cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electronic Recombination of He 3

The electronic recombination coefficient of ${\mathrm{He}}_{3}^{+}$ under thermalized conditions at 80 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K is (3.4 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 1.5) \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$ ${\mathrm{sec}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. The electron-temperature dependence of this coefficient is ${T}_{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\chi}}$, $〈\ensuremath{\chi}〉=1.22$, $0.98l\ensuremath{\chi}l1.60$. This is applicable when both the gas and ion temperatures are near 80 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The fragments of the recombination process have not been identified but the results indicate dissociation into ${\mathrm{He}}_{2}^{*}$ + He.
Proteases and Collagenases of Porphyromonas Gingivalis

Proteases expressed by Porphyromonas gingivalis have been considered as potential virulence factors for these periodontopathic micro-organisms. The introduction of molecular genetic approaches to study these enzymes has clearly demonstrated that these organisms are capable of expressing multiple distinct proteases. Several of these enzymes are apparently expressed as active proteolytic products following processing of larger precursor proteins. In addition, more recent data have suggested a close relationship between some of these enzymes and two other potential virulence factors of these organisms: hemagglutinins and collagenases.
All-laser-driven Thomson X-ray sources

We discuss the development of a new generation of accelerator-based hard X-ray sources driven exclusively by laser light. High-intensity laser pulses serve the dual roles: first, accelerating electrons by laser-driven plasma wakefields, and second, generating X-rays by inverse Compton scattering. Such all-laser-driven X-rays have recently been demonstrated to be energetic, tunable, relatively narrow in bandwidth, short pulsed and well collimated. Such characteristics, especially from a compact source, are highly advantageous for numerous advanced X-ray applications – in metrology, biomedicine, materials, ultrafast phenomena, radiology and fundamental physics.
Fracture toughness and fatigue of polystyrene, polyphenylene oxide and their blends

Blends of atactic polystyrene (PS) and poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) (PPO) represent a compatible system that exhibits a transition from a crazing to a shear bending mode of deformation as a function of composition. PS (Mw = 30,000; Mw/Mn = 1.06) exhibited a value of . Blends of up to 60 wt.% PPO exhibited . However, there is a very rapid increase in KIC with increasing PPO content in the vicinity of 75 percent PPO. Fatigue behavior of the blends parallels that under static loading.
Government-Funded RaD to Drive Cybersecurity Technologies

New and innovative cybersecurity technologies are essential to ensure that information systems and critical infrastructure are secure and resilient. These technologies must also meet the needs of IT professionals and be available via channels acceptable to such users. The US Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate's cybersecurity RaD program funds top researchers in academia, industry, and government in developing new cybersecurity technologies across key areas to meet these needs.
Control of Chromophore Length in Electroluminescent Polymers. Part II. Mainchain Polymers

Abstract Electroluminescence emission has been demonstrated in mainchain polyesters and a structurally analogous polyamide. High molecular weight polyesters were synthesized by condensation of a dihydroxy functionalized, substituted, phenylene vinylene analogue, e.g., the lumo-phore, with a variety of dicarboxylic acid chlorides. The structure and hence the conjugation length of the emitting comonomer was predetermined prior to polymerization. Since the diacid moieties did not contribute to the conjugation length and hence the emission wavelength, the structure of the diacid was determined on the basis of its ease of synthesis, reactivity, and solubilizing ability in the final polymer. In each of the polyesters the electroluminescence wavelength of light-emitting diodes made from these polymers was similar to their photoluminescence emission spectrum in solution and the solid state at room temperature. The emission wavelengths ranged from blue to green. The polyamide exhibits a very broad band, nearly whi...
Abnormal distribution of skeletal muscle acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in dystrophic mice

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities and molecular forms, as separated by density gradient centrifugation, were studied in dystrophic and clinically normal mouse muscle. Dystrophic hemidiaphragms exhibited normal AChE activity, but there was little or no 10 S enzyme, a form that constitutes 27% of control tissue AChE. The 10 S-AChE abnormality was similarly present in dystrophic extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle, but this muscle exhibited significantly reduced AChE activity. The EDL muscles also had reduced 16 S-AChE but normal 4 S enzyme activity. Chronic denervation of EDL muscles resulted in proportionally similar reductions of weight, total AChE, and 16 S enzyme in dystrophic and control muscles. We conclude that murine dystrophy involves some alterations that resemble denervation, but that there are major qualitative and quantitative differences in AChE that cannot be explained by a denervation-like effect.
The influence of ph value and ionic strength on the ultrafiltration characteristics of a penicillinase produced by Escherichia coli Strain W3310

The effects of pH and phosphate buffer concentration on membrane ultrafiltration of a penicillinase from Escherichia coli strain W3310 were studied using a series of ultrafiltration membranes. With a 30 000 molecular weight cut-off membrane, throughput of the enzyme (molecular weight 22 000) varied from 1.6% to 55% depending upon the buffer pH and concentration. The observed variations in throughput and also in specific activity were attributed to aggregation effects which were reduced near the isoelectric point of the enzyme and also by a shielding effect of increased buffer concentrations. The actions of EDTA and urea on the ultrafiltration characteristics were also examined. The significance of these results in the use of the technique of ultrafiltration is discussed.
An Overview of Implicit Measures of Attitudes: Methods, Mechanisms, Strengths, and Limitations

