Monoclonal antibody-based enzyme immunoassay for detection of porcine plasma in fish surimi

Detection of porcine plasma using indirect ELISA was developed using mAb B4E1 for the prevention of their usage in human food that creates religious and health conflicts. The immunoassay has a CV < 20% and did not cross-react to other meat and non-meat proteins. The sensitivity of the assay is 0.25% (w/w) of porcine plasma in spiked raw and cooked fish surimi. The assay did not produce a false positive result for any of the commercial fish surimi tested that were not contain porcine plasma. Determination of a 60-kDa antigenic protein of porcine blood using Western blot confirmed its presence in the plasma fraction of the porcine blood. Further proteomic analysis involving liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) revealed the 60-kDa protein to be porcine serum albumin.     

Estimating and controlling atomic chlorine concentration viaactinometry

Actinometry has been used as the basis of a successful sensor for controlling fluorine concentration in fluorocarbon plasmas commonly employed in etching. An analogous sensor would be useful for chlorine plasmas as well. One problem with actinometry in Cl₂ plasmas is that excitation can occur by electron impact dissociation and by dissociative attachment, leading to potential ambiguity between the intensity of observed chlorine emission in a plasma and the actual concentration of chlorine. On the basis of a simple model, this paper analyzes the consequences of the dissociative excitation pathway on the accuracy of the estimation and control of chlorine concentration via actinometry. When the contribution of the dissociative excitation pathway is known, it is shown that asymptotic observer theory can be used to improve the accuracy of the estimation of chlorine concentration     

Modeling and algorithm development for automated optical endpointing of an HBT emitter etch

This paper discusses the development of a high-accuracy endpointing algorithm for the emitter etch of a heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). Fabrication of high-performance HBTs using self-aligned base-emitter processes requires etching through the emitter layer and stopping with very high accuracy on the base layer. The lack of selectivity in dry etching coupled with the high etch rates possible in high density plasmas render the use of a standard timed overetch impractical, especially as device layers continue to become thinner. The etch process under study requires the complete removal of an AlInAs emitter while etching no more than 5 nm of the underlying GaInAs base layer. Etch products are monitored using optical emission spectroscopy (OES) to determine etch endpoint. The process under study relies on the intensity of the 417.2 nm Ga emission line. The detection of the Ga line indicates that the etch has reached the GaInAs layer. However, the presence of a time-varying Ga baseline signal before endpoint and significant noise in the OES signal necessitate more than a simple threshold scheme for critical endpoint detection. The algorithm presented here is based on a generalized likelihood ratio with a signature function. This algorithm is robust to variance in the optical gains of the measurement equipment and is applicable to other etch processes. Experimental results of automated endpointing using this algorithm are presented in the form of pre- and post-etch ex situ film thickness measurements.     

Early school competence: The roles of sex-segregated play and effortful control.

The purpose of this research was to examine the role that young children's same-sex peer interactions play in influencing early school competence. The authors also examined the degree to which effortful control (EC) moderated these relations. The same-sex play preferences of 98 young children (50 boys and 48 girls; mean age = 54.77 months) were observed during the fall semester. At the end of the fall semester, one set of teachers reported on children's EC, and at the end of the following spring semester, another set reported on children's school competence (social, academic, and perceptual-motor). Results revealed that EC moderated the relations of children's same-sex play to their school competence. These patterns differed for boys and girls such that same-sex play was positively related to school outcomes for boys high in EC and for girls low in EC. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sir3p domains involved in the initiation of telomeric silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that tethering of Sir3p at the subtelomeric/telomeric junction restores silencing in strains containing Rap1-17p, a mutant protein unable to recruit Sir3p. This tethered silencing assay serves as a model system for the early events that follow recruitment of silencing factors, a process we term initiation. A series of LexA fusion proteins in-frame with various Sir3p fragments were constructed and tested for their ability to support tethered silencing. Interestingly, a region comprising only the C-terminal 144 amino acids, termed the C-terminal domain (CTD), is both necessary and sufficient for restoration of silencing. Curiously, the LexA-Sir3(N205) mutant protein overcomes the requirement for the CTD, possibly by unmasking a cryptic initiation site. A second domain spanning amino acids 481-835, termed the nonessential for initiation domain (NID), is dispensable for the Sir3p function in initiation, but is required for the recruitment of the Sir4p C terminus. In addition, in the absence of the N-terminal 481 amino acids, the NID negatively influences CTD activity. This suggests the presence of a third region, consisting of the N-terminal half (1-481) of Sir3p, termed the positive regulatory domain (PRD), which is required to initiate silencing in the presence of the NID. These data suggest that the CTD "active" site is under both positive and negative control mediated by multiple Sir3p domains.     

The Relation of Children's Everyday Nonsocial Peer Play Behavior to Their Emotionality, Regulation, and Social Functioning.

The relations of children's nonsocial behavior to their emotionality, regulation, and social functioning were examined in a short-term longitudinal study. Parents (primarily mothers) and teachers rated children's effortful regulation, emotionality, asocial behaviors, problem behaviors, and social acceptance, and children's nonsocial play behaviors were observed for two semesters. Peers also rated likability. Children's observed reticent activities were related to adults' ratings of high regulation, low externalizing problems, and high asocial behavior, as well as to low anger and low positive emotion. On the other hand, solitary play was associated with low positive emotion and low regulation over time and with high asocial behavior and high peer exclusion. Peer rejection mediated the relation of internalizing emotions (anxiety, low positive emotion) and regulation to solitary play later in the school year, and asocial play mediated the relation of internalizing emotions to both solitary and reticent play behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluating process in child and family interventions: Aggression prevention as an example.

This article reports on 2 studies designed to develop and validate a set of measures for use in evaluating processes of child and family interventions. In Study 1 responses from 187 families attending an outpatient clinic for child behavior problems were factor analyzed to identify scales, consistent across sources: Alliance (Satisfactory Relationship with Interventionist and Program Satisfaction), Parenting Skill Attainment, Child Cooperation During Session, Child Prosocial Behavior, and Child Aggressive Behavior. Study 2 focused on patterns of scale scores among 78 families taking part in a 22-week preventive intervention designed to affect family relationships, parenting, and child antisocial and prosocial behaviors. The factor structure identified in Study 1 was replicated. Scale construct validity was demonstrated through across-source convergence, sensitivity to intervention change, and ability to discriminate individual differences. Path analysis validated the scales' utility in explaining key aspects of the intervention process. Implications for evaluating processes in family interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design of inner containment tanks for liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen

The design and construction of inner containment tanks for liquid oxygen and liquid nitrogen is discussed. Standards and recommendations by official bodies are cited and potential failure areas are highlighted.