cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variation in Leishmania chemokine suppression driven by diversification of the GP63 virulence factor

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease with diverse infection outcomes ranging from self-healing lesions, to progressive non-healing lesion, to metastatic spread and destruction of mucous membranes. Although resolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis is a classic example of type-1 immunity leading to well controlled self-healing lesions, an excess of type-1 related inflammation can contribute to immunopathology and metastatic spread of disease. Leishmania genetic diversity can contribute to variation in polarization and robustness of the immune response through differences in both pathogen sensing by the host and immune evasion by the parasite. In this study, we observed a difference in parasite chemokine suppression between the Leishmania (L.) subgenus and the Viannia (V.) subgenus, which is associated with severe immune mediated pathology such as mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. While Leishmania (L.) subgenus parasites utilize the virulence factor and metalloprotease glycoprotein-63 (gp63) to suppress the type-1 associated host chemokine CXCL10, L. (V.) panamensis did not suppress CXCL10. To understand the molecular basis for the inter-species variation in chemokine suppression, we used in silico modeling of the primary amino acid sequence and protein crystal structures to identify a putative CXCL10-binding site on GP63. We found the putative CXCL10 binding site to be located in a region of gp63 under significant positive selection and that it varies from the L. major wild-type sequence in all gp63 alleles identified in the L. (V.) panamensis reference genome. We determined that the predicted binding site and adjacent positively selected amino acids are required for CXCL10 suppression by mutating wild-type L. (L.) major gp63 to the L. (V.) panamensis allele and demonstrating impaired cleavage of CXCL10 but not a non-specific protease substrate. Notably, Viannia clinical isolates confirmed that L. (V.) panemensis primarily encodes non-CXCL10-cleaving gp63 alleles. In contrast, L. (V.) braziliensis has an intermediate level of activity, consistent with this species having more equal proportions of both alleles at the CXCL10 binding site, possibly due to balancing selection. Our results demonstrate how parasite genetic diversity can contribute to variation in the host immune response to Leishmania spp. infection that may play critical roles in the outcome of infection.
Molecular dynamics methodologies for predicting thermal transport in aerospace polymers and their composites

Abstract Molecular modeling of polymeric thermosets and their composites provides a complementary route to experiments to gain deeper understanding of their thermophysical properties, among other properties, such as glass transition temperature, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion coefficients, etc. Molecular modeling is also an effective approach to explore nanoscale features (such as interfaces) that are extremely difficult to characterize experimentally. This chapter discusses few theoretical frameworks and few examples of employing molecular dynamics simulations toward estimating thermal properties (thermal conductivity and interface thermal conductance) in cross-linked polymers, such as epoxy and bismaleimide networks and their composites. Different molecular/nanoscale parameters that are relevant in governing thermal conduction in aerospace polymers and their composites such as cross-linking density, molecular interactions, as well as interface features such as functionalization, are highlighted.
Exploring Preoperative Hypocalcemia as a Biomarker for Post Left Ventricular Assist Device Survival and Adverse Events

Purpose Abnormal calcium handling in cardiomyocytes plays a cardinal role in the initiation and progression of heart failure. However, the effect of serum calcium levels has not been studied in chronic heart failure patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) placement. We investigate the impact of preoperative hypocalcemia on adverse events and all-cause mortality in this population over a 24-month period post durable LVAD implantation. Methods At a single center, 177 patients received LVAD therapy between June 2011 and October 2018. Patients were classified into either hypocalcemia [(serum calcium Results The majority of patients in both groups were undergoing LVAD placement for destination therapy (77 vs. 73%, p=0.009) and had a similar history of chronic kidney disease across groups (21 vs. 28%, p=0.36). However, there was a significantly greater number of Caucasian patients in the hypocalcemia group (85 vs. 63%, =0.004). 24-month survival was equal across groups (Log-Rank p=0.13). Likewise on Cox-modelling, there was no difference in survival seen on either the unadjusted [HR= 1.42 (0.89 - 2.27) (p=0.14)] or adjusted survival [1.39 (0.86 - 2.24) (p=0.18)] when adjusted for age, gender, INTERMACS category, and eGFR. Perioperative renal failure and need for hemodialysis were similar between groups. However, the hypocalcemia group required prolonged intubation (46 vs 28%, p=0.03), tracheostomy (28 vs 11%, p=0.001) and increased right ventricular assist device use (23 vs 8%, p=0.02). Conclusion Despite no significant impact on survival at 24-months, hypocalcemia may be a poor prognostic marker for some adverse events.
Nurse Manager Communication and Outcomes for Nursing: an Integrative Review

