cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Linking Global Climate Models to an Integrated Hydrologic Model: Using an Individual Station Downscaling Approach

: This paper implements an individual station-based downscaled approach based on a quantil–quantile bias correction mapping to further downscale regional gridded simulated output into individual station locations. We describe and propose a framework to optimize the usefulness of this downscaling approach over small watersheds in mountain regions, where downscale gridded data (∼10km) is still too coarse for use in sub-regional hydrologic simulation studies. Two regional downscaled data sets were downscaled to individual station locations: the Desert Research Institute-Regional Climate Model based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model (DRI-RCM; 12 km resolution); and the US Bureau of Reclamation Bias-Corrected Spatial Disaggregation (BCSD; 12 km resolution). We applied the station-based downscaled data in the integrated hydrologic model, GSFLOW, as adapted to the Incline Creek watersheds in the northeastern Lake Tahoe basin. Hydrologic model results showed that the proposed downscaled approach provides reasonable downscaled climate data that can be used to evaluate sub-regional scale hydrologic processes.
Mechanical properties of neutron-irradiated pyrolytic carbons

Abstract A variety of pyrolytic carbons with laminar, isotropic, or granular microstructures, deposited from methane in a fluidized bed between 1400° and 2000° C, were irradiated with fast neutrons at 540° to 1060° C to exposures of 1.5 to 2.4 × 1021 nvt (E >0.18 MeV). The elastic modulus, flexural strength and fracture strain were determined for unirradiated and irradiated samples. Irradiation creep behavior was studied by measuring the strain in composite samples consisting of pyrolytic carbon and polycrystalline graphite in which the differential neutron-induced contraction caused the carbon to be strained in tension during irradiation. Irradiation increased the elastic moduli of the carbons by 30% to 100%, the increases being greatest in the isotropic and granular carbons with low initial moduli. The flexural strength of the laminar carbons was not changed by irradiation, but that of the isotropic and granular carbons increased by up to 60%. The creep specimens of granular and highdensity isotropic carbons withstood tensile creep strains of up to 3.3% without cracking. The steadystate creep constant was of the order of ~ 1 × 10−7 (psi)−1 · (1020 nvt)−1.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa lasA gene: determination of the transcription start point and analysis of the promoter/regulatory region.

Summary The elastolytic activity of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is due to the combined activities of at least three secreted proteins: elastase, LasA and alkaline protease. Transcription of both the lasA gene and the elastase structural gene, lasB , requires the transcriptional activator LasR. In order to localize the promoter elements involved in lasA expression, the transcription start point ( tsp ) for lasA was localized by S1 protection and primer extension analysis. The DNA sequence of the region upstream from the tsp was determined, and a putative σ 70 promoter was identified. Sequence comparison with the lasB promoter region revealed two areas of considerable homology which could act as potential binding sites for LasR or other, as yet unidentified, regulatory proteins.
Lifecycle energy consumption prediction of residential buildings by incorporating longitudinal uncertainties

AbstractAccurate prediction of buildings’ lifecycle energy consumption is a critical part in lifecycle assessment of residential buildings. Longitudinal variations in building conditions, weather conditions and building's service life can cause significant deviation of the prediction from the real lifecycle energy consumption. The objective is to improve the accuracy of lifecycle energy consumption prediction by properly modelling the longitudinal variations in residential energy consumption model using Markov chain based stochastic approach. A stochastic Markov model considering longitudinal uncertainties in building condition, degree days, and service life is developed: 1) Building's service life is estimated through Markov deterioration curve derived from actual building condition data; 2) Neural Network is used to project periodic energy consumption distribution for each joint energy state of building condition and temperature state; 3) Lifecycle energy consumption is aggregated based on Markov proces...
Clam burrowing behaviour: Inhibition by copper-enriched sediment☆

Burrowing behaviour is adaptive and allows clams to escape predation; yet the effects of potentially toxic metals on such behaviour have not been adequately investigated. In natural marine sediment contaminated with copper the time for littleneck clams (Protothaca staminea) to achieve complete burial was recorded. Above a threshold of 5.8 μg g−1 Cu added to dry sediment, the time for 50% of the clams to burrow (ET50) increased logarithmically with increasing sediment copper concentration according to: logET50 = 0.15 (CU) - 1.37 (n = 4, r2 = 0.98) where ET50=time in hours for 50% of clams to burrow and Cu=μg g−1 Cu in dry sediment. Previously exposed clams had both a lower threshold to Cu and a longer reburrowing time (ET50). Clams exposed to sediment mixed with Chelex-100®-sorbed copper showed no significant change in burrowing time. Bioassays based on claim burrowing behaviour can measure both bioeffectiveness of sediment-sorbed metals and a sublethal effect with ecological meaning.
Ethnomethodology and Marxism: Their use for critical theorizing

