cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inflammation makes T cells sensitive.

Inflammatory cytokines shape CD8+ T cell responses. In this issue of Immunity, Richer et al. (2013) and Raue et al. (2013) demonstrate that inflammatory cytokines dynamically fine-tune antigen sensitivity of CD8+ T cells to potently detect and better eliminate infected cells.
Defendants' Characteristics of Attractiveness, Race, and Sex and Sentencing Decisions:

This experiment examined several factors thought to be influential in jurors' decisions. Specifically, the attractiveness, race, and sex of the defendant were manipulated. It was hypothesized that ...
Observation of a backward produced Q in K+p interactions

Abstract We report the observation of the Q enhancement produced in the backward direction in the reaction K+p → pQ+, Q+ → K+π+π−. The energy dependence for this reaction is given by σ(s) ∼ s2α−2 where α = −1.1 ± 0.1. The shape of the Q appears very similar to that observed in the forward diffractive reaction. The differential cross section is given by d σ d μ′ ∼ e −5.8μ′ .
Aortic intramural haematoma.

The diaphoretic patient with tearing chest or back pain is a dreaded clinical scenario which demands the very best of our diagnostic acumen and tools. Acute aortic syndromes1 comprise a spectrum of abnormalities, all of which have the potential for acute mortality and rapid progression. This group of disorders includes: These may all present with severe pain and be clinically indistinguishable, one from the other, before imaging. Any of them can be mistaken for acute coronary syndrome, an error which can lead to inappropriate anticoagulation and disastrous complications.2 With the advent of more detailed and frequent imaging of the aorta in the evaluation of patients presenting with chest pain, understanding the variable pathology, prognosis and treatment of aortic syndromes has become critical. The extent to which these diseases share aetiology, prognosis and response to surgical, medical or endovascular therapy is still being defined, just as the options for treatment continue to improve. Of the acute aortic syndromes, intramural haematoma (IMH) stands out as a lesion that can be very challenging to clearly separate from the other acute aortic syndromes, particularly aortic dissection or penetrating ulcer. The presence of an intramural collection of blood without identifiable intimal flap, tear or ulceration is the pathognomonic finding of this condition.3 Over the first 30 days after diagnosis, IMH can evolve into classic dissection, contained rupture or aneurysm, or reabsorb without further sequelae.4 Indeed, IMH may represent a phase in the evolution of these other highly morbid conditions; IMH is found in 10–15% of patients with suspected dissection.5 Reliable methods for defining the individual’s risk for complications and best therapy is a critical need, and continues to be the subject of intensive investigation. #### Acute aortic syndromes
Four-year performance and associated controlling factors of several beach nourishment projects along three adjacent barrier islands, west-central Florida, USA

Abstract To quantify the performance of several beach nourishment projects on three adjacent barrier islands located in west-central Florida, a total of 5200 beach and nearshore-profiles spaced at 300 m were surveyed monthly to bi-monthly from 2006 to 2010. Beach nourishment performance at annual temporal and kilometer spatial scales within the microtidal low-wave energy barrier island coast is most significantly influenced by the interruption of longshore sediment transport by complex tidal-inlet processes. The inlet processes directly influencing adjacent beach nourishment performance include longshore transport interruption resulting from divergence induced by wave refraction over an ebb-tidal shoal, flood-tidal currents along the beach, and total littoral blockage by structured inlets. Secondary factors controlling the nourishment performance include project length and width, shoreline orientation, and antecedent geology. A morphologic indicator of a large longshore transport gradient within the study area is the absence of a nearshore sandbar. These non-barred beaches are characterized by persistent shoreline erosion. The presence of a sandbar indicates the dominance of cross-shore processes, with bar migration in response to wave condition variations and a relatively stable shoreline. The entirety of a barrier island system should be considered when evaluating the performance of a nourishment.
A bootstrap interval estimator for Bayes' classification error

Using a finite-length training set, we propose a new estimation approach suitable as an interval estimate of the Bayes-optimal classification error L*. We arrive at this estimate by constructing bootstrap training sets of varying size from the fixed, finite-length original training set. We assume a power-law decay curve for the unconditional error rate as a function of training sample size n, and fit the bootstrap estimated unconditional error rate curve to this power-law form. Using a result from Devijver, we do this twice, once for the k nearest neighbor (kNN) rule to provide an upper bound on L* and again for Hellman's (k; k′) nearest neighbor rule with reject option, which gives a lower bound for L*. The result is an asymptotic interval estimate of L* from a finite-length training sample. We apply our estimator to two classification examples, obtaining Bayes' error estimates.
THE ACQUISITION OF FORMAL FEATURES OF LANGUAGE.

