cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vapor-Phase Catalyst Delivery Method for Growing SiC Nanowires

A method was developed for growing SiC nanowires without depositing a metal catalyst on the targeted surfaces prior to the CVD growth. The proposed method utilizes in-situ vapor-phase catalyst delivery via sublimation of the catalyst from a metal source placed in the hot zone of the CVD reactor, followed by condensation of the catalyst-rich vapor on the bare substrate surface to form the catalyst nanoparticles. The vapor-phase catalyst delivery and the resulting nanowire density was found to be influenced by both the gas flow rate and the catalyst diffusion through the boundary layer above the catalyst source. The origin of undesirable bushes of nanowires and the role of the C/Si ratio were established.
The Relationship of Opioid Analgesia to Quality of Life in an Adult Sickle Cell Population

Objective: To determine the relationship of opioid analgesia to quality of life in adults with sickle cell. Design: Data were collected by patient interviews and review of medical records. The Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form (SF36) was used to determine quality of life. Setting: Duke Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center. Patients: 185 out-patients with various genotypes of sickle cell disease. Main Outcome Measure: Quality of life as measured by the SF36. Results: Quality of life outcomes were not lower in individuals with the classically more severe homozygous SS when compared to the heterozygous SC. SF36 scores were significantly lower in individuals who were on opioids alone or on opioids and hydroxyurea concurrently, as compared to those who were either on no medications or on hydroxyurea alone. Disease severity scores were not significantly different between groups. When controlling for hydroxyurea use, the negative association between opioid use and SF36 scores remained unchanged. Conclusions: Sickle cell patients using opioids daily had significantly poorer quality of life than those who were not on opioids. Disease severity scores were not significantly different in the two patient groups. Prospective studies are needed to define the relationship of opioid use to quality of life in sickle cell disease and opioid interaction with hydroxyurea.
Syntaxin 1A regulates ENaC via domain-specific interactions.

The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is a heterotrimeric protein responsible for Na+ absorption across the apical membranes of several absorptive epithelia. The rate of Na+ absorption is governed in part by regulated membrane trafficking mechanisms that control the apical membrane ENaC density. Previous reports have implicated a role for the t-SNARE protein, syntaxin 1A (S1A), in the regulation of ENaC current (INa). In the present study, we examine the structure-function relations influencing S1A-ENaC interactions. In vitro pull-down assays demonstrated that S1A directly interacts with the C termini of the α-, β-, and γ-ENaC subunits but not with the N terminus of any ENaC subunit. The H3 domain of S1A is the critical motif mediating S1A-ENaC binding. Functional studies in ENaC expressingXenopus oocytes revealed that deletion of the H3 domain of co-expressed S1A eliminated its inhibition of INa, and acute injection of a GST-H3 fusion protein into ENaC expressing oocytes inhibited INa to the same extent as S1A co-expression. In cell surface ENaC labeling experiments, reductions in plasma membrane ENaC accounted for the H3 domain inhibition of INa. Individually substituting C terminus-truncated α-, β-, or γ-ENaC subunits for their wild-type counterparts reversed the S1A-induced inhibition of INa, and oocytes expressing ENaC comprised of three C terminus-truncated subunits showed no S1A inhibition of INa. C terminus truncation or disruption of the C terminus β-subunit PY motif increases INa by interfering with ENaC endocytosis. In contrast to subunit truncation, a β-ENaC PY mutation did not relieve S1A inhibition of INa, suggesting that S1A does not perturb Nedd4 interactions that lead to ENaC endocytosis/degradation. This study provides support for the concept that S1A inhibits ENaC-mediated Na+ transport by decreasing cell surface channel number via direct protein-protein interactions at the ENaC C termini.
Electromagnetic fields and forces in a linear induction motor, taking into account edge effects

Results of theoretical and experimental work carried out on a flat, 2-sided, linear induction motor, taking into account edge effects, are reported. The magnetic fields in the machine are found by solving the partial differential equation for the magnetic vector potential subject to certain boundary conditions. Special attention is paid to the fields at the entry and exit edges. A method for the experimental determination and recording of the fields in the various regions of the machine is presented. The fields obtained experimentally are compared with the analytical results, which show a fairly good correlation. Experiments are also carried out to determine the force/velocity characteristics of the machine.
Multiscale image and multiscale deformation of brain anatomy for building average brain atlases