Each theory and, ultimately, “school” of theorizing exposes and criticizes the theorizing of others, and at the same time contains false or misleading statements. Theory as it is must rest on some presuppositions. Thus, Marxism exposes the flaws and lies of capitalism while positing another world view-Marxism—which it does not treat critically. Marxism also provides a critique of positivistic thinking. In The Grundrisse, Marx engages in a dialogue with economists and philosophers of his day. His theory emerges out of the rejection of their theory. Ethnomethodology can be seen as critique of positivism, too. It can also tell us something about Marxism, as some of its concerns are similar, although the methods are dissimilar. At the same time, ethnomethodology denies us certain information about itself. Theorists, then, question others and not themselves. Theory can be seen as a product of inquiry; the theorist shows only the product and hides what made the product. Indeed, just as the statistician reveals a correlation between two variables and omits all the common sense reasoning that went into the process (a method of theorizing ethnomethodologists criticize), so does the ethnomethodologist or Marxist omit, to a great extent, the process of theorizing involved. Thus, while neither form of theorizing, taken literally, can be critical (for to be critical, one must sometimes suspend belief in one's own theory, bracket it, or see it as strange), either form, if taken metaphorically (and in a way that is “unfaithful” to Marxism and ethnomethodology), can be used for critique. The ethnomethodological and Marxist critiques of social information, as in their processual framework and their emphasis on the thinking individual, provide critiques of contemporary society and an impetus to try to change it. Links between the two “schools” of theorizing would perhaps help overcome the deficiencies of each mode of theorizing. Taylor, Walton, and Young advocated (although they never carried it out) building a bridge in criminology so to speak, between ethnomethodology and Marxism. The advantage would be to enable us to escape from the straitjacket of an economic determinism and the relativism of some subjective approaches to a theory of contradiction in a social structure which recognizes in “deviance” the acts of men (men and women) in the process of actively making, rather than passively taking, the external world.
Phosphorylase and uridinediphosphoglucose-glycogen transferase in pyridoxine deficiency.

Abstract The total phosphorylase activity of the skeletal muscle of rats maintained on a pyridoxine deficient diet has been found to fall to 35% of the normal value. The phosphorylase a activity of the tissue of these rats has the normal value, and the glycogen content of the muscles of such deficient rats is not different from that of control animals. The apparent activity of uridine diphosphoglucose-glycogen transferase is not changed from the normal level in pyridoxine deficiency.
POTENTIATING EFFECT OF K-VIRUS ON MOUSE HEPATITIS VIRUS (MHV-S) IN WEANLING MICE.

SummaryPrior infection of weanling ICR mice with K-virus, an agent that alone causes no obvious liver cell damage, enhanced the acute (4th day) hepatic necrosis and inflammation produced by subsequent infection with mouse hepatitis virus (MHV-S).
Hydrolysis of pyrethroid insecticides by soluble mouse brain esterases.

Abstract trans -Permethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, was hydrolyzed by one or more carboxylesterases located in the soluble fraction of mouse brain homogenates. The apparent affinity of this activity for trans -permethrin was greater than that reported for mouse hepatic carboxylesterase activity, but the apparent maximum velocity was considerably lower than that of the hepatic activity. Soluble brain esterases also hydrolyzed several other pyrethroid esters with a substrate specificity different from that of the hepatic esterases. In particular, α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl esters of noncyclopropane acids (e.g., fenvalerate and fluvalinate) were hydrolyzed by brain esterases at rates equal to or greater than that measured for trans -permethrin. These results suggest that hydrolysis in the brain may contribute to the detoxication of some pyrethroids in mammals.
Genetic rescue of functional senescence in synaptic and behavioral plasticity

Study objectives Aging has been linked with decreased neural plasticity and memory formation in humans and in laboratory model species such as the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we examine plastic responses following social experience in Drosophila as a high-throughput method to identify interventions that prevent these impairments. Patients or participants Wild-type and transgenic Drosophila melanogaster. Design and interventions Young (5-day old) or aged (20-day old) adult female Drosophila were housed in socially enriched (n = 35-40) or isolated environments, then assayed for changes in sleep and for structural markers of synaptic terminal growth in the ventral lateral neurons (LNVs) of the circadian clock. Measurements and results When young flies are housed in a socially enriched environment, they exhibit synaptic elaboration within a component of the circadian circuitry, the LNVs, which is followed by increased sleep. Aged flies, however, no longer exhibit either of these plastic changes. Because of the tight correlation between neural plasticity and ensuing increases in sleep, we use sleep after enrichment as a high-throughput marker for neural plasticity to identify interventions that prolong youthful plasticity in aged flies. To validate this strategy, we find three independent genetic manipulations that delay age-related losses in plasticity: (1) elevation of dopaminergic signaling, (2) over-expression of the transcription factor blistered (bs) in the LNVs, and (3) reduction of the Imd immune signaling pathway. These findings provide proof-of-principle evidence that measuring changes in sleep in flies after social enrichment may provide a highly scalable assay for the study of age-related deficits in synaptic plasticity. Conclusions These studies demonstrate that Drosophila provides a promising model for the study of age-related loss of neural plasticity and begin to identify genes that might be manipulated to delay the onset of functional senescence.
Effect of perinatal hypercapnia on the adult ventilatory response to carbon dioxide.