Children from different groups do not learn the same uses and functions for language. But every child must learn the formal features, or the “code” for his language, thus creating a constant in every language acquisition situation.
Characterization of proteolytic enzymes of the midgut and excreta of the biting fly Stomoxys calcitrans

Proteolytic enzymes were characterized in the midgut and the excreta of the stable fly Stomoxys calcitrans (L) with proteins, synthetic substrates, and inhibitors. Inhibition studies suggested trypsinlike activity in sugar-fed fly midguts, whereas excreta and blood-fed fly guts exhibited other proteases. Trypsinlike activity in midguts removed 20 and 30 h after a blood meal increased from 20% to 50% of the total proteolytic enzymes present. Trypsinlike activity was inhibited with human sera, trypsin-specific inhibitors, and a protein isolated from the stable fly thorax. When human albumin and globulin fractions were incubated with trypsinlike enzymes isolated from the midgut and excreta, the albumin fraction was less inhibitory than the globulin fractions and was readily hydrolyzed by the proteolytic enzymes. These results may indicate that the proteolytic enzymes produce an abortive complex with the globulin fractions of the sera. Such a complex may explain the temporary inhibition of proteolysis by the blood meal. Soybean trypsin inhibitor fed to stable flies caused 50% inhibition in proteolytic activity in the midguts of sugar-fed stable flies and 25% inhibition in the midguts of blood-fed stable flies. Complete inhibition of proteolytic enzyme activity was achieved only in vitro. pH profiles of proteolytic enzyme activity isolated from the excreta of blood-fed stable flies indicated that several proteolytic enzymes were excreted.
A 1.8mW 2MHz-BW 66.5dB-SNDR ΔΣ ADC using VCO-based integrators with intrinsic CLA

This paper presents a scaling-friendly continuous-time closed-loop VCO-based ΔΣ ADC. It uses the VCO as both quantizer and integrator, and thus, obviates the need for power-hungry scaling-unfriendly OTAs and precision comparators. It arranges two VCOs in a pseudo-differential manner, which cancels out even-order distortions. More importantly, it brings an intrinsic clocked averaging (CLA) capability that automatically addresses DAC mismatches. The prototype ADC in 130nm CMOS occupies a small area of 0.03mm2 and achieves 66.5dB SNDR over 2MHz BW while sampling at 300MHz and consuming 1.8mW under a 1.2V power supply. It can also operate with a low analog supply of 0.7V and achieves 65.8dB SNDR while consuming 1.1mW. The corresponding figure-of-merits (FOMs) for the two cases are 0.25pJ/step and 0.17pJ/step respectively.
Phase Separation within a Binary Self-Assembled Monolayer on Au{111} Driven by an Amide-Containing Alkanethiol

We report the phase separation of a self-assembled monolayer formed from a binary mixture of adsorbates, n-decanethiol, and an amide-containing alkanethiol of similar length (3-mercapto-N-nonylpropionamide), as studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. While mixtures of n-alkanethiols of similar length (i.e., n-decanethiol and n-dodecanethiol) show no phase separation, the introduction of a hydrogen-bonding functionality buried deep within the film induces the formation of single-component domains on the nanometer scale. Phase separation occurs at all relative compositions studied, and for these molecules maintains the same exposed terminal functionality across the entire film. In nonequimolar concentrations of adsorbates, we observe that the solution component present in greater concentration will dominate the composition of the adsorbed monolayer in super proportion to that in solution, consistent with enthalpic contributions from both the solvent and intermolecular interactions of adsorbates.
Coherent Structures in Flat-Bed Abutment Flow: Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations and Experiments

Numerical computations and laboratory experiments are carried out to investigate the three-dimensional structure of large-scale (coherent) vortices induced by bridge abutments on a flat bed. A finite-volume numerical method is developed for solving the unsteady, three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, closed with the k-ω turbulence model, in generalized curvilinear coordinates and applied to study the flow in the vicinity of a typical abutment geometry with a fixed, flat bed. The computed flowfields reveal the presence of multiple, large-scale, unsteady vortices both in the upstream, “quiescent,” region of recirculating fluid and the shear-layer emanating from the edge of the foundation. These computational findings motivated the development of a novel experimental technique for visualizing the footprints of large-scale coherent structures at the free surface. The technique relies on digital photography and employs averaging of instantaneous images over finite-size windows to extract ...
Theoretical Predictions of Body Tissue and Blood Temperature During Cold Water Immersion Using a Whole Body Model

Understanding the thermal response of the human body under various environmental and thermal stress conditions is of growing importance. Calculation of the core body temperature and the survivability of the body during immersion in cold water require detailed modeling of both the body tissue and the time-dependent blood temperature. Predicting body temperature changes under cold stress conditions is considered challenging since factors like thickness of the skin and blood perfusion within the skin layer become influential. Hence, the aim of this research was to demonstrate the capability of a recently developed whole body heat transfer model that simulates the tissue-blood interaction to predict the cooling of the body during immersion in cold water. It was shown that computed drop in core temperature agrees within 0.57 °C of the results calculated using a detailed network model. The predicted survival time in 0 °C water was less than an hour whereas in 18.5 °C water, the body attained a relatively stable core temperature of 34 °C in 2.5 hours.© 2013 ASME
Earth effect in the MSW analysis of the solar neutrino experiments.