In this work we consider the process of aligning a set of anatomical MRI scans, from a group of subjects, to a single reference MRI scan as accurately as possible. A key requirement of this anatomical normalization is the ability to bring into alignment brain images with different ages and disease states with equal accuracy and precision, enabling the unbiased comparison of different groups. Typical images of such anatomy may vary in terms of both tissue shape, location and contrast. To address this we have developed, a highly localized free-form inter-subject registration algorithm driven by normalized mutual information. This employs an efficient multi-image resolution and multi-deformation resolution registration procedure. In this paper we examine the behavior of this algorithm when applied to aligning high-resolution MRI of groups of younger, older and atrophied brain anatomy to different target anatomies. To gain an insight into the quality of the spatial normalization, we have examined two properties of the transformations: The residual intensity differences between spatially normalized MRI values and the spatial discrepancies in transformation estimates between group and reference, derived from transformations between 168 different image pairs. These are examined with respect to the coarseness of the deformation model employed.
Oral Trovafloxacin Compared with Amoxicillin (plus Optional Erythromycin) for the Treatment of Mild to Moderate Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Pathogens that frequently cause communityacquired pneumonia include Gram-positive (Streptococcus pneumoniae), Gram-negative (Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae) and atypical respiratory tract pathogens (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, Legionella pneumophila). With most currently available therapies, combination antibiotic therapy is often indicated where an atypical pathogen is suspected, or in the case of more severe infection. The increasing emergence of penicillinand cephalosporin-resistant S. pneumoniae strains,[1] erythromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae strains,[2] and thewidespread occurrence of β-lactamaseproducingH. influenzae andM. catarrhalis strains[3] has intensified the search for novel antibiotics that provide broad spectrum activity against respiratory tract pathogens. Trovafloxacin is a new generation fluoroquinolone that offers good activity in vitro against a broad range of Gram-positive, Gram-negative and atypical respiratory pathogens, and anaerobes,[4-6]including penicillinresistant strains of S. pneumoniae.[7] Trovafloxacin attains high concentrations in the lung, exceeding the MIC90 values of most important respiratory pathogens,[8] and has a long elimination half-life (approximately 11 hours), which allows once-daily administration. Furthermore, special patient groups, such as the elderly, may be given trovafloxacin without dose adjustment.[9] These features suggested that trovafloxacin monotherapy should be effective as once-daily treatment for respiratory tract infections. Accordingly, a study was undertaken to compare the efficacy and safety of trovafloxacin with amoxicillin (+ optional erythromycin) for the oral treatment of adult patients with mild-to-moderate community-acquired pneumonia. Patients and Methods
Geology of the Uranius Group Volcanic Constructs: Uranius Patera, Ceraunius Tholus, and Uranius Tholus

Abstract Uranius Patera, Ceraunius Tholus, and Uranius Tholus (three small constructs in the northeast Tharsis region) date to the Late Hesperian Epoch and define the earliest phases of constructional volcanism in the Tharsis province. All three volcanoes are interpreted as shields, built by effusive eruptions of low-viscosity lavas, presumably basalt. Ceraunius Tholus and Uranius Tholus also record pyroclastic volcanism in the form of mantling deposits on their flanks; Uranius Patera either did not experience pyroclastic volcanism or the deposits were subsequently buried by later effusive eruptions. Troughs observed on the flanks of Ceraunius Tholus and Uranius Tholus are interpreted to have been formed by fluvial surface runoff. These constructs are coeval with other small edifices in western Tharsis province and are coeval with plains volcanism in the southern Tharsis, Syria, and Sinai regions.
An empirical equation of state for gases and vapours

A simple pressure-explicit equation of state for gases and vapours is presented which contains eight empirical constants in addition to the gas constant. It has been applied to four substances and reproduces their behaviour very well over a wide range of temperature (several hundred degrees), density (up to critical) and pressure (maximum 600 to 900 bar). For application above critical temperature only, a shorter version of the equation is presented for four more substances. Simple expressions are derived for entropy and internal energy. On presente une equation d'etat simple explicite en pression pour les gaz et les vapeurs contenant huit constantes en plus de la constante des gaz parfaits. Cette equation a ete appliquee a quatre substances dont elle reproduit parfaitement le comportement pour une large gamme de temperature (plusieurs centaines de degres), de densite (jusqu'au point critique) et de pression (maximum de 600 a 900 bar.). Une version abregee de l'equation, applicable aux temperatures superieures a la temperature critique, est egalement presentee pour quatre substances supplementaires. Des expressions simples sont etablies pour l'entropie et l'energie interne.
Tea and Tea Polyphenols Inhibit Cell Hyperproliferation, Lung Tumorigenesis, and Tumor Progression

Both green and black tea have been shown to inhibit lung tumorigenesis in laboratory animal experiments. Green tea inhibited N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced lung tumor incidence and multiplicity in female A/J mice when tea was given either during the carcinogen treatment period or during the post-carcinogen treatment period. In a separate tumorigenesis model, both decaffeinated black tea and decaffeinated green tea inhibited 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-induced lung tumor formation. Studies in which tea was administered during different time periods in relation to the NNK suggest that tea can inhibit lung tumorigenesis at both the initiation and promotion stages. The antiproliferative effects of tea may be responsible for these anti-carcinogenic actions. Black tea polyphenol preparations decreased NNK-induced hyperproliferation. Black tea also inhibited the progression of pulmonary adenomas to adenocarcinomas and the formation of spontaneous lung tumors in A/J mice. Growth inhibition...
Male size and survival: the effects of male combat and bird predation in Dawson's burrowing bees, Amegilla dawsoni

