cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Monolithic Achromatic Nulling Interference Coronagraph (MANIC) testbed

We present progress in the development of the monolithic achromatic nulling interference coronagraph (MANIC), a nulling optic designed to enable direct imaging of nearby Jupiter-like exoplanets. The experimental testbed for measuring the optical path difference (OPD) between the two arms of the nuller and characterizing the nuller's performance is described. The OPD measurement will be used to determine the relative thicknesses of compensator plates needed to complete MANIC's fabrication. Demonstrating the performance of the monolith will include sub-aperture nulling of laser and white-light sources using a single PZT-controlled delay line on one half of a bisected input beam.
Comprehending Computational Language Comprehension. Review of Understanding Language Understanding: Computational Models of Reading, by A. Ram and K. Moorman

Abstract Ashwin Ram is an associate professor in the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology, an associate professor of cognitive science, an adjunct professor in the School of Psychology, and a faculty member in the Graphics, Visualization, and Usability Center and the Mobile Robot Lab. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Yale University in 1989. His research interests include the areas of artificial intelligence, cognitive science, machine learning, case-based reasoning, natural language story understanding, creativity, cognitive multimedia, and education. He is a member of the editorial boards of The Journal of the Learning Sciences and the International Journal of Applied Intelligence . Kenneth Moorman is an assistant professor of computer science at Transylvania University. He received his Ph.D. in computer science from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1997. His research interests include natural language processing, real-world reading, creativity, learning, memory, and robotics. Holly A. Taylor is an associate professor of psychology at Tufts University. She received her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Stanford University in 1992. Her current research interests include discourse processing, spatial cognition, spatial language, and comprehension of computer-assisted learning media, such as digital libraries.
Competition and Quality in Health Care Markets

Introduction Performance Standards What Do We Know From Economic Theory? What Do We Know From Econometric Studies? Summary and Conclusions References
The Kveim-Siltzbach test.

Abstract In 1941, Kveim reported that 12 of 13 patients with proven sarcoidosis developed a nodule at the site of injection of a suspension made from a homogenate of splenic tissue obtained from a patient with sarcoidosis. 1 Nickerson independently reported similar results in 65% of patients. 2 Soon after, Putkonen, 3 Danbolt, 4 and Nelson 5 confirmed these findings. It remained for Siltzbach to apply the test in a major clinical trial. 6 In a series of exhaustive studies during the ensuing decades, he established the diagnostic value of the test and proposed that the Kveim test was the only specific test for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. In recognition of their landmark contributions, the procedure is now commonly referred to as the Kveim-Siltzbach (KS) test Further confirmation of the validity of the KS test has continued to accumulate in studies from centers in Europe. Asia, and the United States, where the procedure is routinely performed as the first diagnostic study.
A programmable palm-size gas analyzer for use in micro-autonomous systems

Gas analysis systems having small size, low power, and high selectivity are badly needed for defense (detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents), homeland security, health care, and environmental applications. This paper presents a palm-size gas chromatography system having analysis times of 5-50sec, detection limits less than 1ppb, and an average power dissipation less than one watt. It uses no consumables. The three-chip fluidic system consists of a preconcentrator, a 25cm-3m separation column, and a chemi-resistive detector and is supported by a microcomputer and circuitry for programmable temperature control. The entire system, including the mini-pump and battery, occupies less than 200cc and is configured for use on autonomous robotic vehicles.
Studies on the 5'-terminus of turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA.

Abstract Turnip yellow mosaic virus RNA is a substrate for polynucleotide kinase from T4-infected Escherichia coli . Typical RNA preparations accept about two moles of phosphate from γ-labeled ATP; the extent of phosphorylation is unaffected by prior treatment of the RNA with alkaline phosphatase. Kinase product containing 1 mole 32 P/mole RNA, purified by zone centrifugation on a glycerol gradient, yielded predominantly p ∗ Ap upon alkaline hydrolysis. The major component in a pancreatic RNase digest of kinase product was p ∗ ApPyp. Approximately half of all 5′ termini in a typical preparation of turnip yellow mosaic virus appear to be ApPyp----.
“Jobs for all”: Another dream of the rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote extensively on economic matters, especially unemployment policy. King supported a federal job guarantee for anyone ready and willing to work. He believed it would provide employment and income security, as well as increased public and community services. Dr. King's writings on employment are reviewed and discussed. His policy proposals are just as relevant today as they were when they were first put forward some forty years ago.
Modeling High Density Ratio Incompressible Interfacial Flows

