cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of glacial weathering on the silica budget of Antarctic waters

Abstract Published estimates regarding the amount of glacially eroded sediments produced by the Antarctic continent, and the amount of dissolution that this material undergoes once it reaches Antarctic waters, appear to be overestimated by several orders of magnitude. Glacial erosion does not appear to have a significant effect on the silica budget of Antarctic waters. This conclusion is based on: 1. (1) laboratory experiments involving the reaction of Antarctic rocks with seawater under simulated Antarctic conditions; 2. (2) other workers' laboratory experiments and field data regarding the solubility, solution rate, and crystallographic condition of minerals commonly found in Antarctica; 3. (3) the size range of material produced; 4. (4) the amount of inorganic material suspended in seawater; 5. (5) the possible lack of dissolved silica production during the formation of Antarctic Bottom Water; and 6. (6) the actual amount of glacially eroded material produced annually.
A model for lamellar myelin

Abstract A model for the arrangement of the proteolipid and basic proteins in lamellar myelin is presented. The model suggests that the basic protein extends from the major dense line to interact with the proteolipid beyond the second major dense line. Observations from a variety of techniques are compatible with the model.
Dynamic agricultural non-point source assessment tool (DANSAT): Model application

The dynamic agricultural non-point source assessment tool (DANSAT) is a distributed-parameter, physically based, and continuous-simulation model for simulating spatial and temporal impacts of best management practices (BMPs) on hydrology and water quality in small agricultural watersheds. Information on the development of the model components was described in a companion paper. In this paper, the results on temporal and spatial evaluation, sensitivity analysis and application of the model are presented. DANSAT was applied to two agricultural watersheds in Virginia to evaluate the capability of model for considering impacts of temporal variations and spatial distribution of agricultural land management on hydrology and sediment. The hydrology component of DANSAT was in reasonable agreement with field results considering both the temporal and spatial variations in stream flow at a watershed scale, while the sediment component showed acceptable agreement only for the watershed where measured stream flow and sediment yield showed better relationships. Minimum adjustment was necessary to consider the internal consistency of sediment yield between sub watersheds. Sensitivity analysis showed that soil parameters such as field capacity and total porosity were sensitive for all selected output variables. Stream flow and sediment yield were commonly sensitive to the subsurface-related parameters and sediment yield was additionally sensitive to the channel-related parameters. Changes in crop rotation influenced both surface and subsurface regimes. Although the differences in total stream flow and recharge were not significant, substantial temporal and spatial variations were detected by the model. The results indicated that DANSAT could be a useful tool for watershed managers who are interested in simulating the effectiveness of spatially and temporally variable BMPs on hydrology and water quality.
Multi-Mbar Phase Transitions in Minerals

MgSiO3 perovskite is the most abundant mineral in the Earth’s lower mantle. A structural phase transition in this phase to a CaIrO3-type polymorph was discovered in 2004 (Murakami et al. 2004; Oganov and Ono 2004; Tsuchiya et al. 2004). This new polymorph, the so-called post-perovskite (PPV) phase, was produced at pressures and temperatures close to those expected at the core-mantle boundary, 125 GPa and 2,500 K (Murakami et al. 2004). In the Earth, the PPV phase is the final form of MgSiO3. This surprising discovery invited a new question: what is the next polymorph of MgSiO3? MgSiO3 PPV consists of SiO3 layers intercalated by magnesium (Fig. 1⇓). Therefore, it is natural to expect still other pressure induced transitions to more isotropic close-packed looking structures. This question has acquired further importance since the discovery of terrestrial-type exoplanets: the Super-Earth planet with ~7 Earth masses, GJ876d (Rivera et al. 2005), and the Saturn-like planet with a massive dense core with ~67 Earth masses, D149026b (a dense-Saturn) (Sato et al. 2005). Many others have been found since then. Pressures and temperatures in the mantle of these planets are much higher than in the Earth. There is also a pressing need to understand and model matter in the core of the giants, particularly the solar ones, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. In GJ876d, pressure and temperature at its core-mantle boundary was roughly estimated to be ~1 TPa (10 Mbar) and ~4,000 K (Valencia et al. 2006). The gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, and the icy giants, Uranus and Neptune, have small dense cores surrounded by hydrogen/helium and ice, respectively. Pressures and temperatures at the core-envelope boundaries of these planets have been estimated to be 40 Mbar and 15,000~20,000 K in Jupiter, 10 …
Characterization of an enhancer element in the human apolipoprotein C-III gene that regulates human apolipoprotein A-I gene expression in the intestinal epithelium.

