cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hyperexpression of a Bacillus thuringiensis delta-endotoxin-encoding gene in Escherichia coli: properties of the product

Conditions for hyperexpression, in Escherichia coli, of the Bacillus thuringiensis var, kurstaki gene, cryIA9(c)73, encoding an insecticidal crystal protein, CryIA(c)73, were investigated by varying the promoter type, host cell, plasmid copy number, the second codon and number of terminators. The cryIA(c)73 gene was cloned into three E. coli expression vectors, pKK223-3 (Ptac promoter), pET-3a (P phi 10 promoter), and pUC19 (Ptac promoter). The level of cryIA(c)73 expression was measured by ELISA and compared to total cellular protein over growth periods of 24 and 48 h. Maximum expression levels of 284 microgram CryIA(C)73/ml (48% of cellular protein) were obtained in shake flasks with the Ptac promoter in E. coli JM103. Optimal conditions were found to be low-copy-number plasmid (pBR322 ori), 48 h of growth, in lon+ cells. A change of the gene's second codon to AAA can improve expression by two to three fold but is undetectable in the presence of a strong E. coli promoter. The cryIA(c)73 gene product, in E. coli, formed crystals with the same lattice structure as the native crystals formed in B. thuringiensis (as visualized by electron microscopy). Bioassay results (insect toxicity and specificity) of the crystal produced in E. coli were similar to that produced in B. thuringiensis.
Alcoholic Liver Disease: The Gut Microbiome and Liver Cross Talk

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Alcoholic fatty liver disease can progress to steatohepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Patients with alcohol abuse show quantitative and qualitative changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiome. Furthermore, patients with ALD have increased intestinal permeability and elevated systemic levels of gut-derived microbial products. Maintaining eubiosis, stabilizing the mucosal gut barrier, or preventing cellular responses to microbial products protect from experimental ALD. Therefore, intestinal dysbiosis and pathological bacterial translocation appear fundamental for the pathogenesis of ALD. This review highlights causes for intestinal dysbiosis and pathological bacterial translocation, their relationship, and consequences for ALD. We also discuss how the liver affects the intestinal microbiota.
Molecular Collisions. XII. Generalized Phase Shifts

The previous development of the theory of rotational excitation in collisions of diatomic molecules is transformed to obtain equations for a set of generalized phase shifts. The resulting equations are in a form which may be interpreted in terms of trajectories and interference effects. Approximate equations valid in the semiclassical limit are obtained. A further approximation leads to the previously developed sudden approximation.
Structure and Properties of BPDA-PDA Polyimide from its Poly(Amic Acid) Precursor Complexed with an Aminoalkyl Methacrylate

BPDA-PDA poly(amic acid) precursor was functionalized through its carboxylic acid groups being linked with a crosslinkable aminoalkyl methacrylate, 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEM), by acid/base complexation. BPDA-PDA polyimide films, which were thermally imidized from the precursors complexed with various amounts of DMAEM, were characterized by means of wide angle x-ray diffraction, stress-strain analysis, and residual stress analysis. The structure and properties of the BPDA-PDA polyimide film were dependent upon the history of the precursor, that is, the complexation of the poly(amic acid) precursor with DMAEM. The molecular packing order was enhanced with the history of DMAEM loading while the molecular order along the chain axis was disrupted. Overall, physical properties, such as mechanical properties and residual stress, were degraded with DMAEM loading. The moisture induced stress relaxation behavior was sensitive to the history of DMAEM loading, whereas the creep induced stress relaxation was varied little due to its high T g . These properties are understood in terms of structure/property relationships, as well as microvoids, which were possibly generated by outgassing the bulky DMAEM pendent groups during thermal imidization.
Modification of the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay to determine the susceptibility of raw milk to oxidation.

Abstract The susceptibility of raw milk towards oxidized flavor development is a serious concern to dairy farmers and processors. The objective of the present research was to investigate the applicability of the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay for identification of raw milk that is susceptible to oxidation. The original FRAP assay was modified accordingly for raw milk analysis. Subsequently, the influence of antioxidants and pro-oxidants on the total antioxidant capacity of raw milk during refrigerated storage was evaluated using the modified FRAP assay. Raw milk spiked with copper, vitamin E, and their combination significantly influenced the FRAP value of raw milk. Also, the FRAP value of raw milk with no additives diminished during refrigerated storage. A total of 647 samples were analyzed at a commercial facility using the modified FRAP assay and could identify low FRAP value routes and communicated with the farms in an attempt reduce the consumer complaints.
Total internal reflection fluorescence spectrometry using a dual optical fiber sample cell.

