cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Acute toxicity of diflubenzuron (DFB) to various life stages of the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio

The acute toxic effects of diflubenzuron (DFB) on various life stages of the grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, were determined using a static renewal system. It was observed that the larvae and the postlarvae were the most sensitive to acute DFB toxicity; 96-hr LC50's being 1.44 and 1.62 μg L−1 respectively. Also variations among the 96-hr LC50's for these two life stages were the lowest (11.59% for larvae and 30.06% for postlarvae) compared to 68.9% for males and non-Ovgerous females. Ovigerous female grass shrimp (hence the embryos) appeared to be the most resistant to acute toxic effects of DFB with a mean LC50 of 6985 μg L−1. The limitations of LC50 data and the importance of molt-related sensitivity of the different life stages of P. pugio to diflubenzuron are discussed.
Citizen Participation and Collaborative Environmental Management in the Marine Oil Trade of Coastal Alaska

This study compares the contributions to policy change made by two Regional Citizens’ Advisory Councils that participate in the environmental management of the marine oil trade in coastal regions of Alaska. Both councils are remarkably well-funded and long-enduring examples of citizen participation in environmental policy. This study finds that both councils have applied their substantial funding resources to make significant contributions to policy change (policy contributions) in the marine oil trade of coastal Alaska. This study also finds that both councils have greatly magnified their policy contributions through collaborative efforts with many other organizations active in the marine oil trade of Alaska. Therefore, the overall policy contributions of the councils result from the joint application of council resources and collaborative efforts.
Localization and Changes in NADPH-Diaphorase Reactivity and Nitric Oxide Synthase Immunoreactivity in Rat Pulp Following Tooth Preparation

Inflammatory changes in the dental pulp are accompanied by release of a wide variety of chemical mediators. Nitric oxide, an oxidative free radical produced by the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (NOS), has been implicated in multiple inflammatory processes, which makes it a suitable marker for changes which likely occur following tooth pulp insult. Since limited information on nitric oxide in the pulp is available, it is necessary first to examine relative distributions of NOS in uninflamed and inflamed rat pulp. We accomplished this by characterizing regions of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity and the distribution of both macrophage NOS (macNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) immunoreactivity in normal and inflamed rat molar pulp at multiple time points. The results showed that: (1) deep cavity preparation on the mesial surface of the molar produced a time-dependent inflammation, with acute inflammation early progressing to chronic, granulomatous inflammation with necrosis...
Diffusion Bonding of Ti-6Al-4V Sheet with Ti-6Al-4V Foam for Biomedical Implant Applications

Advanced metallic bone implants are designed to have a porous surface to improve osseointegration and reduce risks of loosening. An alternative approach to existing surface treatments to create a porous surface is to bond separately produced metallic foams onto the implant. To assess the feasibility of this approach, a Ti-6Al-4V foam was diffusion bonded onto bulk Ti-6Al-4V in an argon atmosphere at temperatures between 1173 K and 1223 K (900 °C and 950 °C) for times between 45 and 75 minutes. These specimens were tested in tension to determine bond quality: failures occurred in the foam, indicating a strong diffusion-bonded interface. The quality of the bond was confirmed by metallographic studies, indicating that this approach, which can also be applied to creating of sandwich with porous cores, is successful.
A nervous tumor microenvironment: the impact of adrenergic stress on cancer cells, immunosuppression, and immunotherapeutic response

Long conserved mechanisms maintain homeostasis in living creatures in response to a variety of stresses. However, continuous exposure to stress can result in unabated production of stress hormones, especially catecholamines, which can have detrimental health effects. While the long-term effects of chronic stress have well-known physiological consequences, recent discoveries have revealed that stress may affect therapeutic efficacy in cancer. Growing epidemiological evidence reveals strong correlations between progression-free and long-term survival and β-blocker usage in cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of how the catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine, affect cancer cell survival and tumor progression. We also highlight new data exploring the potential contributions of stress to immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and the implications of these findings for the efficacy of immunotherapies.
IP over 40+ Years at IBM Scientific Centers and Marketing

Time passes indeed! My days at IBM reach back to the late fifties. I was diverted from a career as Physics Professor at CCNY to one at IBM by the attraction of early computing. We worked in several locations not far from IBM head quarters at 590 Madison Avenue. Eventually, IBM formed a “mathematics and applications” group. It did advanced work in many areas, for example there were projects on “reading texts being converted to Braille output (Anne Schack), fabrics being produced on wool looms from patterns fed into computers (Janice Lourie), also “Autopromt”, an automatic machine tool generation project (Sam Matsa), and other such applications never done before on computers. Those were heady days: whatever one did was new and exciting. I wrote some of the first elementary function subroutines of FORTRAN in assembly language, using Chebyshev functions for polynomial approximations, then rational expressions and continued fractions, to assure rapid and accurate computation. Corrections were in binary form, and one might have to fly to Cambridge to get available computer time at MIT! Eventually I headed a small team for developing a first full Package for FORTRAN. It was good to work with the Russian mathematician Dr. Kogbetliantz, a colleague of Hadamard, who was quoted in the yellow Springer Math. Book, Vol. 1 (“Infinite Series”, Knopp). He was a kind old man (probably my age now!) who taught me much about the approximation of functions. We worked in a room in New York City also used by the team who had recently designed and developed FORTRAN, a major task. I became friendly with members of that illustrious group, such as Don Quarles and Harlan Herrick. Later, a first major project was on Global Weather Forecasting, jointly with the U.S.Weather Bureau. We used partial differential equations (suggested to the Weather Bureau first by John von Neumann). I eventually derived them from a general tensor form for a rectangular coordinate system (a paper on it was published in the IBM Research Journal; I believe only a few US Weather Bureau members ever read it). We used a grid with ten-thousand points in a plane and nine vertical layers to represent the Northern Hemisphere. Ingredients of weather (temperature, humidity, wind components)
LESTER FRANK WARD AS A SOCIOLOGIST OF GENDER A New Look at His Sociological Work