Aim To evaluate literature on the importance of good communication between managers and nurses, and its influence on nurses and patient care. Background In the nursing scenario, concepts such as engagement and job satisfaction are tied to manager communication and influence the care provided (Kunie et al., 2017). It is crucial to recognize the importance of manager communication on the nurses and patient care. The evaluation was guided by this question: in the review of post-2014 quantitative studies, is there evidence that nurse managers with high communication competence have better patient/staff outcomes than those with lower competences? Evaluation We evaluated current research through an evidence review on the day-to-day influence of nurse manager communication. We conducted our search using common health databases. Since the American Organization for Nurse Leadership developed Nurse Manager Competencies in 2014, we only included articles published after that year. Further inclusion criteria included primary, quantitative, and peer-reviewed research. Key issues Thirty articles remained after the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria with five themes emerging: patient safety and quality, job satisfaction, leadership styles, innovative practice, and general management skills. Conclusion Research associates positive patient and staff outcomes with a leader who exhibits communication competences. Implications for nursing management Assessment of current competence levels in communication in nurse managers is needed. Education for improving communication skills is also needed.
Cardiac Arrhythmia Related to Remdesivir in COVID-19

Background: Remdesivir has shown a positive impact on patient’s clinical improvement with COVID-19 and could represent and future viral infections. Results: 16 out of 37 patients presented bradycardia, 4 of these patients had QTc > 450 ms. Infusion for 3 days or more of infusion had a higher incidence of bradycardia (12 vs 4 patients). Overall, patients without bradycardia had a longer hospitalization (20.5 vs 15.5 days); 7 patients died, 2 of them had bradycardia. Conclusion: Our results have shown clear evidence of bradycardia after remdesivir infusion. Prospective, double-blinded, and randomized studies with an evident representative sample size with various ethnicities and races are highly needed earlier than later to establish these important findings.
Characterization of cutaneous sex steroid hormone production through analysis of skin secretions

ABSTRACT Importance Systemic sex steroid hormone aberrations often manifest in skin disease. The sebaceous, apocrine, and eccrine glands all play an important role in the response and production of these hormones in the skin. However, our ability to quantify hormonal secretions at the skin surface is limited. Objective Our study aims to characterize the hormonal landscape of the skin at different anatomical sites and between the sexes through analysis of skin secretions. Design In this observational pilot study, we collected skin secretions from twelve male and ten female control subjects using commercially available, Sebutape®, from the antecubital fossa, forehead, back, and axilla. We then developed a method to extract and quantify the amount of sex steroid hormones from these secretions through liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Setting Outpatient clinic Participants 34 participants were enrolled in the study, with 22 participants meeting criteria. Eligibility criteria included age of 18 to 40 and BMI between 15-35. Exclusion criteria included participants outside the ages of 18 to 40, use of antibiotics in the last 6 months, history of hormonal aberrations or chronic skin disorders, and use of hormone altering medications (except oral contraception). Results Our study detected anatomical site differences most notably in elevated dehydroepiandrosterone in the axilla and androstenedione in the forehead. Several hormonal differences were also detected between male and females consistent with known systemic hormone differences between the sexes. Conclusions We developed a method to quantify the hormonal levels in skin secretions using Sebutape®. Our approach found that hormonal composition varies based on sex and anatomical site. Additional studies will need to be completed to determine relevant hormonal shifts in clinical skin conditions. KEY POINTS Sex steroid hormones of skin secretions varies between males and females Dehydroepiandrosterone is produced in elevated amounts in the axilla Androstenedione is produced in elevated amounts in the forehead
Molybdenum Oxides Deposited by Modulated Pulse Power Magnetron Sputtering: Stoichiometry as a Functionof Process Parameters

Molybdenum oxide films were deposited using modulated pulse power magnetron sputtering (MPPMS) from a molybdenum target in a reactive environment where the flow rate of oxygen was varied from 0 sccm to 2.00 sccm. By varying the amount of reactive oxygen available during deposition, the composition of the films ranged from metallic Mo to fully stoichiometric MoO3, when the molybdenum target became poisoned, due to the formation of a dielectric surface oxide coating. Film compositions were verified using high energy resolution x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Target poisoning occurred at an oxygen flow rate of 1.25 sccm and reversed when the flow rate decreased to about 1.00 sccm. MoO3 films deposited via MPPMS had densities of 3.8 g cm−3, 81% of the density of crystalline α-MoO3 as determined by x-ray reflectivity (XRR). In addition, XRR and atomic force microscopy data showed sub-nanometer surface roughness values. From spectroscopic ellipsometry, the measured refractive index of the MoO3 films at 589 nm was 1.97 with extinction coefficient values <0.02 at wavelengths above the measured absorption edge of 506 nm (2.45 eV).
Identification of protein-coding regions in Arabidopsis thaliana genome based on quadratic discriminant analysis

A new method (MZEF) for predicting internal coding exons in genomic DNA sequences has been developed. This method is based on a prediction algorithm that uses the quadratic discriminant function for multivariate statistical pattern recognition. With improved feature measures, an Arabidopsis thaliana-specific implementation of MZEF is completed and made available to the plant genome community.
Abstract MP17: Fruits and Vegetables Consumption and the Incidence of Hypertension in Three Prospective Cohort Studies