We present an approach to modeling incompressible interfacial flows on fixed meshes that yields solutions at any density ratio. There are two aspects of the methodology that are crucial for obtaining accurate high density ratio solutions: a consistent approach to mass and momentum conservation, by using mass flux information from an interface advection algorithm as the basis for the momentum advection calculation, and a careful evaluation of pressure gradients near the interface. Our particular implementation couples a volume tracking algorithm with a predictor/projection solution of the flow equations on unstructured meshes. We present the methodology, and then the results of several calculations.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Luminance as a parameter in establishment and testing of the McCollough effect

Abstract McCollough effect strengths depend on the luminances of patterns used to establish or to test them. The strengths of these orientation-contingent color aftereffects were assessed by color cancellation; chromatic light was added to test gratings to attain psychophysical null matches. The purities of colors needed for cancellation of the colored aftereffects are greater: (1) following inspection at high luminances and (2) on test patterns of low luminances.
Indoor localization for global information service using acoustic wireless sensor network

Indoor localization with sensing capabilities is the missing link for a Geospatial Information System and sensor web. The sensor network is capable of environmental monitoring and geo-tagging sensor data. This paper presents a unique algorithm which uses fusion of Radio Signal Strength Indicator and Time Difference of Arrival for centimeter level accurate indoor localization using wireless sensor network motes. The paper also proposes the integration of various environmental sensors with wireless sensor network. The acquired sensor data can be geo-tagged with the translated global coordinates and additional sensory metadata. With the use of semantic sensor web, this sensor information can be utilized in various decision making scenarios for critical situations. The main goal of the paper is to use indoor localization assisted by sensor fusion and semantic web for first responders in emergency scenarios.
Mass Balance and Exergy Analysis of a Fast Pyrolysis System

Mass balance closure and exergetic efficiency is evaluated for a bench scale fast pyrolysis system. The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has developed this system for processing energy crops and agricultural residues for bio-oil (pyrolysis oil or pyrolysis liquids) production. Mass balance closure cannot be achieved due to the system size and complexity of inputs and outputs. A linear programming optimization model is developed to use the experimental data to achieve improved closure of elemental balances without losing the overall representation of the pyrolysis products. Having improved the mass balance, it is then possible to evaluate the exergy of the system. Exergy flows are computed using statistical relationships and other standard techniques. Computational details and results are discussed for switchgrass, a typical candidate biomass. Solutions for the minimum and maximum bio-oil outputs were generated. These particular results indicated that bio-oil accounted for approximately 10% of the loss mass. Considering all products as useful, the exergy destruction is approximately 20%. If the bio-oil alone is considered useful, the exergy destruction is about 40%. Further exercise of the model can be useful in evaluating mass losses and exergy for other feedstock and experimental runs.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Large Perturbations of Elliptic Operators and the Solvability of the Lp Dirichlet Problem

In this article, we investigate the solvability of the Lp Dirichlet problem for an elliptic operator, in divergence form, with bounded measurable coefficients. To be specific, assume that we have two such operators in the unit ball of Rn. Suppose that we know that the Lp Dirichlet problem is solvable for the first operator. We derive simple, easy to check criteria on the difference between the coefficients of the two operators which imply that the second operator has its Lp Dirichlet problem solvable as well. We emphasize that the value of p is the same for both operators and the criteria on the difference between the two coefficients allow for "large" perturbations (the definition of the notion of "large" perturbation is given quite precisely).
Prenatal diagnosis of Chiari malformation with syringomyelia in the second trimester

Routine anatomic ultrasound performed in the second trimester has a detection rate of approximately 70-90% for fetal congenital abnormalities (Nyberg and Souter, J Ultrasound Med 2001;6:655-674). The central nervous system abnormalities are one of the most common ones detected. Chiari malformation is among the CNS abnormalities diagnosed in the fetal period (Bianchi et al., Fetology - diagnosis and management of the fetal patient, McGraw-Hill, 2000). The Arnold-Chiari malformation was first described in 1883 by Cleland (Romero et al., Prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies, Appleton and Lange, 1988). It is characterised by the prolapse of the hindbrain structures below the level of the foramen magnum. It can be associated with skeletal abnormalities and neurological dysfunction. In type I, a lip of cerebellum is downwardly displaced with the tonsils, but the fourth ventricle remains in the posterior fossa. This condition may coexist with syringomyelia, which is a cyst formation on the cervical portion of the spinal cord (Creasy et al., Maternal fetal medicine principles and practice, 2004). We present a case where Chiari type 1 and syringomyelia detected at 18 weeks of gestation. The reason for referral to our center was an abnormal inward posturing of both upper and lower extremities (minimal gross movement and almost inexistent range of motion on fetal joints). On further fetal evaluation, an abnormal brain ultrasound was identified. Prenatal diagnosis of Chiari type 1 malformation and syringomyelia is almost nonexistent when reviewing the literature is the reason why this case is presented.
Sulfur poisoning of a Ni(111) crystal with small angle boundaries (SAB) and its effect on CO adsorption

