cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase in human erythroid cells: degradation of the enzyme.

In a previous report we provided evidence that the three major hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT; EC 2.4.2.8) isozymes in human erythroid cells are derived by posttranslational modification of a single enzyme [Johnson, G. G. et al. (1982). Biochemistry 21:960]. In the experiments reported here we provide further evidence that the modified isozymes have a catalytic activity that is at least as great as that of the unmodified enzyme. However, we also show that the total HGPRT activity decreases with red-cell age, by a factor of approximately 4, and that this decrease in activity is paralleled by a loss in HGPRT immunoreactive protein. We estimate that the loss of HGPRT activity and immunoreactive protein as well as the changes in the relative abundances of the major isozymes occur early in the cell's life.
Bilayer counterflow transport at filling factor 1 in the strong interacting regime

Abstract We review magneto-transport properties of interacting GaAs bilayer hole systems, with very small inter-layer tunneling, in a geometry where equal currents are passed in opposite directions in the two, independently contacted layers (counterflow). In the quantum Hall state at total bilayer filling ν = 1 both the longitudinal and Hall counterflow resistances tend to vanish in the limit of zero temperature, suggesting the existence of a superfluid transport mode in the counterflow geometry. As the density of the two layers is reduced, making the bilayer more interacting, the counterflow Hall resistivity ( ρ xy ) decreases at a given temperature while the counterflow longitudinal resistivity ( ρ xx ) , which is much larger than ρ xy , hardly depends on density. Our data suggest that the counterflow dissipation present at any finite temperature is a result of mobile vortices in the superfluid created by the ubiquitous disorder in this system.
81: Severe preeclampsia (sPE) is characterized by dysregulation in the proteolytic system of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and deposition of amyloidogenic Aβ fragments in the placenta

dysregulation in the proteolytic system of amyloid precursor protein (APP) and deposition of amyloidogenic A fragments in the placenta Irina A. Buhimschi, Kristine Trotta, Christine Laky, Guomao Zhao, Catalin S. Buhimschi Yale University, Ob/Gyn & Reprod Sci., New Haven, CT OBJECTIVE: Abnormal protein processing, misfolding and supramolecular aggregation are features of Alzheimer’s and prion diseases. Hallmarks of these conditions are senile plaques containing amyloid derived via proteolytic processing of the APP by -, and -secretases. Recent data suggests sPE is a pregnancy-specific misfolding disorder. This study aims to investigate if sPE is characterized by aberrant proteolytic cleavage of integral membrane APP. STUDY DESIGN: Soluble APP fragments (sAPP) were assayed in serum of 105 singleton pregnancies as follows: i) sPE, n 55, GA: 29 1 wks and ii) normotensive controls, n 50, GA: 27 1 wks. HELLP syndrome and urinary protein fragmentation by mass spectrometry were considered evidence of liver and kidney end-organ damage. mRNA expression and protein localization of APP and its processing enzymes -secretase [ADAM 10&17], -secretase [BACE 1&2] and -secretase [PS 1&2] were studied by real-time PCR and IHC in placenta and fetal membranes of women with sPE (n 8), idiopathic preterm birth (iPTB, n 8) and normal term deliveries (n 5). RESULTS: 1) sAPP levels were lower in sPE (P .035) and further decreased in HELLP (P .023) and in cases with abundant urinary protein fragmentation (P .004), independent of GA; 2) mRNA for APP and all processing enzymes was present in amniochorion and placenta, albeit higher in the latter (P .05 for all); 3) ADAM-10 and BACE-2 were the most abundant placental transcripts; 4) sPE was associated with increased expression of placental -secretases and BACE-2, but not APP, suggesting a high proteolytic potential of resident APP; 5) IHC identified rich expression of APP and secretases with conspicuous deposits of aggregated APP in villi of sPE cases. The APP deposits reacted with a monoclonal antibody against amyloidogenic Alzheimer’s A peptide. CONCLUSION: This first comprehensive characterization of placental APP proteolytic mechanisms in sPE demonstrates that upregulation of APP processing pathway and deposition of amyloidogenic fragments are integral parts of the pathophysiology of this disease.
Anomalous volume change of gramicidin A in ethanol solutions

Results of studies aimed at clarifying the failure of gramicidin A (GA) to sediment in early experiments are analyzed. In the present work, no sedimentation was observed in pure pentanol or ethanol, while normal sedimentation was observed in ethanol-water mixtures. It is concluded that GA exists in two conformations that differ in volume. Since the apparent specific volume in absolute ethanol sinks to its lowest values on increasing concentration, the GA molecule probably unfolds completely in conditions favorable for dimerization.
Lessons of the history of nationalism: Comments

Liah Greenfeld and Daniel Chirot's article on nationalism and aggression is an adaptation from Greenfeld's much longer work on the development of nationalism in England, France, Russia, Germany and the United States. Having examined the larger book, I find it an extremely well-researched and insightful discussion of the origins and development of different conceptions of nationalism in these countries from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. I must admit to having a good deal more trouble, however, with their attempt to extrapolate from her model to explain the behavior of some of these and other nations in the twentieth century.
Increased Chromosomal Variation in Transgenic versus Nontransgenic Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Plants