This article analyzes the writings of Lester Frank Ward on relevant topics in the sociology of gender. Although Ward's work on the subjection of women has been largely ignored, a new look at these writings reveals much of interest. His theory of early female superiority in human societies, his association of the rise of male dominance with the discovery of paternity and the development of property, his recognition of the role of conflict and force in human society, and his discussion of marriage and family as reinforcing male proprietary interests in women are significant. Ward was one of many early sociologists who supported women's equality and who critically evaluated the role of gender in society, but like the others, his work has been ignored, discounted, and misrepresented by later, more conservative, interpreters of the discipline. However, he should be recognized as one of the important forerunners of the sociology of gender.
Thermodynamics of steady states: A weak entropy-production principle

Abstract Two classes of steady-state situations, a family of chemical reaction schemes and the simple gradient situations (heat conduction, diffusion, Poiseuille flow of a fluid), are exhibited such that each member of each class fails to satisfy the principle of minimum entropy production outside the linear current-affinity region but nevertheless satisfies unrestrictedly a weaker form of entropy-production principle. A necessary and sufficient condition for the validity of the weak entropy-production principle is established. The weak entropy-production principle is necessarily valid for all situations involving linear kinetic laws (whether involving magnetic and centrifugal fields or not) but is not necessarily valid for situations involving nonlinear kinetic laws (special case counterexamples can be constructed).
Abstract LB-326: Zeb1 regulates inflammation-induced invasion and self-renewal of colon cancer cells.

Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC Up-regulation of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β in tumor microenvironment has been associated with progression of human colorectal cancer, although the exact molecular mechanisms are still unclear. To understand how IL-1β influences colon cancer cell behaviors, we used a human colon cancer cell line HCT-116 as well as primary human colon cancer cells derived from a patient, which more closely reflect the properties of the primary tumor than established cell lines. Here, we demonstrate that IL-1β promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) development in colon cancer. IL-1β treatment resulted in loss of E-cadherin and gain of a mesenchymal phenotype in both HCT-116 cells and primary colon cancer cells. Among E-cadherin suppressors, Zeb1 was up-regulated in IL-1β-induced EMT cells. Consistent with EMT properties, IL-1β-treated HCT-116 cells exhibited higher cell migratory ability. Moreover, IL-1β induced expression of stem-cell marker Bmi-1 in both HCT-116 cells and primary colon cancer cells. IL-1β increased these cells’ self-renewal ability to form spheres in serum-free conditions and chemo-resistance; properties associated with colon CSCs. Taken together, these results indicate that IL-1β can induce EMT and promote generation of CSCs in colon cancer. More importantly, we found that ZEB1, but not other E-cadherin transcriptional repressors (such as Zeb2, Snail and Twist), was consistently up-regulated in IL-1β-induced EMT cells and sphere cells. This suggests that Zeb1 links IL-1β-induced CSC self-renewal and EMT in colon cancer cells. Moreover, knockdown of Zeb1 in HCT-116 cells using shRNAs reversed the IL-1β effects on these two processes, further indicating that Zeb1 is essential for IL-1β-induced stem cell and EMT phenotypes in colon cancer cells. Our finding indicates that IL-1β promotes colon tumor growth and invasion through activation of CSC self-renewal and EMT, while Zeb1 plays a critical role in activation of these two processes. Thus, targeting tumor microenvironment cytokines or Zeb1 might form the basis of a promising treatment for colon cancer. Citation Format: Lei Wang, Yijing Li, Amy Beckley, Lorretta Pappan, Jishu Shi. Zeb1 regulates inflammation-induced invasion and self-renewal of colon cancer cells. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-326. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-326 Note: This abstract was not presented at the AACR Annual Meeting 2013 because the presenter was unable to attend.
Use of in vitro models of bovine corneal endothelial cells to determine the relative toxicity of viscoelastic agents