Abstract Burrowing mammals show a reduced ventillatory response to CO 2 and CO 2 retention. We examined whether this reduced responsiveness could be due to modification of chemoreceptors by persistent hypercapnia during development. Mice and rats were exposed to 6.0% CO 3 throughout gestation and/or weaning and then removed to normacapnic air for a minimum of 6 weeks. Mouse gas pocket O 2 and CO 2 tensions and hematocrits were analyzed and compared with normocapnically raised controls. The ventiltory and blood gas and pH response to CO 2 were compared in chronically cannulated test and control rats. Hematocrits and gas pocket CO 2 and O 2 tensions of mice and rat ventilatory and arterial blood CO 2 and O 2 tensions and pH responses were not different in test and control groups. There appears to be littel or no developmental affect of CO 2 suggesting that the reduced CO 2 responses seen in the burrowers in genetically determined.
Discovery of optimal zeolites for challenging separations and chemical transformations using predictive materials modeling

Zeolites are industrially important materials, functioning as separation media and catalyst supports. Here, the authors use a large-scale, multi-step computational screening process to identify promising zeolites for challenging separations, namely ethanol purification and alkane adsorption.
What Do You Get When You Cross a Power Sum with an Iraqi Bank Note

Concluding remarks We have used game theory to predict the ticket-buying behav ior of students faced with a lottery system that allows them to win free tickets. Such a lottery system can give rise to counter-intuitive effects. For example, a decrease in ticket prices can actually cause the number of ticket buyers to drop. Thus, when design ing a mechanism to allocate tickets, it is vital to carefully consider buyers' incentives.
Results of mucosal proctectomy versus extrarectal dissection for ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis in children and young adults

Abstract Over a 5-year period, the suthors examined 30 consecutively treated patients, aged 16 years or younger, who underwent total colectomy and ileal pouch-anal anastomosis, (IPAA) using two different surgical methods. In 16 patients (group I), extrarectal dissection with stapled J pouch and anastomosis was performed. In 14 patients (group II), mucosal proctectomy with hand-sewn S pouch and anastomosis was performed. The mean follow-up period this study was approximately two years (range, 1 to 5 years). With regard to postoperative complications, quality of life, and occurrence of pouchitis, there were no significant differences between the groups. Stool frequency was not significantly different between the two groups, and approached four bowel movements per day at 1 year after surgery. In both groups, daytime continence was achieved by all patients 6 months after surgery. A greater number of patients in group II demonstrated temporary nocturnal leakage than in group I, but this difference was not statistically significant ( P = .09). The authors conclude that both methods of IPAA are equally effective in preserving normal sphincter function. In patients with severe rectal inflammation, extrarectal dissection with stapled anastomosis.may obviate the need for extended preoperative hyperalimentation or subtotal colectomy, but may carry a small increased risk of recurrent anorectal inflammation. The long-term risk of dysplasia is unknown, but may be slightly higher after extrarectal dissection with stapled anastomosis. Further study of both methods of IPAA is recommended.
Bioorthogonal Chemical Reporters for Monitoring Protein Acetylation

Protein acetylation is a key post-translational modification that regulates diverse biological activities in eukaryotes. Here we report bioorthogonal chemical reporters that enable direct in-gel fluorescent visualization and proteome-wide identification of acetylated proteins via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, often termed "click chemistry". We demonstrate that two alkynyl-acetyl-CoA analogues, 4-pentynoyl-CoA and 5-hexynoyl-CoA, function as efficient substrates of lysine acetyltransferase p300 and serve as sensitive reagents for monitoring p300-catalyzed protein acetylation in vitro. In addition, we demonstrate that three alkynylacetate analogues, sodium 3-butynoate, sodium 4-pentynoate, and sodium 5-hexynoate, can be metabolically incorporated onto cellular proteins through biosynthetic mechanisms for profiling of acetylated proteins in diverse cell types. Mass spectrometry analysis of the enriched 4-pentynoate-labeled proteins revealed many reported as well as new candidate acetylated proteins from Jurkat T cells and specific sites of lysine acetylation. The bioorthogonal chemical reporters described here should serve as powerful tools for investigating protein acetylation.
Constrained Maximum Likelihood Estimation of the Abundances of Protein Conformation in a Heterogeneous Structural Ensemble from Small Angle X-ray Scattering Intensity Measurements

A method is described for maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of the relative abundances of different conformations of a protein in a heterogeneous mixture based on small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) intensities.This approach is of particular interest in situations where there are unknown, intermediate conformations, for instance, during catalytic cycling of a protein. First, an ensemble of structures is generated using molecular dynamics, crystallography or other technique. This ensemble is then clustered into sub-sets based on k-means clustering and the Cramer-Rao bound on the mixture coefficient estimation error. A sparse basis set that represents the space spanned by the measured SAXS intensities of the conformations of a protein is then generated from representative members of each cluster. Based on a statistical model for the intensity measurements, we show that the MLE approach can be expressed as a constrained convex optimization problem. Starting with a basis set generated from known conformations of the enzyme, adenylate kinase (ADK), we carried out Monte Carlo simulations to assess the performance of the proposed estimation scheme. We demonstrate the utility of the approach by identification of dominant conformations under different solution conditions and provide estimates of the abundance of minor species as a function of concentration of different ligands.
bis-[2-(2-Methyl-3-butanone oxime)] hydrazine