Plants from in vitro culture can exhibit somaclonal variation, two characteristics of which are structural rearrangements and variation in chromosome number. These characteristics were studied in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Golden Promise) callus and plants derived from nontransgenic and transgenic callus of approximately the same age; chromosomes were studied in cells from callus and root tips from plants. Analysis of these data revealed greater variation in ploidy in transgenic compared with nontransgenic plants. Of 59 independent transgenic lines, only 32 (54%) had normal diploid complements of 2n = 2x = 14, while 27 (46%) were tetraploid (2n = 4x = 28) or aneuploid around the tetraploid level (i.e., 26, 27, 29 and 30 chromosomes); no aneuploidy around the diploid number was observed. Nontransgenic plants regenerated after in vitro culture alone had a much lower percentage of tetraploids (0-4.3%). Most diploid plants had normal gross morphology, while tetraploid plants had abnormal morphological features. Ploidy determinations were made on randomly selected cells from callus of immature embryos cultured for 0 to 14 d. The number of tetraploid cells in 1-d- to 7-d-old callus was around 2 to 4%; in callus comparable in age to that used to regenerate both the transgenic and the nontransgenic sets of plants, 23% of the cells were tetraploid. This percentage is lower than the percentage (46%) of tetraploid plants from the transgenic lines; however, it is considerably higher than the percentage (0-4.3%) of tetraploid plants from nontransgenic callus. Therefore, although chromosomal variation and abnormalities occur in callus and nontransgenic plants, the extent of ploidy changes in transgenic plants is exacerbated, perhaps due to the additional stresses that occur during transformation.
Interband transitions in photonic crystals

We present a formalism to describe transitions between photon modes in a photonic crystal with a temporally and spatially varying dielectric constant, in analogy to optical transitions between electronic states in metals and semiconductors. Resonant transitions between different photonic bands are discussed, and predictions of the theory are compared to electromagnetic simulations. We contrast the cases of electronic and photonic transitions, and explore how the photonic band structure allows opportunities for phase matching and stationary-wave generation in nonlinear optical frequency-conversion processes.
Functional endoscopic surgery in children: A retrospective analysis of results

The impact of chronic sinusitis on children has become more apparent as the awareness of the disease has increased. Consequently, the knowledge of its effect in the pediatric patient has expanded dramatically. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) has become the primary surgical modality for treatment of this illness in children who have not responded to optimal medical management. A retrospective study was conducted in patients from 7 months to 17 years of age who were treated with FESS for chronic sinusitis refractory to medical therapy. Using a comprehensive parental questionnaire and a review of the medical charts, results were analyzed from these post-FESS children. Parents of the children were interviewed with a mean follow-up time of 21.8 months postoperatively. Factors discussed included chronic nasal obstruction, purulent nasal discharge, postnasal drip, chronic cough, halitosis, headaches, behavioral problems, allergies, and asthma symptoms. This preliminary investigation suggests that FESS is effective in treating medically recalcitrant severe chronic sinusitis in children.
Real-time control of etching processes : Experimental results

ing is presented. The focus of this approach is to combine in-situ sensing witha model that deals directly with evolving surfaces. Using this method, and anin-situ process modelling technique (e.g., plasma emission spectroscopy duringreactive ion etching) is used as a source of inout data for a model which deals ex-
Ghost Settlement on the Prairie: A Biography of Thurman, Kansas

Four miles southeast of the village of Matfield Green in Chase County, Kansas the heart of the Flint Hills lies the abandoned settlement of Thurman. At the turn of the century Thurman was a prosperous farming and ranching settlement with fifty-one households, a post office, two general stores, a blacksmith shop, five schools, and a church. Today, only the ruins of Thurman remain. Joseph Hickey uses Thurman to explore the settlement form of social organization, which along with the village, hamlet, and small town was a dominant feature of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American life. He traces Thurman's birth in 1874, its shallow rises and falls, and its demise in 1944. Akin to what William Least Heat-Moon did for Chase County in "PrairyErth," Hicky provides a "deep map" for one post-office community and, consequently, tells us a great deal about America's rural past. Describing the shifting relationships between Thurmanites and their Matfield Green neighbors, Hickey details how social forces set in motion by the American ideal of individualism and the machinations of capitalist entrepreneurs produced a Darwinian struggle between Thurman stock raisers and Flint Hills "cattle barons" that ultimately doomed Thurman. Central to the story are the concept of "ordinary entrepreneurship" and the profoundly capitalist attitudes of the farmers who settled Thurman and thousands of other communities dotting the American landscape. Hickey's account of Thurman's social organization and disintegration provides a new perspective on what happened when the cattle drives from Texas and the Southwest shifted in the 1880s from the Kansas cowtowns to the Flint Hills. Moreover, he punctures numerous myths about the Flint Hills, including those that cattle dominated because the land is too rocky to farm or that Indians refused to farm because of traditional beliefs. Like many other small rural communities, Hickey argues, Thurman during its seventy-year history was actually several different settlements. A product of changing social conditions, each one resulted from shifting memberships and boundaries that reflected the efforts of local entrepreneurs to use country schools, churches, and other forms of "social capital" to gain advantages over their competitors. In the end, Thurman succumbed to the impact of agribusiness, which had the effect of transforming social capital from an asset into a liability. Ultimately, Hickey shows, the settlement's fate echoed the decline of rural community throughout America."
ENSO-based climate variability affects water use efficiency of rainfed cotton grown in the southeastern USA