1. Males of Dawson's burrowing bee, Amegilla dawsoni, occur in two size classes, large majors and small minors. Major males compete aggressively for emerging females in completely exposed emergence areas, whereas minors often employ an alternative mating tactic, which involves rapid patrolling in the vegetated periphery of emergence areas. 2. Because major males wrestle violently with rivals on the ground, they experience greater wing wear and a higher risk of wing damage than minor males. In addition, males patrolling emergence areas and waiting on the ground for emerging females are more likely to be killed by predatory birds than are peripheral minors. 3. Measurements of longevity based on mark-recapture data suggest that majors are slightly shorter-lived than minor males. If male-male combat and predators do reduce the lifespan of major males relative to minors, the effect would be to decrease the lifetime mating advantage of majors relative to minors. 4. Differential mortality could therefore be a factor in the maintenance of the two forms of males in this species.
Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with signaling alterations in naturally occurring autoreactive B-lymphocytes.

Abstract Immune tolerance established during the development of B lymphocytes can be subverted in mature cells and lead to autoimmunity. This study focuses on the recently discovered subset of CD19 + CD27 − IgD + IgM low/− B cells that recognize self-antigens and have the capacity to produce autoantibodies, but under normal conditions do not generate autoimmune response due to intrinsic signaling inhibition (a condition known as clonal anergy and characterized by impaired antigen receptor signaling). Phosphorylation of intracellular signaling proteins and Ca 2+ responses in anergic B cells were measured by multicolor flow cytometry. Our results demonstrate a distinct phosphorylation pattern for major signal transduction proteins, which distinguishes anergic B cells. Comparison of B cell signaling properties in Rheumatoid Arthritis patients and healthy controls revealed a reversal of pTyr and Ca 2+ anergic signaling features in patients, accompanied by phosphorylation decreases of Blnk, Syk, SHP2, CD19. We identified BCR signaling pathway alterations associated with the loss of anergic B cell tolerance in Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Environmental Review with Hypermedia Systems

The implementation of a hypermedia system to support environmental review is explored. The system (1) organizes information such as renderings, documents, and the output of analytic tools in an associative form; (2) provides facilities for the ‘real-time’ annotation of maps with text, graphics, audio, and/or video; and (3) aids the representation of normally quantitative information by using descriptive images such as digital motion video and sound. The system is typically used in the context of group meeting situations. The primary case examined in this paper is an implementation to support the exploration of reuse scenarios for an Air Force Base near Rantoul, Illinois. In addition to a review of the information types typically used in planning meetings, the paper contains a discussion of how this information is communicated and whether the technology meaningfully changes the process. Steps to enhance user acceptance of the technology are also discussed.
Improving ascertainment and communication of prognosis in intracerebral hemorrhage

Prognostication after intracerebral hemorrhage remains a significant challenge for the field of neurocritical care. Despite several available tools that can predict mortality and, to some degree, functional outcomes, deciding which prediction score to use and how best to translate the resultant population-based value to the individual level is not always clear. As more and more scores are published, we need to give due attention to the qualitative aspect of prognostication and explore how best to move this critical aspect of our field forward.
Energy value of wheat, barley, and wheat dried distillers grains with solubles for broiler chickens determined using the regression method

ABSTRACT The energy value of wheat, barley, and 2 samples of wheat dried distillers grains with solubles (WDDGS) for broiler chickens were determined in 2 experiments with Ross 708 broiler chickens from d 15 to 22 posthatch. The birds were fed a standard broiler starter diet from d 1 to 15 posthatch. In each experiment, 320 birds were grouped by weight into 8 blocks of 5 cages with 8 birds per cage and assigned to 5 diets. There were 5 diets in each experiment consisting of a corn-soybean meal reference diet (RD) and 4 test diets (TD). The TD consisted of each of the 2 WDDGS samples (experiment 1), wheat, or barley (experiment 2) that partly replaced the energy sources in the RD at 100 or 200 g/kg such that the same ratios were maintained for all energy ingredients across all experimental diets. The ileal digestible energy (IDE), ME, and MEn of the WDDGS samples, wheat, and barley were determined by the regression method. Dry matter of WDDGS1, WDDGS2, wheat, and barley were 939, 947, 899, and 890 g/kg, respectively; the gross energies were 4,838; 4,825; 4,456; and 4,567 kcal/kg of DM, respectively. Addition of WDDGS to the RD in experiment 1 linearly decreased (P
A practical large-scale synthesis of 17α-acetoxy-11β-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)-19-norpregna-4,9-diene-3,20-dione (CDB-2914) ☆

A new practical synthesis of 17α-acetoxy-11β-(4-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)-19-norpregna-4,9-diene-3,20-dione (CDB-2914) is described. The synthesis gives easily isolable solids at all steps and is amenable to large-scale process.
Stimulation by epinephrine of adenyl cyclase activity, cyclic AMP formation, DNA synthesis and cell proliferation in populations of rat thymic lymphocytes†