Healon, Viscoat and Amvisc Plus (Amvisc+) are commercial preparations containing hyaluronic acids of different molecular weights and viscosities. Cytotoxicity of these preparations to the corneal endothelium may be a factor in postsurgical recovery of the cornea. Using different in vitro models of bovine corneal endothelial cells (BCEC), three experiments to compare the possible detrimental effects of these viscoelastic agents were designed. In the confluent model, confluent BCEC were exposed to viscoelastic agents and the control to Balanced Salt Solution Plus (BSS+) for one hour and the nuclear density (nuclei/mm2) was assessed at 24 and 168 hours. At both times, the BCEC exposed to Healon showed the highest nuclear densities. In the preconfluent model, BCEC were treated for one hour at 48 hours post-seeding. The nuclear density of the BCEC was assessed at 24 hours. The BCEC exposed to Healon showed the highest density, followed by those exposed to Amvisc+ and then Viscoat. In the proliferation model, BCEC were cultured in media containing 1%, 5%, and 10% viscoelastic agents. The growth curves based on nuclear densities at 0, 24, 72, 120, and 168 hours in all treatment groups did not differ significantly from the control. The results indicate that the undiluted Healon was significantly less toxic in the preconfluent and confluent BCEC models.
Implications for Chk1 Regulation: The 1.7 Å Crystal Structure of Human Cell Cycle Checkpoint Kinase Chk1

The checkpoint kinase Chk1 is an important mediator of cell cycle arrest following DNA damage. The 1.7 A resolution crystal structures of the human Chk1 kinase domain and its binary complex with an ATP analog has revealed an identical open kinase conformation. The secondary structure and side chain interactions stabilize the activation loop of Chk1 and enable kinase activity without phosphorylation of the catalytic domain. Molecular modeling of the interaction of a Cdc25C peptide with Chk1 has uncovered several conserved residues that are important for substrate selectivity. In addition, we found that the less conserved C-terminal region negatively impacts Chk1 kinase activity.
Skin and bone surfaces for a three-dimensional kinematic hand model

We have previously described the development of a 20 link, 25 degrees-of-freedom three-dimensional kinematic model of the hand (Buchholz and Armstrong 1992, Choi and Armstrong 2006). Each link corresponds to a segment of the hand. We also showed how this model can be used to predict 1) hand posture and finger placement using contact algorithms and 2) the space required for the hand to reach for and grasp work objects. The present model uses an array of points based on truncated cones to describe the skin surface. This study aims to develop models for describing the surface of the hand that are congruent with the anatomic structure of the hand. These models will improve the model predictions of finger placement and posture, of the space required by the hand, and the hand image. In addition, we also aim to develop models that describe the bones in the hand that will make it possible to study tendon excursions, loads and injuries. Graphic files that describe the surfaces of the hand and the bones were genera...
Effects of High-Pressure Buffer Gases on Emission from Laser-Induced Plasmas

A laser-induced plasma is used for atomization, ionization, and excitation of elements in solid samples. The analytes are placed in a variable-pressure chamber in which the surrounding gas can be modified to obtain optimum emission characteristics for a particular sample. A time-resolved system is described which can produce qualitative and semi-quantitative spectroscopic information using a single laser plasma. The effects of the plasma position relative to the sample, the chamber pressure, and the characteristics of the surrounding gases are studied. When helium was employed as the buffer gas, maximum emission intensity for the aluminum ionic transition at 281.6 nm was observed. The spectra obtained show that it is possible to obtain qualitative spectroscopic information with the formation of single plasmas by the use of time resolution. It is also demonstrated that sample excitation can be achieved directly by the plasma and indirectly by energy transfer from gases in the chamber. This method allows the use of small sample quantities with little sample preparation and is especially advantageous for solid samples which are not easily dissolved.
Determinant of bacterial translocation in the newborn: Small bowel versus large bowel colonization

Abstract This study investigated the relationship between bacterial translocation (BT) and small and large bowel bacterial colonization in the neonatal rabbit. The authors have previously shown that spontaneous BT occurs in rabbits during the first week of life, but is less frequent before the third day of life. The authors have also shown that bacterial colonization of the small bowel is delayed until 3 to 5 days of age, and is preceded by colonization of the large bowel. Therefore, the authors hypothesized that BT is dependent on small bowel, not large bowel, colonization. New Zealand White rabbit pups (n = 255) were divided into four groups, formula-fed (FF), formula-fed plus antibiotic (FFAB), breast-fed (BF) and unfed controls (UC). Animals from each group were killed on day 1 to 4 of life. Small bowel (SB) and large bowel (LB) specimens, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN), spleen (SPL), and liver (LIV) were obtained from each rabbit, incubated for 24 hours in thioglycolate broth, and plated on both MacConkey and Colistin Naladixic Acid media in an aerobic environment. After 24 hours, growth on either plate was recorded. Bacterial colonization was significantly greater in FF versus UC, BF, and FFAB rabbit groups. In addition, large bowel colonization was significantly increased compared with small bowel colonization in all feeding groups ( P P
CMS Reimbursement Reform and the Incidence of Hospital-Acquired Pulmonary Embolism or Deep Vein Thrombosis

BACKGROUND In October 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stopped reimbursing hospitals for the marginal cost of treating certain preventable hospital-acquired conditions.
Sulphydryl reagents trigger Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned rabbit psoas fibres.