Abstract The sulfur poisoning of a Ni(111) crystal with small angle boundaries (SAB) and its effect on CO adsorption were studied using the techniques of low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The sulfur poisoned Ni(111)-SAB surface was prepared by heating the crystal to 850°C for 20 min. The bulk sulfur impurity was diffused to the surface. The sulfur Auger peak intensities taken at and between boundary lines, show that sulfur distribution is uniform on the Ni(111)-SAB surface. No LEED pattern due to sulfur presence was observed. Sulfur atoms do not form an ordered structure in the Ni(111)-SAB surface. The Auger spectra showed that the boundary lines at the sulfur-free crystal surface provide favorable sites for the adsorbed CO to dissociate at temperatures as low as 25°C. After sulfur is diffused to the surface, it blocks the active sites as well as the boundary sites. The boundary line enhanced dissociation of CO is no longer seen. Sulfur and nickel Auger intensities were taken during the CO adsorption. From the change of the intensities, sulfur only interacts with nickel and physically inhibits the CO adsorption and, thereby, further CO dissociation.
Targeted disruption of the murine cholecystokinin-1 receptor promotes intestinal cholesterol absorption and susceptibility to cholesterol cholelithiasis

Cholecystokinin (CCK) modulates contractility of the gallbladder, the sphincter of Oddi, and the stomach. These effects are mediated through activation of gastrointestinal smooth muscle as well as enteric neuron CCK-1 receptors (CCK-1Rs). To investigate the potential physiological and pathophysiological functions linked to CCK-1R–mediated signaling, we compared male WT and CCK-1R–deficient mice (129/SvEv). After 12 weeks on either a standard mouse chow or a lithogenic diet (containing 1% cholesterol, 0.5% cholic acid, and 15% dairy fat), small-intestinal transit time, intestinal cholesterol absorption, biliary cholesterol secretion, and cholesterol gallstone prevalence were compared in knockout versus WT animals. Analysis of mice on either the chow or the lithogenic diet revealed that CCK-1R–/– animals had larger gallbladder volumes (predisposing to bile stasis), significant retardation of small-intestinal transit times (resulting in increased cholesterol absorption), and increased biliary cholesterol secretion rates. The elevation in bile cholesterol, coupled with a tendency toward gallbladder stasis (due to the absence of CCK-induced contraction), facilitates nucleation, growth, and agglomeration of cholesterol monohydrate crystals; this sequence of events in turn results in a significantly higher prevalence of cholesterol gallstones in the CCK-1R–null mice.
Providing continuous network access to mobile hosts using TCP/IP

Abstract We present a solution to the problem of providing continuous network access for mobile hosts using the Internet Protocol (IP). Using IP's Loose Source Route option, mobile hosts are able to communicate with their correspondent hosts via an optimal route, no matter how often their location changes. Our solution is fault tolerant, scales well, is easy to administer, is invisible to applications running either on mobile hosts or their servers, and requires no changes to existing systems. Our solution will handle movement between connected networks (e.g., different buildings) without noticeable degradation of performance (except, of course, when the mobile user is out of range of any cell). We show also how our solution adapts to the use of encapsulation. We expect to enable mobility of computers in general, including wired computers.
Intrapartum Care of a Woman With Aortic Aneurysms

Advances in technology and complex care have enabled women with various health problems to become and remain pregnant. Consequently, health-care practitioners are seeing an increasing number of pregnant women who have aortic aneurysms. This case study describes the culturally sensitive intrapartum care of a Middle Eastern woman with ascending and descending aortic aneurysms.
Golden hamsters recognize individuals, not just individual scents

Abstract Abstract. If animals actually recognize individuals as unique entities they should have integrated, multi-factor representations of these individuals. This hypothesis was tested for individual recognition by scent in golden hamsters, Mesocricetus auratus. Two scents that can be used by hamsters to discriminate individuals are flank gland and vaginal secretions, scents with quite different odour qualities. In the first experiment males that were familiar with two females were exposed to vaginal secretions from one of these females during four habituation trials and then, on the test trial, were exposed to the flank gland scent of either the same female or the other female (different female). Males investigated the flank scent of the same female significantly less than that of the different female. That is, exposure of males to vaginal secretions of one female resulted in habituation to that female's flank scent, suggesting that they did so because both scents represent the same individual. A second experiment showed, as a control, that if males were not familiar with the females that provided the scents, this cross-habituation effect did not occur. Thus, the results of the first experiment cannot be explained as a result of generalization from vaginal scent to flank scent of the same individual on the basis of stimulus similarity. These results demonstrate that golden hamsters respond to individually distinctive signals on the basis of the referent (or meaning) of the signal, and suggest the existence of multi-factor representations of individuals. They also indicate the importance of higher-order, cognitive processing in the social behaviour and communication of a rodent.
A NEW ROUTE TO THE SYNTHESIS OF NITROXIDE CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