C10H22N4O2, Mr=230.31, triclinic,P¯1,a=12.010(5),b=13.188(9),c=9.163(2)A,α=107.30(4),β=108.35(3), γ=77.42(2)°,V=1303.(1)A3,Z=4,D x=1.174(2) g cm−3, (MoKα)=0.71073 A,μ=0.78 cm−1,F(000)=504,T=297 K,R=0.039,R w=0.054 for 3023 observed reflections (of 4521 unique data). The hard, transparent, colorless crystals give sharp, intense diffraction peaks; this may be related to the strong three dimensional hydrogen bonding involving the oxime groups as well as the hydrazine hydrogens. Bond distances and angles as well as torsion angles are in good agreement for the two independent molecules and are normal. Although there is near two-fold symmetry relating the two molecules, positions of neighboring groups removes a twofold crystallographic axis.
Manganese in the North Pacific

A quantitative and precise method for determination of dissolved Mn at the nanomole(nmol)/kg level in seawater has been developed and used to study the distribution of Mn in the northeast Pacific. Mn concentrations in the surface mixed layer decrease from 1.0 to 0.6 nmol/kg between the central gyre and the western boundary of the California Current, then increase to values from 2 to 6 nmol/kg near the coastal boundary (in contrast to the distribution of210Pb). Particulate Mn in the surface waters accounts for only about 1% of the total. Vertical distributions of Mn are characterized by surface maxima, minima near 300 m, maxima at mid-depth coinciding with the oxygen minimum and the labile nutrient maxima, and concentrations in Pacific bottom waters of approximately 0.2 nmol/kg. The oceanic distribution of Mn appears to be dominated by external inputs superimposed upon overall scavenging which can lead to Mn maxima in (1) the surface waters due to riverine and atmospheric sources; (2) the deep ocean as a result of hydrothermal injection and/or sediment resuspension; and (3) the oxygen minimum region resulting from in-situ breakdown of organic matter, in-situ MnO2 reduction, and/or advective-diffusive transport of dissolved Mn from anoxic slope sediments.
CCR4/NOT complex associates with the proteasome and regulates histone methylation

The proteasome regulates histone lysine methylation and gene transcription, but how it does so is poorly understood. To better understand this process, we used the epistatic miniarray profile (E-MAP) approach to identify factors that genetically interact with proteasomal subunits. In addition to members of the Set1 complex that mediate histone H3 lysine 4 methylation (H3K4me), we found that deleting members of the CCR4/NOT mRNA processing complex exhibit synthetic phenotypes when combined with proteasome mutants. Further biochemical analyses revealed physical associations between CCR4/NOT and the proteasome in vivo. Consistent with the genetic and biochemical interactions linking CCR4/NOT with proteasome and Set1-mediated methylation, we find that loss of Not4 decreases global and gene-specific H3K4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and decreases 19S proteasome recruitment to the PMA1 gene. Similar to proteasome regulation of histone methylation, loss of CCR4/NOT members does not affect ubiquitinated H2B. Mapping of Not4 identified the RING finger domain as essential for H3K4me3, suggesting a role for ubiquitin in this process. Consistent with this idea, loss of the Not4-interacting protein Ubc4, a known ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, decreases H3K4me3. These studies implicate CCR4/NOT in the regulation of H3K4me3 through a ubiquitin-dependent pathway that likely involves the proteasome.
Kinetic and Structural Characterization of Spinach Carbonic Anhydrase

We have carried out kinetics studies of spinach carbonic anhydrase (CA) using stopped-flow spectrophotometry at steady state and 13C-NMR exchange at chemical equilibrium. We found that the rate of CO2 HCO3- exchange catalyzed by spinach CA at pH 7.0 to be 3-5 times faster than the maximal kcat for either CO2 hydration or HCO3- dehydration at steady state, suggesting a rate-determining H+ transfer step in the catalytic mechanism. Correspondingly, we measured a pH-independent solvent deuterium isotope effect on kcat of approximately 2.0, and found that the rate of catalysis was significantly decreased at external buffer concentrations below 5 mM. Our results are consistent with a zinc-hydroxide mechanism of action with for spinach CA, similar to that of animal carbonic anhydrases. We have also collected X-ray absorption spectra of spinach CA. Analysis of the extended fine structure (EXAFS) suggests that the coordination sphere of Zn in spinach CA must have one or more sulfur ligands, in contrast to animal CAs which have only nitrogen and oxygen ligands. The models which best fit the data have average Zn-N(O) distances of 1.99-2.06 A, average Zn-S distances of 2.31--2.32 A, and a total coordination number of 4-6. We conclude that animal and spinach CAs are convergently evolved enzymes which are structurally quite different, but functionally equivalent.
Prospects for nuclear energy

Support for a growth in nuclear power has been seen in China and the United States. Obstacles to further growth include cost, concerns about links to proliferation of nuclear weapons, public attitudes, how to handle nuclear waste, and workforce shortages. More than 20 countries are considering building nuclear power plants. Among new designs being considered are pebble-bed reactors and small reactors. Continued growth will require addressing the obstacles and continued safe operation of plants worldwide.
Hyperprolactinemia and impaired pituitary response to suppression and stimulation in chronic renal failure: reversal after transplantation.

