cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced A-to-I editing of endogenous Alu RNAs in lung after SARS-CoV-2 infection

Due to potential severity of disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, it is critical to understand both mechanisms of viral pathogenesis as well as diversity of host responses to infection. Reduced A-to-I editing of endogenous double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), as a result of inactivating mutations in ADAR, produces one form of Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome, with an immune response similar to an anti-viral response. By analyzing whole genome RNA sequencing data, we find reduced levels of A-to-I editing of endogenous Alu RNAs in normal human lung cells after infection by SARS-CoV-2 as well as in lung biopsies from patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections. Unedited Alu RNAs, as seen after infection, induce IRF and NF-kB transcriptional responses and downstream target genes, while edited Alu RNAs as seen in the absence of infection, fail to activate these transcriptional responses. Thus, decreased A-to-I editing may represent an important host response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Increasing Participation of Women in Cardiovascular Trials: JACC Council Perspectives

Although some progress has been made in the last 3 decades to increase the number of women in clinical cardiology trials, review of recent cardiovascular literature demonstrates that women and underrepresented minority women are still underrepresented in most clinical cardiology trials. This is especially notable in trials of patients with coronary artery disease, heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, and arrhythmia studies, especially those involving devices and procedures. Despite the call from National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Institute of Medicine, and various professional societies, the gap remains. This paper seeks to identify the barriers for low enrollment and retention from patient, clinician, research team, study design, and system perspectives, and offers recommendations to improve recruitment and retention in the current era.
Fatigue Crack Propagation in Rail Steels

In order to establish safe inspection periods of railroad rails, information on fatigue crack growth rates is required. These data should come from a sufficiently large sample of rails presently in service. The reported research consisted of the generation and analysis of fatigue crack growth data of 66 rail samples taken from existing track all over the United States. Additional information concerns mechanical properties, chemical composition, microstructure, and fractographic features. A statistical analysis was performed to evaluate possible correlations with fatigue crack growth properties and microstructural parameters. Weak correlations were found with carbon, manganese and oxygen content, and with the fraction of pearlite. A subsequent phase of this research program is discussed.
Genetic similarity of Candida albicans strains from vaginitis patients and their partners.

The moderately repetitive sequence Ca3 was used to fingerprint strains of Candida albicans isolated from vulvovaginal infections of 10 women and strains isolated from their male partners. The Dendron software package was then used to compare the DNA fingerprints of these strains with those of vaginal commensals from women from the same geographical locale, vaginal commensals from women from a different geographical locale, and commensals from male partners of asymptomatic women from the same geographical locale. The results demonstrate that, in the majority of cases (8 of 10), strains from symptomatic patients and their partners are either identical or more similar to each other than to other strains, infecting strains do not represent a group genetically distinguishable from vaginal commensal isolates from women from the same geographical locale, and both infecting strains and commensals from individuals in the test locale can be distinguished from commensals obtained in another geographical locale. The results also suggest that women with vaginal infections are responsible for strain replacement in their male partners. Images
Emergency nurse practitioners: motivators, barriers, and autonomy in role performance.

Abstract Further research is needed to determine the precise nature and extent of the contributions of ENPs to the health care delivery system and the profession of nursing. Such research should include an analysis of the system itself to determine how it could better facilitate the contributions of ENPs to the health care needs of the American public.
Immigration, Welfare Magnets and the Geography of Child Poverty in the United States

This study presents a detailed look at the immigration and internal migration dynamics of child poverty for US States based on the 1990 US census. It assesses the impact of two policy-relevant factors on the migration of poor children across States: (1) the role of high immigration levels as a potential “push” for native-born and longer-term resident poor children whose parents may be reacting to the economic competition or social costs in high immigration States; and (2) the role of State AFDC benefits as a potential “pull” for poor children who migrate with their parents to States with higher benefit levels. The results make plain that the interstate migration patterns of poverty children differ from those of nonpoverty children, especially among whites and blacks. Female-headed households show different inter-state migration patterns than those in married-couple households. However, a multivariate analysis which includes standard state-level economic attributes provides more support for an “immigration push” than for a “welfare magnet pull” in affecting the inter-state migration of poor children. The findings also show a demographic displacement of poor children occurring in high immigration States where the net out-migration of poor children is more than compensated by larger numbers of new immigrant children in poor families with different demographic attributes. Because of these migration dynamics, the demographic profile of the child poverty population will differ across States, suggesting the need for different strategies toward reducing child poverty at the State level.
Traversing Ontologies to Extract Views