(1978). A NEW ROUTE TO THE SYNTHESIS OF NITROXIDE CARBOXYLIC ACIDS. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 17-20.
Experiences Using Thematic Assignments in an Undergraduate Management Science Course

This paper presents a theme-based approach for individual and group assignments in an undergraduate Management Science course. We have been using this approach since Fall 2001, with three different themes. In Fall 2001 we used a “generic” entertainment venue theme. For Spring 2002 we focused the “venue” theme, took advantage of current events, using the Winter Olympics as a basis for the assignments. In Fall 2002 we switched to Socially Responsible Investing as the theme throughout the term. The use of a theme to link assignments throughout the term is a middle ground between cases instructor-specified and student-defined projects. The aim was to combine some of the best features of both approaches to the active learning component in the course. This paper discusses our approach, outlines the assignments, and provides student feedback regarding their perceptions as to the effectiveness of the assignments.
Engineering the chloroplast encoded proteins of chlamydomonas.

Over a decade ago (1988), John Boynton and colleagues successfully transformed the chloroplast genome of Chlamydomonas for the first time by complementation of a chloroplast deletion mutant. Since the first demonstration of chloroplast transformation the function and structure of many chloroplast encoded subunits of the photosynthetic apparatus has been characterized by site-directed mutagenesis. With the completion of the sequencing of the Chlamydomonas chloroplast genome the genetic tools are now in hand to characterize structure-function relationships for each of the chloroplast-encoded proteins of the photosynthetic apparatus.
Mediated imitation in 6-month-olds: remembering by association

In two experiments with 72 6-month-olds, we examined whether associating an imitation task with an operant task affects infants' memory for either task. In Experiment 1, infants who imitated target actions that were modeled for 60 s on a hand puppet remembered them for only 1 day. We hypothesized that if infants associated the puppet imitation task with a longer-remembered operant task, then they might remember it longer too. In Experiment 2, infants learned to press a lever to activate a miniature train-a task 6-month-olds remember for 2 weeks-and saw the target actions modeled immediately afterward. These infants successfully imitated for up to 2 weeks, but only if the train memory was retrieved first. A follow-up experiment revealed that the learned association was bidirectional. This is the first demonstration of mediated imitation in 6-month-olds across two very different paradigms and reveals that associations are an important means of protracting memories.
Sex differences and phase of light cycle modify chronic stress effects on anxiety and depressive-like behavior.

The experiment examined whether sex differences and the phase of the light cycle modified how chronic restraint stress influenced anxiety and depressive-like behavior. Rats were restrained (6 h/d/21 d) and tested on the open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), forced swim test (FST), and sucrose preference (SP) test. Chronic stress increased anxiety in both males and females in different tasks during the dark phase, but not in the light phase. When tested during the dark, chronic stress decreased time and grid crossings in the center arena of the OF in males, whereas chronic stress decreased open arm entries and time in the EPM in females. For OF and EPM, an anxiety index calculation confirmed that chronic stress increased anxiety measures when taking into consideration locomotion metrics. For the FST and SP, chronic stress had a tendency to alter the immobility index and sucrose preference in both sexes, but did not reach statistical significance alone. Therefore, a separate z-score was computed for each task and summed to represent a combined z-score of depressive-like behavior. In the light phase, chronic stress increased depressive-like behavior in males, but decreased depressive-like behavior in females. Chronic stress had no statistically significant effects on depressive-like behavior in the dark phase, although the pattern of chronic stress effects on depressive-like behavior in females was similar for both light cycle phases. The results indicate that chronic restraint stress effects on anxiety and depressive-like behavior depend upon the type of task, phase of the light cycle and sex of the individual.
Fitness in the Educational Workplace: An Essential for Top Performance.

Educators should be concerned about the increase in job-related stress and its effect on their professional lives. The authors discuss several factors that may influence teacher stress and performance and suggest that personal fitness is one method of stress management.
Aging phenomena in spermatozoa. I. Fertility and prenatal losses with use of liquid semen.