PRL secretion was evaluated in 18 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and 8 renal transplant (RT) recipients and was compared with that in 33 controls. Basal PRL levels (nanograms per ml; mean ± SEM) of 34 ± 4 in CRF patients were 3 and 2 times higher than in controls and RT patients [12 ± 1 (P < 0.001) and 16 ± 3 (P < 0.01), respectively]. Plasma PRL values 2 SDS or greater than control were present in 77% of CRF patients. After 0.5 g L-dopa orally, plasma PRL was suppressed by 16 ± 3% in CRF patients as compared to 57 ± 4% and 44 ± 8%, respectively, in controls (P < 0.001) and RT subjects (P < 0.01). During dopamine infusion (4 /ig/kg-min), the maximal fall of plasma PRL in CRF patients was 20 ± 3%. In contrast, the decrement of PRL in normal subjects was 46 ± 6% (P < 0.001) and in the RT recipients was 48 ± 8% (P < 0.001). After 500 jug TRH iv, plasma PRL in CRF patients increased by 54 ± 10% at 30 min. The increases of plasma PRL in control and RT subjects were 259 ± 43% (P < 0.001) and 179 ± 51...
Diastereoselection in the formation of spirocyclic oxindoles by the intramolecular Heck reaction.

Diastereoselective double Heck cyclizations of cyclohexene diamides 1 and 3 form contiguous quaternary stereocenters, with diastereoselection being controlled by the trans-diol protecting group. In this, the first in a series of two papers, the origin of diastereoselection in the first ring-closure step of these reactions is examined. Nine simplified analogues of 1 and 3 were synthesized and cyclized to discern what structural features are required to realize high diastereoselection in the first intramolecular Heck reaction. These studies show that high stereoselection (>20:1) does not arise from a single structural feature: it is seen only in substrates that contain both a trans-acetonide and a tertiary amide substituent at C2. Two subtle factors appear to be involved: (1) Avoidance of eclipsing interactions between the forming C−C bond and the pseudoaxial hydrogen atom at C6 and between the pseudoequatorial hydrogen atom at C6 and the carbonyl carbon of the forming spirooxindole. (2) The vinylic amide...
Monte Carlo treatment of heat flow through a neutral gas layer

Abstract The flow of heat through a neutral gas layer under conditions of density and temperature relevant to the cooling layer used in a reference theta-pinch reactor (RTPR) has been investigated numerically by means of a Monte Carlo technique. The necessity for corrections to the fluid model has been indicated and assessed in an example calculation presented herein.
Soft Computing Techniques for Determining the Effective Young's Modulus of Materials in Thin Films

This research aims at characterizing and predicting the Young's modulus of thin film materials that are utilized in the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). As a proof of concept, aluminum and TEOS thin films were analyzed using bilayer cantilever as a test structure. Due to the lack of understanding of the mechanical behavior of thin film materials in the micro-scale domain, empirical models were developed that utilize soft computing techniques. As a result, this methodology is foreseen to be an essential tool for MEMS designers as it can estimate and predict effective Young's modulus of materials in the micro-scale domain. In the estimation phase, 2D search and micro genetic algorithm were studied and in the prediction phase, back propagation based neural networks and one dimensional radial basis function networks (1D-RBFN) were studied. All combinations of these soft computing techniques are evaluated. Based on the results, we conclude that among the various combinations tested, the combination of 1D-RBFN (prediction phase) and GA (estimation phase) presented the best results. Research is in progress in applying other algorithms such as support vector machines as well as investigating other novel test structures that can be used to extract other material properties such as coefficient of thermal expansion.
Inhibition of pathogenic fungi in vitro by p-hydroxy methyl benzoate

p-hydroxy methyl benzoate is fungistatic, in rather low concentrations, to pathogenic fungi. 0.1 %p-hydroxy methyl benzoate was required to inhibit growth ofCandida albicans andMonosporium apiospermum on a Sabouraud's agar medium.Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. tonsurans, Geotrichum sp.,Sporotrichum schenckii, Blastomyces dermatitidis andCryptococcus neoformans failed to grow in the presence of 0.05 %p-hydroxy methyl benzoate. Growth ofEpidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum audouini, M. canis, M. gypseum, Trichophyton ferrugineum, T. rubrum, Hormodendrum compactum, H. Pedrosoi, Phialophora verrucosa, Nocardia asteroides, Coccidioides immitis, Haplosporangium parvum andHistoplasma capsulatum was suppressed by 0.025 % but not by 0.0125 % of this compound.
Barium carbonate-boric acid, an advantageous flux for analysis of refractory materials by flame spectrometry

Abstract A (1+2) barium carbonate-boric acid flux mixture used in a 10:1 fluxsample weight ratio is effective in decomposing a wide variety of high alumina, zirconia, and magnesia refractories. Among the advantages demonstrated are its low flame background, minimal matrix effects, freedom from impurities and its capability for use in determination of trace levels (100 p.p.m. or less) of all the alkali and most of the alkaline earth metals.
Effects of lightning and other meteorological factors on fire activity in the North American boreal forest: implications for fire weather forecasting