Introduction: Intake of fruits and vegetables lower blood pressures in short-term interventional studies. However, data on the association of long-term intake of fruits and vegetables with hypertension risk are scarce. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that a higher long-term intake of fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower incidence of hypertension when compared with minimal intake of fruits and vegetables. Methods: We prospectively examined the independent association of fruit and vegetable intake with incident hypertension in three large longitudinal cohort studies of originally non-hypertensive individuals: Nurses’ Health Study I (NHS1, n=62,273, aged 38-63 years in 1984), Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS2, n=88,831, aged 27-44 years in 1991), and Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS, n =37,414, aged 40-75 years in 1986). Information about diet (using a validated food frequency questionnaire), other risk factors and behaviors, and health status was updated biennially. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals for fruit and vegetable consumption while controlling for numerous other hypertension risk factors. Random effects meta-analysis was employed to derive pooled estimates of effect. Results: Compared with participants whose consumption was <1 serving/month, the pooled HRs among those whose intake was ≥1 serving/day were 0.80 (0.72-0.89) for total fruit, 0.91 (95% CI: 0.82-1.00) for green leafy vegetables (combination of spinach, kale and lettuce), 0.94 (0.88-1.00) for cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussel sprouts), and 0.97 (0.78-1.21) for other vegetables. Conclusions: In conclusion, our results suggest that greater long-term intake of fruits is prospectively and independently associated with a reduced risk of developing hypertension; green leafy and cruciferous vegetables were modestly but significantly inverse associated with reduced long-term risk.
Semen quality characteristics of dairy goats.

Abstract Semen was collected, processed, and frozen from five dairy bucks for 2 successive yr for use in quality classification and evaluation for inclusion in artificial insemination programs. Semen was evaluated for volume, initial, postthaw and 37°C incubated percent progressive motility, percent postthaw 3-h 37°C incubated intact acrosomes, autoagglurination, whey-induced agglutination, and percent primary, secondary, and tertiary abnormalities. Significant high correlations were found between: percent progressive motility and percent intact acrosomes, percent intact acrosomes and percent autoagglutination, and percent autoagglutination and percent whey agglutination. Means of the postthaw quality parameters, percent progressive motility, precent intact acrosomes, and percent primary and secondary abnormalities were used to categorize ejaculates within each incubation time (0 and 2h). At 0h, 25 ejaculates were classified as high quality and 11 were low quality. Using 2-h data, 19 ejaculates were classified as high quality and 17 as low. Inclusion of both agglutination parameters in the 2-h data analysis resulted in 13 ejaculates categorized as high and 23 as low quality. Based on assessment with techniques used in bovine artificial insemination programs, semen quality of goat semen could be used to discriminate between acceptable or unacceptable ejaculates. Based on recommended sperm numbers per inseminate and average ejaculate characteristics the low number of marketable units per ejaculate would make incorporation of goats into existing artificial insemination programs prohibitive.
Antimicrobial treatment of tuberculous salpingitis

Abstract Patients with tuberculous salpingitis treated for 3 months or less with antimicrobial drugs show histologic evidence of tuberculosis in the tubes in approximately 90 per cent of the cases. Following long-term therapy (10 months to 3 years) in patients with minimal pelvic tuberculosis, no evidence of active tuberculosis was apparent on histologic section of the Fallopian tubes, although residual evidence of tubal disease was seen. In patients with untreated tuberculous salpingitis, various stages of activity and healing were present and resembled to some extent the lesions in patients treated with short-term chemotherapy. Recurrences of tuberculosis of the endometrium were reported in 20 to 40 per cent of 387 cases collected from the literature which had been treated from 6 weeks to 3 months with antituberculosis drugs. While such a regimen is not considered adequate, there is reason to believe that in some instances antimicrobial therapy can bring about histologic and bacteriologic cure of endometrial tuberculosis. This does not imply that the lesions in the tubes are also healed for tuberculosis was still present in the Fallopian tubes of the patients who were subjected to operation. The present trend in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis is toward long-term therapy with antimicrobial agents for periods of 18 to 24 months or longer. Even with long-term chemotherapy, however, it is not always possible to eradicate foci of infection, and these have been treated by excision.
The large scale preparation of an extracellular nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus.