Abstract Data on the artificial insemination of 423,054 cows were sorted by age of the spermatozoa when insemination occurred. Two studies, completely orthogonal in design, were made of the effects of spermatozoan aging on their capacity to fertilize ova and to sustain normal physiological development and ontological sequence in embryo growth. The semen was aged at 4–5C in a yolk-citrate-milk diluent for five days after collection, the date of collection being Day 1. The evidence obtained indicates that from Day 1 to Day 2 the fertility increased and the incidence of prenatal losses decreased, but that after Day 2 there was a consistent decrease in fertilizing capacity of the spermatozoa and an associated increase in prenatal death of those developing zygotes which were formed. Theories to explain each of these phenomena are based on the view that normal spermatogenesis involves the production of at least a minimum number of spermatozoa containing defective chromatin which, nevertheless, compete well early in their independent life for fertilization sites in fertilizable eggs. However, these spermatozoa with defective chromatin can sustain that early fertilization rate for only a short time, after which the preponderance of fertilization is by spermatozoa with adequate chromatin. As such normal spermatozoa age, they too gradually lose the capacity to fertilize ova; but they lose at an even faster rate the functional integrity of the genetic information chain necessary to carry embryogenesis to normal parturition.
Anesthesia Crisis Management and Human Error in Anesthesiology

Anesthesia is a dynamic, complex world in which decisions must be made rapidly, often with partial information and uncertainty. Previous studies of anesthesiologists' responses to adverse events have demonstrated that even experienced anesthesiologists are not optimally prepared to manage crises. A new training course which is aimed at improving the crisis management skills of anesthesiologists is described. The course borrows concepts from “Cockpit Resource Management” training in aviation and uses lectures, videotapes, and realistic simulation with expert debriefing to teach “Anesthesia Crisis Resource Management.”
The lipid trade

In 2008, the Bankaitis group suggested that lipid transport proteins can exchange one membrane lipid for another.
On representing a black box as a dynamical system

Abstract Necessary conditions are derived for a black box to be representable as a dynamical system governed by ordinary differential equations. Sufficiency of these conditions depends primarily on the set of inputs. It is shown that the conditions are indeed sufficient for the set of constant inputs and under suitable hypotheses for the set of smooth inputs. These conditions cannot be verified by a finite number of input-output observations.
Relationship between substance use and self-reported injuries among adolescents

High school students ( n = 1983), 14–18 years olds, were surveyed regarding the incidence of injury and substance use at the time of the injury in the prior 6 months. Alcohol or other drugs were reported particularly often for falls, cuts, and gun and assault injuries. Alcohol or other drugs were reported to be involved in a substantial proportion of injuries resulting in medical care, most notably for gunshots (70%), pedestrian injuries (42%), and physical fights (38%).
On the Integration of Subthreshold Inputs from Perforant Path and Schaffer Collaterals in Hippocampal CA1 Pyramidal Neurons

Using a realistic model of a CA1 hippocampal pyramidal neuron, we make experimentally testable predictions on the roles of the non-specific cation current, Ih, and the A-type Potassium current, I A, in modulating the temporal window for the integration of the two main excitatory afferent pathways of a CA1 neuron, the Schaffer Collaterals and the Perforant Path. The model shows that the experimentally observed increase in the dendritic density of Ih and I A could have a major role in constraining the temporal integration window for these inputs, in such a way that a somatic action potential (AP) is elicited only when they are activated with a relative latency consistent with the anatomical arrangement of the hippocampal circuitry.
Thermal Aging of Combustion Chemical Vapor Deposited Oxide Coatings

Abstract Zirconia coatings containing yttria were deposited onto sapphire substrates using liquid fuel combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVDsm ) and subsequently aged in air at 1,200°C. Toluene solutions, containing 2.5 and 7.5 mole percent Y 2-ethylhexanoate (Y 2-EH) (balance Zr 2-EH( and total metal concentrations (Zr + Y) of 0.005 M and 0.02 M, were used. All coatings were polycrystalline with those produced from the higher Y 2-EH solutions displaying complex microstructures, including dendrites at the higher molarity. Gas temperatures measured with a thermocouple during deposition near the substrate surfaces were between 1,200 and 1,400°C Thermal aging produced significant effects on the coatings' morphologies and x-ray diffraction-patterns. Diffusional processes during annealing caused particle coalescence, and smoothed and densified the coatings. The x-ray diffraction data indicate that substantial micro structural! changes occur in these coatings at 1,200° C.
Exploring the use of labels to shortcut search trails

Search trails comprising queries and Web page views are created as searchers engage in information-seeking activity online. During known-item search (where the objective may be to locate a target Web page), searchers may waste valuable time repeatedly reformulating queries as they attempt to locate an elusive page. Trail shortcuts help users bypass unnecessary queries and get them to their desired destination faster. In this poster we present a comparative oracle study of techniques to shortcut sub-optimal search trails using labels derived from social bookmarking, anchor text, query logs, and a human-computation game. We show that labels can help users reach target pages efficiently, that the label sources perform differently, and that shortcuts are potentially most useful when the target is challenging to find.
On the climate of dome C, antarctica, in relation to its geographical setting