One of the original motivations for ontology research was the belief that ontologies can help with reuse in knowledge representation. However, many of the ontologies that are developed with reuse in mind, such as standard reference ontologies and controlled terminologies, are extremely large, while the users often need to reuse only a small part of these resources in their work. Specifying various views of an ontology enables users to limit the set of concepts that they see. In this chapter, we develop the concept of a Traversal View , a view where a user specifies the central concept or concepts of interest, the relationships to traverse to find other concepts to include in the view, and the depth of the traversal. For example, given a large ontology of anatomy, a user may use a Traversal View to extract a concept of Lung and organs and organ parts that surround the lung or are contained in the lung. We define the notion of Traversal Views formally, discuss their properties, present a strategy for maintaining the view through ontology evolution and describe our tool for defining and extracting Traversal Views.
Magnetic-field effects in NbSe3

We have performed NMR studies on an aligned, multicrystalline ${\mathrm{NbSe}}_{3}$ sample at various temperatures. We find conclusive evidence of field-induced Fermi-surface changes at low temperatures, and associate these changes with charge-density-wave (CDW) enhancement mainly localized on the yellow crystallographic site, contrary to expectations, since the low-temperature CDW is mainly localized on the orange site.
Intrinsic and extrinsic central-peak properties near structural phase transitions

This review assesses the occurrence of slow collective dynamics above TC in structural phase transitions, distinct from normal-, under-, or over-damped soft modes. This is done mainly from an experimental point of view but proper reference to important theoretical progress is given. After a reference to important theoretical progress is given. After a reminiscence of the first observation of a central peak (c.p.) in SrTiO3 and its possible origin, computer simulations and strongly anharmonic (soliton)-type theories related to this phenomenon will be discussed. Then, the results of theories in which slowly-relaxing defects are coupled to the order parameter are given. A comparison with existing experiments above TC indicates that the width of c.p's have extrinsic origins, i.e., are impurity dominated. In contrast, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements of the distribution of the order parameter in SrTiO3 prove the existence of short-range order clusters in this displacive system at TC. This short-range order accounts quantitatively for the non-vanishing c.p's in hydrogen-bounded ferro-electrics are put into perspective regarding their critical dimensionaly. Examples of magnetic centers which relax slowly in these ferroelectrics, are discussed.
Post-operative environmental enrichment improves spatial and motor deficits but may not ameliorate anxiety- or depression-like symptoms in rats following traumatic brain injury.

Purpose: Anxiety-like (ANX) and depression-like (DEP) symptoms are common consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Environmental enrichment (EE) attenuates many deficits, though its impact on ANX and DEP symptoms has yet to be described. Methods: Adult male Long-Evans rats were subject to a medial frontal cortex (mFC) cortical impact injury or sham preparation, then placed into EE or standard housing (SE). ANX symptoms were analyzed using the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM). The forced swim task (FST) and sucrose consumption task (SCT) were used to quantify DEP symptoms. In order to measure changes in spatial learning and motor performance, the Barnes maze (BM) and rotor rod (RR) were utilized. Results: Damage to the mFC resulted in functional losses in motor and cognitive behavior and an increase in ANX and DEP symptoms. Placement of injured rats into the EE improves motor functioning after TBI and resulted in an decreased latency to locate the escape box in the BM. Though the application of an EE attenuated deficits in BM and RR performance, the ANX and DEP behavioral symptoms persisted. Conclusions: Additional therapeutic approaches paired with EE may be necessary to address all functional changes post-TBI. Additionally, no single behavioral assessment appears to clearly identify symptoms of ANX or DEP in rats following TBI, however utilizing multiple tests can be potentially confounding.
Medical Education for Agricultural Health and Safety

ABSTRACT Medical education for agricultural health and safety is evolving to intersect primary care, rural community health, and occupational and environmental medicine (OEM). Agricultural hazards are concentrated among the diverse concerns of primary care and community health. Family physicians who respond to this diversity can maintain their rural practices while establishing the credibility necessary for acceptance as partners in programs for agricultural community health. Rural family physicians with expertise in community health and OEM can be the front line of agricultural medicine. Several educational efforts are relevant to producing these physicians: (1) rural medicine, (2) rural public health, (3) family medicine, and (4) OEM (including agricultural medicine). Agromedicine education to prepare physicians to partner with agricultural scientists and cooperative extension agents should also be considered. Each of these efforts requires faculty with special expertise and resources. Few institutions ...
The Economics of Payment Card Interchange Fees and the Limits of Regulation

Fresh off of the most substantial national liquidity crisis of the last generation and the enactment of sweeping credit card regulation in the form of the Credit CARD Act, Congress continues to deliberate, with a continuing drumbeat of support from lobbyists, a set of new regulations for credit card companies. These proposals, offered in the name of consumer protection, seek to constrain the setting of “interchange fees” - transaction charges integral to payment card systems - through a range of proposed political interventions. This article identifies both the theoretical and actual failings of such regulation. Payment cards are a secure, inexpensive, welfare-increasing payment mechanism largely unlike any other in history. Rather than increasing consumer welfare in any meaningful sense, interchange fee legislation represents an attempt by some merchants to shift costs away from their businesses and onto card issuing banks and cardholders. In particular, bank-issued credit cards offer a dramatic improvement in the efficiency and availability of consumer credit by shifting credit risk from merchants onto banks in exchange for the cost of the interchange fee - currently averaging less than 2% of purchase value. Merchants’ efforts to cabin these fees would harm not only consumers but also the merchants themselves as commerce would depend more heavily on less-efficient paper-based payment systems. The consequence of interchange fee legislation, as Australia’s experiment with such regulation demonstrates, would be reduced access to credit, higher interest rates for consumers, and the return of the much-loathed annual fee for credit cards. Interchange fee regulation threatens to constrain credit for consumers and small businesses as the American economy begins to convalesce from a serious “credit crunch,” and should be accordingly rejected.
Effect of long-duration impact on head