Studies using transgenic mice indicate that expression of the human apolipoprotein (apo) A-I gene in the liver and small intestine is controlled by spatially distinct cis-acting DNA elements; hepatic expression is controlled by a domain defined by nucleotides −256 to −1, while small intestinal expression requires elements positioned 9 kilobases 3′ to the gene, between nucleotides −1300 and −200 of the convergently transcribed apoC-III gene. In this report we have mapped this enhancer to a 260-base pair (bp) region of the apoC-III promoter spanning nucleotides −780 to −520. The elements contained within this 260-bp apoC-III domain are sufficient to direct a pattern of expression in villus-associated enterocytes distributed along the duodenal-to-ileal axis that resembles that of mouse and human apoA-I. However, the elements produce inappropriate activation of apoA-I expression in proliferating and nonproliferating crypt epithelial cells, and in subpopulations of cholecystokinin- and serotonin-producing enteroendocrine cells. Cis-acting suppressors of these inappropriate patterns of expression are located outside of nucleotides −1300 to −200 of the human apoC-III gene. DNase I protection and gel mobility gel shift assays identified two 21-bp sequences, nucleotides −745 to −725 and −700 to −680 of human apoC-III, which bind nuclear proteins present in a human enterocyte-like cell line (Caco-2). These sequences are conserved in the orthologous mouse apoC-III gene. The 260-bp apoC-III element is the first intestinal enhancer that has been identified in an in vivo system and should provide insights about how cell lineage-specific, differentiation-dependent, and cephalocaudal patterns of gene expression are established and maintained in the perpetually renewing gut epithelium. In addition, novel intestinal transcription factors may bind to the enhancer and regulate its activity.
Measurements of background gamma radiation on Spacelab 2

A nuclear radiation monitor (NRM) which was flown as part of the verification instrumentation on the Spacelab 2 mission (July 29 - August 6, 1985) recorded spectra every 20 seconds and counting rates in coarse energy bands on finer time scales. The gamma radiation environment on Spacelab is characterized by cosmic-ray and trapped proton secondary radiation in the Spacelab/Shuttle, earth albedo radiation, and delayed induced radioactivity in the detector and surrounding materials. It is found that passages through South Atlantic Anomaly protons produce a well-defined background enhancement.
Identification and evaluation of progressive thermal degradation caused by carbamate formation in cyanate ester resin-based composites

The effect of moisture during cure on the mechanical and thermal performance was evaluated for a series of cyanate ester composite laminates. Data presented in our investigation show that the amount of carbamate formation is inversely proportional to the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the cured composite and is typically localized on the outer surface plies adjacent the moisture source. Even though the majority of the composite may remains largely unaffected, the Tg of the localized areas will show sharp decreases which correlate with strength as verified by flatwise tensile tests. Additionally, our test data show that performing just one Tg measurement after cure will not necessarily provide a valid assessment of the state of the composite since additional degradation may occur with subsequent thermal exposure. Accordingly, a second dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) measurement should be performed after an extended, elevated temperature, post-treatment thereby allowing direct assessment of carbamate degradation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.
The Biographical Information Blank as a Predictor of Student Achievement: A Review

This paper reviews literature dealing with use of the Biographical Information Blank (BIB) among student populations. The studies are considered under the four criterion areas of scholastic grades, creative achievement, persistence in school, and vocational or curriculum choice. Substantial areas of disagreement remain in the application and utility of the BIB as a predictor based upon the choice of educational criteria and the content of the BIB itself.
Multiple Forms of Acidic Endopeptidase from Germinated Barley