A novel total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) spectrometric technique using a dual optical fiber sample cell was developed. A conventional silica optical fiber was used for exciting fluorescence compounds in its evanescent wave field. A liquid core waveguide (LCW) was used to collect the fluorescence photons emitted from fluorescence compounds existing in an excitation fiber's evanescent wave field. The collected fluorescence photons were guided through the LCW and sent to a fluorescence spectrometer for detection. The spatial separation of excitation light and fluorescence light reduces the excitation-light-related optical noise signal, which is the major factor limiting fluorescence techniques from achieving lower detection limit. Preliminary results obtained from this work indicate that the optical fiber TIRF system of this work can detect 4.6*10−18 mole rhodamine 6G (2.7*106 molecules) existing in the evanescent wave field of the excitation optical fiber.
Adenosine triphosphate-dependent calcium accumulation by brain microsomes☆

A microsomal fraction from rat brain accumulated calcium by a temperature-dependent process requiring both ATP and Mg2+. After brief incubations the concentration of calcium in the microsomes reached levels several hundred times that in the medium. The addition of oxalate, phosphate, or acetate did not augment the accumulation. Univalent cations reduced the uptake, and ouabain was not inhibitory. A variety of enzyme inhibitors, including sulfhydryl reagents, amytal, and oligomycin, decreased calcium accumulation. Procaine reduced uptake by one-third, but a series of neurotropic drugs had little effect. The relationship between calcium accumulation and ATPase activity as well as the state of the accumulated calcium remained unclear. A possible homeostatic role in neural metabolism is suggested.
Mental Health and Other Risk Factors for Jail Incarceration Among Male Veterans

Data derived from the 2002 Survey of Inmates in Local Jails and the 2000 National Survey of Veterans show that having mental health problems in addition to such sociodemographic characteristics as being a member of a minority group, not being married, having less education, and being younger are risk factors for incarceration among veterans, as they are for the general population. As in previous studies veterans who served during the Vietnam Era and to an even greater extent, those who served in the early years of the All Volunteer Force were at greater risk of incarceration than veterans from the most recent period of the AVF, after controlling for age and other factors.
Viruses and worms: A campus under attack

Computer attacks are on the increase. Computer viruses and worms have recently been publicized, with much hype and little substance, in both professional and academic literature. This paper is about microcomputer-based viruses and mainframe computer worms that attacked a single university's various computing facilities in recent months (September 1987 to January 1989). The paper discusses the working details (mechanics) of these attacks, the general characteristics of such programs, and how they can be detected and serious damage prevented.
Formation in vitro of ripe tomato fruits from thin layer explants of flower pedicels

Thin longitudinal sections cut from pedicels of fifteen cultivars of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) were grown in vitro on Murashige-Skoog medium supplemented with various concentrations of different auxins and cytokinins. Isatin (an auxin precursor slowly converted to an active auxin) was the most effective source of auxin for the formation of buds without prior root formation, while zeatin was the most effective cytokinin for growth and development of the buds. Flower buds and ripe fruits developed consistently from explants of the cultivar Pixie Hybrid II treated with 10 μM isatin plus 3 μM zeatin as the cytokinin. Fruits developed parthenocarpically, grew to a diameter of about 15 mm, ripened promptly, and possessed normal color and flavor.
Afferent excitability compared using pulsating versus constant direct current electroanalgesia in cat tooth pulp.

Abstract Bipolar stimulation of the maxillary canine tooth pulp in the cat anes-thetized with a barbiturate was used to elicit action potentials in single pulp-driven units of the Gasserian ganglion. The physiological properties of pulpal units were quantitatively characterized and used as a basis to evaluate the effects of electroanalgesia stimulation on pulpal excitability. Electro-analgesia currents ranging from 10 to 100 μA were investigated independently for six different waveforms, including constant direct current and various trains of unidirectional rectangular pulses of frequencies 10 to 1000 Hz and duty cycles of either 1% or 10%. Intensity-dependent pulpal threshold elevations which attained average increases of approximately 600% were found for constant direct current electroanalgesia currents ranging to 100 μA. Pulsating direct current of 1000 Hz-10% yielded 90% of the constant direct current effect, and waveforms consisting of 100 Hz-10% and 100 Hz-1% were approximately 58% and 37% effective, respectively. Pulsating direct current at 10 Hz was ineffective at either duty cycle. Pulpal thresholds dropped to near normal values following all pulsating electroanalgesia waveforms, but remained at an intermediate, elevated value after termination of constant direct current electroanalgesia. The results indicate that various pulsating direct current waveforms can be used to induce significant pulpal hypalgesia while circumventing prolonged and possibly irreversible effects induced when using constant direct current electroanalgesia.
Schistosoma Mansoni: Effect of Infection on Reproduction and Gonadal Growth in Biomphalaria Glabrata