The use of implicit measures of attitudes has great potential to advance our understanding of process and mechanism in the field of communication. These measures assess automatically activated attitudes, which have the potential to influence spontaneous decisions and outcomes, and may operate, to some extent, below individuals' consciousness. A large number of implicit measures have been developed and tested. These measures use a variety of different procedures and have various strengths and limitations. This piece provides an overview of three types of implicit measures of attitudes: (a) evaluative priming measures, (b) the implicit association test (IAT) and several of its variants, and (c) the recently developed affect misattribution procedure (AMP). Emphasis is placed on issues of mechanism, reliability, validity, and strengths and limitations of each measure.
Portable, Battery-Powered, Tungsten Coil Atomic Absorption Spectrometer for Lead Determinations

A compact, inexpensive atomic absorption spectrometer has been designed, constructed, and evaluated for the determination of lead at the μg/L level. The new device is made feasible by the combination of a reliable tungsten coil atomizer, a miniature spectrometer/charge-coupled device combination mounted on a PC card, and a near-line background-correction method. The finished spectrometer can be powered by a normal 12-V car battery, controlled with a laptop computer, and transported in any automobile. The overall dimensions of the original prototype system are 19 in. x 8 in. x 3 in. (excluding the computer), and it has no moving parts. The total estimated cost of the system including the computer is less than d6000. The limit of detection for Pb is 20 pg (20-μL sample volume), the linear dynamic range is two orders of magnitude, and the precision for the technique is 5% RSD at concentrations ten times greater than the detection limit. The accuracy of the technique was determined with the use of NIST SRM #1579a "Powdered Lead-Based Paint" containing 11.995 wt % Pb and NIST SRM 955a "Lead in Blood" containing 54.43 μg/dL Pb. The accuracy for the paint sample was 95.1% (11.41 wt % found) with the use of the calibration curve method (aqueous standards) and 97.2% (11.66 wt % found) with the method of standard additions. The accuracy for the blood sample was 93.5% (50.9 μg/dL found) with the calibration curve method and 96.6% (56.3 μg/dL found) with the method of standard additions. The limiting source of noise for the instrument is detector noise, so that the performance of the device can be improved by increasing the optical throughput of the system.
Performance comparison of routing protocols in mobile ad hoc networks in the presence of faulty nodes

Efficient routing algorithms can provide significant benefits in a mobile ad hoc network in terms of higher throughput, lower end to end delay, and improved network performance. Many routing protocols have been proposed to efficiently discover paths from a source node to a destination node in a mobile ad hoc network. In this paper, we compare the performance of two well-known routing protocols: the ad hoc on demand distance vector routing protocol (AODV) and the optimized link state routing protocol (OLSR). Existing work has studied the routing protocols under idealistic settings where all nodes function properly. Our work addresses realistic settings where some nodes may be faulty resulting in the degradation of the performance of routing protocols. Extensive simulations were performed to analyze the impact of the number of faulty nodes on the performance of the routing protocols. Our results show that AODV outperforms OLSR in terms of packet delivery ratio while OLSR achieves a much lower end to end delay.
Race Has Always Mattered: An Intergeneration Look at Race, Space, Place, and Educational Experiences of Blacks

Within school settings race continues to be one of the most formidable obstacles for Black children in the United States (US) school system. This paper expands the discussions of race in education by exploring how the social links among race, space, and place provide a lens for understanding the persistence of racism in the educational experiences of Black children. This paper examines how differences in a rural versus urban geographical location influence a student’s experience with race, racism, and racial identity across four generations of Black people in the context of school and community. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
An update on portable hot-water sea ice drilling

Abstract A portable hot-water drilling system designed for measurment of sea-ice thickness at small horizontal scales is described. The major components of this system are a fuel-oil-fired water heater, a generator to provide power to the oil burner, and a gasoline-powered water pump. The convenience and performance of this system are superior to that of a propane-fired system described in an earlier report.
Hydroformylation of 1-hexene in supercritical carbon dioxide using a heterogeneous rhodium catalyst. 1. Effect of process parameters

Abstract The hydroformylation of 1-hexene in supercritical carbon dioxide is catalyzed with a heterogeneous rhodium catalyst that is active, selective, and stable for the formation of heptanal. The aldehyde yield and regioselectivity can be affected through changes in catalyst support structure, CO2 solvent pressure, and reaction temperature. A complex reaction pathway model is described that allows determination of rate constants, which are in turn, evaluated as a function of temperature and pressure. Analysis reveals an activation volume of −474 cm3/mol and activation energy of 31.9 kJ/mol for the hydroformylation pathways.
Cross feature testing in database systems