We consider the Earth effect in the combined Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein analysis of the solar neutrino experiments including theoretical uncertainties. Using the time-averaged data, the allowed large-angle region extends to much smaller angles than when the Earth effect is ignored. However, the additional constraint from the Kamiokande II day-night data excludes the parameter space most sensitive to the Earth effect, leaving only a small large-angle region close to maximal mixing at 90% C.L. The nonadiabatic solution remains unaffected by the Earth effect and is still preferred.
Propulsion for space vehicles: A survey

The various propulsion systems for space travel are surveyed, emphasizing the propulsion requirements of various missions. Liquid-, solid-, and hybrid-propellant rocket engines, and nuclear, arc-jet, ion-accelerator, magnetogasdynamic, solar-sail, solar-collector, and matter-conversion propulsion methods are considered. Performance characteristics of some of the systems are included.
A remark on compatibility of strain

On montre que les relations de compatibilite de Saint-Venant peuvent etre deduites de la theorie des grandes deformations sans aucune approximation.
Rapid, Simple Bioassay for 5-Fluorocytosine in the Presence of Amphotericin B

It is important that serum levels of 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) be measured to insure therapeutic levels while avoiding toxicity. This is particularly true in patients with renal insufficiency. The concurrent use of amphotericin B and 5FC complicates the measurement of 5FC in the serum, since fungi used in conventional bioassay systems are uniformly susceptible to amphotericin B. This paper describes the development of a simple, reliable, 6-h bioassay for 5FC in the presence of amphotericin B. The assay is based upon the fact that 5FC diffuses readily through yeast nitrogen base agar, whereas amphotericin B apparently does not. This assay allows rapid adjustments in therapy of patients receiving both 5FC and amphotericin B and has permitted us to maintain 5FC serum levels between limits of 25 and 120 μg/ml in patients with altered renal function. Images
Lincomycin in oral surgery

Abstract Lincomycin has proved to be an effective drug in treating staphylococcus infections. It is easy to administer orally and is well tolerated in doses of 500 mg. four times a day for prolonged periods of time. Its effectiveness against bone infections is attributed to its ability to penetrate bone and severely infected tissue. This was borne out by our clinical results. Patients with long-standing chronic osteomyelitis with intermittent exacerbations who had previously been treated with other antibiotics have responded well to lincomycin in conjunction with surgical intervention.
Condylostoma—an Enemy of Bivalve Larvae

In laboratory cultures, where larvae of such bivalves as oysters and clams were kept together with large ciliates of the family Condylostomidae, the latter were seen ingesting the larvae. A single Condylostoma could contain as many as six larvae. Related species may destroy many bivalve larvae in nature.
On the Long-run Sensitivity of Probabilistic Boolean Networks

Boolean networks and, more generally, probabilistic Boolean networks, as one class of gene regulatory networks, model biological processes with the network dynamics determined by the logic-rule regulatory functions in conjunction with probabilistic parameters involved in network transitions. While there has been significant research on applying different control policies to alter network dynamics as future gene therapeutic intervention, we have seen less work on understanding the sensitivity of network dynamics with respect to perturbations to networks, including regulatory rules and the involved parameters, which is particularly critical for the design of intervention strategies. This paper studies this less investigated issue of network sensitivity in the long run. As the underlying model of probabilistic Boolean networks is a finite Markov chain, we define the network sensitivity based on the steady-state distributions of probabilistic Boolean networks and call it long-run sensitivity. The steady-state distribution reflects the long-run behavior of the network and it can give insight into the dynamics or momentum existing in a system. The change of steady-state distribution caused by possible perturbations is the key measure for intervention. This newly defined long-run sensitivity can provide insight on both network inference and intervention. We show the results for probabilistic Boolean networks generated from random Boolean networks and the results from two real biological networks illustrate preliminary applications of sensitivity in intervention for practical problems.
Uniqueness and Nonuniqueness of Viscosity Solutions to Aronsson’s Equation

For a bounded domain \({\Omega\subset\mathbb R^n}\) and \({g\in C(\delta\Omega)}\), assume that \({H\in C^2(\mathbb R^n)}\) is convex and coercive, and that \({\{p\in \mathbb R^n\| H(p)={\rm min}_{\mathbb R^n} H\}}\) has no interior points. Then we establish the uniqueness of viscosity solutions to the Dirichlet problem of Aronsson’s equation: $$ \begin{aligned} {\mathcal A} [u]:= H_p(\nabla u)\otimes H_p(\nabla u):\nabla^2 u &=0, \,\, {\rm in}\, \Omega \\ u&=g, \,\,{\rm on}\,\delta\Omega. \end{aligned}$$ For H = H(p, x) depending on x, we illustrate the connection between the uniqueness and nonuniqueness of viscosity solutions to Aronsson’s equation and that of the Hamilton–Jacobi equation \({H(\nabla u,x)=c}\).
Pharmacist Involvement at Discharge with The Joint Commission Heart Failure Core Measure: Challenges and Lessons Learned