Automatic weather stations have been successfully deployed in the hostile climate of Antarctica, where temperatures can drop below −80°C and wind speeds are up to 100m.p.h. These stations use satellites for transmission of their data (Argos System). Three years of data had been collected at Dome C (3280m), East Antarctica, before breakdown of the equipment occurred in January 1983. These data were analysed and compared with data from other stations in Antarctica. Results show that the temperature at Dome C can drop very low (−84.6°C), a new absolute world minimum is not expected to be found, however. The annual course of the temperature displays the typical ‘coreless’ winter phenomenon, with no systematic temperature changes for 4 to 5 months, and mean temperatures of about −60°C during this time. This fits well into the picture found at other high altitude inland stations of Antarctica. The wind speeds observed at Dome C were the lightest, not only of all interior stations in Antarctica, but of all antarctic stations, including coastal and near-coastal ones. This illustrates the well-known dependence of the katabatic winds on slope angles and topography. Despite steep and deep surface inversions, katabatic winds generated at higher elevations on the continental slopes do not appear to override Dome C, but flow around it. By contrast, the winds observed in the coastal regions of Adelie Land, some 1000 km away from Dome C, belong to the strongest found anywhere on the earth. Another indication that Dome C is free from any gravity flow can be found in the fact that the winds display a diurnal maximum during the summer months around noon or early afternoon, at a time when the inversion strength is at a minimum. For gravity flow, one would expect a minimum in wind speed at that time, as observed in the coastal region.
Co-reconstitution and Co-crystallization of Phospholamban and Ca2+-ATPase a

Significant advances have recently been made in understanding the regulation of Ca(2+)-ATPase by phospholamban and in modeling their structures. However, these insights would be furthered by determining the 3-D structure of both proteins within the membrane, thus revealing the structural basis for their interaction. To this end, we have developed methods for reconstituting purified Ca(2+)-ATPase with recombinant phospholamban. After reconstitution at high lipid-to-protein ratios, we have verified their functional association by measuring calcium transport and ATPase activity. Furthermore, we have grown co-crystals after reconstitution at low lipid-to-protein ratios. The structure of Ca(2+)-ATPase has recently been solved by cryoelectron microscopy at 8-A resolution, thus revealing transmembrane alpha-helices. Using a variety of constraints, we have associated these helices with the predicted transmembrane sequences to produce a detailed model for the packing of transmembrane helices. Structure determination of the co-crystals is currently underway, which we hope will eventually reveal the interaction of phospholamban with Ca(2+)-ATPase at a similar level of detail.
Fabrication of substrate-independent hybrid distributed Bragg reflectors using metallic wafer bonding

A novel hybrid distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) consisting of a substrate-independent amorphous Si-Al-oxide stack and a Cr-Au-Ni-AuGe metallic bonding layer is developed for optoelectronic applications. The metal layers serve as a high-reflectance mirror as well as an adhesion material used in wafer bonding. The hybrid DBR utilizing the reflective metals can achieve a reflectivity of above 99.95% in merely six periods. In addition, the hybrid DBR can adjoin heterogeneous materials at a low temperature of 320/spl deg/C using a simple metallic bonding process. The hybrid DBR has been successfully applied to the fabrication of 1.55-/spl mu/m GaInAsP-InP vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser cavities on Si substrates.
Studies of Phosphorylation During Innate Immune Signaling using On-Chip Cell Preparation and Downstream Flow Cytometry

Fine temporal resolution is required for monitoring protein phosphorylation events key to cellular signaling pathways. With the goal of teasing apart the kinetics of phosphorylation cascades central to the human innate immune response to pathogen invasion, our group has developed a microfluidic device that integrates flow cytometry with required upstream cell preparation steps. Streamlined cell preparation and analysis allows monitoring of events with kinetic resolution on the order of minutes - not tens of minutes to hours. The planar microfluidic device contains 50 mm long spiral mixers, porous polymer monoliths for selective exchange of reagents, and incubation chambers (~1000 cells per chamber) where macrophage cells (RAW264.7) are challenged with a chemical signal of Gram-negative bacteria (lipopolysaccharide) and subsequently labeled with fluorescent immunoreagents. Finally, on the same device, the labeled macrophage cells are analyzed using two-color flow cytometry. Such an integrated self-contained microfluidic platform promises to be of widespread use to host- pathogen studies in infectious disease laboratories.
Production of Silicon by Solid Oxide Membrane-Based Electrolysis Process

The solid oxide membrane (SOM) electrolysis process has been successfully tested on a laboratory scale to produce silicon directly from silica in a cost-effective and eco-friendly way. A one-end-closed yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) tube was employed to separate a molten salt containing dissolved silica from a liquid metal anode placed inside the YSZ tube. When an applied electric potential between a liquid tin cathode in the molten salt and the anode exceeds the dissociation potential of silica, oxygen ions are transported out of the molten salt through the YSZ membrane and oxidized at the anode while the silicon cations in the flux are reduced to silicon on the surface of the liquid tin cathode. A potentiodynamic scan (PDS) was performed to determine the dissociation potential of silica in the molten salt system. Electrolysis was performed at 1.05 V for 8 hours. The presence of high-purity silicon crystals on the surface of liquid tin cathode was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS).
Reflectivity and Teaching Performance of Novice Teachers: Three Years of Investigation