Cross feature testing is a generic term that refers to testing one or more features together. In this paper, we discuss what cross feature testing in a database system specifically entails. We will identify and explain some of the dependencies amongst feature interactions and how they are categorized. We also review some of the problem symptoms that can occur from cross feature failures. Some strategies to address these issues as they relate to the database are also discussed, but a thorough analysis of any cross feature test solutions is beyond the scope of this paper the goal of which is to provide a basis for future dialog on this topic.
Theoretical analysis of 30 MeV proton inelastic scattering

Abstract Data for the inelastic scattering of 30 MeV protons from various nuclei are analysed using the collective-model interaction and the distorted-wave approximation. The real, imaginary, spin-orbit and Coulomb parts of the potential are all deformed. The deformation parameters extracted are in good agreement with those obtained from other measurements. A microscopic description of the scattering from 40 Ca is also discussed.
The return mapping method for the integration of friction constitutive relations

Abstract A return mapping method of integrating constitutive equations that has already been tested in various elastoplastic and viscoplastic material models is applied to certain friction problems. A two dimensional element is proposed for quasistatic computational friction analysis based on non-associative plasticity. The accuracy and stability of the return mapping algorithm were investigated for this type of element. The present friction formulation is introduced in a simple way and accounts for many types of friction laws.
Cholinesterases and the pathology of Alzheimer disease.

SummaryAlzheimer disease (AD) is accompanied by a marked loss of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity associated with cortical cholinergic axons and cholinoceptive neurons. Simultaneous with this loss, cholinesterase (ChE) activity emerges in AD cortex in the form of AChE and butyrylcholinesterase a
PARP and CHK inhibitors interact to cause DNA damage and cell death in mammary carcinoma cells

The present studies examined viability and DNA damage levels in mammary carcinoma cells following PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitor drug combination exposure. PARP1 inhibitors [AZD2281 ; ABT888 ; NU1025 ; AG014699] interacted with CHK1 inhibitors [UCN-01 ; AZD7762 ; LY2603618] to kill mammary carcinoma cells. PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors interacted to increase both single strand and double strand DNA breaks that correlated with increased γH2AX phosphorylation. Treatment of cells with CHK1 inhibitors increased the phosphorylation of CHK1 and ERK1/2. Knock down of ATM suppressed the drug-induced increases in CHK1 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation and enhanced tumor cell killing by PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors. Expression of dominant negative MEK1 enhanced drug-induced DNA damage whereas expression of activated MEK1 suppressed both the DNA damage response and tumor cell killing. Collectively our data demonstrate that PARP1 and CHK1 inhibitors interact to kill mammary carcinoma cells and that increased DNA damage is a surrogate marker for the response of cells to this drug combination.
Broadband phase-diverse phase retrieval in systems with chromatic aberration.

We describe a phase retrieval method capable of recovering different phase distributions for each wavelength forming a polychromatic intensity distribution. Simulation results show reconstruction errors of a few thousandths of a wave RMS.
Mesoscopic Orbital Magnetism in AN Integrable System

We study the mesoscopic orbital magnetism of a free electron gas in a rectangular box in the zero-temperature limit. We find that, as in weakly disordered systems, it can be well-described by the van Vleck susceptibility that couples just two size-quantized energy levels: the Fermi (last occupied) level and the first unoccupied level. Large fluctuations of the off-diagonal matrix elements of the angular momentum and, more importantly, of the nearest level spacings — level bunching characteristic of classically integrable systems — are responsible for the absence of effective self-averaging in this system. We develop a detailed analytical description and conduct extensive numerical simulations based on a combined averaging over the energy spectrum, and over the aspect ratio of rectangles with equal areas.
Addition of Interleukin-21 for Expansion of T-Cells for Adoptive Immunotherapy of Murine Melanoma

We previously demonstrated that interleukin (IL)-7/15 was superior to IL-2 for expansion of T cells in vitro for adoptive immunotherapy. We sought to ascertain whether IL-21 would further improve yield and therapeutic efficacy of T cells in culture. Naive T cell receptor (TcR) transgenic splenocytes or antigen-sensitized lymph node cells were harvested from PMEL-1 mice and exposed to bryostatin-1 and ionomycin (B/I) for 18 h. Cells were then cultured in IL-2, IL-21, IL-7/15 or IL-7/15/21 for six days. Harvested cells were analyzed by flow cytometry and used to treat C57Bl/6 mice injected intravenously with B16 melanoma. Lungs were harvested and metastases counted 14 days after treatment. Culturing lymphocytes in IL-7/15/21 increased expansion compared to IL-2 or IL-7/15. IL-21 and IL-7/15/21 increased CD8+ cells compared to IL-2 or IL-7/15. IL-21 preferentially expanded a CD8+CD44−CD62L+ T “naive” population, whereas IL-7/15/21 increased CD8+CD44+CD62Lhigh central-memory T cells. T cells grown in IL-7/15/21 were more effective at reducing metastases than IL-2. The addition of IL-21 to IL-7/15 induced greater expansion of lymphocytes in culture and increased the yield of CD8+ T central-memory cells vs. IL-7/15 alone. This may have significant impact on future clinical trials of adoptive immunotherapy, particularly for generating adequate numbers of lymphocytes for treatment.
Melatonin receptors mediate potentiation of contractile responses to adrenergic nerve stimulation in rat caudal artery