Abstract : During the first ten minutes after the beginning of a continuous exposure of rat thymocyte populations (maintained in vitro) to epinephrine, there is an increase in the cellular concentration of cyclic AMP. The hormone also increases the activity of a crude preparation of the thymocyte's cyclic AMP-forming enzyme, adenyl cyclase. Between 30 and 45 minutes after the beginning of exposure to epinephrine, an additional part of the cell population begins to synthesize deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). These changes are finally followed two to four hours later by an increase of the flow of cells into mitosis. Since cyclic AMP itself is known to stimulate both the initiation of DNA synthesis and thymocyte proliferation, and since the mitogenic action of epinephrine is shown to be potentiated by caffeine and inhibited by imidazole, it is concluded that the mitogenic action of this hormone is mediated by the cyclic nucleotide. (Author)
Integrated Global and Local Field Sensing in Magnetospirillum Magnetotacticum

The ability for organisms to evolve specialized functions is often correlated to unique intracellular structures, non-obvious to typical biological systems. One example is the biosynthesis of magnetic particles. Biology has evolved important magnetic sensing structures in a range of organisms from radula teeth in the chiton, algae, honeybees homing pigeons and humans. Unicellular organisms also have this ability in the case of magnetotactic bacteria, but here we show an even more intriguing finding, which is that Magnetospirillum Magnetotacticum strain AMB-1 have both a global sensing system for magnetic fields as well as a localize sensing that has intensity sensitivity. To investigate this global and local intensity based magnetic field response, permalloy microfabricated structures and a pair of Helmholtz coils were custom-built to induce localized control of the magnetotactic bacteria. In the global sense, at low fields these bacteria have the choice to follow the magnetic field lines or to meander around without following the magnetic field lines until about 11 Oe when about 90% of the bacteria seem to align with the field and thus begin to act as actuators rather than as biological sensors. When they were exposed to localize magnetic fields, these 2-3 micrometer organisms would deflect their motility paths to sense very small magnetic fields as well. Furthermore, when the AMB-1 sense local gradients, interestingly there is a bifurcation in response. Faster moving bacteria will deflect their direction based upon sensing local magnetic field gradients, but slower moving bacteria will either reverse their directions or perform multiple oscillations around specific sharp gradients and then continue swimming in the original direction. We believe that these results have implications ranging from synthetic biology to biologically inspired nanostructures to evolutionary biology.
Long Term Plant Regeneration, Somatic Embryogenesis and Green Spot Formation in Secondary Oat (Avena sativa) Callus

Summary Calli initiated from mature seeds, mesocotyls, and immature embryos of oat (Avena sativa) produced embryogenic and non-embryogenic callus and green spots. Embryogenic callus is white, opaque and often convoluted while non-embryogenic callus is rough and yellow to translucent in appearance. Non-embryogenic callus can produce shoots or roots. Embryogenic callus can produce shoots, roots, or complete plantlets. Shoot and plantlet production occurs at much higher frequencies and for longer durations in embryogenic callus. After 36 weeks in culture, 20 percent of embryogenic calli initiated shoots or plantlets while non-embryogenic calli formed no shoots. Elongated regions called green spots are produced by non-embryogenic callus and have a distinct structure which resembles a root apex. New green spots are formed adjacent to but not in direct contact with existing green spots. Very few green spots are initiated in calli dissected free of green spots. A model which explains the ontological relationship between observed calli types and green spots is given. The use of embryogenic callus offers a significant advance in the control of regeneration in oats.
Quasispecies-like behavior observed in catalytic RNA populations evolving in a test tube

During the RNA World, molecular populations were probably very small and highly susceptible to the force of strong random drift. In conjunction with Muller's Ratchet, this would have imposed difficulties for the preservation of the genetic information and the survival of the populations. Mechanisms that allowed these nascent populations to overcome this problem must have been advantageous. Using continuous in vitro evolution experimentation with an increased mutation rate imposed by MnCl2, it was found that clonal 100-molecule populations of ribozymes clearly exhibit certain characteristics of a quasispecies. This is the first time this has been seen with a catalytic RNA. Extensive genotypic sampling from two replicate lineages was gathered and phylogenetic networks were constructed to elucidate the structure of the evolving RNA populations. A common distribution was found in which a mutant sequence was present at high frequency, surrounded by a cloud of mutant with lower frequencies. This is a typical distribution of quasispecies. Most of the mutants in these clouds were connected by short Hamming distance values, indicating their close relatedness. The quasispecies nature of mutant RNA clouds facilitates the recovery of genotypes under pressure of being removed from the population by random drift. The empirical populations therefore evolved a genotypic resiliency despite a high mutation rate by adopting the characteristics of quasispecies, implying that primordial RNA pools could have used this strategy to avoid extinction.
Interaction of circulating cell-derived and plasma growth factors in stimulating cultured smooth muscle cell replication.