1. By analogy with studies on sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) vesicles, Ca2+ release induced by heavy metals and mercaptans (e.g. cysteine) was investigated in rabbit skinned psoas fibres through measurements of isometric tension. 2. Heavy metals (at 2-5 microM) elicited phasic contractions by triggering Ca2+ release from the SR and had the following order of potency: Hg2+ > Cu2+ > Cd2+ > Ag+ > Ni2+. Higher concentrations produced tonic contractions due to maintained high Ca2+ permeability of SR membranes. 3. Contractions induced by heavy metals required a functional and Ca(2+)-loaded SR, were dependent on [Ca2+]free, blocked by Ruthenium Red (RR), inhibited by free Mg2+ and reduced glutathione (GSH) but not by oxidized glutathione (GSSG). Such contractions were not elicited through direct interaction(s) of heavy metals with the myofilaments. 4. In the presence of catalytic concentrations of Hg2+ or Cu2+ (2-5 microM), additions of cysteine (25-100 microM) elicited rapid twitches, producing 70% of maximal force with a time to half-peak of 2 s. Contractions induced by cysteine plus a catalyst required a functional SR network, were dependent on free [Mg2+] and were blocked by RR or GSH but not by GSSG. 5. In the presence of Hg2+ (2-5 microM), low concentrations of cysteine (10 microM) elicited tonic contractures, but subsequent or higher additions of cysteine (50-100 microM) caused further SR Ca2+ release and tension, followed by rapid and full relaxation. 6. High cysteine (200-250 microM, without Cu2+ or Hg2+) blocked contractions elicited by Cl- induced depolarization of sealed T-tubules. High cysteine probably acted as a sulphydryl reducing agent which promoted rapid relaxation of the fibres through the closure of Ca(2+)-release channels and ATP-dependent re-uptake of Ca2+ by the SR. 7. In some batches of skinned fibres (approximately 10%), cysteine (5-50 microM) alone (without Hg2+ or Cu2+ catalyst) produced rapid twitches. This implied that the catalyst(s) necessary to promote the sulphydryl oxidation reaction with exogenously added cysteine may be present in intact fibres but is usually lost by the skinning procedure. 8. The data demonstrate that skeletal fibres contain a highly reactive and accessible sulphydryl site on an SR protein which can be reversibly oxidized and reduced to respectively, open and close SR Ca(2+)-release channels. A model of sulphydryl-gated excitation-contraction coupling is proposed where the voltage sensor on the T-tubule membrane directly oxidizes sulphydryl sites on SR Ca(2+)-release channels.
The Effects of Alignment Quality, Distance Calculation Method, Sequence Filtering, and Region on the Analysis of 16S rRNA Gene-Based Studies

Pyrosequencing of PCR-amplified fragments that target variable regions within the 16S rRNA gene has quickly become a powerful method for analyzing the membership and structure of microbial communities. This approach has revealed and introduced questions that were not fully appreciated by those carrying out traditional Sanger sequencing-based methods. These include the effects of alignment quality, the best method of calculating pairwise genetic distances for 16S rRNA genes, whether it is appropriate to filter variable regions, and how the choice of variable region relates to the genetic diversity observed in full-length sequences. I used a diverse collection of 13,501 high-quality full-length sequences to assess each of these questions. First, alignment quality had a significant impact on distance values and downstream analyses. Specifically, the greengenes alignment, which does a poor job of aligning variable regions, predicted higher genetic diversity, richness, and phylogenetic diversity than the SILVA and RDP-based alignments. Second, the effect of different gap treatments in determining pairwise genetic distances was strongly affected by the variation in sequence length for a region; however, the effect of different calculation methods was subtle when determining the sample's richness or phylogenetic diversity for a region. Third, applying a sequence mask to remove variable positions had a profound impact on genetic distances by muting the observed richness and phylogenetic diversity. Finally, the genetic distances calculated for each of the variable regions did a poor job of correlating with the full-length gene. Thus, while it is tempting to apply traditional cutoff levels derived for full-length sequences to these shorter sequences, it is not advisable. Analysis of β-diversity metrics showed that each of these factors can have a significant impact on the comparison of community membership and structure. Taken together, these results urge caution in the design and interpretation of analyses using pyrosequencing data.
Comparison of fly ash leaching methods

Abstract Five leaching methods (serial batch leaching procedure (SBLP), synthetic groundwater leaching procedure (SGLP), mine water leaching procedure (MWLP), 3 TIER integrated framework leaching protocol (3TIER), and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP)) were compared using two samples, a class F fly and a class C fly ash. Each method was tested in triplicate, according to the published procedure, and leachate was analyzed for 23 elements. The procedures were compared on the basis of elemental availability, defined as the cumulative elemental release per kg of sample, and the variation in extraction with increased L/S as a surrogate for long term release. Higher availability values were obtained with the SBLP and MWLP, which cover a range of pH’s and 3TIER, which uses EDTA to form soluble complexes. SGLP, a high pH procedure, and TCLP, mildly acidic, generally produced lower availability values. Cumulative elemental extraction as a function of L/S in SBLP, MWLP and 3TIER generally agreed within an order of magnitude.
Inverse Problem of Determining Unknown Wall Heat Flux in Laminar Flow Through a Parallel Plate Duct

Abstract The conjugate gradient method is used to solve the inverse problem of determining the spacewise variation of an unknown applied wall flux for laminar flow inside a parallel plate duct. One of the walls is insulated. The inverse analysis is based on the temperature reading taken inside the fluid at several different locations along the flow. The inverse analysis is performed by using the combination of the regular and modified conjugate gradient methods. The combined method was found to be more accurate than either of these two methods alone.
Effects of sodium chloride concentration on solubility and electrophoretic characteristics of protein from the eye lens nucleus in a yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and in a desert wood rat (Neotoma lepida).