The hormone melatonin potentiated contractile responses to adrenergic nerve stimulation in isolated ring segments of rat caudal artery. This effect was inhibited by the melatonin receptor antagonist luzindole but not by the serotonin 5-HT2 receptor antagonist ketanserin. Melatonin had no direct effects on vascular tone. Melatonin agonists potentiated contractile responses with a relative order of potency (2-iodomelatonin, EC50 = 0.6 nM; melatonin, EC50 = 4.7 nM; N-acetylserotonin, EC50 = 1.5 microM) that is consistent with the melatonin ML1 receptor subtype. Melatonin also potentiated contractions elicited by exogenous norepinephrine and produced its effects in the absence of an intact endothelium. These data suggest that melatonin acts on receptors in the smooth muscle. The caudal artery provides a useful functional assay for pharmacological analysis of melatonin receptors. Physiologically, melatonin may activate its receptors at night to influence thermoregulation in the rat by enhancing the effects of sympathetic input to the caudal artery.
Pathogenesis of duodenal ulcer disease: the rest of the story.

Although several duodenal ulcer disease-specific abnormalities in gastric function have been described (e.g. exaggerated gastrin releasing peptide-stimulated acid secretion and an abnormal sensitivity of the parietal cells to gastrin), none has withstood careful examination. We describe here the critical nature of the duodenal acid load in precipitating and washing out bile salts, which inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in the development of duodenal ulcer disease. The risk of duodenal ulcer is enhanced by infection with proinflammatory H. pylori (e.g. with an intact cag pathogenicity island). Progressive damage to the duodenum promotes gastric metaplasia, resulting in sites for H. pylori growth and more inflammation. This cycle results in an increasing inability of the duodenal bulb to neutralize acid entering from the stomach until changes in duodenal bulb structure and function are sufficient for an ulcer to develop. Cure of the H. pylori infection results in a sustained fall in duodenal acid load as well as a marked (and continuing) reduction in inflammation, which results in the cure of chronic ulcer disease.
Perceptual Learning: Theory and Practice

Perceptual learning is required in a number of different contexts. Certain paradigms have been found to speed this learning, others to slow if not altogether inhibit it. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, an experimental test is described of an alternative explanation or model of the finding that perceptual learning is facilitated in consistent mapping tasks, but not in varied mapping ones (Schneider and Shiffrin, 1977). Second, it is shown how the model can be used to select from a set of equally acceptable graphical or symbolic representations of an object that representation which minimizes the time it takes to find the object in a visual search task.
Li-ion cell with poly(acrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate)-based gel polymer electrolyte

Abstract Poly(acrylonitrile-methyl methacrylate) (AMMA) plasticized with 1 m LiBF 4 dissolved in γ-butyrolactone (GBL) liquid electrolyte was studied as a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) of Li-ion cell. Typically, a GPE composed of 12 wt.% AMMA and 88 wt.% liquid electrolyte has an ionic conductivity of 3.9 mS/cm at 20 °C and 1.1 mS/cm at −30 °C. Results of cyclic voltammetry showed that such a GPE is electrochemically stable to withstand the normal operation of a Li-ion cell. With this GPE, Li/graphite and Li/cathode half-cells presented 89% and 80%, respectively, of Coulombic efficiency (CE), in the first cycle and approached to unity in the following cycles. For graphite/GPE/cathode Li-ion cell, its initial CE was 82%, being close to the lower one of either half-cell. Due partially to high ionic conductivity of the GPE, the Li-ion cell can be reversibly cycled in a wide temperature range. In particular, the Li-ion cell retained as high as 66% of discharge capacity even at −30 °C, as compared to that obtained at 20 °C, when it was cycled at 0.5 mA/cm 2 (∼0.5 °C) between 2.5 and 4.2 V.
The short- and long-term effects of methotrexate on the rat skeleton

Abstract Both clinical and laboratory studies have shown that the chemotherapy drug, Methotrexate (MTX), has adverse short-term effects on bone. There are no studies that demonstrate the long-term response of bone to MTX. The purpose of this study was to determine the short- and long-term effects of MTX on bone volume, turnover, mineralization and strength. Three-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to a control (CTL) or MTX group and were given either daily MTX or saline injections for two separate 5-day courses (5 on/9 off/5 on). Fluorochrome compounds were injected prior to killing to label actively mineralizing bone surfaces. One CTL and MTX group were killed at 30, 80 and 170 days after treatment. Both femurs and tibiae were harvested for cancellous and cortical bone histomorphometry and biomechanical testing (torsion). Standard cancellous and cortical histomorphometric parameters were measured from undecalcified, methyl-methacrylate-embedded sections from the right proximal tibia and tibial and femoral diaphyses. The contralateral femur and tibia were torsionally loaded to failure and standard mechanical parameters were measured. All bone responses were statistically analyzed using a two-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's multiple comparison procedure (significance: p = 0.05). Cancellous bone volume was significantly lower in the MTX-treated group at 80 and 170 days. Cancellous mineralizing surface and longitudinal bone growth were significantly depressed at all time points yet mineral apposition rate was only depressed at the 170-day point. Cancellous osteoclast surface was increased at all time points for the MTX-treated animals. Cortical cross-sectional area and periosteal mineral apposition rate were significantly lower for both the femur and tibia in the MTX groups at all time points. However, periosteal mineralizing surface was significantly depressed in the MTX group only for the femur. MTX had minimal effects on the bone's biomechanical response. Methotrexate decreased bone volume, bone formation, and osteoblast activity and increased osteoclast activity. The results indicate that MTX had negative effects on both cortical and cancellous bone long after cessation of treatment.
Bootstrap tolerance and confidence limits for two-variable reliability using independent and weakly dependent observations