Multiple growth factors that circulate in plasma have been shown to stimulate cellular growth in vitro. The plasma growth factors appear to stimulate DNA synthesis in cultured fibroblasts only after prior exposure of cell growth factors derived from circulating cell types, such as platelets and macrophages. The purpose of these studies was to investigate the role of the plasma growth factors in stimulating smooth muscle cell replication following exposure to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Following transient exposure to PDGF, insulin stimulated smooth muscle cell replication but only when supraphysiologic concentrations were used (i.e., greater than 1.0 micrograms/ml). Somatomedin-C (Sm-C), in contrast, was found to stimulate a 320% increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation when concentrations that are present in extracellular fluids were used (i.e., 0.5-10 ng/ml). Epidermal growth factor (EGF), an important mitogen for multiple cell types, caused a 70% increase in [3H]thymidine incorporation when added to quiescent cells following PDGF exposure, and EGF caused a substantial increase in the absolute level of [3H]thymidine incorporation when coincubated with Sm-C. When EGF (1 ng/ml) was incubated simultaneously with concentrations of Sm-C between 1 and 10 ng/ml plus Sm-C-deficient plasma, maximal [3H]thymidine incorporation was 2.1-fold greater in the presence of EGF. In contrast, insulin (20 ng/ml), when coincubated with Sm-C under similar conditions, had no enhancing effect on the cellular response to Sm-C. None of the plasma factors tested was an effective stimultant of replication when incubated either in serum-free medium or in the presence of Sm-C-deficient plasma without prior PDGF exposure. Hydrocortisone was shown to inhibit smooth muscle cell replication in concentrations between 10(-7) and 10(-5) M. In summary, multiple plasma growth factors can stimulate the smooth muscle cell replication, and Sm-C appears to be most effective of those tested. Insulin and EGF appear to work by different mechanisms; that is, EGF can facilitate the cellular response to Sm-C, whereas insulin is effective only at supraphysiologic concentrations at which it will directly bind to Sm-C receptors.
A representation theorem for observed jump processes

The importance and usefulness of the Bucy Representation Theorem in the theory of filtering and detection for nonlinear observations of an information signal in additive white Gaussian noise is by now well established. In this paper, we give an analogous representation when the information signal influences the transition rates of an observed jump process.
Treatment of Mannan-Enhanced Influenza B Virus Infections in Mice with Oseltamivir, Ribavirin and Viramidine

Mannan, a polysaccharide preparation from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has previously been shown to enhance influenza virus replication in mice by inhibiting host defense collectins. The use of mannan...
Effects of Sample Size on Goodness-of-Fit Statistic and Confidence Intervals of Crash Prediction Models Subjected to Low Sample Mean Values

The statistical relationship between motor vehicle crashes and covariates can generally be modeled via generalized linear models (GLMs) with logarithmic links with errors distributed in a Poisson or Poisson-gamma manner. The scaled deviance and Pearson's χ2 have been proposed to test the statistical fit of GLMs. Recent studies have shown that these two estimators are not adequate for testing the goodness of fit (GOF) of GLMs when they are developed from data characterized by low sample mean values. To circumvent this problem, a testing method has been proposed to evaluate the GOF of such GLMs. Because this method can be time-consuming to implement, there is a need to determine whether it is sensitive to different sample sizes. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of decreasing sample sizes on the GOF testing technique. A secondary objective is to estimate how the reducing of sample size influences the confidence intervals of GLMs. To accomplish the objectives, GLMs were fit wi...
Matching groups and gliding systems

Abstract With every matching in a graph we associate a group called the matching group. We study this group using the theory of nonpositively curved cubed complexes. Our approach is formulated in terms of the so-called gliding systems.
Rapid solidification of a droplet-processed stainless steel

Individual powder particles of a droplet-processed and rapidly solidified 303 stainless steel are characterized in terms of microstructure and composition variations within the solidification structure using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Fcc is found to be the crystallization phase in powder particles larger than about 70 micron diameter, and bcc is the crystallization phase in the smaller powder particles. An important difference in partitioning behavior between these two crystal structures of this alloy is found in that solute elements are more completely trapped in the bcc structures. Massive solidification of bcc structures is found to produce supersaturated solid solutions which are retained to ambient temperatures in the smallest powder particles. Calculated liquid-to-crystal nucleation temperatures for fcc and bcc show a tendency for bcc nucleation at the large liquid supercoolings which are likely to occur in smaller droplets. The importance of small droplet sizes in rapid solidification processes is stressed.
Lipid Alleviates Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome

At 135% of control, Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were force fed for 3 weeks, diets based on corn or wheat, the latter made isocaloric to the corn-based diet with either corn oil, corn starch, or wheat starch. The hens fed ad libitum received a corn-based diet. Force feeding the corn-based diet produced fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome (FLHS) with scores averaging 3.3 where 1 = no hemorrhages and 5 = 25 or more hemorrhagic points per liver. Force feeding the wheat-based diet with corn starch, wheat starch, or corn oil resulted in scores of 3.1, 2.7, and 1.9, respectively. Only the latter score was significantly different from the score produced by force feeding the corn-based diet, which when fed ad libitum resulted in an average score of 1.3. Based on these data and the criteria of retained energy, weight gain, percent fat in liver, and plasma estradiol concentrations, we concluded that wheat-based diets with corn- or wheat-starch produce FLHS equivalent to that caused by diets based on corn. Lipid at 4% of the diet had an alleviating effect on FLHS.
Quirk topics enliven technical writing classes

L'utilisation de sujets bizarres peut aider l'enseignant a selectionner des sujets sortant de l'ordinaire. Un sujet concernant un paradoxe de la science ou de la technique oblige a une reflexion et force l'auteur a se concentrer sur le lecteur, a collecter des donnees et a les interpreter de maniere convainquante
Inhibition of oxygen consumption in human erythrocytes by hexetidine.