Impacts have been analyzed in terms of degree of injury, head injury criterion (HIC), and average acceleration as a function of time for frontal impacts against the following surfaces: 1. Rigid flat surface-fractured cadaver skull. 2. Astroturf-head drop of football-helmeted cadaver. 3. Windshield penetrating impact of a dummy. 4. Airbag-dynamic test by human volunteers. It is concluded that the linear acceleration/time concussion tolerance curve may not exist and that only impacts against relatively stiff surfaces producing impulses with short rise times can be critical. The authors hypothesize that if a head impact does not contain a critical HIC interval of less than 0.015 s, it should be considered safe as far as cerebral concussion is concerned.
On the protein allowances for young infants

Summary A review has been made of some empiric and experimental data available for estimating the protein allowances of young infants. Infants apparently thrive for the first six months of life on protein intakes which vary within the ranges contained either in breast milk or the artificial feeding mixtures customarily used in this country. The lack of conclusive data in support of one figure or another is partly a reflection of the adaptive power of infants. When breast feeding is not possible, the reviewers favor the higher protein feedings because of their simplicity.
The effects of chronic corticosterone on memory performance in the platform maze task

Acquisition and reversal of a memory task dependent on hippocampal integrity were assessed in rats following chronic corticosterone treatment. Young adult male rats were injected daily with corticosterone (10 mg/kg, SC) for 8 weeks. Memory was assessed during the last week of treatment with an elevated platform maze. During acquisition trials, corticosterone-treated rats did not differ from vehicle-treated controls in either the location of first hole chosen nor in the latency to locate the escape hole. In the reversal trials, when the position of the escape hole was rotated 135°, both groups successfully reversed their responses without persevering towards the previously rewarded escape hole location. These findings suggest that, despite the probability of corticosterone-induced changes in hippocampal physiology, chronic corticosterone treatment does not adversely affect performance in a memory task dependent on hippocampal integrity.
Solubility of carbon dioxide and cosolvents in a photoresist polymer

Solubility and diffusivity of cosolvents and carbon dioxide in a photoresist polymer have been measured below the glass transition temperature bythe inverse gas chromatography and static capsule methods over a temperature range of 75–100°C and pressures up to 7000 kPa. The results showed that presence of even low pressures of CO2 increased the solubility and diffusivity of the cosolvents studied. Experiments in which exposure of the polymer to CO2 was cycled on and off indicated that the free volume introduced by the CO2 persisted in the polymer for a significant time after removal of the CO2. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Multiple and Continuous Span Elevated Guideway-Vehicle Dynamic Performance

Analyses are developed to determine the dynamic performance of vehicles interacting with single, multiple, and continuous span elevated structures. Operating conditions in which multispan resonant conditions occur are identified, and the resulting resonant amplitudes computed. Guideway design examples considering tracked, levitated vehicles are described to illustrate the influence of span configuration and vehicle speed and suspension properties upon guideway span design for vehicle-guideway systems required to provide specified passenger comfort levels. For the 150 and 300 mph (242 and 483 km/h) vehicle systems considered, continuous and multispan guideway configurations were found to have reduced span material requirements in comparison to single span systems which provide the same level of passenger comfort.
Placement of soil moisture sensors in sprinkler irrigated potatoes

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is particularly sensitive to soil water potential below −50 to −60 J kg−1 during tuber development. Soil water must also be carefully monitored to irrigate efficiently and to minimize nitrate leaching associated with over-irrigation. Water distribution in and below potato hills during and following sprinkler irrigation was monitored using granular matrix sensors (Watermark Model 200, Irrometer Co., Riverside, CA) placed in 0.10 m × 0.15 m cross-sectional grids down to 0.6-m depth below the soil surface. Each grid consisted of 26 sensors. Sensor electrical resistance had been calibrated to soil water potential. During one test, soil water potential was intentionally lowered to levels drier than ideal for potato to emphasize soil wetting and drying patterns. Over the 26 locations in the grids, the soil water potential averaged −33 J kg−1 over a six week period, with sprinkler irrigations evenly rewetting the upper 0.2 m of the hill. On average, the driest locations were the top of the hill, directly under the hill, and below the furrow with wheel track compaction. Ideal sensor locations for monitoring soil water status and scheduling irrigations are offset 0.15 m from the center of the hill and 0.1 to 0.2 m deep. Sensors installed in silt loam soil responded within four hours to wetting and within 12 hours to drying, the shortest increments of time measured.
Synthesis of pans and mesas using a beam of self-ions