Sexually mature Biomphalaria glabrata were exposed to 12 miracidia of Schistosoma mansoni, and egg production of snails was monitored over a period of 5 weeks. During the study period, exposed snails grew at approximately the same rate as unexposed controls. Castration, as measured by a reduction in the mean number of eggs laid per snail occurred between 14 and 21 days postexposure (PE). The reduction in fecundity in infected snails coincided with the migration and establishment of daughter sporocysts in the digestive gland and gonad. Enumeration of individual oocytes in longitudinal sections of the ovotestis revealed that uninfected snails contained significantly more oocytes per section than infected snails at 27, 31, and 40 days PE. In addition, the mean area of gonadal sections of control snails increased over the 40-day experimental period, whereas there was no such increase in gonadal area of infected snails. These data suggest that there is an inhibition in gonadal growth in infected snails. When oocyte data were expressed in terms of mean gonadal area, the mean number of oocytes per mm2 of gonad of uninfected and infected snails did not differ significantly over the study period, except at Day 14 PE, when infected snails contained a significantly greater number of oocytes per mm2 of gonad than did uninfected controls. It is hypothesized that daughter sporocysts of S. mansoni are primarily responsible for the inhibition of host reproductive activity, and may be mediating their effects through mechanisms involved in the regulation of gonadal growth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cell-cell interactions in Dictyostelium development

The development of an organism requires extensive cell-cell communication; however, little is known about the signals transmitted among differentiating cells. Observations of Dictyostelium amoebae reveal that transmembrane signaling systems have been highly conserved in evolution. The signals that cause these cells to differentiate are processed by mechanisms similar to those that process sensory and hormonal stimuli in higher animals.
Pulmonary artery vasoactivity in broiler and Leghorn chickens: an age profile

Abstract Vascular function plays a preponderant role in the pulmonary changes that occur with maturation, during birth, and in the development of pulmonary hypertension. This study was designed to characterize the changes in vasoactivity occurring in broiler and Leghorn chickens from late embryonic life to 5 wk of age. Pulmonary arteries were isolated from 19- and 20-d-old embryos, hatchlings, and 1-, 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-wk-old chickens of both lines and subjected to KCl (45.4 mM)- and endothelin-1 (10(-7.5) M)-induced vasoconstrictions followed by acetylcholine (ACh; 10(-5), 10(-6) and 10(-7) M)- and papaverine (10(-4) M)-induced vasodilations. Vasoconstrictions were greatest at hatch and rapidly declined thereafter, whereas vasodilations were greatest in 20-d-old embryos except with 10(-7) M ACh. Broilers grew faster than Leghorns and had lower vasodilation responses to all concentrations of ACh at 2 and 5 wk of age. Broilers also had greater right-to-total ventricular weight ratios at 5 wk of age, whereas ratios were greater in Leghorn embryos at 20 d of incubation and at hatch. Thus, for a brief period before hatch there is a significant increase in pulmonary endothelium-dependent vasodilation capacity in the chicken embryo, which may aid in the transition from chorioallantoic to pulmonary respiration. The absence of differences in vasodilator capacity between broilers and Leghorns before hatch suggests that the differences in pulmonary artery relaxation capacity and pulmonary hypertension observed after hatch in broilers are not necessarily acquired during incubation but may be related to rapid growth of the broiler chicken.
The Interpretation of Dreams: Ladson-Billings, Freud, and Derrida

This study provides a critical and close reading of The Dreamkeepers (1994), by Gloria Ladson-Billings. The paper focuses primarily on the gendered nature of “being a teacher” and “being a student” as revealed in the dreamkeeper text, while maintaining its engagement with race and culture as it is manifested in the United States context. It considers the remarkable double-voicedness of the dreamkeeper text through a Derridean understanding of dreams, memory, perception, and writing. The study concludes by inviting teachers and teacher educators to reflect upon their personal teaching images via continual engagement with the social codes that structure pedagogical relationships.
Myocardial ischemia, reperfusion and free radical injury.

Abstract Reperfusion of coronary arteries to limit myocardial ischemic injury and extent of myocardial necrosis is possible by either the use of fibrinolytic therapy, coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery. The concept that early reperfusion may salvage jeopardized myocardium is derived from basic experimental studies which purported to demonstrate that the ultimate extent of irreversible myocardial injury could be reduced by reperfusion of the ischemic myocardium within 3 hours from the onset of regional myocardial ischemia. It is firmly established that salvage of ischemic myocardium is dependent on early restoration of blood flow to the myocardium at risk. Despite dependency on reoxygenation for ultimate survival, myocardial tissue that is reperfused and reoxygenated may be subjected to additional injurious insult due to reactive metabolites of oxygen. The cytotoxic species of oxygen are referred to as “oxygen free radicals.” Coincident with the influx of inflammatory cells into the reperfused region is an additional loss of otherwise viable myocardial cells. There is strong support for the concept that the polymorphonuclear leukocyte is a contributor to the phenomenon of “reperfusion” or “reoxygenation” injury in the blood perfused heart. This discussion focuses on the role of the neutrophil as a potential contributor to the extension of tissue injury and reviews those interventions, which although in the experimental stage, offer promise of becoming therapeutically important in the future and may help elucidate the mechanisms underlying the potentially deleterious role of the neutrophil in situations involving whole blood reperfusion of the ischemic myocardium.
Using the nominal group technique to elicit roadblocks to an MRP II implementation