Background: Pharmacists are vital health care providers to patients with heart failure (HF), but their compliance to the HF core measure has not been clearly defined. Objective: The objective of this study was to measure the impact of pharmacist involvement at discharge on compliance with The Joint Commission HF core measure. Methods: This prospective study was conducted at a 361-bed academic teaching institution. A pharmacist performed chart reviews just prior to discharge on adult patients with a preliminary diagnosis of HF (ie, clinical suspicion) to evaluate compliance with the HF core measure. The pharmacist then intervened as needed to ensure compliance. The primary outcome was HF core measure compliance rates with pharmacist involvement at discharge compared to rates during the same 3-month period during the previous year (without pharmacist involvement). Results: Of 92 patients admitted with clinical suspicion of HF, the pharmacist was able to review 45 patient charts at discharge (49%). The majority of interventions made by the pharmacist were due to medication discrepancies within the discharge instructions found during medication reconciliation. Rates of compliance with the HF core measure did not differ between the period with pharmacist involvement at discharge and the previous period (without pharmacist involvement, P = .39). However, barriers to compliance related to discharge medication documentation, interdisciplinary communication, and manpower were identified through the process. Conclusion: Although pharmacist involvement at discharge did not translate into improved compliance with the HF core measure, systematic barriers to compliance were identified and are currently being addressed.
Anemia Producing Mitral Valve Flutter on the Echocardiogram

Thirty-four patients in sinus rhythm with anemia due to chronic renal failure and one subject with chronic uterine bleeding were studied by means of echocardiography. Six patients (18%) had major diastolic fluttering of the mitral valve, and in 4 others the fluttering was equivocal. No subject had auscultatory or other clinical evidence of aortic insufficiency. In the patient with uterine hemorrhage, diastolic mitral valve motion reverted to normal after blood transfusion. It is concluded that anemia may produce diastolic mitral valve fluttering, which is probably based on increased blood flow in this setting. Caution should be exercised in ascribing diastolic murmurs associated with uremia to aortic regurgitation when anemia is present.
The mechanism and regulation of proline accumulation in suspension cell cultures of the halophytic grass Distichlis spicata L.

Summary Proline accumulation in the halophyte Distichlis spicata L. occurred rapidly following initiation of NaCl-induced stress and stabilized at an elevated level within 48 h of exposure to NaCl. Accumulation of proline was inhibited by cycloheximide but not by actinomycin D, suggesting that mRNA translation but not mRNA transcription may be necessary prior to production of proline in stressed cells. Protoplasts and vacuoles were isolated to examine partitioning of proline between protoplast and vacuole. Significant amounts of free proline leaked from the protoplasts or cells into the enzyme solution during isolation. Numerous vacuoles were released from a single protoplast during protoplast lysis. The isolated vacuoles contained a minor fraction of the cellular proline.
In search of dark horses: affinity maturation of phage-displayed ligands.

Most combinatorial libraries are ‘sparse’ in that only a tiny fraction of the relevant class of compounds is represented. This sparseness can be compensated in some measure by alternating rounds of selection with rounds of mutagenesis. Thus, clones are selected from the initial library by some criterion of ‘fitness’, such as affinity for a particular receptor. The selected clones are then mutagenized to generate a mutant library, which serves as input to the next round of selection, and so on. If the first round of selection is too stringent, rejecting all but the very fittest clone in the initial library (the ‘initial champion’), we might miss ‘dark horses’; clones in the initial library that are inferior to the initial champion, yet can be mutated to even higher fitness than can that champion. A more thoughtful strategy is to alternate nonstringent selection with simultaneous mutagenesis of many selected clones en masse.
Microwave engineering and systems applications

All of us would agree more or less with the observation that the growth of computing power has produced a corresponding growth in solved problems, designs produced, etc. As one example, Professor Bryan Austin (Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX, United Kingdom) found the data presented graphically below to be very revealing. Professor Austin extracted this data from John Kraus' new edition of his Antennas book.
Explaining A Paradox: The Alberta‐California Natural Gas Trade Dispute

For over 3 years the Alberta government and the California Public Utilities Commission engaged in a bitter dispute over the future of the Alberta-California natural gas trade. This article examines how both sides sought to use their regulatory authority to control the substance of gas trade restructuring. It assesses the dispute as an exercise in deregulatory policymaking and suggests the need for increased study of the role and motivations of subnational regulatory actors.
Introduction to fuzzy hypergraphs and Hebbian structures

Abstract Any finite collection of fuzzy subsets over a finite ground field determines a fuzzy hypergraph; subtract the word “fuzzy” and the statement defines a (crisp) hypergraph. From this inauspicious beginning, hypergraph theory has become an interesting and useful discipline; in this brief introduction, where serious development must occur elsewhere, a glimpse of what may be done within a fuzzy setting has been initiated. Of considerable importance is the question of applications. The focal point in this regard is an extended outline which expresses an implementation of fuzzy hypergraphs into Hebbian structures as introduced by Hebb (1949) in his distinguished treatise: The Organization of Behavior (A Neuropsychological Theory).
Summer forage production under loblolly Pine stands