Abstract Tolerance and confidence limits are obtained for two-variable reliability, δ = P ( Y X ), using the bootstrap method. X and Y are two random variables with unspecified distributions. Both independent and weakly dependent data cases are considered. Moving Block Bootstrap (MBB) method is used for the later case. Minitab macros are provided for obtaining tolerance and confidence limits. Simulation studies indicate the accuracy of the proposed tolerance and confidence limits.
Separation of histones by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography: Analysis of the binding of carcinogens to histones

Abstract Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) has been examined as an approach to the rapid analysis of carcinogen-modified histones. H1 and core histone fractions were prepared by differential acid extraction of 0.35 m NaCl-extracted rat liver nuclei previously exposed to [ 3 H]-7 r ,8 t -dihydroxy-9 t ,10 t -oxy-7,8,9,10-tetrahydrobenzo( a )pyrene ([ 3 H]BPDE-I). Using a sodium perchlorate-phosphate (PCP)/acetonitrile solvent system, the H1 histone fraction was eluted from an Aquapore RP-300 column in five peaks (P1–P5). The core histone fraction was resolved into eight peaks (C1–C8) using a PCP/acetonitrile-methanol solvent system. The histones of each peak were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate and Triton/acid/urea gel electrophoresis or amino acid analysis as follows: P1, H1°; P2–P5, four different H1 variant fractions; C1, H4 + A24; C2, H2B; C3, H2A · 2 + one H2A variant; C4, H2A · 1; C5, H2A · 1 + two H2A variants; C6, H3 · 2; C7, H3 · 3; C8, H3 · 1. The bulk of radioactivity was covalently bound to histone H2A, which had higher specific activities of BPDE-I than other histones. Significant amounts of radioactivity were observed in histones H3 and H1, but not in histones H2B and H4. These RP-HPLC systems have the advantages of an analysis time within 60 min, the identification of H1, H2A, and H3 variants, and the quantitative analysis of radioactive histones. These results indicate that these RP-HPLC systems are very useful to analyze the binding of carcinogens to histones.
Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Tobacco Use Cessation: Reference Table

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) remains a first-line pharmacotherapy for tobacco and smoking cessation. Five formulations of NRT for delivery of nicotine were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration between 1984 and 2002, including 3 available without prescription from pharmacies. A table was created as a tool for pharmacists to counsel patients about the NRT products. The table summarizes available doses, dosing regimen and schedules, administration technique, contraindications, and adverse effects.
Anchorage-independent growth of murine melanoma in serum-less media is dependent on insulin or melanocyte-stimulating hormone

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) is known to stimulate melanogenesis in murine melanoma, particularly in Cloudman S-91 melanoma cells. The effects of MSH and insulin on the proliferation of S91 murine melanoma cells have aroused controversy; in various reports, both hormones have been reported to either stimulate or inhibit murine melanoma growth. In our studies both MSH and insulin stimulated the colony-forming ability and the proliferative capacity of S-91 murine melanoma cells grown in soft agar with either serum-supplemented or serum-less medium. Unless insulin and/or MSH were present, Cloudman S-91 melanoma cells failed to clone in soft agar. The insulin effect was greater than that of MSH, and was more pronounced in serum-less than in serum-supplemented medium. The concurrent treatment of S91 melanoma cells with both MSH and insulin resulted in a greater increase in the total number of colonies formed than caused by treatment with either hormone alone. The combined MSH-insulin stimulation of anchorage-independent growth was specific, since the effect could not be mimicked by epidermal growth factor (EGF), gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), nerve growth factor (NGF) or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Therefore, MSH and insulin may be specific growth factors for murine melanoma cells.
Behavior of the cell transmission model and effectiveness of ramp metering

Abstract The paper characterizes the behavior of the cell transmission model of a freeway, divided into N sections or cells, each with one on-ramp and one off-ramp. The state of the dynamical system is the N-dimensional vector n of vehicle densities in the N sections. A feasible stationary demand pattern induces a unique equilibrium flow in each section. However, there is an infinite set—in fact a continuum—of equilibrium states, including a unique uncongested equilibrium nu in which free flow speed prevails in all sections, and a unique most congested equilibrium ncon. In every other equilibrium ne one or more sections are congested, and nu ⩽ ne ⩽ ncon. Every equilibrium is stable and every trajectory converges to some equilibrium state. Two implications for ramp metering are explored. First, if the demand exceeds capacity and the ramps are not metered, every trajectory converges to the most congested equilibrium. Moreover, there is a ramp metering strategy that increases discharge flows and reduces total travel time compared with the no-metering strategy. Second, even when the demand is feasible but the freeway is initially congested, there is a ramp metering strategy that moves the system to the uncongested equilibrium and reduces total travel time. The two conclusions show that congestion invariably indicates wastefulness of freeway resources that ramp metering can eliminate.
AEROSOL SAMPLING FROM OCEAN BUOYS SHOWS PROMISE