Abstract The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used as one element of an action research program with a Fortune 100 company to facilitate a Manufacturing Resource Planning (MRP II) implementation. The results of a NGT with the project team were that top management involvement was seen as the most critical roadblock to the implementation. This diagnosis led to a NGT with top management where top management diagnosed the need for more education and more top management involvement. It is argued that the NGT process, because it is general and robust, is particularly effective in dealing with the human and structural issues of a MRP II or Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) implementation.
Ethnographic Data and Education Policy Analysis: Recent Qualitative Research

Review of Harry F. Wolcott, Teachers vs. Technocrats: An Eduacational Innovation in Anthropological Perspective (Eugene, Ore.: Univ. of Oregon, 1977). Review of Safe School Study: Violent Schools – Safe Schools (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1978). Review of Ray Rist, The Invisible Children: School Integration in American Society (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press, 1978).
LAMINAR CHANNEL FLOW WITH A BLOCKED BRANCH LINE-TRANSFORMATION OF A NONREGULAR DOMAIN INTO A RECTANGULAR DOMAIN

Consideration is given to laminar flow in a channel from which a blocked branch line emanates at right angles. The channel and the branch line constitute a solution domain that is nonregular with respect to computer codes structured to deal with domains that are rectangular. As an application of a technique devised by Patankar, the nonregular domain was transformed into a rectangular domain within which the fluid experiences a stepwise change of viscosity, taking on infinite viscosity in regions where flow is not to exist. Numerical solutions were obtained for parametric values of the channel Reynolds number and of the dimensionless length of the blocked branch line. The results showed that the greatest disturbance of the main flow by the presence of the branch line occurs at low Reynolds numbers, but that the recirculation bubble in the branch line is more vigorous at high Reynolds numbers. The pressure drop in the channel is diminished by the presence of the branch line. The extent of the diminution is ...
Security considerations in ad hoc sensor networks

Abstract In future smart environments, ad hoc sensor networks will play a key role in sensing, collecting, and disseminating information about environmental phenomena. As sensor networks come to be wide-spread deployment, security issues become a central concern. So far, the main research focus has been on making sensor networks feasible and useful, and less emphasis has been placed on security. This paper analyzes security challenges in wireless sensor networks and summarizes key issues that need be solved for achieving security in an ad hoc network. It gives an overview of the current state of solutions on such key issues as secure routing, prevention of denial-of-service, and key management service.
Statistical analysis of the radon-222 potential of rocks in Virginia, U.S.A.

More than 3,200 indoor radon-222 (222Rn) measurements were made seasonally in an area of about 1,000 square kilometers of the Coastal Plain and Piedmont physiographic provinces in Virginia, U.S.A. Results of these measurements indicate that some geological units are associated, on the average, with twice as much indoor222Rn as other geological units, and that indoor222Rn varies seasonally. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test whether indoor222Rn concentrations for data gathered over the winter and summer seasons differ significantly by rock unit. The tests concluded that indoor222Rn concentrations for different rock units were not equal at the 5-percent significance level. The rocks associated with the highest median indoor222Rn concentration are specific rocks in the Mesozoic Culpeper basin, including shale and siltstone units with Jurassic diabase intrusives, and mica schists in the Piedmont physiographic province. The pre-Triassic Peters Creek Schist has the highest ranking in terms of indoor222Rn concentration. The rocks associated with the lowest indoor222Rn concentrations include coastal plain sediments, the Occoquan Granite, Falls Church Tonalite, Piney Branch Mafic and Ultramafic complex, and unnamed mafic and ultramafic inclusions, respectively. The rocks have been ranked according to observed222Rn concentration by transforming the average rank of indoor222Rn concentrations to z scores.
Cephalodiscus sp. (Hemichordata: Pterobranchia): observations of functional morphology, behavior and occurrence in shallow water around Bermuda

A pterobranch hemichordate, Cephalodiscus sp., was collected from Bermuda just below the low-tide mark in July 1983 and again in October through December 1983. This is the third report of this genus in shallow water and the second for the Western Hemisphere. Specimens were observed alive in the laboratory. Colonies consist of zooids at various stages of development arranged in clusters inside a translucent, collagenous coenecium. Cilia-driven currents of the zooids are used in a method of filter-feeding similar to phylactolaemate bryozoans.
A new method for measuring dynamic fracture toughness of rock

