 BM-3

The determinants of the regio- and stereoselective oxidation of fatty acids by cytochrome P450 BM-3 were examined by mutagenesis of residues postulated to anchor the fatty acid or to determine its active site substrate-accessible volume. R47, Y51, and F87 were targeted separately and in combination in order to assess their contributions to arachidonic, palmitoleic, and lauric acid binding affinities, catalytic rates, and regio- and stereoselective oxidation. For all three fatty acids, mutation of the anchoring residues decreased substrate binding affinity and catalytic rates and, for lauric acid, caused a significant increase in the enzyme's NADPH oxidase activity. These changes in catalytic efficiency were accompanied by decreases in the regioselectivity of oxygen insertion, suggesting an increased freedom of substrate movement within the active site of the mutant proteins. The formation of significant amounts of 19-hydroxy AA by the Y51A mutant and of 11,12-EET by the R47A/Y51A/F87V triple mutant, suggest that wild-type BM-3 shields these carbon atoms from the heme bound reactive oxygen by restricting the freedom of AA displacement along the substrate channel, and active site accessibility. These results indicate that binding affinity and catalytic turnover are fatty acid carbon-chain length dependent, and that the catalytic efficiency and the regioselectivity of fatty acid metabolism by BM-3 are determined by active site binding coordinates that control acceptor carbon orientation and proximity to the heme iron.
Enhancement of Proxy Appointment for Older Persons: Physician Counselling in the Ambulatory Setting

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of physician-initiated counselling on the rate of health care proxy appointment. DESIGN: Observational study of an intervention in a convenience sample. SETTING: A geriatric outpatient clinic in a tertiary care teaching hospital, New York, New York PARTICIPANTS: A total of 687 patients enrolled in the geriatric clinic during the study period March 1991 through June 1993. INTERVENTION: Physician counselling about the New York State Health Care Proxy Law, distribution of educational materials and healthcare proxy forms, and reminders in 331 of 466 eligible patients. MEASUREMENTS: Rate of healthcare proxy appointment in eligible and counselled groups; predictors of appointment and non-appointment; time elapsed from counselling to appointment; reasons for non-appointment; characteristics of the proxy appointment process. RESULTS: A healthcare proxy was appointed for 31.5% of patients eligible for counselling and for 44% of patients who actually received the intervention, compared with a 2.3% proxy appointment rate at baseline. Eighty-one percent of the patients completing the proxy appointment process did so at or before their third clinic return visit after the counselling intervention. Of the counselled patients who did not appoint a proxy, 25% explicitly declined, and 75% had not come to a decision by the end of the study period. Proxy completion was associated with ethnicity, education, and more frequent clinic visits. Of those who appointed a proxy, 97% had good or fair comprehension of the procedure, 92% discussed the appointment with their designees, 63% appointed a daughter or son, and 80% discussed their wishes for care at the end of life with their proxy. CONCLUSIONS: Physician counselling of older outpatients is an effective means of increasing healthcare proxy appointments. J Am Geriatr Soc 44:37–43, 1996.
Molecular Approach to Microbiological Examination of Water Quality in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) in Mississippi, USA

Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) is an important ecosystem in the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It serves as important nursery areas for juveniles of many species of fish. The bay is also used for fishing, crabbing, oyster togging, boating as well as recreation. Like in other aquatic environments, this bay may be contaminated by microorganisms including pathogenic bacteria. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiological quality of water in the Grand Bay NERR and determine the levels and potential source(s) of human fecal pollution. To achieve this goal, water samples were collected aseptically every month in Bayou Heron, Bayou Cumbest, Point Aux Chenes Bay and Bangs Lake. Enterococci were concentrated from water samples by membrane filtration according to the methodology outlined in USEPA Method 1600. After incubation, DNA was extracted from bacteria colonies on the membrane filters by using QIAamp DNA extraction kit. Water samples were also tested for the presence of traditional indicator bacteria including: heterotrophic plate count, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and Enterococcus bacteria. The marker esp gene was detected in one site of Bayou Cumbest, an area where human populations reside. Data from this study indicates higher concentrations of indicator bacteria compared to the recommended acceptable levels. Presence of esp marker and high numbers of indicator bacteria suggest a public health concern for shellfish and water contact activities. Hence, control strategies should be developed and implemented to prevent further contamination of the Grand bay NERR waters.
Pyrethrin and Pyrethroid Insecticides