Abstract. The effects of lightning and other meteorological factors on wildfire activity in the North American boreal forest are statistically analyzed during the fire seasons of 2000–2006 through an integration of the following data sets: the MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) level 2 fire products, the 3-hourly 32-km gridded meteorological data from North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), and the lightning data collected by the Canadian Lightning Detection Network (CLDN) and the Alaska Lightning Detection Network (ALDN). Positive anomalies of the 500 hPa geopotential height field, convective available potential energy (CAPE), number of cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, and the number of consecutive dry days are found to be statistically important to the seasonal variation of MODIS fire counts in a large portion of Canada and the entirety of Alaska. Analysis of fire occurrence patterns in the eastern and western boreal forest regions shows that dry (in the absence of precipitation) lightning strikes account for only 20% of the total lightning strikes, but are associated with (and likely cause) 40% of the MODIS observed fire counts in these regions. The chance for ignition increases when a threshold of at least 10 dry strikes per NARR grid box and at least 10 consecutive dry days is reached. Due to the orientation of the large-scale pattern, complex differences in fire and lightning occurrence and variability were also found between the eastern and western sub-regions. Locations with a high percentage of dry strikes commonly experience an increased number of fire counts, but the mean number of fire counts per dry strike is more than 50% higher in western boreal forest sub-region, suggesting a geographic and possible topographic influence. While wet lightning events are found to occur with a large range of CAPE values, a high probability for dry lightning occurs only when 500 hPa geopotential heights are above ~5700 m and CAPE values are near the maximum observed level, underscoring the importance of low-level instability to boreal fire weather forecasts.
CONFORMITY TENDENCIES AMONG THREE-, FOUR-, AND FIVE-YEAR-OLDS IN AN IMPERSONAL SITUATIONAL TASK

A battery of creativity, conformity, and originality tests was administered to 3-, 4-, and 5-yr.-old children participating in experimental pre-primary programs of educational stimulation. One of the tests was an impersonal situational task designed to measure conforming and nonconforming tendencies. It was the object of this paper to discern at what point in time conforming behavior begins for boys and for girls. No significant differences were found among 3-, 4-, and 5-yr.-old children when the sexes were combined. Further analysis of the differences between sexes for these three age levels showed 5-yr.-old girls to be significantly more conforming than 5-yr.-old boys on this task.
Molecular cloning and characterization of mouse CYP2J6, an unstable cytochrome P450 isoform

Abstract A cDNA encoding a new cytochrome P450 was cloned from a mouse liver library. Sequence analysis revealed that this 2046-bp cDNA encodes a 501-amino acid polypeptide that is 72–94% identical to other CYP2J subfamily P450s and is designated CYP2J6. Northern analysis demonstrated that CYP2J6 transcripts are abundant in the small intestine and present at lower levels in other mouse tissues. In situ hybridization revealed that CYP2J6 mRNAs are present in luminal epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal mucosa. The CYP2J6 cDNA was expressed in Sf9 cells using baculovirus. The heterologously expressed CYP2J6 protein displayed a typical P450 CO-difference spectrum; however, the protein was unstable as evidenced by the loss of the Soret maxima at 450 nm and the appearance of a 420 nm peak when CYP2J6-expressing cells were disrupted by mechanical homogenization, sonication, or freeze–thaw. Immunoblotting of mouse microsomes with the anti-human CYP2J2 IgG, which cross-reacts with rodent CYP2Js, demonstrated the presence of multiple distinct murine CYP2J immunoreactive proteins in various tissues. Immunoblotting with an antibody to a CYP2J6-specific peptide detected a prominent 55–57 kDa protein in Sf9 cell extracts expressing recombinant CYP2J6 but did not detect a protein of similar molecular mass in mouse small intestinal microsomes. Mixing experiments demonstrated that recombinant CYP2J6 is degraded rapidly in the presence of small intestinal microsomes consistent with proteolysis at highly sensitive sites. Sf9 cells, which express both CYP2J6 and NADPH-P450 oxidoreductase, metabolized benzphetamine but not arachidonic acid. We conclude that CYP2J6 is an unstable P450 that is active in the metabolism of benzphetamine, but not arachidonic acid.
Therapeutic drug monitoring of cyclosporine: 20 years of progress.

Abstract Since its introduction 20 years ago, cyclosporine (CyA), a powerful immunosuppressant with a narrow therapeutic window, remains the cornerstone of many drug regimens in renal transplantation. However, attempts to balance its therapeutic value with its pleiotropic side effects continue to challenge clinicians. To address the wide intraindividual and interindividual differences in absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of the oil-based formulation of CyA (Sandimmune), a microemulsion (Neoral) was introduced; it displayed better absorption and lower intraindividual variability. Neoral also improves the utility of therapeutic monitoring of CyA to estimate exposure to the drug and predict patient outcomes. Drug monitoring techniques are undergoing continual refinement: today, a limited sampling strategy—C2 monitoring—shows great promise as a comparatively simple, safe, and effective method to optimize patient outcomes during both short-term and maintenance CyA therapy. However, it is not clear whether this method is useful for treatment optimization with generic formulations of CyA. Although generic substitutes meet federal bioequivalence criteria, they may not display the same pharmacokinetic properties. Further, preliminary data have shown a 10% lower 1-year graft survival rate among patients treated with generic versus Neoral CyA. Current challenges in optimizing CyA therapy include determining pretransplant patient characteristics relevant to selection of the appropriate exposure or the development of a Bayesian forecasting technique that predicts dose adjustments necessary to achieve the optimal drug regimen during the critical period immediately posttransplant.
Algorithms for Relaying via Channel Quantization in Finite Rate Feedback Limited Sensor Networks