Abstract An experimental technique for studying dynamic fracture toughness under stress wave loading is described in this paper. With a Bar Impact Testing Machine, the three point bending specimen was fractured under impact loading, the loading rate KI being approximately 106N/mm 3 2 · s. An accurate measurement of load and groove-opening displacement as function of time was made by applying a transient waveform storage, and the load applied on the specimen and the groove-opening displacement can be determined from the displacement rate according to which the dynamic fracture toughness KId was obtained. The typical load-displacement curve of a marble specimen with size of 180 × 40 × 40 is given in the paper.
A built-in aging detection and compensation technique for improving reliability of nanoscale CMOS designs

The time-dependent degradation (aging) of device characteristics caused by Bias Temperature Instability (BTI) and Hot-Carrier Injection (HCI) are one of the major threats to the reliability of nanoscale digital CMOS designs. To address this challenge, a novel built-in aging “detection” and “compensation” technique is proposed. Performance degradation is detected using a novel area- and power-efficient sensor. Then, to improve the reliability, an adaptive Time-Borrowing (TB)-based compensation technique is employed, which decreases the timing failure probabilities in spite of aged transistors. It is shown via simulations that by employing these techniques, the reliability of circuits can be improved by approximately 10X.
SAFE: Secure and Big Data-Adaptive Framework for Efficient Cross-Domain Communication

Today's Cross Domain Communication (CDC) infrastructure primarily consists of vendor-specific guard products that have little inter-domain coordination at runtime. Unaware of the context and the semantics of the CDC message that is being processed, the guard heavily relies on rudimentary filtering techniques. Consequently, the information domains are rendered vulnerable to an array of attacks, and countering these attacks often necessitates time-consuming human intervention to adjudicate messages in order to meet the desired security and privacy requirements of the communicating domains. Subsequently, this causes significant performance bottlenecks. In this paper, we present a set of key requirements and design principles for a service oriented CDC security infrastructure in form of a CDC Reference Architecture, featuring Domain Associated Guards (DOGs) as active work ow participants. Our proposed framework, SAFE, is secure and adaptable. SAFE also provide the foundation for the development of protocols and ontologies enabling run-time coordination among CDC elements. This enables more flexible, interoperable, and efficient CDC designs to serve mission needs, specifically among critical infrastructure domains as well as domains with significantly differing security and privacy vocabulary. To the best of our knowledge, SAFE is the first effort to employ DOG for secure CDC, unlike existing solutions with link-associated guards. Because of the DOG approach, SAFE overcomes the scalability problems encountered by exiting solutions.
The Cyclic Behavior of the National Office Market

A review of the post WWII data on national office building construction and vacancy, reveals a recurrent ten-twelve year cycle. Specifying and estimating a structural econometric model for these series leads to several conclusions about this commercial real estate sector. First, the office market appears to “clear” quite slowly, and long-run expectations play an important role in market behavior. Second, supply is definitely more responsive to market conditions than demand. Finally, a six-year forecast suggests that the current over-supply in the market will not go away as fast as in the past.
Long-term 193-nm laser irradiation of thin-film-coated CaF2 in the presence of H2O

The final projection lens element in a 193-nm immersion-based lithographic tool will be in direct contact with water during irradiation. Thus, any lifetime considerations for the lens must include durability data of lens materials and thin films in a water ambient. We have previously shown that uncoated CaF2 is attacked by water in a matter of hours, as manifested by a substantial increase in AFM-measured surface roughness.1 Thus, CaF2 lenses must be protected, possibly by a thin film, and the coatings tested for laser durability in water. To address the above lifetime concerns, we have constructed a marathon laser-irradiation system for testing thin film exposure to water under long-term laser irradiation. Coated substrates are loaded into a custom water cell, made of stainless steel and Teflon parts. Ultrapure water is delivered from a water treatment testbed that includes particle filtration, deionization and degassing stages. In-situ metrology includes 193-nm laser ratiometry, UV spectrophotometry and spectroscopic ellipsometry, all with spatial profiling capabilities. In-situ results are coupled with off-line microscopy, AFM measurements and spatial surface mapping with spectroscopic ellipsometry at multiple incidence angles. A variety of laser-induced changes have been observed, from complete adhesion loss of protective coatings to more subtle changes, such as laser-induced index changes of the thin films or surface roughening. Implications of the study on expected lifetimes of the protective coatings in the system will be discussed.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Combinatorial approaches as effective tools in the study of phase diagrams and composition-structure-property relationships