Abstract 1. 1. A medium was sought which would extract from the eye lens nucleus all classes of proteins; albumins, euglobulins and pseudoglobulins. 2. 2. Cellulose acetate electrophoresis was performed on distilled water extracts and on saline extracts of thirty-three pieces of lens nucleus from a Yellowfin tuna, and of five pieces of lens nucleus from a desert wood rat. 3. 3. The protein patterns revealed that a 0·018 g% saline solution extracts both albumins and globulins, and produces no deleterious “salt effects”. The patterns also demonstrated that stronger saline solutions (e.g. physiological saline solution) produce simpler patterns due to the fusion of some proteins into single bands and the exclusion of others from solution. 4. 4. Of the various extracting fluids studied, the most effective for nuclear lens proteins, is 0·018 g% saline solution. Extracts prepared with this solution contain a total salt concentration of approximately 0·030 g% due to the presence of sodium chloride in the lens.
Alternatives to Autogenous Bone Graft in Revision Lumbar Spine Surgery

Attaining spinal fusion depends on multiple biological factors and biomechanical factors. One important factor is the choice of bone graft material for the different spine locations. Although autogenous bone graft is the gold standard for bone grafting, it has its limitations. When considering revising lumbar fusion, one should correct all the possible factors that could have led to the pseudoarthrosis. These include the choice of bone graft material, preparation of the host graft surface, graft placement environment, and construct stability. This article focuses on the choice of graft materials as alternatives to human bone graft.
The synthesis of a cationic binuclear iron complex containing the η2-butatriene ligand and its reactions with oxygen nucleophiles

Abstract The synthesis of the first complex containing the unsubstituted η 2 -butatriene ligand [Fp 2 (CH 2 CCCH 2 )] 2+ (PF − 6 ) 2 (IV) is accomplished in 50% yield by oxidation of FpCH 2 CCCH 2 Fp with trityl hexafluorophosphate. IV reacts with aqueous sodium hydroxide to afford CH 2 CFpCOCH 3 (IX) and with aqueous sodium bicarbonate to yield a mixture of IX and CH 2 CFpCOCH 2 Fp (VIII). The binuclear allene complexes Fp + (CH 2 CCXCH 2 Fp) X =OAc, OPh, OPh- p -NO 2 are formed by the addition of the respective anions to IV. Ethylation of VIII with triethyloxonium hexafluorophosphate gives CH 2 CFpC + (OEt)CH 2 Fp. The major product resulting from the reaction between IV and methanol is η 3 -(CH 3 OCH 2 CFpC(CO 2 Me)CH 2 )-η 5 -C 5 H 5 (CO)Fe, (XIVa). Methoxide yields η 3 -(CH 2 CC(CO 2 Me)CH 2 )(CO)-η 5 -C 5 H 5 Fe as the major product in addition to smaller yields of XIVa and the isolable cis and trans isomers (XVI and XVII) of [η 5 -C 5 H 5 (CO)-η 2 -1,2-(CH 2 CHOMe)Fe][Fe(CO) 2 -η 5 -(C 5 H 5 )]. These isomers equilibrate above 100°C. Ethoxide and isopropoxide give similar results. In contrast, the only characterizable product obtained from the reaction between t-butoxide and IV was Fp 2 .
Management directed kaizen: Toyota's Jishuken process for management development

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze Toyota's management directed kaizen activities named Jishuken. Currently, there are many variations in understanding how Toyota develops its managers to support daily kaizen, especially when Toyota managers have different levels of understanding of Toyota production system (TPS) and skills essential in applying TPS.Design/methodology/approach – This paper will study Toyota's Jishuken process in the context of strengthening TPS and analyze both the technical and management aspects of Toyota's Jishuken process.Findings – When integrated into plant‐wide long‐term continuous improvement, Jishukens can be extremely effective at developing management's ability to conduct and to teach others to conduct daily kaizen and problem solving. This paper shows how Jishukens function within the TPS system to continuously improve managers' understanding of TPS both for their own concrete problem solving and to support manager's roles in communicating, coaching and teaching...
Before demand‐side management is discarded, let’s see what pieces should be kept

Over the last 15 years, demand-side management (DSM) in developed countries has been transformed from a start-up activity to a full-blown industry, and then down-sized to a modest activity. While DSM remains a part of some utilities' strategies to meet current and future customer needs, its image in developed countries has been tarnished and its future is in doubt. More than ever now, retail energy customers are demanding from the marketplace a broad range of energy products and services that satisfy their most important needs. The electric utility industry has evolved into an energy and energy services industry. Its strategies, of retaining customers, enhancing revenue and controlling costs through various programmes and initiatives, while meeting customer needs, do not necessarily include DSM; but, nor is DSM in conflict with them. It is now, therefore, time to move on from DSM in the developed world. However, in developing countries, where the growth in electric energy production and delivery systems has not kept pace with population, DSM remains a viable option.
Crystal Structure and Molecular Motion of Solid Carbon Disulfide