Abstract Hexetidine was found to inhibit the oxygen consumption of methylene bluestimulated erythrocytes when inosine or glucose-6-phosphate were substrates. At amounts of inhibitor insufficient to cause extensive lysis of cells, TPN competitively reversed the inhibition ; a small effect of TPP was observed. Comparable quantities of inhibitor did not influence the amount of glucose catabolized or of lactate produced by the cells. The exchange of phosphate between plasma and cells was likewise not affected.
The future of the benzylisoquinolinium relaxants

The benzylisoquinolinium relaxants currently include the intermediate-acting agent, atracurium, and the short-acting agent, mivacurium. This class of relaxants has always retained the distinct advantages of rapid degradation, enzymatic metabolism, or both in the plasma, resulting in short half-lives and fast, complete recovery, unrelated to dose or duration of administration. Any improvements in this class of relaxants must focus on retaining this property at the same time as decreasing or eliminating histamine release, which has always been the major disadvantage of the benzylisoquinoliniums. The introduction of 51W89, an isomer of atracurium, may represent an advance in the development of this class of relaxants.
Disseminated Tumor Cells in Biologic Subtypes of Stage I–III Breast Cancer Patients

Background Triple receptor-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are higher grade and more likely to metastasize. Recurrences after 5 years are rare in TNBCs. Conversely, late recurrences are seen in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (luminal) cancers. Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) may be responsible for late recurrences. We compared rates of DTCs in basal and luminal subtypes.
Modification of the No-Touch Technique during Renal Artery Stenting

Renal artery stenting has been established as the primary form of renal artery stenosis revascularization procedure. The no-touch technique is proposed in order to avoid renal artery injury and atheroembolism during renal artery stenting. We describe a modification of the no-touch technique by using an over-the-wire (OTW) balloon or a Quickcross <path id="x30" d="M241 635q53 0 94 -28.5t63.5 -76t33.5 -102.5t11 -116q0 -58 -11 -112.5t-34 -103.5t-63.5 -78.5t-94.5 -29.5t-95 28t-64.5 75t-34.5 102.5t-11 118.5q0 58 11.5 112.5t34.5 103t64.5 78t95.5 29.5zM238 602q-32 0 -55.5 -25t-35.5 -68t-17.5 -91t-5.5 -105 q0 -76 10 -138.5t37 -107.5t69 -45q32 0 55.5 25t35.5 68.5t17.5 91.5t5.5 105t-5.5 105.5t-18 92t-36 68t-56.5 24.5z" /> catheter with a coronary wire inside, instead of the rigid <path id="x33" d="M285 378v-2q65 -13 102 -54.5t37 -97.5q0 -57 -30.5 -104.5t-74 -75t-85.5 -42t-72 -14.5q-31 0 -59.5 11t-40.5 23q-19 18 -16 36q1 16 23 33q13 10 24 0q58 -51 124 -51q55 0 88 40t33 112q0 64 -39 96.5t-88 32.5q-29 0 -64 -11l-6 29q77 25 118 57.5t41 84.5 q0 45 -26.5 69.5t-68.5 24.5q-67 0 -120 -79l-20 20l43 63q51 56 127 56h1q66 0 107 -37t41 -95q0 -42 -31 -71q-22 -23 -68 -54z" /> <path id="x35" d="M153 550l-26 -186q79 31 111 31q90 0 141.5 -51t51.5 -119q0 -93 -89 -166q-85 -69 -173 -71q-32 0 -61.5 11.5t-41.5 23.5q-18 17 -17 34q2 16 22 33q14 9 26 -1q61 -50 124 -50q60 0 93 43.5t33 104.5q0 69 -41.5 110t-121.5 41q-53 0 -102 -20l38 305h286l6 -8 l-26 -65h-233z" /> J wire. The reported technique, while it prevents direct contact of the guiding catheter with the aortic wall, at the same time it allows for a closer contact with the renal arterial ostium and a more favorable guiding catheter orientation, compared to what is achieved with the use of the more rigid J wire, thus improving visualization, reducing the amount of contrast required, and potentially decreasing complications.
Toad Cardiac Muscle Utilizes Solely Slow Skeletal Muscle Troponin T Corresponding to Resistance to Ventricular Afterload