Tests of a new sampler for collecting aerosols from ocean buoys are showing promising results. The idea of using buoys as platforms for more precise sampling of continental dust falling on the oceans sprang from seeing large quantities of reddish brown Saharan dust adhering to buoy-mounted meteorological sensors in the ocean off northwest Africa. Deploying meteorological and physical oceanographic instruments from moored buoys is a well-established and an important tool in studying marine meteorology, atmosphere-ocean interactions, and upper ocean physics [Rudnick et al., 1997; Weller et al., 1990]. An emerging field of research in oceanography is centered on developing analytical instruments for the chemical, biological, and optical measurements of seawater under moored buoys [Dickey et al., 1997]. Research on aerosols, in particular, and atmospheric chemistry, in general, has not been previously attempted from buoys.
Academic libraries and university presses

In recent years university presses have undergone some significant changes, such as expansion of their scope to include materials that may have appeal beyond the scholarly market. This article investigates, through the use of a survey of university libraries, the acquisition of university press products by libraries. In general, recent years have been changes in the relationship between university presses and libraries that have resulted in fewer items being purchased by the libraries.
Spin–orbit coupling and spin relaxation rate in singly charged π-conjugated polymer chains

Abstract In inorganic semiconductor spintronics the spin-diffusion length is usually limited by spin–orbit coupling. Here we examine the effect of spin–orbit coupling in organic spintronics. We consider singly charged π -conjugated polymer chains. We show that the diagonal matrix elements for spin–orbit coupling are zero. Even the off-diagonal matrix elements are zero or negligibly small unless a twisted, non-planar polymer chain is considered. We calculate these matrix elements as a function of twist angle using tight-binding wavefunctions. We show that time reversal symmetry prevents spin–orbit induced spin-precession and propose a phonon-assisted spin-flip process.
Large-Area Proportional Counter Camera for the U. S. National Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Facility

An engineering model of a multiwire position-sensitive proportional-counter (PSPC) was developed, tested, and installed at the U. S. National Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Facility at ORNL. The PSPC is based on the RC-encoding and time-difference decoding method to measure the spatial coordinates of the interaction loci of individual scattered neutrons. The active area of the PSPC is 65 cm × 65 cm, and the active depth is 3.6 cm. The spatial uncertainty in both coordinates is ~1.0 cm (fwhm) for thermal neutrons; thus, a matrix of 64 × 64 picture elements is resolved. The count rate capability for randomly detected neutrons is 104 counts per second, with <3% coincidence loss. The PSPC gas composition is 63% 3He, 32% Xe, and 5% CO2 at an absolute pressure of ~3 × 105 Pa (3 atm). The detection efficiency is ~90% for the 0.475-nm (4.75-A) neutrons used in the scattering experiments. These results confirm that the parameters of the RC encoding method can be scaled to successfully design large-area PSPCs.
Heme–Egr-1: New Partners in Atherosclerotic Progression?

See related article, pages 42–50 Heme, Fe-protoporphyrin IX, is an essential building block for oxygen carrying hemoglobin and myoglobin. Physiologic recycling of heme occurs in many tissues, predominantly in the reticuloendothelial system, and is dependent on hemoxygenase-1 (HO-1). Heme is degraded by HO-1 into constituent carbon monoxide (CO), Fe2+, and biliverdin and then converted to bilirubin. CO and biliverdin possess beneficial attributes through signaling and antioxidative capacities, respectively, whereas Fe2+ is a strong oxidant. The oxidative capacity of Fe2+ is contained by ferritin, a Fe2+-binding protein that serves as a chaperone transporting Fe2+ for synthesis of iron containing proteins. The importance of heme metabolism has been highlighted in clinical observations in which the lack of capacity to degrade heme observed in a 6-year-old child with HO-1 deficiency was associated with plaque formation in the aorta and hyperlipidemia,1 and low HO-1 expression is correlated with increased cardiovascular risk. These findings are strongly supported by studies in mice lacking HO-1.2 Thus it is clear that lack of HO-1 is detrimental in the cardiovascular system; however, one must consider whether the increased risk is attributable to the accumulation of heme or the consequences of decreased heme degradation products? Changes in vascular homeostasis with disease or injury inevitably lead to increased oxidative stress. This in part is a consequence of elevated local and circulating heme. Unbound heme, is a strong oxidant, and its hydrophobic nature permits rapid entry into cells of the vascular wall. Once heme enters the lipid bilayer within the cell, it is readily capable of increasing oxidative stress to levels that can significantly exceed the antioxidant mechanisms and capacity of the cell. Thus vascular disease such as atherosclerosis and injury resulting in thrombus formation are sources of increased free heme and …
Fast axoplasmic transport of a calcium binding protein in mammalian nerve