Abstract The purpose of this 3-year investigation was to determine if a relationship exists between teacher reflectivity and the classroom performance of novice teachers when final evaluations are ...
TOWARD A NATIONAL PROGRAM FOR MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES

A conceptual framework is presented for integrating the nation’s environmental research and monitoring networks, which will enable comprehensive and integrated assessments of natural resources. This framework can link inventories and remote sensing, national and regional resources surveys, and intensive monitoring and research sites with research and modeling to produce an integrated national environmental monitoring program. This integration of the nation’s major environmental monitoring and research networks can allow understanding, assessment, evaluation, and forecasting of its renewable natural resources at national and regional scales. It can also enhance and support our understanding and ability to predict the causes and consequences of environmental change and ecosystem response, address multiple scales of ecosystem and resource interactions, and allow system-level syntheses and assessments of data and information. Network integration provides an “added value” that the current array of fragmented s...
Producer Willingness to Pay for Precision Application Technology: Implications for Government and the Technology Industry

This paper focuses on the willingness to pay (WTP) for precision application/site-specific management technologies on the part of agricultural producers. We use a contingent valuation survey to elicit WTP for a package of technologies and examine the impact of government subsidies on potential demand. Results suggest that producer WTP is significantly lower than current technology prices, necessitating a 60% government subsidy to induce adoption, on average. Agronomic factors such as soil characteristic variability and soil quality are important determinants of WTP. In addition, how well the technology integrates into current farming practices and equipment also appears important. Les auteurs s'interessent a la volonte des agriculteurs de payer pour des applications de precision ou des technologies de gestion adaptees a l'exploitation. Ils recourent a une etude d'evaluation des contingences pour jauger la volonte de payer un ensemble de technologies et pour preciser l'incidence des subventions gouvernementales sur la demande potentielle. Les resultats laissent croire que la volonte de payer est sensiblement plus faible que le cout actuel de la technologie, de sorte que l'adoption d'une technologie requiert une subvention publique de 60 %, en moyenne. Les parametres agronomiques comme la variabilite des proprietes et la qualite du sol jouent un role important dans la volonte de payer. Enfin, la maniere dont une technologie s'integre aux pratiques agricoles et au materiel existants parait aussi avoir son importance en la matiere.
Experimentieren mit atomaren Kristallbausteinen im Feldionenmikroskop

Ein Feldionenmikroskop, das bei Kuhlung mit flussigem Wasserstoff eine Auflosung von 2,7 A ermoglicht, wird beschrieben. Fur Heliumionen ist eine Spitzentemperatur von 20°K am gunstigsten, weil die mittlere Sprunghohe der auf der Oberflache herumhupfenden Heliumatome gerade gros genug ist, um die Ionisierungszone zu erreichen. Bei Kuhlung mit flussigem Helium geht die Auflosung vermutlich wegen der Unscharferelation wieder zuruck. Bilder von Wolfram und Rheniumoberflachen werden gezeigt, auf denen die Gitterstruktur hochindizierter Netzebenen vollstandig abgebildet ist. Feldverdampfung, Kondensation und Ionenbeschus sind Mittel zur experimentellen Handhabung einzelner Atome. Ein Farbphotoverfahren erlaubt, die einzelnen Atome, mit denen experimentiert wird, aus der grosen Zahl der unveranderten Kristallbausteine herauszuheben.
BRACKETT OPERATION FOR UNUNITED FRACTURE OF THE NECK OF THE FEMUR

1. There is need for careful collection and study of end results obtained with the various operative procedures designed for the reclamation of the ununited fracture of the femoral neck, in order that the operations may be evaluated and employed in suitable cases. 2. At the Clinic, the Brackett operation was used in thirty-four cases of non-union of a fracture of the femoral neck in the years 1920 to 1942, inclusive. Good results were obtained in twenty-three, or 67.7 per cent. of the cases. 3. A method of internal fixation by which a vitallium screw is introduced through the transplanted trochanter and is driven through the shaft and into the head fragment has been used in eleven cases in the past two years. Good results have been obtained in ten of the eleven cases.
Immune Mechanisms of Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common inflammatory disease that results in a significant decrease in patient quality of life and a large economic burden. However, the lack of population-based epidemiologic studies and robust model systems has made it difficult to fully elucidate the key inflammatory pathways that drive the chronic inflammatory responses observed in CRS. This review will highlight the wide variety of factors that likely contribute to CRS disease pathogenesis. Defects in the innate immune function of the airway epithelium, including decreases in barrier function, mucociliary clearance, and production of antimicrobial peptides, all likely play a role in the initial inflammatory response. Subsequent recruitment and activation of eosinophils, mast cells, and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) further contributes to the chronic inflammatory response and directly activates adaptive immune cells, including T and B cells. However, development of new tools and model systems is still needed to further understand the chronicity of this inflammatory response and which specific factors are necessary or sufficient to drive CRS pathogenesis. Such studies will be critical for the development of improved therapeutic strategies aimed at treating this highly prevalent and costly disease.
Contrast-Specific Instrumentation and Its Potential Applications