Relaying is often advocated for improving system performance by enhancing spatial diversity in wireless networks. In this paper, we address the issue of energy tradeoff made by relay nodes between transmitting their own data and forwarding other nodes' information in fading channels. First, assuming perfect channel state information (CSI), we propose a power control policy in a two-node relay network under which total energy consumption across both nodes is minimized while meeting both outage probability requirements. However perfect CSI at each node is not possible in general due to bandwidth limitations that prevent the full exchange of precise channel information. Thus in this paper, we develop power control algorithms for relaying under bandwidth constraints, via quantization. Specifically, we develop a quantization protocol that accounts for the asymmetric nature of uplink/downlink communication bandwidths and develop an optimal polynomial time algorithm for channel quantization using this protocol. The quantization algorithm minimizes the sum of expected transmission powers at the source and relay, required for collaborative relaying to satisfy the given outage probability.
The tension between research and practice: Assumptions of the experimental paradigm

The development of an empirical (as opposed to a theoretical, clinical-intuitive) basis for practice using experimentally derived knowledge will produce a new model of practice based upon the same interactional paradigm that governs experimental research. Practice will become frankly manipulative and practitioners will employ all the devices that experimenters now use to assure the internal validity of experiments—deception, control of idiosyncratic behavior, stifling of dialogue, and the repression of two-way synergistic learning. While the new paradigm may accelerate the pace and intensify the degree of behavior change, it may, in the end, bring unwanted consequences for all participants.
Swirl effects on variable-density jet mixing in confined flows

Abstract An experimental investigation on swirl effects on inhomogeneous confined jet mixing in a combustor configuration is reported. The confined swirling flow was simulated by a swirler with a central jet mounted in a cyclindrical tube. Helium and air jets set at different velocities were injected into the confined swirling air flow. The resulting flow fields due to two vane swirlers with constant vane angles of 35° and 66° were compared. Results show that the 35° vane swirler produces a solid-body rotation core with a slope about twice that created by the 66° vane swirler. It is the behavior of this solid-body rotation core that determines jet mixing rather than the swirler vane angle. Consequently, the coaxial jet decays much faster, the mixing is more intense, and the turbulence intensities are higher for the 35° vane swirler. In view of these results, combustor designers should be more concerned with behavior of the solid-body rotation core produced by the swirler, instead of the swirler vane angle.
Selenate toxicity effects on bush beans grown in solution culture

Abstract Bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv Improved Tendergreen) were grown in solution culture with 0, 10‐6, 10‐4, and 10‐3 M levels of Na2SeO3. Mild toxicity was obtained for 10‐4 M and severe toxicity at 10‐3. At severe toxicity, leaves were stunted and had brown spots. Selenium was fairly evenly distributed in plant parts. At severe toxicity, concentrations in μg/g were leaves 901, stems 1058, and roots 1842. The high level of Se also decreased P, Ca, Mg, Mn and K concentrations in leaves and P and Ca in roots. Silicon and Ti tended to be higher with the highest Se level.
FINITE-RANGE SCALING IN THE KAC MODEL

The Kac model of 1d chain of spins with exponentially decaying interactions is considered within the finite-range scaling formulation. It is found that with appropriate definitions, the thermodynamic and correlation properties are universal with the finite-size in high-dimensional mean-field Ising models.
Cosmopolitanism and Nationalism in Shanghai Sports

As the symbolic centerpiece of the “New China” and the dramatic transformation of a socialist economy to a market-driven one, Shanghai holds a special place in the Chinese social imaginary of modernity and the good life. This Shanghai modernity, however, is marked by a tension between competing claims of cosmopolitanism and nationalism that are present in everyday cultural practices. Looking at Shanghai fans' consumption of sports reveals how competing claims of cosmopolitanism and nationalism play out in this global city, showing how these seemingly paradoxical ideas are resolved in popular culture through the process of localization. [Shanghai, China, cosmopolitanism, nationalism, sports, popular culture]
Numerical Methods for Systems of Nonlinear Parabolic Equations with Time Delays

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to investigate some numerical aspects of a class of coupled nonlinear parabolic systems with time delays. The system of parabolic equations is discretized by the finite difference method which yields a coupled system of nonlinear algebraic equations. The mathematical analysis of the nonlinear system is by the method of upper and lower solutions and its associated monotone iterations. Three monotone iterative schemes are presented and it is shown that the sequence of iterations from each one of these iterative schemes converges monotonically to a unique solution of the finite difference system. A theoretical comparison result for the various monotone sequences and error estimates for the three monotone iterative schemes are obtained. It is also shown that the finite difference solution converges to the classical solution of the parabolic system as the mesh size decreases to zero.
Fluorescence self-quenching in saturated tertiary amines: the role of a “non-emissive” excimer