Abstract A method has been developed for the large scale preparation of an extracellular nuclease of Staphylococcus aureus based on adsorption to phosphocellulose from crude cultures.
Generating random benchmark circuits for floorplanning

Benchmark files are widely used to evaluate and compare new algorithms and tools. In this paper, a fairly simple although reliable random floorplanning benchmark generator, BGen, based on Rent's rule and a novel net-degree distribution model, is presented. Though direct and indirect validation, it is shown that BGen generates realistic distribution of module sizes and netlist information.
Interaction angular momentum and conservation laws

Relativistic angular momentum for a pair of charged particles is introduced. Because simultaneity is frame-dependent, several definitions of angular momentum are possible. These definitions are compared and their transformation properties are discussed. It is seen that these transformations do not require interaction angular momentum. However, when conservation laws are considered, interaction angular momentum is shown to play a necessary role.
A prospectus for gigascale integration (GSI)

Prospects for gigascale integration (GSI) are governed by a hierarchy of limits whose levels are fundamental, material, device, circuit and system. Theoretical limits are elucidate in the power versus delay (Pt/sub d/) plane for switching operations and in the square of the reciprocal length versus delay (L/sup -2/t) plane for transmission operations. The totality of practical limits is captured by three macrovariables; minimum feature size, chip area and number of transistors per minimum feature area. The singular metric which reveals the efficacy of a technology for GSI is the chip performance index (CPI) defined as the number of transistors per chip divided by the power-delay product of the technology. The CPI has increased by about 10/sup 12/ since 1960 and is projected to increase still further by 10/sup 6/ by 2020. >
POT LUCK: CULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARIJUANA EFFECT

This paper is an attempt to open up discussions on marijuana as a psychoactive substance that engages with food and the act of eating in very complex and discursive ways. This study conducts numerous interviews that demonstrate that. frequently, marijuana is not the countercultural drug it is commonly supposed to be if analysed in its relations to food habits and the act of consumption. It also brings to light the surprising ways in which marijuana affects attitudes towards certain kinds of foods. thereby open up a space for a kind of psycho geographical tourism within the self.
Anti-Infective Agents

Chemotherapeutic agents are intended to eliminate foreign organisms or abnormal cells from healthy tissues of the patient. An essential property of all chemotherapeutic drugs is selective toxicity; deleterious actions directed against the target cells without comparable effects on the tissue of the host. The degree of selective toxicity possessed by a drug is closely related to its mechanism of action. If a drug affects a vital process of parasitic cells, but which is not required in host tissue, the degree of selective toxicity can be quite good. The high incidence of adverse effects associated with most antiviral and antineoplastic drugs is directly related to the fact that these agents produce similar effects in both normal and target cells.
A seismic stratigraphic analysis of Mariana forearc basin evolution

New seismic data collected in the 14.5°–18.5°N Mariana segment of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana island arc system image six seismic stratigraphic sequences that can be mapped throughout the inner forearc. These sediments were most likely deposited from 35 Ma to the present. The oldest stratigraphic Units 1, 2, and 3 are syn-rift volcaniclastic deposits. Unit 4 deposits accumulated during a period of mild structural inversion, which resulted in several isolated reverse-faulted anticlines within the forearc sedimentary basin. A late period of extensional deformation began near the end of Unit 5 deposition and continued through Unit 6 sedimentation to the present. Seismic lines show that the basement of the forearc is composed of large rotated fault blocks and half grabens with NE, NW, and NNE trends. Fault offset calculations show that basement faults with dips between 45° and 50° account for only ∼4% total extension in the forearc. South of 16.3°N, normal growth faults initiated during basement extension offset the frontal arc high from a deep forearc basin. From correlations with the known geologic history, we hypothesize that extension during deposition of Units 1 through 3 corresponds to rifting of the Eo-Oligocene Arc, between ∼35 Ma and 29 Ma, older deposits being too thin to be seismically resolvable. Localized compression during Unit 4 accumulation occurred some time after Eo-Oligocene rifting in the early Miocene. Late-stage normal faulting near the end of deposition of Unit 5 and throughout Unit 6 accumulation may be associated with the opening of the Mariana Trough backarc basin from ∼8 Ma years to the present. There is a higher density of these later faults in the inner forearc between 15.5° and 17°N and in the outer forearc between 14°N and 18°N. Recent extension is at least partially accommodated by reactivation of older basement faults with the same NE, NW, and NNE- trends. Stratigraphic relationships indicate that the inner forearc south of 16.3°N has differentially subsided and tilted trenchward, possibly as a result of a recent change in subducting slab geometry or subducted relief under the forearc.
Defensibility and ethics in the laboratory

Laboratory personnel must feel that ethical standards of conduct are a priority in the laboratory. Management must support this concept not only during training but also in daily communication to employees. Further, review of staff experience and training of employees is necessary to reinforce the need for ethics. This paper discusses defensibility and ethics in the laboratory, and the goals of assuring that the reporting of laboratory data will be performed in an ethical manner and will provide legal defensibility of data and laboratory procedures. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical and experimental determination of secondary separation on delta wings in subsonic flow

A quasi-three-dimensional boundary layer method for conical inviscid flows is presented. The model was developed to characterize the flow fields over slender delta wings, particularly the shed vortex sheet. A steady, incompressible, laminar boundary layer is assumed and a solution is obtained with the Smith (1966) finite difference code. Predictions are compared with oil flow patterns and surface pressure measurements for 74 and 80 deg delta wings at 0-20 deg angles of attack. The model is capable of accurately predicting the secondary separation lines. Inviscid velocities derived from panel methods lead, however, to inaccurate pressure distributions.
An investigation of the self-statement systems of phobic and nonphobic individuals