Abstract This article will provide an overview of state-of-the-art combinatorial/high-throughput methodologies and tools for accelerated materials research and discovery. Combinatorial thin films with discrete composition libraries or continuous composition gradients (spreads) have been widely used to study composition–structure–property relationships and to discover new functional materials. A diffusion-multiple approach—the creation of composition gradients and intermetallic phases by long-term annealing of junctions of three or more phases/alloys—enables effective studies of phase diagrams, kinetics, and composition–structure–property relationships of bulk alloys. Such studies are made possible by localized property measurements using micro-scale probes/measurement tools. Micro-scale probes for several properties such as elastic modulus, hardness, thermal conductivity, dielectric properties, optical properties, and crystal structures are relatively well developed and will be discussed in detail. The probes for electrical conductivity, magnetic properties, and compressive yield strength need further improvement or more benchmark studies. All these micro-scale probes are very useful for materials research. For instance, a micro-scale thermal conductivity probe can be used to study order–disorder transformation, site preference in intermetallic compounds, solid-solution effects on conductivity, and compositional point defect propensity. Several probes can be combined to accelerate the development of structural materials to obtain phase diagrams, diffusion coefficients, precipitation kinetics, solution-strengthening effects, and precipitation-strengthening effects. The probes yet to be developed that would have a significant impact on materials research include ones for lattice parameter measurements at micron-scale resolution, localized melting point measurements, ductility, thermal expansion coefficients, and thermodynamic properties. The impact of the development of the micro-scale probes goes beyond combinatorial materials research since most of them can be applied to non-combinatorial metallographic or thin film samples as well. Examples will show that in addition to improved efficiency, the systematic nature of the combinatorial approaches can reveal complex phenomena and interactions that otherwise would be difficult to be aware of or find using conventional one-composition-at-a-time practice, especially when measurements of several properties are made using multiple probes.
Mesofossils with platanaceous affinity from the Dakota Formation (Cretaceous) in Kansas, USA

Abstract The Platanaceae holds a basal position in the phylogeny of eudicots and therefore is of great interest to angiosperm systematists. The fossil record of the family is found in strata ranging from the Cretaceous to Recent in America, Europe and Asia. The research on the Platanaceae in the Dakota Formation can be traced back to 19th century; however, mesofossils of reproductive organs of the Platanaceae were never reported in the Midwest of North America before. This paper reports several specimens of Friisicarpus (Platanaceae) from the Dakota Formation in Kansas, USA. It complements the existing fossil records, and provides more information on reproductive biology of the family. The comparison with similar fossils from eastern North America and Europe provides some hints on biostratigraphy of the Cretaceous.
Optical turbulence in the Antarctic atmosphere

Turbulence in the earth's atmosphere severely limits the resolution and sensitivity of astronomical observations. The vertical distribution of turbulence in the atmosphere has a profound effect on the residuals after correction by an active instrument such as adaptive optics or a fringe tracking interferometer. It has already been shown that the South Pole has turbulence profiles unlike those at any other site, dominated by ground layer turbulence, with low free air seeing. This paper examines the meteorology, climatology and atmospheric physics that produces these conditions. Combining meterological observations at remote sites with models of atmospheric turbulence allows quantitative extrapolation to the likely conditions at sites now under development and consideration that may provide the ultimate ground based site for near and mid-infrared interferometry. The high plateau sites in Antarctica will likely enable complete sky coverage for adaptive optics and interferometry in the near infrared with natural guide stars.
Searching dynamically bundled goods with pairwise relations

Economics research has long recognized that bundling enables savings in production and transaction costs, promotes complementary among the bundle components and sorts consumers according to their valuations. Sellers employ market analysis and intelligence to extract the most surplus. In the age of electronic commerce with low product information access cost, buyers can take advantage of the benefits of bundling by performing dynamic composition of goods from multiple companies offering heterogeneous products and services. These goods, with the proper mix of sources and quantity, may offer additional discounts and benefits, which would not have risen should purchase decisions were made independently. A prominent example is packaged travel, which often involves air, hotel and car rentals. An optimal travel package search not only takes advantage of the lowest available prices of air, hotel and car rental individually but also exploits various discounts through business partnerships between service providers.Today's database infrastructure to support the search of dynamically bundled goods, however, is insufficient. The complex search operations involving cross join of many product categories with hundreds or thousands of offerings can be formulated as SQL queries. But executing these queries in a traditional database is inefficient. This paper proposes an I/O conscious, dynamic programming based algorithm for bundle search. The proposed algorithm finds the top-K combinations of goods abstracted by a linear relationship graph. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm achieves more than two orders of magnitude speedup over cross join, and it is more than an order of-magnitude faster than the simple dynamic programming solution. The performance gap further widens as the number of product categories and the number of offerings within each category increase. This paper characterizes the computational and I/O complexity of the proposed algorithm and suggests extensions to search bundles with more complex relationships.
Regulation of glycoprotein synthesis in the developing sea-urchin embryo

Abstract A marked increase in the synthesis of N-linked glycoproteins is essential for gastrulation in the developing sea-urchin embryo. Studies reveal that multiple regulatory mechanisms control the synthesis of these glycoproteins.
Some results on the maximum length of circuits of spread k in the d-cube

Abstract A circuit code of dimension d and spread k is a simple circuit which is formed from the vertices and edges of a d-dimensional cube and which has a certain “flatness” property making it useful as an error-limiting code. In this paper K(d, k), the length of a longest d-circuit of spread k, will be exactly determined for certain pairs (d, k). The results will include a proof of a conjecture of R. C. Singleton [5].
Imaging Features of AlloDerm(®) Used in Postmastectomy Breast Reconstructions.