An endopeptidase preparation from germinated barley Hordeum vulgare L., cv. Trophy, purified by affinity chromatography and density-gradient electrofocusing, consisted of three or four components. The preparation was only partly resolved by electrofocusing, with evidence of three possible components (pI 4.15, 4.28, and 4.37). Gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 yielded an asymmetrical peak, the major part of which corresponded to a molecular weight of 14,100, with evidence of one larger and two smaller components. The activity of the preparation was sulfhydryl-dependent; cysteine was the most effective of several sulfhydryl compounds tested. The preparation was sensitive to O2 in the absence of metal chelating agents and was inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents. It showed very narrow concentration tolerances for both cysteine and a substrate, N,N-dimethylhemoglobin. The Km value on N,N-dimethylhemoglobin at pH 3.8 was 0.064 to 0.067% (w/v) substrate; Vmax was 0.80 to 0.83 A340 per hour. Normal enzyme activity and molecular-size distribution were observed when the endopeptidases were extracted in the inhibited state and subsequently reactivated, thus ruling out the possibility that the enzymes might be autolytic artifacts that arose during extraction and purification.
Minor Rights and Wrongs

Inconsistency may well be the hallmark of the teenage years. Frequently, teenagers are serious and adult-like, yet just as often, they are callow and unpredictable. Generally, they are all of these things, in no particular order. They studiously observe the adults in their lives, adopting certain values and behaviors, while wholly rejecting others. Their moods shift without warning, leaving entire households with the sensation that they are living on a roller-coaster. As a result, it is not entirely surprising that the legal system has had difficulty deciding how to respond to them. The laws devised to govern teenagers are layered, reflecting society's alternating perceptions of teenagers as adult-like and child-like, and our accompanying impulses to respect as well as to protect this population. Read together, these laws defy any consistent description of adolescent capacity. We have lived with these inconsistencies for so long, though, that they have grown rather familiar to us, and that we hardly recognize the puzzle in the fact that we trust eighteen year olds enough to let them fight and die in the military, but not enough to let them drink alcoholic beverages.
Oxidation of Polyisoprene Popcorn Polymer. V. Raman Spectra of Polyisoprene Popcorn Polymer Following Oxidation

Abstract From Raman spectral data, no decrease in the double-bond content of polyisoprene popcorn polymer was detected following various periods of oxidation. No conclusion could be made concerning the fate of the 1,2 or 3,4 vinyl-group attachments.
Multiple functions of human single-stranded-DNA binding protein in simian virus 40 DNA replication: single-strand stabilization and stimulation of DNA polymerases alpha and delta

Abstract The human single-stranded-DNA binding protein (human SSB) is required for simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA replication in vitro. SV40 large tumor antigen and human SSB can support extensive unwinding of SV40 origin-containing DNA in the presence of ATP and a topoisomerase that relieves positive superhelicity. Although SSBs from viral and prokaryotic sources substituted for human SSB in the DNA-unwinding reaction, they did not substitute in the replication of SV40 DNA. The specificity for human SSB in SV40 DNA replication can be explained, at least in part, by the finding that DNA polymerase alpha was stimulated 10-fold by human SSB but not by other SSBs. Human SSB also stimulated proliferating-cell nuclear antigen-dependent DNA polymerase delta; however, other SSBs stimulated this polymerase as well.
Density Functional Study of Tetraphenylporphyrin Long-Range Exciton Coupling

The performance of time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) for calculations of long-range exciton circular dichroism (CD) is investigated. Tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) is used as a representative of a class of strongly absorbing chromophores for which exciton CD with chromophore separations of 50 A and even beyond has been observed experimentally. A dimer model for TPP is set up to reproduce long-range exciton CD previously observed for a brevetoxin derivative. The calculated CD intensity is consistent with TPP separations of over 40 A. It is found that a hybrid functional with fully long-range corrected range-separated exchange performs best for full TDDFT calculations of the dimer. The range-separation parameter is optimally tuned for TPP, resulting in a good quality TPP absorption spectrum and small DFT delocalization error (measured by the curvature of the energy calculated as a function of fractional electron numbers). Calculated TDDFT data for the absorption spectra of TPP are also used as input for a ‘matrix method’ (MM) model of the exciton CD. For long-range exciton CD, comparison of MM spectra with full TDDFT CD spectra for the dimer shows that the matrix method is capable of producing very accurate results. A MM spectrum obtained from TPP absorption data calculated with the nonhybrid Becke88–Perdew86 (BP) functional is shown to match the experimental brevetoxin spectrum ‘best’, but for the wrong reasons.
Early Growth Response gene 1 (Egr-1) regulates HSV-1 ICP4 and ICP22 gene expression