George Kelly's Personal Construct Theory was used to conceptualize an investigation into the nature of self-statements of phobic and nonphobic individuals. Subjects, 124 college students, classified as phobic or nonphobic by their performance on a behavioral avoidance test, were asked to generate self-statements relevant to the avoidance task, which were rated on degree and salience of threat and on time orientation. The results indicated that the self-statements of phobics and nonphobics did not differ on the presence of threat in the self-statement dimensions, but rather on the average salience of threat, suggesting that the organization of the self-statement system is the most important aspect of avoidance behavior. Additionally, the constructs of phobics were more likely to reflect a negative past time orientation. Results are discussed in the context of facilitating cognitive restructuring on the part of fearful individuals.
A high order moving boundary treatment for compressible inviscid flows

We develop a high order numerical boundary condition for compressible inviscid flows involving complex moving geometries. It is based on finite difference methods on fixed Cartesian meshes which pose a challenge that the moving boundaries intersect the grid lines in an arbitrary fashion. Our method is an extension of the so-called inverse Lax-Wendroff procedure proposed in [17] for conservation laws in static geometries. This procedure helps us obtain normal spatial derivatives at inflow boundaries from Lagrangian time derivatives and tangential derivatives by repeated use of the Euler equations. Together with high order extrapolation at outflow boundaries, we can impose accurate values of ghost points near the boundaries by a Taylor expansion. To maintain high order accuracy in time, we need some special time matching technique at the two intermediate Runge-Kutta stages. Numerical examples in one and two dimensions show that our boundary treatment is high order accurate for problems with smooth solutions. Our method also performs well for problems involving interactions between shocks and moving rigid bodies.
Degree sets for digraphs

The degree setD D of a digraphD is the set of outdegrees of the vertices ofD. For a finite, nonempty setS of nonnegative integers, it is shown that there exists an asymmetric digraph (oriented graph)D such thatD D =S. Furthermore, the minimum order of such a digraphD is determined. Also, given two finite sequences of nonnegative integers, a necessary and sufficient condition is provided for which these sequences are the outdegree sequences of the two sets of an asymmetric bipartite digraph.
Plasma α-galactosidase A: Properties and comparisons with tissue α-galactosidases

The human plasma form of α-galactosidase A (α-d-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22) was highly purified and exhibited apparent Km values of 1.9 mM with 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-d-galactopyranoside and 0.23 mM with globotriglycosylceramide. Its inhibition with myo-inositol (Ki = 0.29 M) was similar to that observed with α-galactosidase A from various tissues. The plasma form of this lysosomal enzyme has a lower molecular weight of 96 600, a lower pI of 3.7 and faster electrophoretic mobility in polyacrylamide gels than the enzyme obtained from human liver. These data and the increased pI obtained after neuraminidase treatment suggest that the plasma form is an isoenzyme with a more highly sialylated carbohydrate moeity than the tissue isoenzyme.
The cellular form of the prion protein is involved in controlling cell cycle dynamics, self-renewal, and the fate of human embryonic stem cell differentiation

Prion protein (PrPC), is a glycoprotein that is expressed on the cell surface. The current study examines the role of PrPC in early human embryogenesis using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and tetracycline-regulated lentiviral vectors that up-regulate or suppresses PrPC expression. Here, we show that expression of PrPC in pluripotent hESCs cultured under self-renewal conditions induced cell differentiation toward lineages of three germ layers. Silencing of PrPC in hESCs undergoing spontaneous differentiation altered the dynamics of the cell cycle and changed the balance between the lineages of the three germ layers, where differentiation toward ectodermal lineages was suppressed. Moreover, over-expression of PrPC in hESCs undergoing spontaneous differentiation inhibited differentiation toward lineages of all three germ layers and helped to preserve high proliferation activity. These results illustrate that PrPC is involved in key activities that dictate the status of hESCs including regulation of cell cycle dynamics, controlling the switch between self-renewal and differentiation, and determining the fate of hESCs differentiation. This study suggests that PrPC is at the crossroads of several signaling pathways that regulate the switch between preservation of or departure from the self-renewal state, control cell proliferation activity, and define stem cell fate.
vertical patterns of free and forced climate variations