Pyrethroids have a wide spectrum of insecticidal potency, vertebrate toxicity, and environmental stability. The exceptionally high selectivity ratios of pyrethrins and pyrethroids have resulted in their use for insect control in numerous formulations. A primary effect of pyrethroids is to slow the closing of the sodium activation gate in nerve cells. All pyrethroids have essentially the same basic mechanism of action on voltage-dependent sodium channels but differ in the magnitude of effect. Based on clinical signs, electrophysiologic responses, and chemical structure, pyrethroids can be classified as Type I or Type II. Inhibition of the GABAA receptor appears to be an additional mechanism of Type II pyrethroids. Clinical signs in small animals during a pyrethroid toxicosis vary but are generally attributable to neural dysfunction. Treatment consists of decontamination procedures and application of appropriate symptomatic care, including control of seizures if necessary.
Gamma-ray-induced mutagen sensitivity and risk of sporadic breast cancer in young women: a case–control study

Hypersensitivity to radiation exposure has been suggested to be a risk factor for the development of breast cancer. In this case–control study of 515 young women (≤55 years) with newly diagnosed sporadic breast cancer and 402 cancer-free controls, we examined the radiosensitivity as measured by the frequency of chromatid breaks induced by gamma-radiation exposure in the G2 phase of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated and short-term cultured fresh lymphocytes. We found that the average chromatid breaks per cell from 50 well-spread metaphases were statistically significantly higher in 403 non-Hispanic White breast cancer patients (0.52 ± 0.22) than that in 281 non-Hispanic White controls (0.44 ± 0.16) (P value < 0.001), and in 60 Mexican American breast cancer patients (0.52 ± 0.19) than that in 65 Mexican American controls (0.44 ± 0.16) (P value = 0.021), but the difference was not significant in African Americans (52 cases [0.45 ± 0.16] versus 56 controls [0.47 ± 0.16], P = 0.651). The frequency of chromatid breaks per cell above the median of control subjects was associated with two-fold increased risk for breast cancer in non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican Americans. A dose–response relationship was evident between radiosensitivity and risk for breast cancer (Ptrend < 0.001) in these two ethnic groups. We concluded that gamma-ray-induced mutagen sensitivity may play a role in susceptibility to breast cancer in young non-Hispanic White and Mexican American women.
Design of algorithms for a dispersive hyperbolic problem

In order to develop numerical schemes for stiff problems, a model of relaxing heat flow is studied. To isolate those errors unavoidably associated with discretization, a method of characteristics is developed, containing three free parameters depending on the stiffness ratio. It is shown that such 'decoupled' schemes do not take into account the interaction between the wave families, and hence result in incorrect wavespeeds. Schemes can differ by up to two orders of magnitude in their rms errors, even while maintaining second-order accuracy. 'Coupled' schemes which account for the interactions are developed to obtain two additional free parameters. Numerical results are given for several decoupled and coupled schemes.
Cut Slope Design Recommendations for Sub-Horizontal Hard Sedimentary Rock Units in Ohio, USA

Although most cut slopes in Ohio consist of inter-layered, sub-horizontal units of hard and soft sedimentary rocks (sandstone, limestone, dolostone, shale, claystone, mudstone), slopes consisting of relatively thick hard rock units are not uncommon. Design of stable cut slopes in hard rock units needs to consider rock mass strength and orientation of discontinuities with respect to slope face. Results of kinematic stability analyses show that hard-rock cut slopes are less likely to have conventional plane and wedge failures, caused by unfavorable orientation of discontinuities. The main cause of failure is identified to be the undercutting-induced toppling, which is not amenable to traditional kinematic or rock mass strength-based analyses. Therefore, to recommend a suitable slope angle, numerical models, using UDEC software, were employed to study how various slope angles affect the process of undercutting-induced toppling failures. The UDEC models showed a slope angle of 45° (1H:1 V) to be the most stable angle. However, a 63° (0.5H:1 V) slope angle can significantly reduce the potential for such failures and is therefore more appropriate than the widely used angle of 76° (0.25H:1 V).
Optimal load shedding study of naval-ship power system using the Everett optimization technique