The crystal structure of CS2 was determined at two temperatures from intensity data measured with a proportional counter and a modified Weissenberg apparatus. The orthorhombic cell [(a) 6.3437(8), (b) 5.5244(4), (c) 8.9971(7), 143°K, Cmca, Z = 4] exhibited marked anisotropic thermal expansion, the coefficients of thermal expansion being αa = 630 × 10−6 °C−1, αb = 570 × 10−6 °C−1, αc = −630 × 10−6 °C−1. Positional and anisotropic thermal parameters were refined using upper‐angle data (sinθ / λ ≥ 0.35) and the x‐ray results were compared with data from spectroscopic sources on the molecular motion of CS2 in the solid. The unweighted reliability indices for the two refinements were 0.039 (148°K) and 0.056 (133°K). The carbon–sulfur bond length corrected for foreshortening due to libration was 1.560(3) A (133°K) and 1.559 A (148°K), in agreement with calculations of the length in the gas from spectral data (1.558 ± 0.0005) and electron diffraction (1.559 ± 0.002).
Syntheses of [1,7-15N2]- and [1,7,NH2-15N3]Adenosine and 2‘-Deoxyadenosine via an N1-Alkoxy-Mediated Dimroth Rearrangement

We have found that the N1-methoxy derivatives of adenosine and 2‘-deoxyadenosine undergo a Dimroth rearrangement in which the intermediate N,N-dimethylamino adducts are stable compounds. This mild and high-yield rearrangement allows efficient conversion of [7,NH2-15N2]-2‘-deoxyadenosine and [7,NH2-15N2]adenosine into the triply labeled [1,7,NH2-15N3] derivatives. The [7,NH2-15N2]nucleoside is first oxidized to the N1-oxide with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA). Methylation of the N1-oxide with methyl iodide or dimethyl sulfate is followed by treatment with dimethylamine to afford the 6-amino-N1-methoxy-2-(N,N-dimethylamino) derivative. Dimroth rearrangement of these surprisingly stable intermediates is accomplished by refluxing in the presence of a dimethylammonium hydrohalide salt to give the [1,7-15N2]-6-N-methoxy nucleosides in high yield. Removal of the N6-methoxy function to afford both [1,7-15N2]deoxyadenosine and [1,7-15N2]adenosine was accomplished readily with Raney nickel. No hydroxyl protecti...
Imaging in the far-red with electronic light microscopy: requirements and limitations.

The acquisition of simultaneous dual confocal images with red and far-red light has both advantages (e.g. lower autofluorescence) and limitations. An understanding of these requisites is necessary to acquire high-quality images and to avoid the misinterpretation of experimental data. The poor detection of far-red light mandates a high optical transfer efficiency for the system, thus the transmittance of the objective lens and its axial and lateral chromatic aberration in the far-red are important factors for consideration. This technical note is an attempt to 'demystify' the process of filter set design for confocal microscopy by discussing the considerations that went into the construction of a filter set for use with the reagents cyanine 3.18 (Cy3) and cyanine 5.18 (Cy5), and thus to encourage users to look beyond the multi-purpose designs available commercially. The 568-nm laser line exciting Cy3 is at its emission maximum, which limits the collectable Cy3 fluorescence. High-transmission optical filters with sharp band pass cutoffs are thus desirable for maximum light throughout. Light path mirror efficiency rapidly degrades above 700 nm, but the loss of this portion of the Cy5 emission spectrum is acceptable since the fluorophore is very bright, and these very long wavelengths are also likely to introduce aberration. While resolution is decreased with far-red light, there is also greater penetration and less scattering, and it is thus possible to obtain high-quality images from deeper within the specimen.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Phosphodiesterase 5 mechanisms and therapeutic applications.

The nitric oxide (NO)–dependent signal transduction system, which is an essential mediatory pathway for penile erection, contains several molecular targets available for pharmacologic manipulation to treat erectile dysfunction (ED). The most prominent target identified thus far is phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), which enzymatically converts the intracellular second messenger molecule cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) to its inactive form. By its preservation, cGMP activates cGMP-dependent protein kinase I, which pivotally drives a biochemical cascade resulting in corporal smooth muscle relaxation and, hence, penile erection. This system mechanistically requires the synthesis of cGMP, secondary to the production and release of NO during sexual arousal. Accordingly, PDE5 inhibitors augment the erectile response. Key to erectogenesis are the relatively high concentrations of PDE5 enzymes in the corporal smooth muscle of the penis relative to other structures of the body. At present, 3 PDE5 inhibitors are approved for the therapeutic management of ED. All 3 have been studied extensively, both at the molecular pharmacologic level and in clinical trials. They have shown excellent clinical efficacy and safety. This presentation affirms the value of PDE5 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy for ED.
Unsteady force generation and vortex dynamics of pitching and plunging aerofoils