We report the synthesis of pans and mesas ~10 µm in diameter on Pt(111), in ultra-high vacuum, using a beam of Pt− ions as the processing tool, and a low energy electron microscope to observe the surface microtopography. Mesas are perfect terraces surrounded by a bunch of outward pointing steps; an ion beam of low energy was used to create excess adatoms that accrete to expand that terrace and increase the height of the step bunch. Pans are similar, but with reversed steps, and a beam of high energy ions was used to sputter the surface, creating advacancies that expand the pan terrace. The critical constraint that leads to successful synthesis is preventing new steps from nucleating on the terrace, by gradually reducing the driving force of the ion beam as time progresses. A model of this process is presented on the basis of a recent theoretical description that models the flow as a quasistatic process with negligible Gibbs–Thompson forces, so that the evolution is reversible, as observed. The model successfully reproduces the main features of the observations.
A 56-year-old woman with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Dr Delbanco: Ms H is a 56-year-old educator currently on medical leave of absence. She has an 11-year history of chronic fatigue that at times has been disabling. She has commercial managed care health insurance through her work. Prior to her illness, Ms H was well, a successful and energetic teacher who was physically very active. In 1986 she developed the sudden onset of profound fatigue, about 1 month after a flulike illness characterized by fever, chills, myalgias, and sore throat. She thought she had infectious mononucleosis, but laboratory tests did not confirm the diagnosis. Titers for Epstein-Barr infection were found to be elevated soon thereafter. Since that time, she has noted extraordinary weakness, finding herself able to walk only a few blocks, followed by exhaustion that forces her to spend many hours in bed. She often finds herself unable to concentrate. She reports she periodically has had "swollen glands"
Mechanistic studies with N-benzyl-1-aminobenzotriazole-inactivated CYP2B1: Differential effects on the metabolism of 7-ethoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin, testosterone, and benzphetamine

Mechanistic studies with N-benzyl-1-aminobenzotriazole (BBT)-inactivated cytochrome P450 2B1 were conducted to determine which step(s) in the reaction cycle had been compromised. Stopped-flow studies, formation of the oxy-ferro intermediate, and analysis of products suggested that the reductive process was slower with the BBT-modified enzyme. The reduced rate of reduction alone could not account for the loss in 7-ethoxy-4-(trifluoromethyl)coumarin (EFC) O-deethylation or testosterone hydroxylation activity. Surprisingly, the ability of the BBT-modified enzyme to generate formaldehyde from benzphetamine was much less affected. Benzphetamine metabolite analysis by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry showed that the BBT-modified enzyme had a slightly greater propensity towards aromatic hydroxylation together with reduced levels of N-demethylation and little change in the N-debenzylation of benzphetamine. Orientation of substrates within the active site of the BBT-inactivated enzyme may be affected such that the more flexible benzphetamine can be metabolized, whereas metabolism of rigid, planar molecules such as EFC and testosterone is hindered.
Imidomolybdenum(IV) porphyrin complexes: synthesis, characterization, and intermetal imido transfer reactivity.

The imido(meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrinato)molybdenum(IV) complexes, (TTP)MoNR, where R = C6H5 (1a), p-CH3C6H4 (1b), 2,4,6-(CH3)3C6H2 (1c), and 2,6-(i-Pr)2C6H4 (1d), can be prepared by the reaction of (TTP)MoCl2 with 2 equiv of LiNHR in toluene. Upon treatment of the imido complexes with pyridine derivatives, NC5H4-p-X (X = CH3, CH(CH3)2, C⋮N), new six-coordinate complexes, (TTP)MoNR·NC5H4-p-X, were observed. The reaction between the molybdenum imido complexes, (TTP)MoNC6H5 or (TTP)MoNC6H4CH3, and (TTP)Ti(η2-PhC⋮CPh) resulted in complete imido group transfer and two-electron redox of the metal centers to give (TTP)Mo(η2-PhC⋮CPh) and (TTP)TiNC6H5 or (TTP)TiNC6H4CH3.
Markov Analysis of Radiative Transfer in Specular Enclosures

This paper is directed at the use of Markov chains in the modeling of radiative heat transfer in specular enclosures containing nonparticipating gases. Following a brief review of previous literature in that area of investigation, a two-parameter state definition is given. The analysis of general infinitely long enclosures using that definition is then discussed, and the paper concludes with a report of selected implementation results.
Combined HPLC, NMR spectroscopy, and ion-trap mass spectrometry with application to the detection and characterization of xenobiotic and endogenous metabolites in human urine.