Observations of the vertical structure of atmospheric temperature changes over the past three decades show that while the global-average lower atmosphere has warmed, the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere have cooled. While these changes may be due to observed anthropogenic increases of greenhouse gases, decreases of lower stratospheric ozone, and increases of tropospheric aerosols, the changes may also have been caused by natural unforced internal fluctuations of the climate system. Here we use the results of a 1000-year simulation from a mathematical model of the coupled ocean-atmosphere-land system performed without any changes in external forcing, so that we may consider its variations as a surrogate for free, internally-generated, natural fluctuations of the climate system. When the global mean surface air temperature is warm in the model, the lower troposphere, upper troposphere and lower stratosphere are also warm over most of the Earth, in contrast to the observations of the last three decades and to model simulations of the forced climate response due to increased greenhouse gases. The observed temperature change of the past three decades is therefore unlikely to have been caused solely by natural internal variations of the climate system, thereby strengthening the argument that these changes can at least partly be attributed to anthropogenic activities.
GPR30 predicts poor survival for ovarian cancer

Objectives GPR30 is a 7-transmembrane G protein-coupled estrogen receptor that functions alongside traditional estrogen receptors to regulate cellular responses to estrogen. Recent studies suggest that GPR30 expression is linked to lower survival rates in endometrial and breast cancer. This study was conducted to evaluate GPR30 expression in ovarian tumors.
Uniform High Current Field Emission of Electrons from Si and CNF FEAs Individually Controlled by Si Pillar Ungated FETs

We report the demonstration of the first dense (106 emitters / cm2), high current (10 mA) array of individually ballasted field emitters that use vertical ungated field effect transistors (FETs) as current limiters. Each silicon or carbon nanofiber (CNF) emitter is individually connected in series with a silicon pillar ungated FET or current limiter (Fig. 1). The ungated FET takes advantage of the saturation of carrier velocity in silicon to obtain current source-like behavior - required for uniform and high current operation with small power dissipation.
Thermodynamic characterization of the binding of nucleotides to glycyl-tRNA synthetase.

The interaction of adenine nucleotides with glycyl-tRNA synthetase was examined by several experimental approaches. ATP and nonsubstrate ATP analogues render glycyl-tRNA synthetase more resistant to digestion by a number of proteases (thrombin, Arg-C, and chymotrypsin) at concentrations that correlate with their Michaelis constants or inhibition constants, consistent with their exerting an effect by binding at the ATP site. Glycine had little effect alone but potentiated the effect of ATP in increasing the resistance to thrombin digestion, consistent with the formation of an enzyme-bound adenylate. No protection from thrombin digestion was afforded by tRNAgly. Binding constants were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry at 25 °C for ATP (2.5 × 105 M-1), AMPPNP (3.7 × 105 M-1), and AMPPCP (2.2 × 106 M-1). The nucleotides had similar values for ΔH (−71 kJ mol-1), with values for TΔS that accounted for the differences in the binding constants. Near-ultraviolet CD spectra of the enzyme−nucleotide com...
Formation of contaminant droplets on surfaces

The effects of molecular film contamination on optical systems depend strongly on the film uniformity and thickness. Molecular films of uniform thickness are responsible for light transmission losses through absorption. For example, a partially darkened film of dioctyl phthalate 100 A thick may cause losses of about 2% in the visible spectrum. However, Ternet, et al, Villahermosa, et al, and others, have shown that scattering from droplets or "puddles" can cause transmission losses of 30%. In this paper, we examine properties of the contaminant and surface that drive the formation of smooth films and droplets. It is shown that surfaces play a strong, and sometimes dominant role in controlling film or droplet formation. DC 704, a high purity, siloxane liquid, is shown to assume both droplet and smooth film character depending on the surface.
Band gap engineering of ZnO thin films by In2O3 incorporation

Abstract Highly transparent and conducting thin films of ZnO–In 2 O 3 were deposited using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The effect of composition and growth temperature on structural, electrical, and optical properties was studied. The lowest resistivity of 2.11×10 −4 Ω cm and high transparency (∼80%) was obtained for the film having 5% In 2 O 3 in ZnO. The band gap of the films depends on doping level and varies from 3.37 to 3.95 eV.
Outbreak of pseudobacteremia with Bacillus species at a children's hospital traced to dust contamination of blood collection supplies on open shelving