Three homologous genes have evolved encoding the vertebrate cardiac, slow skeletal and fast skeletal muscle isoforms of troponin T (ssTnT). In contrast to all other species studied to date, the cardiac muscle of toad (Bufo) contains no cardiac TnT but solely ssTnT. Western blots using monoclonal antibodies against different TnT isoforms demonstrated that cardiac muscles of fish, amphibian, reptile, avian and mammalian species all express exclusively cardiac TnT except for the toad heart that expressed only slow skeletal muscle TnT, but with normal cardiac isoforms of troponin I, tropomyosin and myosin. Using RT-PCR and 3’- and 5’-RACEs on toad cardiac mRNA templates and degenerated primers derived from the conserved region of slow TnT, we cloned full length cDNAs encoding two isoforms of slow skeletal muscle TnT, of which the exon 5 encoded segment was alternatively spliced. Expression of the cloned cDNA in E. coli showed protein products with apparent molecular weights same as that of the high and low molecular weight TnT isoforms found in the toad cardiac muscle. The sequencing results confirmed that the toad cardiac muscle expresses solely slow skeletal muscle TnT. Functional studies of isolated working toad and frog hearts found that the toad hearts exhibited significantly higher resistance to afterload. Therefore, the unique evolutionary selection of ssTnT in toad cardiac muscle suggests a fitness value. The utilization of ssTnT in toad heart may be an adaptation to improve systolic function. The experimental data demonstrated the physiological significance of the fiber type-specific TnT isoforms and TnT may be a potential target for the improvement of systolic function of the heart.
A conceptualist argument for a spiritual substantial soul

I advance a type of conceptualist argument for substance dualism – minimally, the view that we are spiritual substances that have bodies – based on the understandability of what it would be for something to be a spirit, e.g. what it would be for God to be a spirit. After presenting the argument formally, I clarify and defend its various premises with a special focus on what I take to be the most controversial one, namely, if thinking (i.e. conscious) matter is metaphysically possible, it is not the case that we have a distinct positive concept of God's being a divine spirit.
Search for C-violating, P-conserving interactions and observation of 23S1 to 21P1 transitions in positronium

Possible C-forbidden transitions between 23S1 and 21P1 states of positronium are investigated. Limits are placed on the CP-violating state-mixing matrix element:|〈21P1|HHCP| 23P1〉| < 65MHz. Zeeman induced transitions yield the first observation of 21P1 states and measurement of the 23S1 to 21P1 transition frequency, v0=11181 ± 13 MHz, verifying QED calculations.
High-performance energy-efficient encryption in the sub-45nm CMOS Era

With technology scaling enabling integration of billions of transistors on a single processor core, deploying high-performance and energy-efficient encryption/decryption engines on-die has become a reality in the sub-45nm CMOS era. Not only does this enable increased security of processor platforms, but also achieves unprecedented improvements in power-performance through the adoption of specialized hardware accelerator engines for various compute-intensive cryptography algorithms. In this presentation, we describe novel arithmetic and data-path technologies to enable high-speed on-die AES encryption/decryption accelerators for processor security, Secure Hashing Algorithm (SHA) compute engines, Galois-Field multipliers for public-key cryptography acceleration and secure on-die key generation using fully-digital random number generators based on metastable state elements. Circuit and design optimizations to enable ultra-low voltage operation of these accelerators are discussed to achieve up to a 10X higher energy-efficiency and a wide dynamic operating voltage range that enables scalable AES encryption/decryption down to sub-10mW per round, enabling power-efficient security to permeate into future mobile/hand-held/wearable devices.
A Purification Method for Enrichment of the Toxoplasma gondii Cyst Wall

The tissue cyst wall of Toxoplasma gondii is a stage-specific structure that is produced by modification of the bradyzoite-containing parasitophorous vacuole. It is a limiting membrane structure and is critically important for cyst survival and transmission of infection. Studies on the structure and function of the cyst wall should provide new therapeutic strategies for the elimination or prevention of latency during T. gondii infection. The membrane proteins of the T. gondii cyst are an important target for studies of the biochemical and immunological function(s) of the cyst. However, the components of the cyst membrane have been poorly characterized due to the difficulty of purification of these membrane proteins. We developed a lectin DBA (Dolichos biflorus) coated magnetic bead isolation method to isolate T. gondii cyst wall proteins. Our data suggests that this method can isolate cyst wall proteins from both in vitro cell culture or in vivo mouse brain derived tissue cysts. Antibodies to these isolated protein preparations were shown to localize to the cyst wall.
Naltrexone and relapse prevention treatment for cocaine-dependent patients

A double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial examining the joint action of naltrexone (NTX) in combination with relapse prevention (RP) therapy for the treatment of cocaine dependence was conducted. Eighty-five participants who achieved initial abstinence during the intake evaluation and detoxification phase of the study were randomized into 1 of 4 combined NTX (0 vs. 50 mg) by therapy (RP vs. Drug Counseling) experimental conditions for the 12-week outpatient treatment phase of the study. A random effects regression model to test for group differences on percentage of cocaine-positive urines indicated a significant time by medication by therapy interaction, suggesting less cocaine use over time among subjects receiving RP-50 mg than those in the other conditions. No differences were found for retention or time until first cocaine-positive urine. Naltrexone was well tolerated by participants, with acceptable rates of medication compliance observed. Treatment integrity measures confirmed successful manipulation of the psychotherapy. These results are consistent with the notion that substance use in dependent patients can be reduced with a combination of coping skills training and pharmacologic treatments.
AAEM minimonograph #42: intraoperative monitoring of peripheral and cranial nerves.