The direct coupling of HPLC with NMR spectroscopy has been extended by splitting the HPLC eluent after conventional UV detection and sending part to a NMR spectrometer and part to an ion-trap mass spectrometer in a “triple-hyphenated” HPLC−NMR−MS system. Combined UV, 1H NMR, and positive-ion electrospray MS detection was achieved in the continuous-flow mode using whole human urine from a subject dosed with acetaminophen. By means of HPLC−NMR−MS, the structural information available from the complementary spectroscopic techniques provided rapid confirmation of the identity of the acetaminophen glucuronide and sulfate metabolites, together with a number of endogenous metabolites. In particular, the HPLC−NMR−MS approach allowed the unequivocal identification of phenylacetylglutamine in human urine, an endogenous metabolite not previously observed in 1H NMR spectra of urine because of extensive overlap with resonances from other metabolites. The analytical advantages and complementarity of NMR and MS techniqu...
Effect of particle microstructure on alkane hydrogenolysis on RhSiO2

Oxidation of supported Rh catalysts followed by low-temperature reduction in H/sub 2/ produces hydrogenolysis activities which are up to 10/sup 5/ times higher than those after high-temperature annealing the same catalyst in H/sub 2/. In this paper the authors examine the effects of treatment conditions and particle size and compare C/sub 2/H/sub 6/, C/sub 3/H/sub 8/, and C/sub 4/H/sub 10/ hydrogenolysis. The alteration in activity is somewhat larger for larger particle sizes and for C/sub 2/H/sub 6/ than for C/sub 3/H/sub 8/ or C/sub 4/H/sub 10/. The selectivity of C/sub 3/H/sub 8/ and C/sub 4/H/sub 10/ also changes with oxidation in that the freshly oxidized catalyst produces more CH/sub 4/ while the annealed catalyst produces larger alkanes. C/sub 3/H/sub 8/ and C/sub 4/H/sub 10/ exhibit deactivation by a factor of similarly ordered 5 after many hours at 250/sup 0/C in both the oxidized and the annealed states. It is also found that activation in O/sub 2/ begins even at 25/sup 0/C and that H/sub 2/O is effective in partially activating the catalyst. These results are discussed in terms of crystal planes produced by these treatments and variations in carbon formation on different planes.
Chemical etch studies of PtSi/p-Si(100) metal-semiconductor composite films

Six-micron thick PtSi/p-Si(100) composite films, prepared by magnetron sputtering of a PtSi target were treated with chemical etchants to remove its segregated surface layer. This process was required in order to measure the electronic transport properties of the unsegregated portion of the film. Four point probe measurements in conjunction with chemical etch treatments were used to characterized the progress of the etch treatments. Upon obtaining the final resistivity of the film, Hall measurements were carried out to determine the overall transport properties.
Electron Probe Microanalysis of Organized Elements in the Orgueil Meteorite

Electron probe x-ray microanalysis of organized elements in the orgueil carbonaceous meteorite
Conformational transitions underlying pore opening and desensitization in membrane-embedded GLIC

Abstract Direct structural insight into the mechanisms underlying activation and desensitization remain unavailable for the pentameric ligand-gated channel family. Here, we report the structural rearrangements underlying gating transitions in membrane-embedded GLIC, a prokaryotic homologue, using site-directed spin labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. We particularly probed the conformation of pore-lining second transmembrane segment (M2) under conditions that favor the closed and the ligand-bound desensitized states. The spin-label mobility, intersubunit spin-spin proximity and the solvent-accessibility parameters in the two states clearly delineate the underlying protein motions within M2. Our results show that during activation the extracellular hydrophobic region undergoes major changes involving an outward translational movement, away from the pore axis, leading to an increase in the pore diameter, while the lower end of M2 remains relatively immobile. Most notably, during desensitization, the intervening polar residues in the middle of M2 move closer to form a solvent-occluded barrier and thereby reveal the location of a distinct desensitization gate. In comparison to the crystal structure of GLIC, the structural dynamics of the channel in a membrane environment suggest a more loosely packed conformation with water-accessible intrasubunit vestibules penetrating from the extracellular end all the way to the middle of M2 in the closed-state. These regions have been implicated to play a major role in alcohol and drug modulation. Overall, these findings represent a key step towards understanding the fundamentals of gating mechanisms in this class of channels.
Cognitive feelings and metacognitive judgments

In two studies, subjects read and rated how well they understood a poem. Beforehand, however, they had participated under hypnosis in an exercise designed to induce feelings of being uncertain about something. For half of the subjects hypnosis was made salient as a cause for the feelings; for the other half the feelings remained unexplained. The results showed that when left unexplained, the feelings of uncertainty were interpreted by subjects as indications that they did not understand the poem. When attributed to the hypnosis, however, the feelings had no effect on ratings of comprehension. In one experiment, subjects were also studied who were not susceptible to hypnosis, and who, therefore, did not feel uncertain in the first place. The results suggest that just as positive and negative affective feelings serve as information for making evaluative judgments, feelings of certainty and uncertainty serve as information for making cognitive judgments (t. e. judgments of knowing).
Motion Generation Using Combinations of Peaucellier Straight-Line Mechanisms