Abstract A three‐year field experiment was conducted to evaluate forage yield and quality production in 22‐year‐old loblolly pine plantings. Evaluations were performed under acid soil conditions (average pH 4.8±0.2). Treatments were native grasses, ‘Pensacola’ bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge), ’Common’ bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.], and ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass. Forage was harvested every 21 days, beginning in April and ending in September, annually. ‘Coastal’ bermudagrass had the highest total dry matter yield (average 3.1 Mg ha‐1), followed by bahiagrass (2.1 Mg ha‐1). Native grasses and ‘Common’ bermudagrass produced similar yields (average 1.3 Mg ha‐1). Dry matter distributions over season showed similar rankings as total dry yields. Forage dry yield and quality declined over the season for all forages; in vitro dry matter disappearance and crude protein decreased, while neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber (ADF) increased. Forage quality differences among forage species wer...
Regenerative Markov Chain Monte Carlo for Any Distribution

While Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are frequently used for difficult calculations in a wide range of scientific disciplines, they suffer from a serious limitation: their samples are not independent and identically distributed. Consequently, estimates of expectations are biased if the initial value of the chain is not drawn from the target distribution. Regenerative simulation provides an elegant solution to this problem. In this article, we propose a simple regenerative MCMC algorithm to generate variates for any distribution.
Investigations of predictors of failures and debugging effort for large MIS

Abstract To reduce corrective maintenance effort for management information systems (MIS), it must first be determined what influences the failure rate and the extent of debugging effort, once a failure occurs. Factors that could affect the number of software failures and the debugging effort include software features, the software environment, and experience of the people performing maintenance. In this study of a large system, programmer familiarity with the system was found to be the only significant predictor of debugging effort. The number of failures was predicted rather well by a number of software complexity measures and by two environmental aspects, the number of changes and the run frequency. The findings support the recommendation that managers emphasize selecting experienced programmers for maintenance assignments and stabilizing their assignments as much as possible. Software complexity measures showed strong potential for supporting management actions to reduce software failures, by identifying the programme most likely to fail.
Pharmacology of mitoxantrone in cancer patients

Radioactive mitoxantrone was administered at doses of 1–12 mg/m2 by rapid IV infusion to 11 patients. Of the 11 patients, six had normal liver and kidney function tests while the remaining five had abnormal third space and/or hepatic dysfunction. In the former group, the initial t1/2 was 13.7 min and terminal t1/2 was 37.4 h. The apparent volume of distribution was 13.8 l/kg. The total clearance rate was 230.7 ml/kg/h. The recovery of unchanged mitoxantrone from urine was 6.8% at 24 h and 7.3% at 72 h, while the corresponding recovery of total radioactivity was 9.4% at 24 h and 11.3% at 72 h. In the five patients with abnormal liver function or third space the initial t1/2 was variable and ranged from 11.5–63.6 min, and the terminal t1/2 ranged from 53.3–173.2 h, whereas the total clearance rate varied from 52.7–170.2 ml/kg/h. However, the cumulative urinary excretion of unchanged mitoxantrone was similar to that of patients with normal hepatic function: 3.9 at 24 h and 5 at 72 h. Biliary excretion was studied in one of these patients, who had jaundice and hepatic impairment; only 2.3% of 14C was excreted in 24 h and 2.7% in 96 h, of which 39% and 41%, respectively, were unchanged mitoxantrone. Our results suggest that mitoxantrone is taken up rapidly by tissue from which it is released slowly. Reduction of mitoxantrone dose is therefore advisable in patients with liver dysfunction or abnormal third space.
Investigation of the Coal Gasification Process Under Various Operating Conditions Inside a Two-Stage Entrained Flow Gasifier

Numerical simulations of the coal gasification process inside a generic 2-stage entrained-flow gasifier fed with Indonesian coal at approximately 2000 metric tone/day are carried out. The 3-D Navier-Stokes equations and eight species transport equations are solved with three heterogeneous global reactions, three homogeneous reactions, and two-step thermal cracking equation of volatiles. The Chemical Percolation Devolatilization (CPD) model is used for the devolatilization process. Finite rates are used for the heterogeneous solid-to-gas reactions. Both finite rate and eddy-breakup combustion models are calculated for each homogeneous gas-to-gas reaction, and the smaller of the two rates is used. The water-shift reaction rate is adjusted to match available syngas composition from existing operational data without catalyst. This study is conducted to investigate the effects of different operation parameters on the gasification process including coal mixture (dry vs. slurry), oxidant (oxygen-blown vs. air-blown), and different coal distribution between two stages. In the two-stage coal-slurry feed operation, the dominant reactions are intense char combustion in the first stage and enhanced gasification reactions in the second stage. The gas temperature in the first stage for the dry-fed case is about 800 K higher than the slurry-fed case. This calls for attention of additional refractory maintenance in the dry-fed case. One-stage operation yields higher H2, CO and CH4 combined than if a two-stage operation is used, but with a lower syngas heating value. High heating value (HHV) of syngas for the one-stage operation is 7.68 MJ/kg, compared to 8.24 MJ/kg for two-stage operation with 72%-25% fuel distribution and 9.03 MJ/kg for two-stage operation with 50%-50% fuel distribution. Carbon conversion efficiency of the air-blown case is 77.3%, which is much lower than that of the oxygen-blown case (99.4%). The syngas heating value for the air-blown case is 4.40 MJ/kg, which is almost half of the heating value of the oxygen-blown case (8.24 MJ/kg).
Type VII Collagen, Anchoring Fibrils, and Epidermolysis Bullosa