Abstract The El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-based climate variability can have a significant impact on crop production due to its effect on yield variation on space and time. The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of ENSO-based climate variability on water use efficiency (WUE) of rainfed cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown in the southeastern USA. Specific objectives were to determine the spatial and temporal variability of WUE of rainfed cotton as related to ENSO phases. The CSM-CROPGRO-Cotton model, previously calibrated and evaluated with observed data, was used to simulate seed yield and evapotranspiration of rainfed cotton for selected counties in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia for the period from 1950 to 2006. For each location, model simulations from nine planting dates were categorized into the ENSO phases using the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) index. Then, simulation outputs were used to calculate WUE as the ratio of cotton seed yield to crop evapotranspiration. For each location and planting date, normal values for WUE were obtained and deviations from normal for each ENSO phase were determined. Exploratory and nonparametric analyses were used to analyze the results. Our results suggest that WUE of rainfed cotton is differentially affected by ENSO. During El Nino years WUE deviations from normal tended to be negative for early planting dates but positive and larger for late planting dates, no tendency was found for the entire planting window during Neutral years. During La Nina years WUE deviations from normal tend to be positive and larger for early to mid planting dates, becoming smaller and negative for late planting dates. The stronger spatial dependence of WUE during La Nina years than during El Nino and Neutral years may imply that more attention should be given to planning strategies during La Nina years if we were to plan rainfed cotton in the region. Our results suggest that management practices of rainfed cotton tailored to ENSO-based climate variability are promising as a strategy for reducing the vulnerability of the crop to climate variability in the southeastern USA.
Optimization of Peptide Separations by Differential Ion Mobility Spectrometry

Differential ion mobility spectrometry (DIMS) has the ability to separate gas phase ions based on their difference in ion mobility in low and high electric fields. DIMS can be used to separate mixtures of isobaric and isomeric species indistinguishable by mass spectrometry (MS). DIMS can also be used as a filter to improve the signal-to-background of analytes in complex samples. The resolving power of DIMS separations can be improved several ways, including increasing the dispersion field and increasing the amount of helium in the nitrogen carrier gas. It has been previously demonstrated that the addition of helium to the DIMS carrier gas provides improves separations when the dispersion field is the kept constant as helium content is varied. However, helium has a lower breakdown voltage than nitrogen. Therefore, as the percent helium content in the nitrogen carrier gas is increased, the highest dispersion field accessible decreases. This work presents the trade-offs between increasing dispersion fields and using helium in the carrier gas by comparing the separation of a mixture of isobaric peptides. The maximum resolution for a separation of a mixture of three peptides with the same nominal molar mass was achieved by using a high dispersion field (~72 kV/cm) with pure nitrogen as the carrier gas within the DIMS assembly. The conditions used to achieve the maximum resolution also exhibit the lowest ion transmission through the assembly, suggesting that it is necessary to consider the trade-off between sensitivity and resolution when optimizing DIMS conditions for a given application.
Marketing Religion Online: The LDS Church's SEO Efforts

This article examines the relationship between new media technologies and religious marketing. Specifically, it looks at how the LDS/Mormon Church employs Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to influence online search results. The author acknowledges the reasonable motivations behind and the ethical practice of the LDS Church's SEO efforts; however, the article also brings up philosophical questions about religions applying proactive/aggressive business marketing strategies.
Cultivation of Trypanosoma gambiense in vitro in Cell-Free Medium.

Summary1. Trypanosoma gambiense is readily cultivated on a semi-solid medium containing human plasma and hemoglobin. 2. Infection can be detected by cultures, when the usual methods of examination and inoculation of the blood fail. 3. Successful numerous transfers, each followed by multiplication, suggest that the cultures may be able to be maintained indefinitely.
Measurement reliability and agreement in psychiatry

Psychiatric research has benefited from attention to measurement theories of reliability, and reliability/agreement statistics for psychopathology ratings and diagnoses are regularly reported in empirical reports. Nevertheless, there are still controversies regarding how reliability should be measured, and the amount of resources that should be spent on studying measurement quality in research programs. These issues are discussed in the context of recent theoretical and technical contributions to the statistical analysis of reliability. Special attention is paid to statistical studies published since Kraemer's 1992 review of reliability methods in this journal.
Improvements and Enhancements to SCCREAM, A Conceptual RBCC Engine Analysis Tool

34th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit Cleveland, OH, July 12 - 15, 1998.
Deforestation history of the eastern rain forests of Madagascar from satellite images