The purpose of this pictorial essay is to demonstrate the imaging features (ultrasound, mammogram, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) of AlloDerm®(LifeCell Corp.; Branchburg, NJ), an acellular dermal matrix sometimes used in both primary and reconstructive breast surgeries. AlloDerm® is derived from cadaveric dermis and provides an immunologically inert scaffold in tissue reconstruction. Since there is little literature on the imaging of this substance, radiologists may be unfamiliar with its appearance in breast imaging. For this manuscript, ex vivo and in vivo images of AlloDerm® in postmastectomy patients were evaluated using different imaging modalities. The appearance of AlloDerm® can vary based on length of time postsurgery and incorporation into the host. AlloDerm® appears as an isodense to glandular tissue on a mammogram and isoechoic to glandular tissue on ultrasound imaging. On MRI, in comparison with normal breast parenchyma, AlloDerm® is hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging and isointense on T1-weighted imaging and demonstrates mild enhancement. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first multimodality imaging description of AlloDerm® used in postmastectomy patients. The conformation of AlloDerm® at surgical placement and the degree of host cell migration and neoangiogenesis are factors to take into consideration when performing diagnostic evaluations; and, familiarity with the various imaging appearances of AlloDerm® can be helpful to exclude residual or recurrent disease.
PC versus Macintosh users: a follow-up study

In a sample of 287 students, Macintosh users had significantly greater anxiety about computers than PC users.
The duration of labor in healthy women.

Objective To measure the duration of active labor (first and second stages) in low-risk women whom received intrapartum care from certified nurse-midwives in nine hospital settings in the United States in 1996. Clinical factors and morbidity indicators associated with longer labors were also examined. Design An observational study was conducted with healthy women at term who did not receive oxytocin or epidurals (n = 2511). Descriptive statistics are reported for the duration of the active phase--first stage (4 cm to complete cervical dilatation) and second stage (complete to delivery)--by parity and for subgroups of women according to race/ethnicity, age, insurance, activity in labor, type of fetal heart monitoring, and narcotic analgesia. Logistic regression was also used to assess the contribution of each variable to longer labors with simultaneous adjustment of the other variables. Results The mean length of the active-phase, first stage was 7.7 hours for nulliparas and 5.6 hours for multiparas (statistical limits of 2 standard deviations from the mean were 17.5 and 13.8 hours, respectively). The mean length of second stage was 54 minutes for nulliparas and 18 minutes for multiparas (statistical limits 146 and 64 minutes, respectively). Variables associated with longer labors were electronic fetal monitoring, ambulation, maternal age over 30 years, and narcotic analgesia. Morbidity was not increased in longer labors. Conclusion Normal labor in healthy women lasted longer than many clinicians expect. The criteria for distinguishing normal from abnormal labor, based on time, need revision.
Estimating the minimum and maximum location parameters for two gamma-exponential scale mixtures

Suppose we have two components, each having a two-parameter exponential distribution. Suppose further that the components are conditionally independent with a random hazard rate and unequal, unknown, fixed location parameters. The objective of this paper is to estimate the minimum and maximum of the location parameters from conditionally independent samples taken from the mixed population. Several estimators are proposed and their properties in terms of MSE and absolute bias will be studied and compared. Interestingly, the relationships between these estimators always hold regardless of the mixing parameters assumed in the model.
Smoking Behaviors Among Urban and Rural Pregnant Women Enrolled in the Kansas WIC Program.

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with poor birth outcomes. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a public nutritional assistance program for low-income pregnant women and their children up to age five. This study examined differences in smoking behavior among women enrolled in the Kansas WIC program. A secondary analysis was conducted using the Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System dataset of enrolled women between 2005 and 2011. Geographic residency status was obtained through application of the Census tract-based rural–urban commuting area codes. Chi square tests of association were used to assess differences. Multi-variable binary logistic regression was used to assess maternal characteristics and smoking 3 months prior to pregnancy. Total sample size averaged 21,650 women for years 2005 through 2011. Low-income, rural pregnant women smoked at significantly higher rates before, during, and after pregnancy. High smoking rates have remained unchanged since 2008. The following characteristics were associated with reduced odds of smoking 3 months prior to pregnancy: being 17 years old or younger, Hispanic, a high school graduate, urban location, normal body mass index, no live births prior to current pregnancy, and using multi-vitamins. Results from this study indicate that the WIC population in rural areas may have different needs regarding smoking cessation programming than the urban WIC population. Findings help inform WIC program administrators and assist in enhancing current smoking cessation services to the Kansas WIC population.
Analysis of force generation during flagellar assembly through optical trapping of free-swimming Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