The anchoring fibrils at the dermal-epidermal junction have been well characterized as ultrastructural entities. From their appearance, it was proposed that they fortified the attachment of the epidermis to the dermis. This hypothesized function was strengthened by observations indicating that the anchoring fibrils were abnormal, diminished, or absent from individuals with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Therefore, characterization of the molecular constituents of the anchoring fibrils and their interactions with other basement membrane and dermal components might lead to identification of the gene defects underlying at least some forms of epidermolysis bullosa. Type VII collagen was identified as the protein component of anchoring fibrils in 1986. Since then, the major characteristics of the molecule have been described. These are consistent with a model wherein secreted type VII collagen molecules form disulfide-bond stabilized antiparallel dimers. The dimers then condense laterally into unstaggered arrays that are the anchoring fibrils. This arrangement allows for the protrusion of large globular domains (NC-1) from both ends of the fibrils. The aggregated triple-helical domains extend into the papillary dermis and entrap fibrous dermal components. The NC-1 domains are believed to interact with components of the basement membrane and thus to mediate the attachment of the basement membrane to the dermis. This model predicts that mutations in the type VII collagen gene that prevent the secretion of the molecule will be the most devastating, whereas mutations in the regions encoding the globular domains may show more variable phenotype. Ultimately, understanding the function of type VII collagen at the molecular level will be the key to devising strategies to moderate the pathophysiology of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
Testing general relativity in space-borne and astronomical laboratories

The current status of space-based experiments and astronomical observations designed to test the theory of general relativity is surveyed. Consideration is given to tests of post-Newtonian gravity, searches for feeble short-range forces and gravitomagnetism, improved measurements of parameterized post-Newtonian parameter values, explorations of post-Newtonian physics, tests of the Einstein equivalence principle, observational tests of post-Newtonian orbital effects, and efforts to detect quadrupole and dipole radiation damping. Recent numerical results are presented in tables.
Three-dimensional structure of AmpC beta-lactamase from Escherichia coli bound to a transition-state analogue: possible implications for the oxyanion hypothesis and for inhibitor design.

The structures of AmpC β-lactamase from Escherichia coli, alone and in complex with a transition-state analogue, have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The native enzyme was determined to 2.0 A resolution, and the structure with the transition-state analogue m-aminophenylboronic acid was determined to 2.3 A resolution. The structure of AmpC from E. coli resembles those previously determined for the class C enzymes from Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii. The transition-state analogue, m-aminophenylboronic acid, makes several interactions with AmpC that were unexpected. Perhaps most surprisingly, the putative “oxyanion” of the boronic acid forms what appears to be a hydrogen bond with the backbone carbonyl oxygen of Ala318, suggesting that this atom is protonated. Although this interaction has not previously been discussed, a carbonyl oxygen contact with the putative oxyanion or ligand carbonyl oxygen appears in most complexes involving a β-lactam recognizing enzyme. These observations m...
Dieting, exercise, and intuitive eating among early adolescents.

Dieting to lose weight, with its focus on restriction of caloric intake, may disrupt intuitive eating processes, though other forms of weight loss, such as exercising, which do not emphasize food may not. In a sample of 669 middle school boys and 708 girls, regardless of sex or exercising, dieting was related to feeling less free to eat what was wanted and to eating more to soothe emotions than to satisfy actual physical hunger. Exercising, independent of dieting, was associated with feeling less permission to eat what was wanted, but also eating to satisfy physical hunger as opposed to coping with emotional distress. Overall, girls were more aware and trusting of their bodily hunger and satiety cues than boys, but when boys were exercising, they scored similarly to girls on this dimension. These findings suggest that different weight loss approaches – dieting vs. exercising – have unique relationships to young adolescents' intuitive eating and these associations tend to be stable across sex. Longitudinal studies now are needed to examine how dieting that begins in childhood or early adolescence might have long-term effects on the progression of intuitive eating.
CdS nanoclusters stabilized by thiolate ligands: A mini-review