Madagascar is biologically one of the richest areas on Earth, and its plants and animals are among the most endangered. Satellite images and vegetation maps based on earlier aerial photographs were used to determine the extent of eastern rain forests in Madagascar and to monitor the rate of deforestation over a 35-year period. In 1985, 3.8 million hectares of rain forest remained, representing only 50 percent of the 7.6 million hectares existing in 1950 and 34 percent of the estimated orignal extent (11.2 million hectares). Between 1950 and 1985, the rate of deforestation averaged 111,000 hectares per year. Deforestation was most rapid in areas with low topographic relief and high population density. If cutting of forests continues at the same pace, only forests on the steepest slopes will survive the next 35 years.
Structural Characteristics and Evolution of Vicksburg Formation: Javelina and East McCook Fields, Hidalgo County, Texas: ABSTRACT

The major structure at Javelina and East McCook fields is a decollement surface on the Jackson Formation. Movement along this glide plane was contemporaneous with sedimentation and has resulted in extreme rollover (up to 50°) and great vertical and horizontal displacement of overlying Vicksburg sediments. Changing rollover trends observed in dip logs of lower Vicksburg strata, and structure of this glide plane surface demonstrate its listric nature both updip and along strike. Structure within the Vicksburg Formation is dominated by 3 major listric, normal growth faults. The faults penetrate the entire Vicksburg section, which is over 8,000 ft (2,438 m) thick. These faults have significantly affected Vicksburg deposition, as the entire section expands more than 40% or 2,500 ft (762 m) across the field. Expansion ratios for individual units are higher. Structural displacement and complexity of the section increase with depth, with stratigraphic throws greater than 2,000 ft (610 m) in deeper Vicksburg beds. Fault drag is commonly observed in dip logs. Antithetic faulting is conspicuously absent. Structural evolution of the Vicksburg was controlled by formation of a diapiric shale ridge updip early in Vicksburg deposition. Diapiric uplift resulted in evolution of a major growth fault on the basinward shoulder of the ridge. Once initiated, the fault maintained itself throughout Vicksburg deposition and resulted in decollement on, or within, Jackson shales. Development of this fault aided in formation of the other 2 growth faults. Formation of these faults was also related to movement along the glide plane, shale diapirism, and sediment-loading stresses. End_of_Article - Last_Page 264------------
Validity of sequential bootstrap for subcritical and critical branching processes

Sequential bootstrapping for branching processes with immigration is proposed. The asymptotic validity of a sequential bootstrap estimator of the offspring mean in is estabilished for all values of m ∊ (0, 1]. This result is to be constrasted with the standard (non-sequential)bootstrapping where the bootstrap estimator estimator has been shown to asymptotically invalid (see, Sriram (1992)).
On Uniqueness in a Lateral Cauchy Problem with Multiple Characteristics

where f ({w)=1 2{w {w. Indeed, we are able to derive from our results on scalar operators in this paper and in the paper [4] that a regular (C is enough) solution to the system (0.2) is uniquely determined in the domain Qo by the Cauchy data on 1 provided f # C. The domain Qo /Q depends on 1 and is explicitly described by some quadratic function. We expect that other important systems of mathematical physics can be handled in a similar manner. As shown in [6, 7] uniqueness in the Cauchy article no. DE963227
Mindoro Strait and Sibutu Passage transports estimated from satellite data

[1] This study investigates the Mindoro Strait and Sibutu Passage transports using remotely-sensed sea surface height (SSH) and ocean-bottom-pressure (OBP) data. The analysis reveals the existence of a persistent baroclinic pressure gradient that drives a deepwater overflow from the South China Sea into the Sulu Sea. The application of hydraulic theory combined with the “geostrophic control” formula yields a mean transport estimate of about 2.4 Sv (1 Sv = 106 m3 s−1) through the Mindoro Strait and about 2.8 Sv through the Sibutu Passage. Most of this water enters the Sulu Sea through the bottom layer of the Mindoro Strait and exits the Sulu Sea in the upper layer of the Sibutu Passage. The analysis also provides the first satellite-based observational evidence on the seasonal and interannual variation of the Mindoro Strait and Sibutu Passage transports for the period from January 2004 to December 2007.
Importance of including all pregnancy outcomes to reduce bias in epidemiologic studies of neural tube defects--Texas, 1999 to 2005.