The Peaucellier linkage is one of only a handful of known, single-degree-of-freedom mechanisms that trace an exact straight line. Although the traced output is straight, the relation between input rotation angle and output position along the traced line is nonlinear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the composite motion of stacked Peaucellier straight-line mechanisms. After stacking, the original straight-line output transforms into a complex curve whose shape is dependent on the motion of all of the component mechanisms, their geometric parameters, and how the component Peaucellier cells are interconnected. MATLAB software was used to generate output curves considering different stacking configurations and mechanism sizes. MATLAB was also used to analyze the final data and identify correlations between the mechanism link sizes, stacking configurations, and relative output curves. Based on a polynomial fitting technique, resultant output of the stacked mechanisms was generally found to be of 6th order except when purposefully constrained. This is a first attempt to characterize kinematic trace curves for this type of stacked straight-line linkage system.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Characterization of millisecond time-scale dynamics in the molten globule state of alpha-lactalbumin by NMR.

The motional dynamics of the molten globule (MG) state of alpha-lactalbumin have been characterized using (15)N transverse relaxation rates (R2). A modified version of the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) R2 pulse sequence is proposed in order to overcome the loss of sensitivity that arises from extreme line broadening due to complex dynamics on the millisecond time-scale. Using this pulse sequence, chemical exchange rates were extracted by examining the (15)N transverse relaxation rates as a function of CPMG delay values. The results clearly illustrate that pervasive conformational exchange of 0.2-0.5 ms in the (15)N backbone resonances of the molten globule state of alpha-lactalbumin. The temperature dependence of the conformational exchange rates display standard Arrhenius kinetic behavior between 10 and 30 degrees C. Estimates of the activation energies range from 0.8 to 4. 4 kcal/mol, indicating a low energetic barrier to conformational fluctuations relative to native state proteins. The fluctuations and low energetic barriers may be critical for directing the search for contacts that will result in the transition from the MG state to the native state.
Quantitation of porter-silber positive steroids in eluates from paper chromatograms

Abstract Steroids with the dihydroxyacetone side chain (Porter-Silber chromogens), separated by paper chromatography, and eluted from paper, could be accurately quantitated by a modified Porter-Silber color reaction, without any additional purification of the paper eluates. The method is based on the partition of substances eluted from paper between a relatively nonpolar organic solvent (dichloromethane) and the alcohol-acid phase of the color reagent.
Dielectric constant of semi-insulating gallium arsenide

Results are given on precision measurements of the relative dielectric constant of high-purity semi-insulating gallium arsenide. Using this and other data, it is concluded that the value is within about 0.5% of 12.9, and does not vary significantly between zero frequency and at least 70 GHz.
Transcendence: The Meaning of Great-Grandmothering

Great-grandparents are increasing in number in the United States. This case study examined how eight African-American and eight Caucasian community dwelling great-grandmothers found transcendence in their great-grandmotherhood. Subjects, who ranged in age from 75 to 89 years, indicated that family was the common factor which influenced the transcendence of great-grandmothering. Five domains, connectedness, religion, being wise, values, and stories, generated the meaning of transcendence. Domains evolved into one cultural theme: By finding opportunities to influence great-grandchildren, the great-grandmother enhances possibilities for meaning and transcendence. Nurses can help great-grandmothers enhance family relationships to promote transcendence.
WRF and GISS SCM simulations of convective updraft properties during TWP‐ICE

[1] The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, running at cloud-resolving model resolution (1.3 km and 0.6 km), is used to simulate cumulus updraft speeds associated with three distinct convective regimes sampled during the intensive observing period of the Tropical Warm Pool–International Cloud Experiment (TWP-ICE) near Darwin, Australia. The WRF model produces strong updrafts during a monsoon break period and weaker updrafts during an active monsoon period, consistent with observational proxies of convective strength. It also captures the observed feature of midlevel convection during a suppressed monsoon period. The ability of the WRF model to differentiate the updraft speeds among three subperiods is robust to changes in its microphysics and turbulence schemes, resolution, and forcing procedure. For comparison to the parameterized diagnostic updraft speeds in the Goddard Institute for Space Studies Single Column Model (GISS SCM), we define an equivalent mean updraft speed for deep convection in the WRF simulation as the ratio of the domain average upward flux of hydrometeors to the domain average hydrometeor water content. Parameterized convective updraft speeds diagnosed from the thermodynamic structure in the SCM can reproduce the WRF difference between the active and break period updraft strength and the shallower suppressed monsoon convection, but only if a free parameter that regulates entrainment strength is allowed to vary. SCM updraft speeds are consistently too strong in the upper troposphere compared with the WRF. Hydrometeor profiles in both the WRF and the SCM are sensitive to assumptions about the ice phase microphysics.
Are measures of self-efficacy reactive?***