One of the most exciting frontiers in materials chemistry in recent years is the optoelectronics of “quantum-confined” semiconductor nanoclusters. These nanoclusters are ∼ 10–200 A in diameter, and in this size regime exhibit extra-ordinarily interesting quantum mechanical effects. Cadmium sulfide is a popular semiconductor for these studies, and reviewed here is the synthesis and charac-terization of such CdS nanoclusters, with emphasis on how chemical control of the surface by thiolates influences product formation and properties. Also described are the syntheses and structures of true molecular clusters of CdS capped with thiolate ligands.
Weight loss and gender: an examination of physician attitudes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate physician attitudes toward the treatment of overweight and obese individuals and to evaluate potential gender differences in treatment recommendations. Research Methods and Procedures: A survey describing several hypothetical patients was sent to 700 randomly selected physicians; 209 (29.9%) returned the survey. Two versions of the questionnaire (one for men and one for women) described three hypothetical patients at three levels of body mass index (BMI) (32, 28, and 25 kg/m2). One-half of the physicians received a version of the questionnaire describing the patients as women, and one-half received a version describing the patients as men. Respondents answered questions about attitudes toward treatment and specific interventions and referrals they would view as appropriate. Results: Physicians were more likely to encourage women with a BMI of 25 kg/m2 to lose weight than men with the same BMI, and indicated that they would suggest more treatment referrals for women than men. Men with a BMI of 32 kg/m2 were more likely to be encouraged to lose weight than women with the identical BMI. Physicians were more likely to encourage weight loss and see treatment referrals as appropriate for patients with higher BMIs. Discussion: This study indicates that physicians treat male and female patients differently, with physicians more likely to encourage weight loss and provide referrals for women with a BMI of 25 kg/m2 than for men with an identical BMI and less likely to encourage weight loss for women than men with a BMI of 32 kg/m2.
Performance comparison of mechanisms to reduce bit stuffing jitters in controller area networks

Bit stuffing in CAN is likely to cause jitters on message reception that, in specific cases where timing accuracy is relevant, may worsen the quality of the control algorithm noticeably. Several solutions have appeared in the past years that are aimed to tackle this issue, which are based on a suitable encoding of the payload of the message carried out in s/w by the transmitting node. In this paper, two efficient approaches are considered, namely XOR masking and 8B9B encoding, and their performance evaluated by means of both theoretical analysis and experimental campaigns. In particular, jitter reduction capability and encoding efficiency were taken into account and compared to the case when plain CAN is adopted.
Complex signals bioinformatics: evaluation of heart rate characteristics monitoring as a novel risk marker for neonatal sepsis

Heart rate characteristics monitoring for early detection of late-onset neonatal sepsis was first described in 2003. This technique, which uses mathematical methods to report the fold-increase in the risk of imminent neonatal sepsis, adds independent information to laboratory tests and clinical findings, and, in a large randomized trial, reduced NICU mortality of very low birth weight infants. Through re-analysis and new secondary analyses of published studies, we have systematically evaluated the utility of this new risk marker for screening the growing population of premature infants. We followed the guidelines proposed by Hlatky et al. (Circulation, 119:2408–2416, 2009), reviewed past works, and re-analyzed data from 1,489 patients receiving conventional monitoring alone, 348 of whom had 488 episodes of proven sepsis, in the large randomized trial. Heart rate characteristics monitoring passed all phases of risk marker development from proof of concept to improvement of clinical outcomes. The predictiveness curve affirmed good calibration, and addition of the heart rate characteristics index to predictive models using standard risk factors favorably impacted the receiver operating characteristic curve area (increase of 0.030), continuous net reclassification index (0.389) and the integrated discrimination index (0.008), and compares well to other modern risk factors. Heart rate characteristics monitoring is a validated risk marker for sepsis in the NICU.
Management Development Through Training

The article reviews the book “Management Development Through Training,” by Charles E. Watson.
Pathways of Excretion of 3H-l,2-d-Aldosterone Radiometabolites in the Rat1

Biliary excretion has been found to be a major route of excretion of aldosterone metabolites in the rat. Four μc (0.05 μg) of 3H-aldosterone was injected intravenously. During the first 24 hr after injection, normal rats excreted 25% of the injected radioactivity in urine and 43% in feces. Excretion of radiometabolites was complete in 96 hr with a total of 29% of the tritiated metabolites in urine and 67% in feces. Cannulation of the bile duct revealed that more than 90 % of injected aldosterone is excreted in bile within 4 hr. Enterohepatic circulation occurs since tritiated compounds appeared in urine after bile containing radiometabolites of aldosterone was given intragastrically. Although only 1 % of the radiometabolites in bile was unconjugated, unconjugated metabolites represented 35 % of the radiometabolites in urine and 48 % in feces.(Endocrinology 79: 815, 1966)
Conformational studies of depurinating DNA adducts from syn-dibenzo(a,l)pyrene diolepoxide