BACKGROUND Neural tube defects (NTDs) often result in fetal death or elective termination; therefore, not all cases are captured in typical hospital-based surveillance. We examined sociodemographic differences among pregnancy outcomes to assess sources of bias in NTD surveillance and research. METHODS We used 1999 to 2005 Texas Birth Defects Registry data, a population-based active surveillance system, and calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs). We then assessed the association of anencephaly and spina bifida with the selected characteristics, stratified by pregnancy outcomes (fetal death, elective termination, or live birth). RESULTS Data were available for 1852 NTD cases (anencephaly, 677; spina bifida, 954; and encephalocele, 221), resulting in 1211 live births, 236 fetal deaths, and 405 elective terminations. For both anencephaly and spina bifida, a significant excess of Hispanic mothers was observed among live-birth cases (aPRs = 1.2–2.4), but not among mothers experiencing other pregnancy outcomes. Mothers of anencephaly cases resulting in a non-live birth were more likely to be adolescents (aPRs = 2.4–2.7 for ages <20 years old vs. ages 25–29 years old), but this pattern was not observed for live-birth cases. A trend of increasing anencephaly risk with increasing parity was demonstrated only among fetal-death cases. For spina bifida, mothers of fetal-death (but not live-birth) cases were less likely to live along the Texas–Mexico border (aPR = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS Demographic differences across NTD pregnancy outcomes exist and are a potential source of bias. Inclusion of all pregnancy outcomes in NTD surveillance is vital in NTD monitoring and research. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Estrogenic Inhibition of the Hepatic Synthesis of α2u Globulin in the Rat

The hepatic synthesis of the androgendependent urinary protein in the rat, called a2u globulin, is strongly inhibited by estrogens. In mature male rats, treatment with estradiol-17β (0.5 µg⁄g body weight) completely inhibits α2u synthesis within 6-7 days. Following withdrawal of estrogen treatment α2u synthesis is not reinitiated for approximately 20 days. Parabiotic joining of estrogensuppressed male rats with their normal littermates within this lag period fails to change the preparabiotic pattern of α2u synthesis in the respective partners. Besides estradio 1-17β, other estrane derivatives such as estrone, estriol and estradiol-17α were also found to inhibit the synthesis of α2u globulin. All of the above estrane derivatives which inhibit α2u synthesis are also found to inhibit the uptake of 5α-dihydrotestosterone by the hepatic cytosol androgen binding protein of the mature male rat. Unlike cycloheximide, a known translational inhibitor, estradiol-17β does not inhibit α2u synthesis in the perfused rat...
Differential Effect of Cytochrome P‐450 ω‐Hydroxylase Inhibition on O2‐Induced Constriction of Arterioles in SHR With Early and Established Hypertension

Objective: To determine whether two structurally and mechanistically different inhibitors of cytochrome P-450 ω-hydroxylase would alter the enhanced vasoconstrictor response to elevated PO2 in arterioles of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Cytochrome P-450 ω-hydroxylases, which catalyze the formation of the vasoconstrictor 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid from arachidonic acid, have been proposed to serve as microvascular O2 sensors. Methods: Arteriolar diameters were measured in the in situ cremaster muscle of 4- to 6- and 12- to 16-week-old SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) controls during superfusion with physiological salt solution (PSS) equilibrated with 0% O2 and 21% O2 before and after P-450 enzyme inhibition. Results: The P-450 ω-hydroxylase inhibitors 17-octadecynoic acid (17-ODYA) and N-methylsulfonyl-12, 12-dibromododec-11-enamide (DDMS) significantly reduced O2-induced constriction of arterioles of 12- to 16-week-old SHR and WKY and eliminated the difference in the response between the two groups. In contrast, both enzyme inhibitors attenuated the O2-induced constriction of arterioles in the younger WKY, but not in the 4- to 6-week-old SHR. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that cytochrome P-450 4A may act as an O2 sensor in the skeletal muscle microcirculation and suggest that 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid plays an important role in the enhanced response to elevated PO2 in the SHR with established hypertension. Other mechanisms seem to contribute to the enhanced sensitivity of arterioles to elevated PO2 in young SHR during the early development of hypertension.
Intelligence for beginners

The Structure and Measurement of Intelligence. By Hans J. Eysenck. Pp.253. (Springer: Berlin, Heidelberg and New York, 1979.) DM 44, $24.20.
Vertical Differential Pair Routing in High Performance Ceramic Multi-chip Module Packages

We describe a methodology to route differential pairs in vertical layers in a high performance multi-chip module ceramic package. By matching the impedance of these vertical differential pairs to their conventional counterparts and adopting a power distribution topology that effectively isolates these pairs from noise aggressors, routing was improved by 17% and simultaneous switching noise decreased by 60%. The methods described in this paper were applied successfully in the design of an IBM ceramic multi-chip module (MCM) package with good electrical performance.
Das Dreistoffsystem Zirkonium-Silicium-Bor

Das Dreistoffsystem Zr-Si-B wurde unter vorzugsweiser Benutzung von Rontgenmethoden untersucht und ein Schnitt des ternaren Phasendiagramms bei 1400°C wurde aufgenommen. Als einzige ternare Phase wurde diejenige beobachtet, uber dieNowotny und Mitarbeiter fruher berichtet hatten; sie entspricht der Formel Zr5(Si, B)3, besitzt D 88-Struktur und enthalt etwa 5 Atom% Bor. Das System wird mit anderen Me-Si-B-Systemen verglichen, uber die kurzlich berichtet wurde.
Self assembled monolayer and protein adsorption studies on micromachined quartz crystal balances