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Numerous outbreaks of pseudobacteremia have been reported in hospitals, some of which were associated with Bacillus species. Between June and August 2004, an outbreak of positive blood cultures with Bacillus species was detected at a 255-bed tertiary children's hospital. The results of the epidemiologic investigation are reported. METHODS: Positive blood cultures were detected by routine daily microbiologic laboratory surveillance by infection control staff. The investigation included a clinical assessment of patients, evaluation of blood culture collection practices and supplies, an inspection of the environment where blood cultures were collected and phlebotomy supplies were stored, environmental bacterial cultures, and phenotyping of Bacillus isolates. RESULTS: Between June and August 2004, 12 patients had positive blood cultures with Bacillus species that were collected in the emergency room (ER). The cases represented a cluster compared to prior months, and none of the patients had “true sepsis.” Inspection of the ER environment found that supplies used to collect blood cultures were stored on an open shelving cart, that non-sterile blood-collection tube adaptors were stored in an uncovered bin on that cart, and that there was a very dusty air vent directly above the uncovered bin. ER staff in some cases would use a non-sterile blood-collection tube adaptor to collect blood samples for blood cultures, drawing blood directly into blood culture bottles. Bacterial cultures of the dusty air vent and the bin used to store the tube adaptors yielded two phenotypes of Bacillus species that matched six of the positive blood cultures (B. sp. and B. cereus). Control measures implemented included cleaning of the dusty air vent, removal of the contaminated storage bin, storing of tube adaptors in plastic bags for dust protection, and implementation of sterile blood-collection tube adaptors for collecting blood cultures. CONCLUSIONS: • The probable source of the Bacillus pseudobacteremia outbreak was dust contamination of non-sterile blood-collection tube adaptors that occurred during unprotected storage on open shelving directly under a contaminated dusty air vent. • The probable mode of blood culture contamination was inoculation of blood culture bottles using a non-sterile blood-collection tube adaptor. • Storage of medical devices without dust protection on open shelving is potentially hazardous. • Air vents directly above open shelving storage of medical supplies should be kept clean.
Further investigations by electron microscopy of herpes simplex virus in the corneal stroma of rabbits with experimental keratitis.

Herpes simplex virus particles were demonstrated by electron microscopy in the corneal stromal cells of a high percentage of rabbits with primary herpetic keratitis. Virus particles were found in the epithelial cells of all infected corneas. Experimental infection was achieved by dropping virus suspension on the cornea without any accompanying artificial trauma. The results demonstrate that the stroma can be infected by virus particles that have entered through the intact epithelium. The findings support the hypothesis that virus particles mature within nuclei and derive their outer coat, or membrane, from the inner leaflet of the nuclear membrane as they pass through it. Virus particles that apparently were phagocytosed by polymorphonuclear leucocytes consisted of a single coat or membrane; they lacked both a central core and an outer coat.
Suspension cultures of mammalian cells

Summary Many kinds of cells can be cultured for long periods of time in suspension cultures. Improvements in culture media and cell adaptation have permitted successful cell culture in media supplemented with only small concentrations of serum or with albumin alone, and in a few instances in chemically defined media containing no macromolecules. Sensing and servo units are being developed for the maintenance of optimal cell environment and for the preservation of cell function. Suspension culture techniques for the growth of gram and kilogram amounts of cultured cells are desirable for future genetic, biochemical, and physiological studies.
Time and money for vocational rehabilitation of clients with psychotic and psychoneurotic disabilities

A random USA national sample of 300 psychotic and 300 psychoneurotic clients, with half the sample closed ‘rehabilitated’ and the other half closed ‘non-rehabilitated’, was investigated in connection with two time variables (months in rehabilitation process and training) and two cost variables (dollars for all services and facilities) in vocational rehabilitation process. As compared to psychotic clients, psychoneurotic clients tended to require more time in vocational rehabilitation process and training and less money for rehabilitation facilities. Rehabilitated clients were found to be in the vocational rehabilitation process for less time than non-rehabilitated clients. There were no appreciable differences between the psychotic and psychoneurotic groups on such outcome variables as work status at closure, occupational level at closure, and weekly earnings at closure. The findings suggest that different strategies are used to bring these clients differing in dysfunctional reactions to similar desirable outcomes.
Development of global land surface emissivity product at AMSR-E passive microwave frequencies

Microwave land surface emissivity is one of the key inputs in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. It can be used also to classify land surface and subsurface properties such as soil moisture. The objective of this study is to develop global land effective emissivity product using passive microwave observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer - Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). Ancillary data such as land surface skin temperature and cloud flag were obtained from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) data set are used in the analysis. Atmospheric parameters were obtained from TOVS observations to account for the upwelling and downwelling atmospheric emissions as well as atmospheric transmission. Instantaneous land emissivity maps were determined over cloud free pixels for each ascending and descending overpass. In addition, a global clear sky composite is produced on monthly basis. The derived maps show acceptable agreement with the global pattern of land cover types. The emissivity maps also agree reasonably well with the existing SSM/I based product.
HIRS observations of clouds since 1978

Seasonal changes in global cloud cover have been monitored with multi-spectral observations from the eleven polar orbiting HIRS (High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder) since December 1978. The HIRS longwave infrared data have a higher sensitivity to semi-transparent cirrus clouds than visible and infrared window techniques. Clouds are found in 71% of all HIRS observations from 65 S to 65 N; high clouds are observed in 33% of the observations. Closer investigation of the tropics indicates that there has been little overall change in the global total cloud cover. There is the possibility of a small increase in high cloud cover from the first decade to the second (about 1%) however orbit drift of some sensors and instrument differences may be part of this. Significant weather events such as El Nino Southern Oscillation or volcanic eruptions may also be influencing the trends. Since 2000, the Moderate resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer (MODIS) is starting to generate another cloud data set that must be understood and connected with the HIRS cloud data; early indications are promising that MODIS will be a more than worthy successor to the venerable HIRS.
Surface wave dispersion and Earth structure in south-eastern China

Summary. A reconnaissance study of crust and mantle structure in southeastern China was made using surface waves confined to that region from recent earthquakes. Data from the WWSSN stations ANP arid SEO, and from the digital stations TATO and MAT, were used to measure fundamental-mode group velocities of Love and Rayleigh waves over nine paths in south-eastern China, an area which has been technically quiet since the early Cenozoic. Crustal structure in this region is typical of stable continents, but shear-wave velocities in the uppermost mantle are low for a continent, 4.45 km s−1 or less. Other seismological data support this observation.
Donor-derived, liver-specific protein expression after bone marrow transplantation.