Experimental studies of the flow topology, leading-edge vortex dynamics and unsteady force produced by pitching and plunging flat-plate aerofoils in forward flight at Reynolds numbers in the range 5000–20 000 are described. We consider the effects of varying frequency and plunge amplitude for the same effective angle-of-attack time history. The effective angle-of-attack history is a sinusoidal oscillation in the range to with mean of and amplitude of . The reduced frequency is varied in the range 0.314–1.0 and the Strouhal number range is 0.10–0.48. Results show that for constant effective angle of attack, the flow evolution is independent of Strouhal number, and as the reduced frequency is increased the leading-edge vortex (LEV) separates later in phase during the downstroke. The LEV trajectory, circulation and area are reported. It is shown that the effective angle of attack and reduced frequency determine the flow evolution, and the Strouhal number is the main parameter determining the aerodynamic force acting on the aerofoil. At low Strouhal numbers, the lift coefficient is proportional to the effective angle of attack, indicating the validity of the quasi-steady approximation. Large values of force coefficients () are measured at high Strouhal number. The measurement results are compared with linear potential flow theory and found to be in reasonable agreement. During the downstroke, when the LEV is present, better agreement is found when the wake effect is ignored for both the lift and drag coefficients.
Mice reared with rats: Effects of prenatal and postnatal maternal environments upon hybrid offspring of C57BL/10J and Swiss Albino mice

The hybrid offspring of reciprocal crosses between C57BL/10J and Swiss Albino mice were fostered at birth to Swiss Albino mouse mothers or to Purdue-Wistar rat mothers. Measures were taken of incidence of survival, body weight, open-field performance, passive avoidance learning, and fighting. As compared to mice reared by mouse mothers after birth, mice reared by rat mothers (a) had a lower incidence of survival at weaning; (b) weighed more; (c) were less active in the open field, defecated less in the field, and had a greater latency to initiate movement in the field; and (d) had poorer passive learning scores. The findings indicate that the postnatal maternal environment has pervasive effects upon a number of behavioral and morphological characters, but reveal a minimal effect of the prenatal environment. Moreover, they indicate that the absence of differences in fighting scores among the 4 groups may be caused by dominant genes.
Application of the 2D finite element method to simulation of cold-forging processes

Abstract In recent years, computer-aided engineering (CAE) techniques have been applied increasingly with great success in metal forming research, as well as in the cold and hot forming industry. Initially, computer simulation of metal flow and detailed stress analysis of dies were conducted by forging companies that supply the aerospace industry. During the last several years, however, the two-dimensional computer code DEFORM , developed by Battelle Columbus Laboratories, has been fully commercialized. This code is now also used extensively by non-aerospace forgers for the investigation of die fill, defect analysis and prevention, as well as for the prediction of part properties. At the Engineering Research Center for Net Shape Manufacturing (ERC/NSM), deform is one of the available computer-aided tools used in metal forming research and for educational purposes. This paper summarizes some of the industrially relevant research results obtained with deform , including the prediction of flow-induced defects, precision forging of aluminium alloys, investigation of a suck-in type extrusion defect, forging of bevel gears, stress analysis of forging dies, and development of a new test to evaluate lubrication in cold forging.
Analysis of the v-myb structural components important for transactivation of gene expression

In order to define the domains of the v-myb protein that are important for transactivation of gene expression, we have studied transactivation by the v-myb gene and a set of v-myb deletion mutants using transient transfection assays in NIH 3T3 cells. Analysis of the set of v-myb deletion products demonstrated that a previously unidentified region in the carboxyl-terminal portion of the protein is required for transactivation. This region lies between amino acids 295-356 with respect to the 5' end of the v-myb gene. Switching the v-myb DNA binding domain with the DNA binding domain of the rat glucocorticoid receptor (rGR) switched the cis-element requirement for v-myb action: only reports containing glucocorticoid response elements were activated by myb-rGR fusion proteins. The carboxyl terminal region essential for transactivation by the intact v-myb gene was also necessary for transactivation by the rGR-fusion gene. Carboxyl-terminal deletion mutations that encompassed the novel transactivation region were able to block wild-type v-myb transactivation when tested in transient co-expression assays. In an unexpected sidelight to our studies, we could demonstrate that the lacZ gene present in the prokaryotic vector sequences contained a DNA element that fortuitously can act as a v-myb-dependent enhancer element, and that v-myb protein can bind to this element in vitro. The lacZ enhancer contains the myb consensus DNA binding site YAAC(G/T)G.
Analysis of coupling noise in dynamic circuit

Noise has become an important metric of deep submicron digital integrated circuit performance, and is becoming even more prominent due to the increasing usage of noise sensitive dynamic circuits for speed and area requirements. This paper presents closed form analytical solutions for noise as well as noise tolerance metrics for dynamic circuits to analyze the effects of coupling, which is considered as the dominant source of noise. These solutions are within 5% of dynamic simulations. It is shown that not all the scaling trends are negative for noise, and that the scaling down of supply voltage and increasing frequency help improve certain aspects of the noise immunity of dynamic circuit. Most of the work treated noise immunity and the noise content separately. This paper introduces a positive analysis of noise scalability by looking at the noise immunity and the noise content simultaneously.
Amiloride for the Prevention of Amphotericin B–Induced Hypokalemia and Hypomagnesemia