The molecular mechanisms mediating herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) gene silencing during latent infection are not clear. Five copies of early growth response gene 1 (Egr-1) binding elements were identified in the intron of HSV-1 ICP22 (infected cell protein No. 22) gene, leading to the hypothesis that Egr-1 binds to the viral genome and regulates the viral gene expression. Transient co-transfection assays indicated that Egr-1 negatively regulated the transcription of both full-length and intron-removed ICP22 promoters. The same assays also revealed that Egr-1 repressed ICP4 (infected cell protein No. 4) promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner but showed less inhibition when the intron was removed. Histone deacetylation was not involved in this regulation since histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A did not exhibit any effect on Egr-1-mediated repression. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays showed that Egr-1 reduced the binding of Sp1 to the promoters and that the co-repressor Nab2 (NGFI-A/EGR1-binding protein) was recruited to the proximity of ICP4 in the presence of Egr-1. These results suggested that the multifunctional transcription factor Egr-1 can repress HSV-1 immediate-early gene expression through the recruitment of co-repressor Nab2 and reduction of Sp1 occupancy, and thus may play a critical role in HSV-1 gene silencing during latency.
A Panel Study of the Associations Between Maintenance Strategies and Relational Characteristics

Resilience in marriage is tied to the manner in which people strategically maintain their relationships. The associations between perceptions of five relational maintenance strategies (positivity, openness, assurances, social networks, and sharing tasks) and three fundamental relationship characteristics (liking, commitment, and control mutuality) are examined concurrently and over time. At three points in time, each separated by a month, married partners reported their perceptions of partner maintenance activities and their own beliefs regarding the relational characteristics. Results indicate that perceptions of maintenance strategies significantly add to the variance of these relational features, even when controlling for the participants' previous reports of the same measures.
Enhanced Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation Facilitated by Catalytic Quantities of Bicarbonate and Other Inorganic Salts

Productivity for the hydrogenation of CO2 to formic acid was increased with the addition of catalytic amounts of KHCO3 and other common inorganic salts. Mechanistic experiments revealed that the reaction likely proceeds via the formation of a metal–carbonate species. The effect was general for many noble-metal catalysts and for one of the most efficient non-noble-metal hydrogenation catalysts.
Carbohydrate absorption by Gyrocotyle fimbriata and Gyrocotyle parvispinosa (Platyhelminthes).

Abstract Gyrocotyle fimbriata and G. parvispinosa (Platyhelminthes) readily absorb glucose, galactose and α-methylglucoside, while xylose, mannose, lactose, and inulin enter G. fimbriata at lower rates. Phlorizin, but not phloretin, was an especially effective inhibitor of carbohydrate absorption by both species. Esculin, naringin, naringenin, pungenin, quercitrin, quercetin, and other polyhydroxyphenolic compounds were less effective inhibitors of carbohydrate absorption by these worms. The phlorizin inhibition was easily reversed by rinsing the worms. The permeability of the two species of worms is not identical.
Culture and Masculinity: When Therapist and Patient are Latino Men

Treating clients from diverse cultural backgrounds, and supervising clinicians who are treating clients of the same ethnicity and gender, are now common experiences in our mental health system. As the growth of minorities in the US greatly outpaces the training of minority clinicians, more attention to these situations is needed. Operating from the premise that interpersonal sensitivity is a fundamental aspect of cross-cultural and cross-ethnic sensitivity, we describe the treatment of a Latino male by a Latino male clinician, in this case both of Puerto Rican descent. We outline the contours of the therapy with a man whose life history included numerous incidents of humiliation and thwarted efforts at efficacy, mastery, agency, and competence, resulting in an adult character structure based on shame and self-doubt. We also discuss the challenges to the clinician posed by working with a man whose traditional upbringing mirrored his own, with all the positives and negatives that must be considered in the countertransference. We describe clinical and cultural reasons for various interventions, and their resulting outcome. The framework of a dynamic interpersonal therapy and the challenges of transference, countertransference, therapist disclosure, and working-through are covered.
Long-lived emissions from 4'-substituted Pt(trpy)Cl+ complexes bearing aryl groups. Influence of orbital parentage.