We report the design and fabrication of a micromachined quartz crystal balance (QCM) array for self assembled monolayers (SAMs) and protein adsorption studies. The microQCM was fabricated using recently developed inductively coupled plasma etching process for quartz to realize resonators with 60 mm thickness and electrode diameters of 0.5 mm. The reduction in the thickness and lateral pixel size has resulted in a sensitivity improvement by factor of 1700 over a commercially available macro-sized QCM. Adsorption of hexadecanethiol on the gold electrode of the QCM in ethanol at a concentration of 1 mM was recorded in real time and a frequency shift of 3650 Hz was obtained. Modeling the SAMs layer as an ideal, rigid mass layer the expected frequency shift was calculated to be 1031 Hz. This was followed by a study of the adsorption of human serum albumin (HSA) protein on the SAMs layer. For 1.5×10 -10 moles/ml concentration of protein solution in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) we obtained a frequency change of 13.28 kHz. Modeling the protein layer as a viscoelastic layer in a viscous Newtonian fluid, for saturation protein surface coverage, the frequency change was calculated to be 17.27 kHz whereas the experimentally obtained frequency change was 51.82 kHz. In both rigid and viscoelastic film adsorption experiments, we find the microQCM to exhibit three times greater sensitivity than the predicted value when operated at the third overtone. These results show that the micromachined QCM in array format is a very sensitive gravimetric sensor capable of mass resolutions into the femtograms range.
The semantics of complementation in English: A cognitive semantic account of two English complement constructions

Studies on complementation in English and other languages have traditionally focused on syntactic issues, most notably on the constituent structures of different complement types. As a result, they have neglected the role of meaning in the choice of different complements. This paper investigates the semantics of complementation within the theoretical framework of cognitive grammar. In particular, I examine the extent to which two morphosyntactically different complement types in modern English, to infinitival and -ing complements, reflect differences in meaning and whether there is any semantic patterning in the sets of matrix predicates that select for each type. The analysis argues that the occurrence of one or the other complement type is not semantically arbitrary, but rather semantically motivated by the meanings of the matrix predicates and the meanings of the grammatical elements to and -ing found in each kind of complement. Consequently, in spite of its clear grammatical function, infinitival to is meaningful in all its uses, retaining aspects of its original path-like sense via well-established routes of semantic extension. In general, all to infinitival complements evoke the notion of conceptual distance of some kind between the matrix and subordinate clauses. In addition, in all its uses -ing is also meaningful in evoking some kind of conceptual overlap between the matrix and subordinate clauses.
Response: Persistent Perplexities

This response to the preceding five articles highlights the stubborn persistence of the philosophical perplexities surrounding commodification in the realm of medicine and biotechnology.
Affect, Reason, and Persuasion: Advertising Strategies That Predict Affective and Analytic-Cognitive Responses.

Advertisements are messages designed with the goal of persuasion and can therefore be considered as ecologically valid examples of persuasive messages. The study of responses to advertisements can provide insights into the interplay of affective and analytic-cognitive aspects of the persuasion process. This study develops and tests hypotheses concerning the relationship of specific advertising strategies to affective (syncretic-cognitive) and analytic cognitive responses in the audience. Specifically, it is postulated that different advertising strategies predict different patterns of affective and analytic cognition with product involvement and other relevant variables controlled. Two hundred forty advertisements are analyzed both in terms of their strategy attributes and the reactions they evoke. Advertising strategy variables are demonstrated to account substantially for the variance in affective and analytic cognition.
ACM established to develop communication about computing

Sixty years ago most computer scientists worked in a vacuum, unaware of the projects their peers around the U.S. were exploring. Sharing research was key to furthering the field, most agreed, but what vehicle could best serve as a conduit for communication?
Enabling civilian applications of unmanned teams through collaboration, cooperation, and sensing

Hardware platforms for unmanned aerial and ground vehicles are becoming increasingly commoditized, leading to low prices and high-quality equipment. This, in turn, is enabling the use of low-cost unmanned vehicles for a broadening array of civilian and commercial applications. In this paper we consider a heterogeneous group consisting of three ground vehicles and two aerial vehicles. Using this standard "team," we describe and analyze four different civilian applications to which the team is well suited, and for which existing solutions are either too costly or not effective. The applications are representative of a broad spectrum of applications in the areas of customs and border protection, infrastructure surveillance, early fire detection, and public safety incident response. For each application, we describe the overall team function, the application-specific sensor suite, the data processing and communication requirements, and any ground / operator station requirements. The focus is on solutions that require collaboration and cooperation between vehicles, and synthesis of the heterogeneous sensor data they provide.
Variability in aggressiveness, cultural characteristics, cercosporin production and fatty acid profile of Cercospora piaropi, a biocontrol agent of water hyacinth