OBJECTIVE:To review the published clinical data assessing the role of amiloride in the prevention of amphotericin B (AmB)–induced electrolyte disorders.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search (January 1966–April 1999) of English-language literature pertaining to AmB, amiloride, potassium, and magnesium was performed. Tertiary sources were also used.DATA EXTRACTION:In vivo and in vitro human and animal data and case reports were included due to the lack of published clinical trials.DATA SYNTHESIS:AmB administration can result in severe hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia requiring chronic supplementation. In one prospective, controlled study of hypokalemia with AmB administration, patients receiving concomitant amiloride had significantly greater potassium concentrations (p < 0.01) and required significantly less potassium supplementation (p < 0.001). Amiloride may also reduce the amount of magnesium supplementation required by sparing elimination through the kidneys.CONCLUSIONS:Amiloride may be considered for the preven...
Regulation of Herpes Simplex Virus gB-Induced Cell-Cell Fusion by Mutant Forms of gH/gL in the Absence of gD and Cellular Receptors

ABSTRACT Herpesvirus entry requires the viral glycoprotein triad of gB and gH/gL to carry out fusion between the virion envelope and a cellular membrane in order to release the nucleocapsid into the target cell. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) also requires glycoprotein gD to initiate the fusion cascade by binding a cell receptor such as nectin 1 or herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM). While the structure of gB is that of a class III fusion protein, gH/gL has no features that resemble other viral fusion proteins. Instead, it is suggested that gH/gL acts as a regulator of gB. The crystal structure of HSV-2 gH/gL was obtained with a functional protein that had a deletion of 28 residues at the gH N terminus (gHΔ48/gL). Unexplainably, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) with virus-neutralizing activity map to these residues. To reconcile these two disparate observations, we studied the ability of gHΔ48/gL to regulate fusion. Here, we show that the protein induces low (constitutive) levels of fusion by gB in the absence of gD and/or receptor. However, when gD and receptor are present, this mutant functions as well as does wild-type (wt) gH/gL for fusion. We propose that gHΔ48/gL has an intermediate structure on the pathway leading to full regulatory activation. We suggest that a key step in the pathway of fusion is the conversion of gH/gL to an activated state by receptor-bound gD; this activated gH/gL resembles gHΔ48/gL. IMPORTANCE Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) cause many human diseases, from mild cold sores to lethal neonatal herpes. As an enveloped virus, HSV must fuse its membrane with a host membrane in order for replication to take place. The virus uses four glycoproteins for this process, gD, gB, and gH/gL, and either of two cell receptors, herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM) and nectin 1. Although the virus can enter the cell by direct fusion at the plasma membrane or via endocytosis, the same four glycoproteins are involved. The absence of any of these proteins abolishes the entry process. Here, we show that a mutant form of gH/gL, gHΔ48/gL, can induce fusion of gB-expressing cells in the absence of gD and a gD receptor. Our study supports the concept that gB is the HSV fusogen and its activity is regulated by gH/gL.
Complex Ploidy Level Variation in Guayule Breeding Programs

Guayule (Parthenium argentatum A. Gray) is a potential source of natural rubber, but attempts to domesticate and cultivate this perennial crop for large-scale production in the southwestern United States have been intermittent over the past century. Genetic improvement through modern plant breeding is needed to increase its yield potential and suitability for commercialization. Natural variation for ploidy level is extensive among individuals in wild guayule populations, but less is known about the extent of ploidy level variation in guayule breeding germplasm. Because ploidy variation is among the factors that slow the rate of genetic gain in guayule breeding programs, determining the ploidy level of publicly available guayule accessions would help to accelerate the development of stable, high yielding cultivars. To that end, we adapted fl ow cytometry to examine the ploidy of 34 guayule accessions available from the National Plant Germplasm System. The data revealed a natural polyploid series ranging from diploid (2n = 2x = 36) to pentaploid (2n = 5x = 90), with 4x being the predominant ploidy. Interestingly, not all plants sampled from an accession had the same ploidy level (mixed ploidy). Notably, the integration of ploidy and pedigree data uncovered complex ploidy variation in guayule breeding programs. The frequency and range of ploidy variation observed in this germplasm will help to direct future breeding efforts as well as linkage analysis and genome-wide association studies.
Images over time: The Intersection of Social Studies through Technology, Content, and Pedagogy

In this study, the authors examined the intersections between technology, pedagogy, and content through two social studies teachers’ development from preservice to in-service teaching. Qualitative data were collected during their teacher education programs, student teaching experiences, and 5 years into their in-service teaching. Teacher narratives illustrate the connections between technology, pedagogy, and content in these teachers’ social studies classrooms. The researchers note the complexity of technology integration and recommend that teacher educators support and promote opportunities for continuing education and professional development in teachers’ growth of technological pedagogical content knowledge.