Pt(trpy)Cl+, where trpy denotes 2,2‘:6‘,2‘ ‘-terpyridine, is a versatile binding agent but has a limited photochemistry due to a short excited-state lifetime. However, this work shows that the introduction of aryl substituents at the 4‘ position of the trpy ligand drastically alters the picture. For the substituents phenyl, p-methoxyphenyl, 1-naphthyl, 2-naphthyl, 9-phenanthrenyl, and 1-pyrenyl, the ligand abbrevations are 4‘-Ph-T, 4‘-pMeOPh-T, 4‘-Npl-T, 4‘-Np2-T, 4‘-Phe9-T, and 4‘-Pyre1-T, respectively. Techniques utilized include electrochemistry as well as absorption and emission spectroscopies. While the lowest energy excited states of Pt(4‘-Ph-T)Cl+ and the parent complex Pt(trpy)Cl+ exhibit mainly metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) character, the emitting state takes on aryl-to-trpy intraligand charge-transfer (ILCT) character as the substituents become more electron-donating. Studies of Zn(trpy)Cl2, its aryl-substituted analogues, and the free ligands themselves provide information about the re...
IPS Support Employment: A 20-Year Update

Over the past 20 years, individual placement and support (IPS) supported employment has emerged as an effective approach for helping people with severe mental illness find and succeed in competitive jobs. The IPS model has been validated by 15 randomized controlled trials as well as numerous nonexperimental studies in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong (Bond, Drake, & Becker, in press). IPS incorporates client-centered choices and goals as well as eight evidence-based principles, and approximately two thirds of IPS participants have some success in competitive employment (Bond, 2004). Because of the optimism inspired by these outcomes, researchers in many countries are expanding the horizons of IPS, seeking to improve the model, reaching out to new populations, and tackling difficult policy issues. This special section can address only a few of the current research initiatives. In this brief update, we preview the six papers in this issue and also survey the field more broadly, identifying...
Strength and dynamic characteristics analyses of wound composite axial impeller

A low cost, light weight, high performance composite material turbomachinery impeller with a uniquely designed blade patterns is analyzed. Such impellers can economically enable refrigeration plants to use water as a refrigerant (R718). A strength and dynamic characteristics analyses procedure is developed to assess the maximum stresses and natural frequencies of these wound composite axial impellers under operating loading conditions. Numerical simulation using FEM for two-dimensional and three-dimensional impellers was investigated. A commercially available software ANSYS is used for the finite element calculations. Analysis is done for different blade geometries and then suggestions are made for optimum design parameters. In order to avoid operating at resonance, which can make impellers suffer a significant reduction in the design life, the designer must calculate the natural frequency and modal shape of the impeller to analyze the dynamic characteristics. The results show that using composite Kevlar fiber/epoxy matrix enables the impeller to run at high tip speed and withstand the stresses, no critical speed will be matched during start-up and shut-down, and that mass imbalances of the impeller shall not pose a critical problem.
Recent Developments in High Strain Rate Superplasticity

Superplastic forming is an industrial process which is currently limited by the relatively slow strain rates, and consequent long forming times, associated with the fabrication of each superplastic component. Any expansion of this technology requires both the processing of materials capable of exhibiting high strain rate superplasticity (HSR SP) at rates of the order of ∼ 10 -1 -1 s -1 and the development of a deeper understanding of the flow mechanisms associated with HSR SP in conventional materials. This paper addresses these problems in two different ways. First, by describing very recent demonstrations of the potential for achieving HSR SP in cast aluminum-based alloys through the use of an intense plastic straining technique to attain an ultrafine grain size. Second, by outlining a procedure for the analysis of HSR SP in metal matrix composites which permits, through the introduction of the concept of load transfer, the possibility of explaining the anomalously high activation energies generally associated with flow in these materials.
A Lessons-Learned Legacy