— Calcium is transported at a fast rate of 410 mm/day in cat sciatic nerve on injection of 45Ca2+ into the L7 dorsal root ganglia. Nerve segments corresponding to the crest and the plateau regions of transported activity were analyzed by column chromatography on Sephadex G-100 and Biogel A 5m columns and the fast transported 45Ca2+ found to be bound to a protein of 15,000 dalton. Using [3H]leucine as a precursor, a labeled calcium binding protein (CaBP) was found located at the same position in elution volumes from the columns as was the protein-bound 45Ca2 +. The level of [3H]-labeled CaBP in the crest and plateau regions were compared using column chromatography and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis techniques and approx 3×4 times more [3H]-labeled activity was found in the crest as compared to the plateau. These findings indicate that Ca2+ is fast transported in association with the CaBP. The relation of CaBP to the transport filament model of axoplasmic transport and its possible role in nerve are discussed.
A linear programming formulation with integer solutions for solving an equipment replacement problem with multiple assets : the concave demand case

A linear programming formulation is presented for the deterministic equipment replacement problem in which multiple assets are required each period and a number of assets are available for replacement. Under common cost assumptions, the linear programming solutions are shown to be integer for certain demand constraints- This paper considers the case of concave demand over a finite horizon. The integer solutions allow for implementable decisions and the formulation allows for the solution of large replacement problems, such as vehicles in a fleet, without the computational effort of branch-and-bound procedures. Numerical solutions are provided for illustration of the formulation and its efficiency in solving large replacement problems.
An electrostatic method for the recoil measurement of sub-nanosecond nuclear lifetimes

Abstract This paper describes the use of a high resolution beta-ray spectrometer ( Δp / p ∼ 0.1%) to measure short lifetimes in nuclei recoiling from nuclear reactions or alpha decay. The method takes advantage of the Doppler shift in the momentum given to electrons emerging from recoiling atoms which is ≥ 0.1% following alpha decay and ≥ 1% for typical heavy ion reactions. The 42.8 keV transition in Pu 240 following alpha decay of Cm 244 was studied in detail as an illustrative example; the L II and L III conversion lines from an uncovered Cm 244 source are shown to have the expected Doppler structure in the form of high momentum shoulders extending ∼0.3% above the unshifted momentum p 0 of electrons emerging from atoms at rest in the source backing. With use of an electrode system of two grids placed close to the source so that the electrons are first decelerated and then reaccelerated it is shown that the electrons emitted from recoiling atoms can be given a net acceleration which is proportional to the distance travelled by the atom from the source surface before electron emission takes place. The L III 42.8 line has been studied directly and also in coincidence with alpha particles detected behind the source, with applied electric fields of up to 40 000 volt/cm. Analysis of the resulting line shapes yields a halflife of (1.6 ± 0.2) × 10 −10 sec, without correction for absorption in the source (which would tend to raise the value). A value of (1.72 ± 0.15) × 10 −10 sec has been measured electronically by Bell et al. A discussion of the potentialities of the method shows that it should be possible to measure lifetimes as short as ∼ 3×10 −12 sec following alpha decay and as short as 3 × 10 −13 sec following reactions involving heavy ions.
An etch tunable antireflection coating for the controlled elimination of Fabry-Perot oscillations in the optical spectra of transverse modulator structures

A technique is described whereby an Si/sub x/N/sub y/ coating of a noncritical thickness in excess of 1/4 ( lambda /n/sub c/) is deposited and, using a process of repeated wet etching and measurement of the optical transmission spectrum, the thickness of the film is precisely adjusted to obtain an optimized antireflection coating. Although this technique was developed for transverse modulators, it should prove beneficial for optically characterizing any structure susceptible to unwanted Fabry-Perot effects. Peak-to-peak oscillations as large as 20% of the maximum transmitted signal are reduced to zero over a 35-nm range. This effective range can be progressively shifted through the spectra so that spectra completely free of Fabry-Perot oscillations can be obtained. >
A simulation based study of modifications to the Zionts-Wallenius algorithm for multiple objective linear programming

Abstract The Zionts-Wallenius method for multiple objective linear programming is an interactive technique for a class of underlying non-linear utility functions. In this paper, several modifications to the Zionts-Wallenius algorithm are proposed. The main goal in introducing these modifications is to reduce the number of questions asked of the decision maker. Each modification is evaluated empirically using computer simulation. The results indicate that implementation of the modifications produced a substantial decrease in the number of questions asked of a decision maker without increasing computational effort or degrading solution quality.
Synthesis and structure of titanium tetrathiolate and tantalum pentathiolate complexes. Metal-sulfur bonding in early transition metal compounds☆