Abstract The temperature dependence of the fluorescence self-quenching of two acyclic tertiary amines (N,N-dimethylbutylamine (DM4) and N,N-dimethyloctylamine (DM8) in hydrocarbon solvents was investigated by transient decay measurements. These amines exhibit moderately efficient self-quenching (with rate constants ksq equal to about 10%–50% of diffusion-controlled values) in the temperature range of our investigation. The ksq values of the amines do not show normal (linear) Arrhenius plots; the plots are curved and exhibit maxima. The results are rationalized by means of a kinetic scheme which invokes the intermediacy of an excited dimer (excimer) of the amines. The Arrhenius parameters of the photophysical rate constants and the excimer binding energies of the amines are estimated. The low binding energies of the amines (approximately 5 kJ mol−1), in comparison with those of rigid cage amines (approximately 22–51 kJ mol−1), are explained in terms of the larger steric hindrance in the excimers of the acyclic amines.
RESTRICTED T-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTOR REPERTOIRE IN BRONCHOALVEOLAR T CELLS FROM NORMAL HUMANS

The repertoire of variable alpha (AV) and beta (BV) TCR genes was compared in the peripheral blood and BAL fluid of five healthy individuals. Rearranged TCR transcripts were amplified by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, using oligonucleotide primers specific for 22 AV and 24 BV gene families. Nearly all AV and BV gene families were expressed in BAL T cells at levels similar to those in blood T cells. The diversity of AV and BV gene repertoire was examined further, testing the distribution of nucleotide lengths of TCR junctional regions. Most V gene families had a normal distribution of junctional region lengths in both blood and BAL T cells. Some gene families, particularly AV21 and BV9 in BAL samples, had a skewed banding pattern, with fewer bands or predominance of several bands. The limited diversity in TCR junctional region lengths was more prominent in CD8+ T cells from BAL fluids than from blood. CD4+ T cells also contributed to the limited diversity in BAL T cells. The oligoclonal expansion of bronchoalveolar CD8+ T cells was confirmed by sequence analysis of AV21-constant alpha (AC) and BV9-BC junctional regions in the blood and BAL cells. The levels of V gene expression and the diversity of junctional region lengths were very similar in T cells obtained from three separate lobes of one donor. In general, skewed patterns of TCR junctional region lengths were not consistent over time two donors, over periods of 3 and 17 months. Together, these data show that the T-cell repertoire is diverse within the lungs of normal humans, except for an oligoclonal predominance of a few V gene families in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The T-cell repertoire in the lungs changes over time, which may reflect environmental exposures.
Dose dependence of the microstructural evolution in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steel

Abstract Microstructural data on the evolution of the dislocation loop, cavity, and precipitate populations in neutron-irradiated austenitic stainless steels are reviewed in order to estimate the displacement damage levels needed to achieve the “steady state” condition. The microstructural data can be conveniently divided into two temperature regimes. In the low temperature regime (below about 300°C) the microstructure of austenitic stainless steels is dominated by “black spot” defect clusters and faulted interstitial dislocation loops. The dose needed to approach saturation of the loop and defect cluster densities is generally on the order of 1 displacement per atom (dpa) in this regime. In the high temperature regime (~ 300 to 700°C), cavities, precipitates, loops and network dislocations are all produced during irradiation; doses in excess of 10 dpa are generally required to approach a “steady state” microstructural condition. Due to complex interactions between the various microstructural components that form during irradiation, a secondary transient regime is typically observed in commercial stainless steels during irradiation at elevated temperatures. This slowly evolving secondary transient may extend to damage levels in excess of 50 dpa in typical 300-series stainless steels, and to > 100 dpa in radiation-resistant developmental steels. The detailed evolution of any given microstructural component in the high-temperature regime is sensitive to slight variations in numerous experimental variables, including heat-to-heat composition changes and neutron spectrum.
Diagnosis of pediatric obstructive sleep disordered breathing: beyond the gold standard

Childhood obstructive sleep disordered breathing (OSDB), a sleep-related upper airway obstruction that degrades sleep quality, ventilation and/or oxygenation, in turn leads to a variety of daytime symptoms and morbidity. In the past, childhood OSDB was classified into primary snoring versus obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome and it was widely assumed that childhood OSA required treatment, while primary snoring did not. Pediatric polysomnography (PSG) was originally developed to distinguish primary snoring from childhood OSA. However, the late 1990s saw an explosion of new research on the daytime manifestations and long-term morbidity of childhood OSDB, which resulted in expanded, more comprehensive definitions of childhood OSDB syndromes. It is now clear that even primary snoring, in the absence of classically defined OSA, can be associated with neurobehavioral abnormalities in children. Thus, in retrospect, we realize that 'classical' childhood OSA was only a subset of a larger affected population and that children previously classified as having primary snoring may have serious neurobehavioral dysfunction. Now, in the era of the expanded definition of childhood OSDB, the role of PSG in the routine evaluation of the snoring child is controversial. Given that overnight PSG is widely regarded as the 'gold standard' for the diagnosis of OSDB in children, we review the current usage of PSG in children for the diagnosis of OSDB, its value, limitations and possibilities for future improvements.