This study attempted to determine if the correspondence between self-efficacy and behavioral performance was due to reactivity cues provided by the self-efficacy measure. The extent to which the self-efficacy measure enhanced or detracted from the effects of a fear-reducing intervention (pretest sensitization) was also examined. Participants (age M = 21.54, SD = 3.11) included 52 undergraduate students (8 males, 44 females) who indicated a particular fear on the Fear Survey Schedule (FSS). Participants were randomly assigned to a self-efficacy group or a routine-treatment group. In the self-efficacy group, the measure of self-efficacy was administered at preintervention, between filmed modeling segments, postintervention, and follow-up; in contrast, the routine-treatment group completed the self-efficacy measure at follow-up only. Outcome assessment of fear included a behavioral approach task and measures of self-reported fear (anticipatory and performance). In general, results indicated that group differences regarding the magnitude of correlations between self-efficacy and fear measures were nonsignificant. In addition, results did not yield evidence of pretest sensitization. The findings are interpreted as supporting Bandura's conceptualization of the reactivity issue, and the need for additional research is noted.
Separatist Militants and Contentious Politics in Assam, India: The Limits of Counterinsurgency

Insurgency-related violence continues in the northeast Indian state of Assam. Even though the fortunes of the United Liberation Front of Assam have declined significantly, a political settlement remains elusive. Unresolved tensions between regional patriotism and pan-Indianism explain the insurgent organization9s resilience and the continuing appeal of its political ideology.
The Theoretical 77Se Chemical Shift as a Probe of Selenium State in Selenoproteins and Their Mimics

Theoretical 77Se chemical shifts of a series of simple organoselenium compounds are compared to known NMR data for various derivatives of selenoenzymes and selenoamino acids. Since the theoretical data only differs from the biochemical data set by an overall ∼15−30 ppm downfield shift, simple theoretical model studies are suggested as an additional tool for the interpretation of selenoenzyme spectra. Further studies demonstrate that model systems can be extended to incorporate the effects of intramolecular interactions (such as Se···N bonds).
Hormones of choice: The neuroendocrinology of partner preference in animals

Abstract Partner preference behavior can be viewed as the outcome of a set of hierarchical choices made by an individual in anticipation of mating. The first choice involves approaching a conspecific verses an individual of another species. As a rule, a conspecific is picked as a mating partner, but early life experiences can alter that outcome. Within a species, an animal then has the choice between a member of the same sex or the opposite sex. The final choice is for a specific individual. This review will focus on the middle choice, the decision to mate with either a male or a female. Available data from rats, mice, and ferrets point to the importance of perinatal exposure to steroid hormones in the development of partner preferences, as well as the importance of activational effects in adulthood. However, the particular effects of this hormone exposure show species differences in both the specific steroid hormone responsible for the organization of behavior and the developmental period when it has its effect. Where these hormones have an effect in the brain is mostly unknown, but regions involved in olfaction and sexual behavior, as well as sexually dimorphic regions, seem to play a role. One limitation of the literature base is that many mate or ‘partner preference studies’ rely on preference for a specific stimulus (usually olfaction) but do not include an analysis of the relation, if any, that stimulus has to the choice of a particular sexual partner. A second limitation has been the almost total lack of attention to the type of behavior that is shown by the choosing animal once a ‘partner’ has been chosen, specifically, if the individual plays a mating role typical of its own sex or the opposite sex. Additional paradigms that address these questions are needed for better understanding of partner preferences in rodents.
The reinforcing effects of vagal stimulation on classically conditioned heart rate in rats

Abstract Classically conditioned heart rate was examined in 4 groups of restrained rats using a 2 × 2 factorial design in which one of the factors was type of US (electric shock vs inhalation of ammonia fumes) and the other whether the US was presented alone or in combination with direct stimulation of the intact vagus nerve. All of the groups demonstrated conditioned decelerations in heart rate with the magnitudes of the CRs of the two compound-US groups being larger than those shown by the single-US groups. The detailed topographies of the CRs were essentially the same for all groups with maximum cardiodecelerations occurring just prior to the presentation of the US(s). Magnitude and direction of the CRs were not systematically related to the URs elicited by the various USs. Augmentation of conditioning in the compound-US groups was discussed in terms of the possible effects of vagal stimulation on motivational level and on a central system coordinating cardiac and somato-motor activities.
Melting in a horizontal tube with the solid either constrained or free to fall under gravity

Abstract Experiments and supplementary numerical solutions have been performed to study the melting of a solid encapsulated in a horizontal tube. In one set of experiments, the solid was constrained not to move, while in a second set of experiments the solid was able to fall freely under gravity. In the latter (i.e. unconstrained) case, the lower portion of the solid was separated from the tube wall by a narrow, liquidfilled gap. The numerical solutions enabled the rates of melting at the lower and upper portions of the unconstrained solid to be determined. At a given duration of the melting period, the amount of mass melted in the unconstrained mode exceeded that melted in the constrained mode by 50–100%, with a similar gain in energy transfer. For the unconstrained mode, about 90% of the melting occurred at the lower portion of the solid. Photographic evidence demonstrated that the melting process in the constrained mode is intrinsically three-dimensional, while in the absence of end effects the unconstrained-mode melting is two-dimensional.
A one dimensional frost heave model based upon simulation of simultaneous heat and water flux