BACKGROUND Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) may represent a novel mechanism to deliver a functional gene to a deficient liver. Bone marrow-derived hepatocytes are rare and without a defined contribution to liver function. Consequently, the clinical significance of BMT to treat liver disease is unclear. We sought to quantify bone marrow-derived hepatocyte protein expression after BMT and determine whether the process is inducible with liver injury. METHODS Mice transgenic for human alpha-1 antitrypsin (hAAT) under a hepatocyte-specific promoter were used as bone marrow donors. Adenoviral transduction of modified urokinase plasminogen activator (Ad-muPA) was used to induce liver injury. Eight weeks after lethal irradiation and BMT, recipients were stratified into two groups: BMT alone (n = 5) and BMT + Ad-muPA (n= 10). Both groups of animals were bled before (t = 0) and at 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks after Ad-muPA administration, and the serum samples were assessed for hAAT by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS Transgenic donor mice expressed 5 to 10 mg/mL of hAAT. Recipients of BMT alone expressed less than 80 ng/mL of hAAT over all time periods. Animals receiving BMT + Ad-muPA showed sustained and stable hAAT expression of approximately 200 ng/mL. Differences were statistically significant at each time point. CONCLUSION Serum protein levels from liver-specific transgene expression are detectable and persist after BMT. Expression is low, but inducible with liver injury. We are currently developing strategies to augment donor-derived, liver-specific protein expression after BMT.
Characterization and modeling of the holmium upconversion fiber laser

The characteristics of the green ((lambda) approximately 550 nm) holmium upconversion fiber laser have been studied in detail in Ho:ZBLAN fibers ranging in length from approximately 20 to 86 cm. When pumped in the red (approximately 643 nm), slope efficiencies up to 24% are observed for a 21 cm long fiber and a cavity output coupling of 30%. More than 38 mW of output power is observed for 280 mW of absorbed pump power. The influence of the depletion of the ground state (5I8) population on the emission spectrum and overall efficiency of the oscillator are discussed.
Simulation of an oil-pumping ring seal for a Stirling engine

Rolling diaphragm seals are currently used to separate the working fluid (hydrogen under high pressure) from the lubricating fluid (oil at atmospheric pressure) in the Stirling engine; the large pressure difference across these seals leads to fatigue and failure. In a study of the use of a pumping ring to maintain an oil reservoir on the low-pressure side of the seal, a mathematical model was developed to simulate operation of a pumping ring, taking into account the axially symmetric, unsteady flow in the fluid domain coupled with the elastic distortion of the solid ring. A computer program was developed for solving the mathematical model using finite differences in the fluid domain and finite element methods in the solid (pumping ring) domain. Excellent agreement was found between simulation results and analytical solutions for limiting cases. The model was used to investigate the effects of changing various ring parameters such as the ring geometry, ring material, rod size and speed, O-ring location, crown spring, and interference fit. These parameters and the assumption regarding the thermodynamic process (isothermal or adiabatic) all affect the computed volume of oil pumped.
The role of weathering in the formation of bedrock valleys on Earth and Mars: A numerical modeling investigation

[1] Numerical models of bedrock valley development generally do not include weathering explicitly. Nevertheless, weathering is an essential process that acts in concert with the transport of loose debris by seepage and runoff to form many bedrock valleys. Here we propose a numerical model for bedrock valley development that explicitly distinguishes weathering and the transport of loose debris and is capable of forming bedrock valleys similar to those observed in nature. In the model, weathering rates are assumed to increase with increasing water availability, a relationship that data suggest likely applies in many water-limited environments. We compare and contrast the model results for cases in which weathering is the result of runoff-induced infiltration versus cases in which it is the result of seepage- or subsurface-driven flow. The surface flow–driven version of our model represents an alternative to the stream-power model that explicitly shows how rates of both weathering and the transport of loose debris are related to topography or water flow. The subsurface flow–driven version of our model can be solved analytically using the linearized Boussinesq approximation. In such cases the model predicts theater-headed valleys that are parabolic in planform, a prediction broadly consistent with the observed shapes of theater-headed bedrock valleys on Mars that have been attributed to a combination of seepage weathering and episodic removal of weathered debris by runoff, seepage, and/or spring discharge.