One of the major DNA adducts from the extremely potent aromatic carcinogen dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) is the depurinating adduct syn-DB[a,l]P diolepoxide-14-N7Ade. Low-temperature fluorescence spectra of this adduct (and related derivaties bound to N3-adenine and N7-guanine) showed two distinct (0,0) origin bands with different excited-state vibrational frequencies, as measured by means of fluorescence line narrowing spectroscopy. The relative intensity of the two origin bands was solvent dependent. The hypothesis that this phenomenon could be due to a conformational equilibrium was tested using molecular mechanics, dynamical simulations and semi-empirical quantum-mechanical calculations. The hydrolyzed metabolite DB[a,l]P tetraol was also studied for comparison. It was found that the syn-DB[a,l]P diolepoxide-14-N7Ade adduct is formed via trans addition to the epoxide. Exploration of the conformational space indeed produced two potential energy minima; both corresponding to structures in which the aromatic ring system is severely distorted. In conformation I the proximity of the distal ring forces the adenine base into a pseudo-axial position and the cyclohexenyl ring adopts a half-boat structure. In conformation II the distal ring is bent in the opposite direction, allowing the cyclohexenyl ring to adopt a half-chair structure with the base in a pseudo-equatorial position, partially stacked over the distal ring. THe difference in (0,0) transition energy calculated for the two conformers agrees very well with the spectroscopic data, and the relative orientations of the hydrogens bound to the cyclohexenyl ring in the major (half-boat) conformation I are in full agreement with the experimentally observed proton NMR coupling constants.
Topographic patterns of brain activity in response to swim stress: assessment by 2-deoxyglucose uptake and expression of Fos-like immunoreactivity

Alterations in brain activity patterns were assessed in response to swim stress by immunocytochemical detection of Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) and high-resolution autoradiographic imaging of 14C-2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) uptake. The stress paradigm investigated was a classic behavioral screen for antidepressant drug activity, the forced swim test. One of the most pronounced effects produced by swim stress was an increase in 2-DG uptake and induction of Fos-LI in a restricted region of the lateral septal nucleus. Specific "limbic" cortical regions, including the medial prefrontal, ventrolateral orbital, and cingulate cortices, also exhibited both increased 2-DG uptake and expression of Fos-LI in response to swim stress. In the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of swim-stressed rats, Fos-LI was induced but no change in 2-DG uptake was apparent. Since the specific swim stress protocol used is a behavioral screen for antidepressant drugs, the effects of imipramine on stress-induced alterations in 2-DG uptake and induction of Fos-LI were examined. The stress-induced increase in 2-DG uptake in the lateral septum was blocked by treatment with imipramine, but treatment with imipramine had no effect on induction of Fos-LI in the same region. Neither 2-DG uptake nor Fos-LI expression was altered by imipramine treatment in the cortical regions influenced by swim stress. Administration of imipramine alone under basal conditions produced a robust induction of Fos-LI in the central nucleus of the amygdala and in the dorsal lateral subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. No effect of imipramine treatment on 2-DG uptake was apparent in these latter regions. The results provide insights into topographic patterns of brain activity associated with swim stress and neuroanatomically selective actions of imipramine. The different and complementary information obtained by assessment of Fos-LI and 2-DG uptake illustrates the utility of applying both functional mapping approaches to examine neuroanatomical correlates of behavioral states and drug treatment.
Growth-Rate Selection on a Methionine Deficient Diet

Abstract THE DEVELOPMENT of lines differing in growth response when fed a diet deficient in some nutrient offers great possibilities as a research tool to the geneticist, physiologist and nutritionist. Basic studies in these areas of research may be accelerated through the availability of such lines. The formation of lines from one population with different growth response to nutritional deficiencies is a relatively unexplored area of research, although breed differences in various nutrient requirements of the fowl have been reported. Differences in the requirement of vitamin B1 have been reported by Lamoreux and Hutt (1939); in riboflavin by Davis, Norris and Heuser (1938) and Lamoreux and Hutt (1948); and in vitamin D by Olsson as reported by Hutt (1949). McDonald (1957 McDonald (1958) has demonstrated a breed difference between White Leghorn and Black Australorp chickens in utilization of methionine and cystine, and Miller, O’Barr and Denton (1960) showed a breed difference in …
Stripped corn oil emulsion alters ripening, reduces superficial scald, and reduces core flush in ‘Granny Smith’ apples and decay in ‘d'Anjou’ pears

Abstract ‘Granny Smith’ apples (Malus x domestica Borkh) and ‘Beurre d'Anjou’ pears (Pyrus communis L.) were dipped in a 2.5, 5, or 10% stripped corn oil (α-tocopherol
Proteogenomics to discover the full coding content of genomes: a computational perspective

Proteogenomics has emerged as a field at the junction of genomics and proteomics. It is a loose collection of technologies that allow the search of tandem mass spectra against genomic databases to identify and characterize protein-coding genes. Proteogenomic peptides provide invaluable information for gene annotation, which is difficult or impossible to ascertain using standard annotation methods. Examples include confirmation of translation, reading-frame determination, identification of gene and exon boundaries, evidence for post-translational processing, identification of splice-forms including alternative splicing, and also, prediction of completely novel genes. For proteogenomics to deliver on its promise, however, it must overcome a number of technological hurdles, including speed and accuracy of peptide identification, construction and search of specialized databases, correction of sampling bias, and others. This article reviews the state of the art of the field, focusing on the current successes, and the role of computation in overcoming these challenges. We describe how technological and algorithmic advances have already enabled large-scale proteogenomic studies in many model organisms, including arabidopsis, yeast, fly, and human. We also provide a preview of the field going forward, describing early efforts in tackling the problems of complex gene structures, searching against genomes of related species, and immunoglobulin gene reconstruction.