Intraoperative studies of focal neuropathies have become increasingly common both as an aid to the localization of the neuropathy and a means of monitoring the integrity of the nerve in the course of surgery. Success very often depends on careful attention to the technical problems presented by working in the operating theater. Despite these difficulties, assessment of conduction directly from the exposed nerve offers opportunities for better understanding the pathophysiology of these neuropathies and correlating these findings with conventional electrodiagnostic studies. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The future of teaching programming is on mobile devices

From paper to computers, the way that we have been writing down thoughts and performing symbolic computations has been constantly evolving. Teaching methods closely follow this trend, leveraging existing technology to make teaching more effective and preparing students for their later careers with the available technology. Right now, in 2012, we are in the middle of another technology shift: instead of using PCs and laptops, mobile devices are becoming more prevalent for most everyday computing tasks. In fact, never before in human history were incredibly powerful and versatile computing devices such as smartphones available and adopted so broadly. We propose that computer programming, and thus the teaching of programming, can and should be done directly on the mobile devices themselves, without the need for a separate PC or laptop to write code. Programming on smartphones that we carry around with us at all times means instant gratification for students, as they can show their games and applications to their friends, and it means that students can do their homework or additional practicing at all times. We describe TouchDevelop, a novel mobile programming environment, and call out challenges that need to be overcome and opportunities that it creates.
Looking for chaos in brain slices

Many signals measured from the nervous system exhibit apparently random variability that is usually considered to be noise. The development of chaos theory has revealed that such random appearing variability may not, in fact, be random, but rather may be deterministic behavior that can reveal important information about the system's underlying mechanisms. We present some new methods for distinguishing determinism from randomness in experimental data, and we apply these methods to population neural responses recorded from hippocampal tissue slices.
Protein, cell and bacterial fouling resistance of polypeptoid-modified surfaces: effect of side-chain chemistry

Peptidomimetic polymers consisting of poly-N-substituted glycine oligomers (polypeptoids) conjugated to biomimetic adhesive polypeptides were investigated as antifouling surface coatings. The polymers were immobilized onto TiO2 surfaces via an anchoring peptide consisting of alternating residues of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) and lysine. Three polypeptoid side-chain compositions were investigated for antifouling performance and stability toward enzymatic degradation. Ellipsometry and XPS analysis confirmed that purified polymers adsorbed strongly to TiO2 surfaces, and the immobilized polymers were resistant to enzymatic degradation as demonstrated by mass spectrometry. All polypeptoid-modified surfaces exhibited significant reductions in adsorption of lysozyme, fibrinogen and serum proteins, and were resistant to 3T3 fibroblast cell attachment for up to seven days. Long-term in vitro cell attachment studies conducted for six weeks revealed the importance of polypeptoid side-chain composition, with a methoxyethyl side chain providing superior long-term fouling resistance compared to hydroxyethyl and hydroxypropyl side chains. Finally, attachment of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria for up to four days under continuous-flow conditions was significantly reduced on the polypeptoid-modified surfaces compared to unmodified TiO2 surfaces. The results reveal the influence of polypeptoid side-chain chemistry on short-term and long-term protein, cell and bacterial fouling resistance.
Ganglioside embedded in reconstituted lipoprotein binds cholera toxin with elevated affinity

The ability to exogenously present cell-surface receptors in high-affinity conformations in a synthetic system offers an opportunity to provide host cells with protection from pathogenic toxins. This strategy requires improvement of the synthetic receptor binding affinity against its native counterpart, particularly with polyvalent toxins where clustering of membrane receptors can hinder binding. Here we demonstrate that reconstituted lipoprotein, nanometer-sized discoidal lipid bilayers bounded by apolipoprotein and functionalized by incorporation of pathogen receptors, provides a means to enhance toxin-receptor binding through molecular-level control over the receptor microenvironment (specifically, its rigidity, composition, and heterogeneity). Using a Foerster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET)-based assay, we found that reconstituted lipoprotein incorporating low concentrations of ganglioside monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) binds polymeric cholera toxin with significantly higher affinity than liposomes or supported lipid bilayers, most likely a result of the enhanced control over receptor clustering provided by the lipoprotein platform. Using wide-area epifluorescence, we found that this enhanced binding capacity can be effectively utilized to divert cholera toxin away from populations of healthy mammalian cells. In summary, we found that reconstitutions of high-density lipoprotein can be engineered to include specific pathogen receptors; that their pathogen binding affinity is altered, presumably due to attenuation of receptor aggregation; and that these assemblies are effective at protecting cells from biological toxins.
Agreements and Disagreements in a Computer-Mediated Discussion

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The publisher's version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1207/s15327973rlsi2904_2.