Abstract : The combat casualties of war have always provided society with substantial advances in knowledge and care of injury. The casualties of Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) are no exception. A serious sampling of the lessons learned from caring for these wounded soldiers and Marines and subsequent research initiatives are published in this Supplement to the Journal of Trauma as a result of the endeavors of the young healthcare teams at the vanguard. Many of these scholarly dispatches were created and completed in the war zone. We should all appreciate and respect their contribution and recognize the birth of a new generation of trauma expertise. To fully comprehend this achievement, however, it needs to be placed in some historical context. After lessons learned in World War I had been relearned and integrated into combat casualty care in the second half of World War II, the died of wounds (death after reaching a physician-staffed medical treatment facility) rate fell substantially. This was sustained with further improvements in care in Korea and Vietnam. In the latter conflict, 153,303 Americans were seriously injured and 58,209 were killed,1 with 16,592 deaths in 1968 alone. During that conflict, the Army Chief of Staff, General Creighton Abrams, ordered a detailed evaluation of weapons effectiveness and dispatched seven teams to gather tactical, weapon, and wound information. This Wound Data Munitions Effectiveness Team (WDMET) database contained 7,989 combat injuries, about a 5% sample of those seriously injured in Vietnam. Despite its purpose assessment of weapons effectiveness and the fact that it has been sparsely studied, the WDMET database has driven a lot of combat casualty doctrinal thinking since that time.
Social reference: aggregating online usage of scientific literature in CiteULike for clustering academic resources

Citation-based methods have been widely studied and employed for clustering academic resources and mapping science. Although effective, these methods suffer from citation delay. In this study, we extend reference and citation analysis to a broader notion from social perspective. We coin the term "social reference" to refer to the references of literatures in social academic web environment. We propose clustering methods using social reference information from CiteULike. We experiment for journal clustering and author clustering using social reference and compare with citation-based methods. Our experiments indicate: first, social reference implies connections among literatures which are as effective as citation in clustering academic resources; second, in practical settings, social reference-based clustering methods are not as effective as citation-based ones due to the sparseness of social reference data, but they can outperform in clustering new resources that have few citation.
Partitioning of pi-electrons in rings of polycyclic benzenoid hydrocarbons. 2.1. Catacondensed coronoids.

Various types of coronoids are examined for finding the partitioning of π-electrons in individual benzenoid rings of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. A class of catacondensed coronoids, namely fibonacenes, has four π-electrons in every ring. Most other catacondensed coronoids have more than one type of benzenoid ring, each type with a different partition, but the average per ring is always four π-electrons. For the class of catacondensed coronoids that have an acenic hole, simple quadratic equations in terms of their number R of rings exist for the partitions of π-electrons in the three possible ring types.
Hybrid modeling of electrical and optical behavior in the heart

Abstract Optical mapping of transmembrane potential using voltage-sensitive dyes has revolutionized cardiac electrophysiology by enabling the visualization of electrical excitation waves in the heart. However, the interpretation of the optical mapping data is complicated by the fact that the optical signal arises not just from the surface, but also from some depth into the heart wall. Here, we review modeling efforts, in which the diffusion of photons is incorporated into the computer simulations of cardiac electrical activity (“hybrid” modeling), with the goal of improving our understanding of optical signals. We discuss the major accomplishments of hybrid modeling which include: (i) the explanation of the optical action potential upstroke morphology and prediction of its dependence on the subsurface wave front angle, (ii) the unexpectedly low magnitudes of optically recorded surface potentials during electrical shocks, and (iii) the “depolarization” of the core of the spiral wave and odd dual-humped optical action potentials during reentrant activation. We critically examine current optical mapping techniques and controversies in our understanding of electroporation during defibrillation. Finally, we provide a brief overview of recent theoretical studies aimed at extending optical mapping techniques for imaging intramural excitation to include transillumination imaging of scroll wave filaments and depth-resolved optical tomographic methods.
Transdisciplinary approach to restore pancreatic islet function