The extent of variation in aggressiveness, growth and pigmentation in culture, phytotoxin production and fatty acid profile were determined in a population of 55 isolates of Cercospora piaropi, a fungus used as a biocontrol agent of the aquatic weed water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Besides differences in the colour of mycelium and diffusible pigments in culture, isolates of C. piaropi grown under standard conditions differed significantly in their ability to produce the phytotoxin cercosporin, as well as in aggressiveness and growth rate. A positive correlation existed between the ability of the isolates to produce cercosporin and their aggressiveness, and a negative correlation between growth rate and cercosporin production or growth rate and aggressiveness. Based on thin-layer chromatographic separation of extracts and comparison with beticolin-1, used as a standard, there was no evidence of production of beticolins. In discriminant analysis, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles had low resolution for differentiating populations among isolates of the fungus, and the level of resolution was influenced by the age of the colonies. Diffusible pigments in culture and cercosporin production are useful adjuncts to aggressiveness screening for choosing the most effective isolate of C. piaropi for biological control.
Fast communication: No-reference visually significant blocking artifact metric for natural scene images

Quantifying visually annoying blocking artifacts is essential for image and video quality assessment. This paper presents a no-reference technique that uses the multi neural channels aspect of human visual system (HVS) to quantify visual impairment by altering the outputs of these sensory channels independently using statistical ''standard score'' formula in the Fourier domain. It also uses the bit patterns of the least significant bits (LSB) to extract blocking artifacts. Simulation results show that the blocking artifact extracted using this approach follows subjective visual interpretation of blocking artifacts. This paper also presents a visually significant blocking artifact metric (VSBAM) along with some experimental results.
Singularity in the vapor pressure of 4He near the λ point

Abstract Heat capacity and specific-volume measurements along with simple thermodynamics imply that the second temperature derivatives of both the chemical potential and the vapor pressure along the coexistence curve of 4 He are divergent at the λ point. Here, unlike the critical point, the larger contribution comes from the chemical potential. The coefficients in the assumed asymptotic form B + A ln τ are found for both (d 2 μ c /d T 2 ) and d 2 p c /d T 2 ). The divergence in the second derivative of the vapor pressure can be qualitatively seen in the T 58 4 He vapor-pressure scale but T 58 is not accurate enough to give reliable values for B and A .
Cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and oral contraceptives: relationships to lipids and lipoproteins in adolescent school-children.

The effects of cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and oral contraceptives on plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-HDL), and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (C-LDL) were assessed in 965 12–19-year-old school-children in the Cincinnati Lipid Research Clinic's Princeton school survey. After pair matching for age, sex, race, and total plasma cholesterol, adolescent children who smoked had mean C-HDL 6.1 mg/dl lower, and mean C-LDL 4.1 mg/dl higher, than nonsmokers (p<0.01). These findings for C-HDL were replicated by covariance analysis, adjusting for age, race, sex, alcohol intake, and triglyceride levels. Adolescents who drank alcohol had higher C-HDL and triglyceride levels and lower C-LDL than nondrinkers, but the differences were not significant. Adolescent females taking oral contraceptives had higher triglyceride, C-HDL, and C-LDL levels than matched controls, but the differences were not significant. If a portion of smoking's contribution to coronary heart disease risk is mediated through its inverse association with C-HDL, and if smoking habits initiated in adolescence continue into adulthood, this report provides additional physiologic data relevant to programs designed to prevent, reduce, or stop cigarette smoking in the adolescent years.
The reproductive endocrine system of nonhuman primates--a model for prediction of toxicity.

Summary The following statements summarize our present judgements of the areas of reproductive endocrinology in which rhesus monkeys and chimpanzees can appropriately serve as surrogates for man. In many cases these conclusions are based on preliminary data and may be altered by subsequent experiments. Because of different patterns of steroid synthesis and metabolism, the rhesus monkey is not a good model for human pregnancy. Endocrine relationships in the three species are similar during the neonatal period, but due to the lack of a detectable adrenal maturation process the rhesus monkey may not be an appropriate model for studies during puberty. Control of the menstrual cycle appears to be similar in each of the three species. While post-menopausal rhesus monkeys have been found and their hormone patterns are similar to those of postmenopausal humans, menopause has not yet been documented in chimpanzees. Studies of the relationship of the hypothalamus to the pituitary in rhesus monkeys would be difficult since they do not uniformly respond to GnRH. Preliminary results of our initial attempts to utilize the reproductive endocrine system of primates as a means of predicting toxicity have been presented. While sufficient information is not yet available to enable a definitive outline of all the facets of the primate endocrine system which are liable to specific toxic intervention, we hope this presentation will elicit the interest of both toxicologists and endocrinologists in a fruitful marriage of the two disciplines.
Vaccinia DNA topoisomerase I: kinetic evidence for general acid-base catalysis and a conformational step.