Abstract The reaction of TiCl4 with potassium 2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzenethiolate (KS-2,3,5,6-Me4C6H) in THF gives [Ti(S-2,3,5,6-Me4C6H)4] (1) in 50% yield. Compound 1 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P 1 with a = 11.666(4), b = 19.417(5), c = 8.916(7)A, α = 97.09(2), β = 110.30(2), γ = 87.95(3)°, V =1880(3), A3, Z = 2. The monomeric [Ti(S-2,3,5,6-Me4C6H)4] has a distorted tetrahedral structure with TiS bonds of 2.292(6) A. One of the thiolate groups has a very acute MSC angle of 86.5(5)°. The reaction of TaCl5 with excess (LiS-2,3,5,6-Me4C6H) in hexane gives [Ta(S-2,3,5,6-Me4C6H)5] (2). Compound 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group, P 1 with a = 11.165(9), b = 18.675(11) A, α = 90.87(4), β = 101.83(6), γ = 96.77(5)°, V = 2407(5) A3 with Z = 2. [Ta(S-2,3,5,6-Me4C6H)5) is a monomeric compound with a distorted five-coordinate geometry. The average TaS bond distance is 2.37(3) A and TaSCav angle is 116(7)°. Structural comparisons of 1 and 2 with analogous phenolate complexes reveal large values for Δ[(MS)−(MO)]. The extent of the S to M gp-bonding in these electron deficient early transition metal thiolates is considerably reduced compared to the O to M π-bonding in phenolate analogs. The observation of the acute TiSC angles suggests that the limited thiolate metal π-bonding in 1 can not compensate for the strong electron deficiency of the Ti(IV) center.
Stop consonant production in isolated and repeated syllables in Parkinson's disease

Abstract To determine if Parkinson's disease (PD) patients have increasing difficulty as speech tasks become longer or more complex, the timing and accuracy of isolated syllables and repeated sequences of syllables were studied. Acoustic measures of PD patients' syllables were similarly impaired relative to normal controls for both isolated and repeated syllable sequences. Listeners' identification scores were equally high for both types of productions. Unlike previous studies of other types of movements in PD, speech accuracy and timing does not deteriorate as items become longer or more complex.
Learning from multi-topic web documents for contextual advertisement

Contextual advertising on web pages has become very popular recently and it poses its own set of unique text mining challenges. Often advertisers wish to either target (or avoid) some specific content on web pages which may appear only in a small part of the page. Learning for these targeting tasks is difficult since most training pages are multi-topic and need expensive human labeling at the sub-document level for accurate training. In this paper we investigate ways to learn for sub-document classification when only page level labels are available - these labels only indicate if the relevant content exists in the given page or not. We propose the application of multiple-instance learning to this task to improve the effectiveness of traditional methods. We apply sub-document classification to two different problems in contextual advertising. One is "sensitive content detection" where the advertiser wants to avoid content relating to war, violence, pornography, etc. even if they occur only in a small part of a page. The second problem involves opinion mining from review sites - the advertiser wants to detect and avoid negative opinion about their product when positive, negative and neutral sentiments co-exist on a page. In both these scenarios we present experimental results to show that our proposed system is able to get good block level labeling for free and improve the performance of traditional learning methods.
Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Despite treatment advances pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies. It is expected that early detection and screening of high risk patient population may have the most significant impact on altering overall survival in this disease. Serologic biomarkers may be the most useful in early detection and histology-based markers may have the most significant role in differentiating benign, pre-malignant and malignant lesions. Here we review several serum and tissue-based biomarkers and summarize new data presented at the 2012 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (Abstracts #151, #164, #188) on the potential role of PAM4 in pancreatic cancer screening and diagnosis.
A motion planning processor on reconfigurable hardware

Motion planning algorithms enable us to find feasible paths for moving objects. These algorithms utilize feasibility checks to differentiate valid paths from invalid ones. Unfortunately, the computationally expensive nature of such checks reduces the effectiveness of motion planning algorithms. However, by using hardware acceleration to speed up the feasibility checks, we can greatly enhance the performance of the motion planning algorithms. Of course, such acceleration is not limited to feasibility checks; other components of motion planning algorithms can also be accelerated using specially designed hardware. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) is a great platform to support such an acceleration. An FPGA is a collection of digital gates which can be reprogrammed at run time, i.e., it can be used as a CPU that reconfigures itself for a given task. In this paper, we study the feasibility of an FPGA based motion planning processor and evaluate its performance. In order to leverage its highly parallel nature and its modular structure, our processor utilizes the probabilistic roadmap method at its core. The modularity enables us to replace the feasibility criteria with other ones. The reconfigurability lets us run our processor in different roles, such as a motion planning co-processor, an autonomous motion planning processor or dedicated collision detection chip. Our experiments show that such a processor is not only feasible but also can greatly increase the performance of current algorithms
Parallel robot motion planning

A fast, parallel method for computing configuration space maps is presented. The method is made possible by recognizing that one can compute a family of primitive maps which can be combined by superposition based on the distribution of real obstacles. This motion planner has been implemented for the first three degrees-of-freedom of a Puma robot in *Lisp on a Connection Machine with 8 K processors. A six degree-of-freedom version of the algorithm which performs a sequential search of the six-dimensional configuration space, building three-dimensional cross sections in parallel, has also been implemented. >