This paper reports an application of the Everett optimization technique for value-based load shedding in naval-ship power system with network constraints and application of reliability constraints. A new congestion analysis index—expected contingency margin (ECM), which considers the probability of disturbance, and reliability indices loss of load probability (LOLP) and expected unserved energy (EUE) are presented to filter the critical outage and congestion cases. The optimal load shedding scheme carried out using the Everett optimization technique uses a utility function, which addresses the cost of allocating pay-off while satisfying the network and reliability constraints and generation capacity limits. The algorithm search for the optimal λ to form a fair pricing mechanism, which produces maximum pay-off and minimum load shedding while, satisfying system constraints. The proposed approach is examined on naval-ship power system and detailed results are shown.
Emerging applications of III/V components

III/V semiconductor devices have many application fields in optics. The compactness, wavelength agility, and integratability provide for a wide range of functionality. We will review the potential of these devices, with an emphasis on semiconductor optical amplifiers and integrated devices that contain them.
Mapping the DNA binding domain of the Zap1 zinc-responsive transcriptional activator.

Abstract The Zap1 transcriptional activator ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae plays a major role in zinc homeostasis by inducing the expression of several genes under zinc-limited growth conditions. This activation of gene expression is mediated by binding of the protein to one or more zinc-responsive elements present in the promoters of its target genes. To better understand how Zap1 functions, we mapped its DNA binding domain using a combined in vivo and in vitro approach. Our results show that the Zap1 DNA binding domain maps to the carboxyl-terminal 194 amino acids of the protein; this region contains five of its seven potential zinc finger domains. Fusing this region to the Gal4 activation domain complemented a zap1Δ mutation for low zinc growth and also conferred high level expression on a zinc-responsive element-lacZ reporter. In vitro, the purified 194-residue fragment bound to DNA with a high affinity (dissociation constant in the low nanomolar range) similar to that of longer fragments of Zap1. Furthermore, by deletion and site-directed mutagenesis, we demonstrated that each of the five carboxyl-terminal zinc fingers are required for high affinity DNA binding.
Kinetic temperature and Mössbauer spectroscopy

Abstract The thermal response of the Mossbauer parameters of isomer shift and log recoilless fraction are not linear with absolute temperature, except at very high temperatures, because of quantized lattice energy levels. It is possible to define a kinetic temperature T ∗ which responds directly as the lattice energy, and it is demonstrated that the Mossbauer parameters are linear with T ∗ . A simple Einstein model is generally adequate, and leads to T ∗ = T 0 coth T 0 T , where T0 is a measure of the zero-point energy and is 3 8 the Debye temperature.
955 MONOCLONAL ANTI-ACTIN ANTIBODIES BIND TO DIFFERENTIATION ANTIGEN ON NORMAL HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES AND PREVENT REACTIVITY TO MITOGENS

955 MONOCLONAL ANTI-ACTIN ANTIBODIES BIND TO DIFFERENTIATION ANTIGEN ON NORMAL HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES AND PREVENT REACTIVITY TO MITOGENS
On the importance of elastic and inelastic channel contributions to external mixing

Abstract The elastic and inelastic channel contributions to the isospin impurity of an analog state wave function is considered from a shell model description. The on and off resonance behavior of these contributions is discussed. The inelastic channel contributions are found to be more important in the wings of an analog resonance than near the analog state resonance energy.
Potential of stem cell treatment in detrusor dysfunction

The current treatments of bladder dysfunctions, such as bladder overactivity and impaired ability to empty, have limitations, and new treatment alternatives are needed. Stem cell transplantation and tissue engineering have shown promising results in preclinical studies. Stem cells were originally thought to act by differentiating into various cell types, thereby replacing damaged cells and restoring functional deficits. Even if such a mechanism cannot be excluded, the current belief is that a main action is exerted by the stem cells secreting bioactive factors that direct other stem cells to the target organ. In addition, stem cells may exert a number of other effects that can improve bladder dysfunction, since they may have antiapoptotic, antifibrotic, and immunomodulatory properties, and can induce neovascularization. Tissue engineering for bladder replacement, which has had varying success in different animal species, has reached the proof-of-concept state in humans, but recent research suggests that the present approaches may not be optimal. Further studies on new approaches, using animal models with translational predictability, seem necessary for further progress.
Nucleate boiling. The region of isolated bubbles and the similarity with natural convection