Microbubble-based contrast materials have shown great promise in enhancement of backscattered ultrasound signals from blood and tissues (Mattrey and Steinbach 1991; Mattrey et al. 1994). The scattering properties of the contrast media are dependent upon the characteristics of the agent, particularly the size and the compressibility of the microbubble (Anderson and Hampton 1980; Ophir and Parker 1989). Furthermore, the scattering properties are also dependent on the frequency and amplitude of the interrogating acoustic wave (de Jong et al. 1991). The complex relationship between transmitted frequency, transmitted acoustic pressure, and received frequency for image creation are the keys in development of instrumentation specifically designed to benefit from the presence of contrast media.
Abstract 190: p53 target gene expression, DNA hypomethylation, and clinical response in MDS patients undergoing decitabine therapy

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of blood disorders characterized by peripheral cytopenias, a cellular bone marrow with dysplasia and increased intramedullary apoptosis, and are associated with risk of progression to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). MDS are often fatal due to complications from cytopenias and/or progression to AML. DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTi), including 5-azacytidine and 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine (decitabine) have recently assumed a major role in the clinical management of MDS, and are two of only three FDA-approved treatments for these disorders. The mechanistic basis for the activity of DNMTi in MDS is unclear. We recently reported that decitabine treatment induces the expression of p53-inducible ribonucleotide reductase p53R2/RRM2B in tumor cell lines and MDS patient bone marrow (Link et al., Cancer Research 68; 9358-9366, 2008). Importantly, p53R2 induction was independent of DNA hypomethylation at its promoter region, and the level of p53R2 induction correlated with clinical response in a cohort of 13 patients. These data suggest that important pharmacodynamic responses to DNMTi may be associated with DNA damage and/or p53 activation. To better understand the overall nature of the molecular responses occurring in the bone marrow of MDS patients treated with decitabine, in the current study we examined a variety of pharmacodynamic endpoints including: p53 target gene expression, global DNA methylation, tumor antigen gene expression and methylation, and tumor suppressor gene expression. Specifically, we measured the expression of three classical p53 target genes (p21, GADD45-α, NOXA), LINE-1 repetitive element methylation, the expression and methylation of cancer-germline (CG) antigens including MAGE-A1, NY-ESO-1, XAGE-1, and CTCFL/BORIS, and the expression of the tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) p15INK4b and PDLIM4. Our data reveal that decitabine treatment causes robust induction of p53 target genes in MDS patient bone marrow, which coincides with LINE-1 hypomethylation and clinical responses. In contrast, while CG antigen genes showed some evidence for DNA hypomethylation post-therapy, this did not coincide with CG antigen gene induction. Surprisingly, TSGs were also not induced by decitabine therapy in MDS patient bone marrow. Ongoing studies seek to define p53 mutational status in MDS patients and to determine how this relates to p53 target gene induction and/or clinical response. In summary, our data reveal a connection between p53 target gene activation, global DNA hypomethylation, and clinical response in MDS patients undergoing decitabine therapy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 190.
Neurologic complications of disorders of the adrenal glands

Disorders of the adrenal glands frequently have secondary neurological manifestations, while some diseases that involve the central nervous system are accompanied by adrenal gland dysfunction. Excessive corticosteroid secretions in primary or secondary Cushing's syndrome causes muscle weakness and behavioral disturbances, such as emotional lability and sometimes depression, while adrenal insufficiency may cause fatigue, weakness, and depression. Adrenoleukodystrophy and adrenoneuromyelopathy are X-linked recessive disorders of the metabolism of very long chain fatty acids that manifest with white matter abnormalities of the brain, myelopathy and/or neuropathy, as well as adrenal insufficiency. Other disorders of the adrenal glands include hyperaldosteroidism, which may cause weakness from hypokalemia. Dysfunction of the adrenal medulla causes excessive or deficient secretion of catecholamines, primarily causing cardiovascular symptoms. This chapter reviews the clinical manifestations and diagnostic aspects and treatment of the various disorders of the adrenal glands. Some of the congenital adrenal diseases are also discussed.