The focus of our research is on islet immunobiology. We are exploring novel strategies that could be of assistance in the treatment and prevention of type 1 diabetes, as well as in the restoration of metabolic control via transplantation of insulin producing cells (i.e., islet cells). The multiple facets of diabetes and β-cell replacement encompass different complementary disciplines, such as immunology, cell biology, pharmacology, and bioengineering, among others. Through their interaction and integration, a transdisciplinary dimension is needed in order to address and overcome all aspects of the complex puzzle toward a successful clinical translation of a biological cure for diabetes.
New antiepileptic drugs: Prospects for the future

Abstract Considerable advances have been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology of epilepsy, which has led to the development of a large number of unique antiepileptic drugs affecting a broader array of pharmacological targets than traditional anticonvulsants. In this paper we discuss seven anticonvulsants that are either recently released, or are being actively investigated in the United States. A review of their pharmacological properties and clinical efficacy is presented.
Estimation of human ankle impedance during walking using the perturberator robot

Motivated by the ability to provide biologically inspired control systems to recently developed powered ankle prostheses, the impedance parameters of the ankle were determined during the stance phase of walking. Five subjects walked across a walkway that included a robotic platform to perturb the ankle. A 0.035 radian perturbation was randomly applied at four perturbation timing points in stance phase: 100, 225, 350 and 475 ms following heel strike. A parametric model was used to represent the impedance of the ankle in terms of stiffness, damping and inertial components. A novel method for removing the angle and torque profiles that resulted from walking was introduced that uses bootstrapping while taking the subtraction of multiple averaged perturbed and non-perturbed trials. The stiffness values were found to increase on average throughout stance phase, progressing from 1.0 Nm/rad/kg at the 100 ms timing point to 4.6 Nm/rad/kg at the 475 ms timing point. Likewise, the damping values increased during stance phase, progressing from 0.012 Nms/rad/kg at the 100 ms timing point to 0.038 Nms/rad/kg at the 475 ms timing point. Variance accounted for (VAF) was used to quantify agreement of the model with the experimental results and was consistently very high, averaging above 98% for all perturbation timing points. This work can be used to guide the development of biologically inspired powered ankle control systems by providing realistic impedance parameters of the ankle joint.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum): an ancient botanical medicine for modern times.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is also known as Mary Thistle and Lady's Thistle. The genus name, Silybum, is attributed to Dioscorides, the first-century Greek physician who gave the name to a number of edible thistles. The specific species name marianum L preserves the legend that the white mo
Gallbladder uptake simulating hydronephrosis on Tc-99m MAG3 scintigraphy.

Tc-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3) is a valuable agent for renal scintigraphy in patients with diminished renal function. However, hepatobiliary excretion of this agent can cause misleading images and represents a potential pitfall in the interpretation of renal scans. Delayed posterior images from a Tc-99m MAG3 scan of a 79-year-old man with poor renal function demonstrated an apparent prominent accumulation of activity in the renal pelvis simulating a hydronephrotic obstructed kidney. Anterior, oblique, and lateral images clearly demonstrated that this activity was in the gallbladder. The possibility of significant hepatobiliary excretion should be considered when interpreting scans performed with Tc-99m MAG3.
Expanding Women's Choices through Employment? Community-Based Natural Resource Management and Women's Empowerment in Kwandu Conservancy, Namibia

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) has been heralded for promoting development by creating employment in rural areas. However, limited scholarly attention has been given to the effects of CBNRM-derived employment on individual women. We use an empowerment lens to evaluate claims that CBNRM benefits communities because it creates formal employment for women. A case study of Kwandu Conservancy, located in Namibia's Caprivi region, generated 49 interviews of a wide range of female conservancy residents. Data were also collected through participant observation, document review, and 20 key informant interviews. Data analysis revealed that employment has a mixed impact on women's choices and their empowerment, bringing both costs and benefits to female employees. Understanding this range of experiences allows us to consider how CBNRM efforts can be structured to enhance employment opportunities more broadly within the social structures of a conservancy while anticipating and mitigating negative...
Comparison of the in Vitro Estrogenic Activities of Compounds from Hops (Humulus lupulus) and Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