Abstract Experimental data indicate that nucleate boiling consists of two regions, (a) the region of isolated bubbles and (b) the region of interference. The vapor removal pattern, the flow pattern and the mechanisms of heat transfer in the two regions are discussed and analysed. A criterion for the change from one region to another is presented. In the regime of isolated bubbles, bubbles do not interfere with each other and at any particular point vapor is produced intermittently. Jakob's description of the natural flow circulation in nucleate pool boiling from a horizontal surface is similar to Malkus' and Townsend's description of the flow regime in turbulent natural convection from a horizontal surface. In both cases the heat transfer is caused by the “up-draught” induced circulation. It is shown that the same equations which predict the heat-transfer coefficient and the average turbulent velocity fluctuation in natural turbulent convection from a horizontal surface can be used in the regime of isolated bubbles if the vapor void coefficient i.e. the vapor hold-up is taken into account in evaluating the mean density of the fluid. Equations relating the vapor void coefficient to the heat-transfer coefficient or to the bubble population density and liquid superheat temperature are presented. It is shown that an upper limit exists for the heat-transfer mechanism induced by the “up-draught” circulation. Equations predicting the limiting value of the heat-transfer coefficient and of the heat flux density in the regime of isolated bubbles are presented also. All these results, predicted by the analysis, are shown to be in qualitative and quantitative agreement with experimental data presently available. In the region of interference, bubbles interfere with each other to form continuous vapor columns and patches. Vapor is continuously produced by vaporization of a pulsating micro-layer (proposed and described by Moore and Mesler) at the base of a vapor column or of a vapor patch. In this regime the dominant heat-transfer mechanism is, most probably, the latent heat transport process (formulated by Gaertner) and the latent heat transport associated with the large bursts of vapor caused by collapsing vapor patches. The results of the analysis indicate that a particular regime of nucleate pool boiling (a two-phase problem) can be analysed as a turbulent natural convection problem (a single-phase problem). Applications of similar considerations to other aspects of the two-phase flow appear therefore promising. The important effect of the two-phase flow patterns on the mechanism of heat transfer and on the coefficient of heat transfer for a two-phase mixture is demonstrated again, emphasized and discussed.
ION IRRADIATION-INDUCED AMORPHIZATION OF CAAL2O4

Abstract The relationship between irradiation-induced amorphization and glass formation was investigated with CaAl 2 O 4 , a highly ionic (ionicity=0.68) glass former (Al 2 O 3 ·CaO). Samples were irradiated with 1.5 MeV Xe + from 100 to 673 K. In situ TEM was used to characterize the effects of ion beam damage and the critical temperature for amorphization, T c . The sample became amorphous at 1.2 × 10 14 Xe + /cm 2 at room temperature. T c is 733 K. Two other phases, Al 2 O 3 ·SiO 2 (andalusite) and Al 2 O 3 ·MgO (spinel), are compared with Al 2 O 3 ·CaO. Based on a cascade-quenching model, the susceptibility to radiation-induced amorphization is proposed to be related to the tendency toward glass formation.
Variations in Solar Luminosity from Timescales of Minutes to Months

We present the power spectrum of solar irradiance during 1985 and 1987, obtained from the active cavity radiometer irradiance monitor project from timescales of minutes to months. At low frequency, the spectra are Lorentzian [proportional to 1/(f2 + f20)]. At higher frequencies, they are proportional to f-1/2. A linear, stochastic model of the turbulent heat transfer between the granulation layer (modeled as a homogeneous thin layer with a radiative boundary condition) and the rest of the convection zone (modeled as a homogeneous thick layer with thermal and diffusion constants appropriate the lower convection zone) explains the observed spectrum.
Bisbigijanide-Imduced Staining in Oral Hygiene

AbstractThe use of a class of antimicrobial agents, the bisbiguanides, in oral hygiene and their involvement in the formation of teeth staining are reviewed. Particular attention is placed on a discussion of the mechanism of bisbiguanide-induced staining from a molecular level and the approaches taken to resolve this staining problem.
Resolving Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Clinical Trials: The Example of Parkinson Disease:

Clinical trials of stem cell transplantation raise ethical issues that are intertwined with scientific and design issues, including choice of control group and intervention, background interventions, endpoints, and selection of subjects. We recommend that the review and IRB oversight of stem cell clinical trials should be strengthened. Scientific and ethics review should be integrated in order to better assess risks and potential benefits. Informed consent should be enhanced by assuring that participants comprehend key aspects of the trial. For the trial to yield generalizable knowledge, negative findings and serious adverse events must be reported.
Density matrix of interacting boson-fermion systems as functional integrals in the holomorphic representation.

%'e formulate the density matrix of many-body systems as functional integrals in the holomorphic representation, similar to the S-matrix formulation in field theory. Symmetry and antisymmetry requirements are built into the integration variables: e-numbers for bosons and Grassmann numbers for fermions. The integrals have mell-defined normalization. They yield first-order differential equations for semiclassical extremal configurations and corrections to it, and do not require periodicity conditions on the individual integration paths, unlike the formulations found in the literature. %e present some applications to simple boson and fermion systems.
Drosophila Myc is oncogenic in mammalian cells and plays a role in the diminutive phenotype

Biochemical and biological activities of Myc oncoproteins are highly dependent upon their association with another basic region helix–loop–helix/leucine zipper (bHLH/LZ) protein, Max. Our previous observation that the DNA-binding/dimerization region of Max is absolutely conserved throughout vertebrate evolution provided the basis for a yeast two-hybrid interaction screen that led to the isolation of the Drosophila Myc (dMyc1) protein. Structural conservation in regions of known functional significance is consistent with the ability of dMyc1 to interact with vertebrate Max, to transactivate gene expression in yeast cells, and to cooperate with activated H-RAS to effect the malignant transformation of primary mammalian cells. The ability of P-element-mediated ectopic expression of dmyc1 to reverse a subset of the phenotypic alterations associated with the diminutive mutation suggests that diminutive may correspond to dmyc1. This finding, along with the localization of dmyc1 expression to zones of high proliferative activity in the embryo, implicates dMyc1 as an integral regulator of Drosophila growth and development.
Detecting knots and voids in lumber with dielectric sensors

Abstract A system has been developed which uses the dielectrical properties of wood to detectknots and voids in lumber. The knot and void detection (KVD) system rapidly scans the surface of wide boards for defects using a series of transducers and provides a defect map of the lumber surface. The transducers are electrified flat plates that act as capacitors when used in conjunction with the wood as the dielectric. Knots and voids change the dielectrical properties of wood and the change can be detected by monitoring the output signal of the capacitors. A prototype system is being tested and refined. The initial results show that small knots and voids can be consistently and reliably detected in both wet and dry wood.
Ion implantation for carrier lifetime control in silicon technology

Abstract Carrier lifetime characterizes the return to equilibrium in a semiconductor by recombination and generation of carriers. Its value affects the performance of many silicon devices. Ion implantation is an emerging method whereby lifetime can be reduced. A major advantage of this method is the possibility of three-dimentional localization of regions of low lifetime within devices and integrated circuits. Argon and proton implantation are discussed as examples of two different approaches to localization; one relies on thermal stability of damage, and the other on the nonuniform energy deposition profile of ions coming to rest in matter. Proton implantation and electron irradiation are compared in an application of lifetime control to insulated gate transistors. It is shown that device performance is improved with proton implantation if the appropriate energy is used.
Clifford Algebra Derivation of the Characteristic Hypersurfaces of Maxwell’s Equations

An alternative, pedagogically simpler derivation of the allowed physical wave fronts of a propagating electromagnetic signal is presented using geometric algebra. Maxwell’s equations can be expressed in a single multivector equation using 3D Clifford algebra (isomorphic to Pauli algebra spinorial formulation of electromagnetism). Subsequently one can more easily solve for the time evolution of both the electric and magnetic field simultaneously in terms of the fields evaluated only on a 3D hypersurface. The form of the special “characteristic” surfaces for which the time derivative of the fields can be singular are quickly deduced with little effort.