Many studies have used velocity measurements, waveform analyses, and theoretical flagella models to investigate the establishment, maintenance, and function of flagella of the biflagellate green algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We report the first direct measurement of Chlamydomonas flagellar swimming force. Using an optical trap (“optical tweezers”) we detect a 75% decrease in swimming force between wild type (CC124) cells and mutants lacking outer flagellar dynein arms (oda1). This difference is consistent with previous estimates and validates the force measurement approach. To examine mechanisms underlying flagella organization and function, we deflagellated cells and examined force generation during flagellar regeneration. As expected, fully regenerated flagella are functionally equivalent to flagella of untreated wild type cells. However, analysis of swimming force vs. flagella length and the increase in force over regeneration time reveals intriguing patterns where increases in force do not always correspond with increases in length. These investigations of flagellar force, therefore, contribute to the understanding of Chlamydomonas motility, describe phenomena surrounding flagella regeneration, and demonstrate the advantages of the optical trapping technique in studies of cell motility. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 61:137–144, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inherited and congenital airway conditions

Brachycephalic airway obstruction can take the form of several clinical entities, eg, overlong soft palate, tracheal hypoplasia and laryngeal paralysis. These, and other major congenital airways diseases are discussed together with possible methods of surgical correction.
Dedicated core clerkship in radiology for medical students development, implementation, evaluation, and comparison with distributed clerkship.

Rationale and Objectives The authors performed this study to develop, implement, and evaluate a dedicated core clerkship in radiology for the required clinical clerkship year of medical school, and to compare it with the distributed core clerkship that it replaced. Materials and Methods A dedicated 5-day clerkship was added to the clinical core year of medical school. The course offered a variety of learning experiences, including lectures, clinical observation, case discussions, and a team project. Learner achievement was measured by posttest and compared with a control group. Student satisfaction was determined by structured and unstructured surveys. Faculty comment was elicited by survey, and administrative staff perspective was established through interviews. The evaluation of the dedicated clerkship was compared with the distributed clerkship along the dimensions of learner achievement, student satisfaction, faculty comment, and administrative staff perspective. Results The dedicated clerkship was developed and implemented successfully. Compared with the distributed clerkship, there was no significant difference in learner achievement or student satisfaction for the dedicated clerkship, but the dedicated clerkship was easier to conduct for faculty and administrative staff. Conclusion The dedicated clerkship was advantageous for faculty and administrative staff, whereas maintaining a comparable level of learner achievement and student satisfaction as the distributed clerkship.
CLINICAL ACTIVITY OF SEQUENTIAL FLAVOPIRIDOL, CYTOSINE ARABINOSIDE, AND MITOXANTRONE FOR ADULTS WITH NEWLY DIAGNOSED, POOR RISK ACUTE MYELOGENOUS LEUKEMIA

Abstract Flavopiridol, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, is cytotoxic to leukemic blasts. In a Phase II study, flavopiridol 50 mg/m 2 was given by 1-h infusion daily × 3 beginning day 1 followed by 2 g/m 2 /72 h ara-C beginning day 6 and 40 mg/m 2 mitoxantrone on day 9 (FLAM) to 45 adults with newly diagnosed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) with multiple poor-risk features. Thirty patients (67%) achieved complete remission (CR) and 4 (9%) died. Twelve (40%) received myeloablative allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) in first CR. Median OS and DFS are not reached (67% alive 12.5–31 months, 58% in CR 11.4–30 months), with median follow-up 22 months. Sixteen received FLAM in CR, with median OS and DFS 9 and 13.1 months, and 36% alive at 21–31 months. Short OS and DFS correlated with adverse cytogenetics, regardless of age or treatment in CR. The addition of allogeneic BMT in CR translates into long OS and DFS in the majority of eligible patients.
Einstein Observations of the Soft X-Ray Background Close to the Galactic Plane

A map of the soft X-ray emission along a Galactic meridian within + or - 3 deg of the Galactic plane is presented. An excess of diffuse M-band emission is found at low latitudes which exhibits a resolved, double-peaked profile that is roughly symmetric about b = 0 deg with a half-width about 1-2 deg. The integrated intensity derived for that band for this component is roughly 3-4 times the dip in intensity expected due to absorption of the extragalactic background in the plane at these energies. Assuming that this excess is characteristic of the whole Galactic plane, model fits are performed so as to derive constraints on the scale height and volume emissivity of the X-ray emitting material. The present results are compared with those inferred from observations of the harder 2-10 keV background.