The pH dependences of the internal equilibrium (Kcl) and rate constants for site-specific DNA strand cleavage (kcl) and resealing (kr) catalyzed by Vaccinia DNA topoisomerase I have been investigated using single-turnover conditions in the pH range 4.6-9.8 at 20 degrees C. The pH dependence of the rate constant for strand cleavage (kcl) shows a bell-shaped profile with apparent pKa values of 6.3 +/- 0.2 and 8.4 +/- 0.2, suggesting base catalysis of the attack of the active site Tyr-274 on the phosphodiester phosphorus, and acid catalysis of the expulsion of the 5'-deoxyribose oxygen. A low pKa (i.e., 6.3) for Tyr-274 in the free enzyme is ruled out by NMR titration from pH 5.1 to 8.8 monitoring the C-zeta chemical shift of [zeta-13C]-tyrosine-enriched topoisomerase. The dependence of the internal equilibrium constant (Kcl) on pH reveals very similar pKa values as kcl (5.8 +/- 0.2 and 8.6 +/- 0.2). However, kr is found to be independent of pH. The differing response of kcl and kr to pH rules out a simple two-state internal cleavage equilibrium and suggests that a conformational change occurs following formation of the covalent complex which retains the correct protonation state for strand religation. A conformation step is further indicated by a 4.6-fold "thio effect" on kcl upon substitution of the nonbridging oxygen atom of the attacked phosphoryl group by sulfur [Stivers, J. T., Shuman, S., & Mildvan, A. S. (1994) Biochemistry 33, 327], and the absence of such an effect on kr, (krphos/krthio = 0.9 +/- 0.2), indicating the rates of cleavage and religation to be limited by covalent chemistry and a conformational step, respectively. The rate constant of this conformational change in the direction of religation agrees with the average rate constant for supercoil release from plasmid substrates, suggesting this conformational change to be a part of the topoisomerization step. Although the general acid and general base catalysts have not yet been identified, the quantitative roles of these and other residues in catalysis are discussed.
Simulated Impacts of Crop Residue Removal and Tillage on Soil Organic Matter Maintenance

Cellulosic biofuel production may generate new markets and revenue for farmers. However, residue removal may cause environmental problems such as soil erosion and soil organic matter (SOM) loss. The objective of this study was to determine the amounts of residue necessary for SOM maintenance under different tillage and residue removal scenarios for corn–soybean [ L.– (L.) Merr.] and continuous corn rotations for a site in west-central Minnesota. We employed a process-based model (CQESTR) to evaluate management practices and quantify SOM changes over time. Results showed that conventional tillage resulted in SOM loss regardless of the amount of residue returned. Under no-till, residue amount was important in determining SOM accumulation or depletion. For the upper 30 cm of soil, average annual rates of 3.65 and 2.25 Mg crop residue ha yr were sufficient to maintain SOM for corn–soybean and continuous corn rotations, respectively. Soil OM in soil layers below 30 cm was predicted to decrease in all scenarios as a result of low root inputs. When considered over the upper 60 cm (maximum soil depth sampled), only continuous corn with no-till was sufficient to maintain SOM. Results from this work are important because they show that, for these management scenarios, no-till management is necessary for SOM maintenance and that determining whether SOM is accumulating or declining depends on the soil depth considered. At current yields observed in this study area, only continuous corn with no-till may generate enough residue to maintain or increase SOM.
Lung separation and the difficult airway

Selective collapse of a lung and one-lung ventilation (OLV) is now performed for most thoracic surgical procedures. Modern double-lumen endobronchial tubes and bronchial blockers have made lung separation safe and relatively easy to achieve. However, OLV in the patient with a ‘difficult airway' can present a challenge to the anaesthesiologist. This review considers the different techniques used to achieve lung separation and their application to the patient with a difficult airway.
An investigation of harmonically driven free standing bubbles in a wire-plane electrode geometry

In this paper we investigate the effects of a nonuniform electric field on free standing air bubbles in water. An air pump is used to launch bubbles into a water filled glass tube where they pass between electrodes arranged in a wire-plane geometry. An electric field is applied between the electrodes by a 20 kV AC power supply and the response of the bubble is captured using a high speed camera (10,000 fps). Due to the large difference between the dielectric constants of water and air, the electric fields in the electrode gap will be refracted and focused to the region inside or near the bubble surface. This concentrated field strength will tend to polarize the bubble surface and subject the bubble to a dielectrophoretic force, which may result in a deformation of the bubble's shape. If the electric field is further driven at the natural oscillation frequency of the bubble (0.1-1.0 kHz), the dielectrophoretic force may severely modify both the gas dynamic and dielectric properties inside the bubble. The goal of this work is to investigate these physical processes for the case of a single bubble that is physically separated from all electrode surfaces. A better understanding of these effects could be used to facilitate the process of plasma breakdown in water.
A new generalized computational framework for finding object orientation using perspective trihedral angle constraint

This paper investigates a fundamental problem of determining the position and orientation of a three-dimensional (3-D) object using a single perspective image view. The technique is focused on the interpretation of trihedral angle constraint information. A new closed form solution based on Kanatani's formulation is proposed. The main distinguishing feature of the authors' method over the original Kanatani formulation is that their approach gives an effective closed form solution for a general trihedral angle constraint. The method also provides a general analytic technique for dealing with a class of problem of shape from inverse perspective projection by using "angle to angle correspondence information." A detailed implementation of the authors' technique is presented. Different trihedral angle configurations were generated using synthetic data for testing the authors' approach of finding object orientation by angle to angle constraint. The authors performed simulation experiments by adding some noise to the synthetic data for evaluating the effectiveness of their method in a real situation. It has been found that the authors' method worked effectively in a noisy environment which confirms that the method is robust in practical application. >