Abstract A one-dimensional frost heave model is presented for unidirectional freezing in moist silts with a water table present. Frost heave is computed based upon a macrothermodynamic model that simulates heat and moisture transfer from an element of soil undergoing freezing. It is assumed that a portion of water in the element will not freeze, and all water in addition to this amount that freezes in excess of the soil porosity results in a corresponding heave. The freezing process is assumed to be isothermal. Simultaneous heat and water flux are simulated by a Galerkin finite element analog of the heat equation, including convective component, and the water flux equation based upon total energy head as the state variable. The dynamic component of the problem is simulated by the Crank-Nicholson procedure, and non-linear parameters are estimated on the basis of element centered state variable values which are generated by the quadratic shape functions used. To avoid instability, the moisture sink term in the water flux equation that arises as a result of water freezing is eliminated and handled as a thermodynamic bookkeeping quantity.
Mechanisms of Obesity-Associated Cardiovascular and Renal Disease

ABSTRACT Obesity is the most common nutritional disorder in the United States. Growing evidence suggests that obesity initiates a cascade of disorders including hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and chronic renal disease, many of which are interdependent. Abnormal kidney function, caused by increased renal tubular reabsorption, initiates volume expansion and increased blood pressure during excess weight gain, and the hypertension and metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity, in turn, contribute to chronic renal disease. Obesity causes cardiac and vascular disease through well-known mediators such as hypertension, type II diabetes, and dyslipidemia, but there is evidence for less well-characterized mediators such as chronic inflammation and hypercoagulation. Although obesity is increasingly recognized as a serious health problem, there are still many unanswered questions about how the multiple disorders associated with excess weight gain interact to cause cardiovascular and renal disease. Also, there are few studies that have examined whether sustained weight loss in obese subjects can reverse these changes. In view of the “epidemic” of obesity in our country and the excess burden of cardiovascular and renal disease in minority populations, addressing these issues is of paramount importance for the Jackson Heart Study, as well as for other national health initiatives.
Blood flow restriction in the upper and lower limbs is predicted by limb circumference and systolic blood pressure

To determine what factors should be accounted for when setting the blood flow restriction (BFR) cuff pressure for the upper and lower body. One hundred and seventy one participants visited the laboratory for one testing session. Arm circumference, muscle (MTH) and fat (FTH) thickness were measured on the upper arm. Next, brachial systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure measurements were taken in the supine position. Upper body arterial occlusion was then determined using a Doppler probe. Following this, thigh circumference and lower body arterial occlusion were determined. Models of hierarchical linear regression were used to determine the greatest predictor of arterial occlusion in the upper and lower body. Two models were employed in the upper body, a Field (arm size) and a Laboratory model (arm composition). The Laboratory model explained 58 % of the variance in arterial occlusion with SBP (β = 0.512, part = 0.255), MTH (β = 0.363, part = 0.233), and FTH (β = 0.248, part = 0.213) contributing similarly to explained variance. The Field model explained 60 % of the variance in arterial occlusion with arm circumference explaining the greatest amount (β = 0.419, part = 0.314) compared to SBP (β = 0.394, part = 0.266) and DBP (β = 0.147, part = 0.125). For the lower body model the third block explained 49 % of the variance in arterial occlusion with thigh circumference (β = 0.579, part = 0.570) and SBP (β = 0.281, part = 0.231) being significant predictors. Our findings indicate that arm circumference and SBP should be taken into account when determining BFR cuff pressures. In addition, we confirmed our previous study that thigh circumference is the greatest predictor of arterial occlusion in the lower body.
Effect of drip application of ammonium thiosulfate on fumigant degradation in soil columns.

Low permeability tarps can effectively minimize fumigant emissions while improving fumigation efficacy by retaining fumigants under the tarp. However, when planting holes are cut through the tarps, high-concentration fumigants may be released and result in environmental and worker safety hazards. In a 11-day column study, we explored the effect of drip irrigation application of ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) on 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) and chloropicrin (CP) degradation in soil. Decrease of 1,3-D and CP concentrations in soil-gas phase followed a three-parameter logistic equation for all treatments. It was slowest in the control with a half-life ( t 1/2) of 86.0 h for 1,3-D and of 16.3 h for CP and most rapid when ATS was applied at 4:1 ATS/fumigant molar ratio with a half-life of 9.5 h for 1,3-D and of 5.5 h for CP. Our results indicate that applying ATS via the drip-irrigation systems to soil can accelerate fumigant degradation in soil and thus reduce emissions. This technical solution may be applicable i...