Because the prevailing form of hormone replacement therapy is associated with the development of cancer in breast and endometrial tissues, alternatives are needed for the management of menopausal symptoms. Formulations of Trifolium pratense L. (red clover) are being used to alleviate menopause-associated hot flashes but have shown mixed results in clinical trials. The strobiles of Humulus lupulus L. (hops) have been reported to contain the prenylflavanone, 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), as the most estrogenic constituent, and this was confirmed using an estrogen receptor ligand screening assay utilizing ultrafiltration mass spectrometry. Extracts of hops and red clover and their individual constituents including 8-PN, 6-prenylnaringenin (6-PN), isoxanthohumol (IX), and xanthohumol (XN) from hops and daidzein, formononetin, biochanin A, and genistein from red clover were compared using a variety of in vitro estrogenic assays. The IC50 values for the estrogen receptor α and β binding assays were 15 and 27 μg/mL...
Taming architectural evolution

In the world of software development everything evolves. So, then, do software architectures. Unlike source code, for which the use of a configuration management (CM) system is the predominant approach to capturing and managing evolution, approaches to capturing and managing architectural evolution span a wide range of disconnected alternatives. This paper contributes a novel architecture evolution environment, called Mae, which brings together a number of these alternatives. The environment facilitates an incremental design process in which all changes to all architectural elements are integrally captured and related. Key to the environment is a rich system model that combines architectural concepts with those from the field of CM. Not only does this system model form the basis for Mae, but in precisely capturing architectural evolution it also facilitates automated support for several innovative capabilities that rely on the integrated nature of the system model. This paper introduces three of those: the provision of design guidance at the architectural level, the use of specialized software connectors to ensure run-time reliability during component upgrades, and the creation of component-level patches to be applied to deployed system configurations.
Repeat charcoal hemoperfusion treatments in life threatening carbamazepine overdose.

A 16-month-old female experienced a massive carbamazepine ingestion resulting in a peak serum carbamazepine concentration of 55 µg/ml. Clinical manifestations included generalized seizures, coma, shock, and gastrointestinal hypomotility. Gut decontamination was attempted using multiple-dose activated charcoal and cathartics. Because of the severity of illness, charcoal hemoperfusion was initiated. The patient underwent three sessions of charcoal hemoperfusion, each utilizing a fresh cartridge, with one session immediately following the other. Serum carbamazepine and carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide concentrations decreased from 54 µg/ml to 23 µg/ml, and 30 µg/ml to 17 µg/ml, respectively, during charcoal hemoperfusion. There were no complications. The patient recovered completely and was discharged on the 4th hospital day. Charcoal hemoperfusion should be considered for life-threatening carbamazepine intoxication, especially when drug-induced gastrointestinal hypomotility prevents elimination via the gut.
Geochemical reversals within the lower 100 m of the Palisades sill, New Jersey

Transects through the lower part of the Palisades sill were made at Fort Lee and Alpine, New Jersey in order to characterize the petrologic signature of previously proposed “reversals” in the normal, tholeiitic differentiation trend. Petrographic and geochemical data include: (1) modal and grain size analyses, (2) bulk rock major and trace element concentrations by DCP-AES, and (3) augite, orthopyroxene, magnetite, and olivine compositions by electron microprobe analysis. Anomalous horizons, defined by increased bulk rock Mg#, Cr, Ni, and Co concentrations and abrupt modal and grain-size changes, occur at 10 m (the well known olivine zone), 27 m, 45 m, and 95m above the basal contact. Thermal models coupled with estimates of the emplacement rate and total magma volume indicate that the olivine zone (OZ) is an early-stage feature, related to the emplacement of initial magma into the Palisades chamber. Stoke's Law calculations indicate that the settling velocity of average-sized olivine crystals in a high-titanium, quartz-normative (HTQ) magma is too slow for significant gravity settling to have occurred prior to the solidification of the basal 20 m of the sill. It is suggested that the OZ resulted from the emplacement of a heterogeneous initial magma from a compositionally stratified, sub-Palisades storage chamber located within the upper crust; however, heterogeneity may have been derived directly from the mantle or during rapid ascent. Geochemical models indicate that the OZ contains accumulated olivine that is not in cotectic (or constant) proportions with the other cumulus phases, suggesting a mechanical sorting process. Magma chamber recharge is proposed to have occurred at the 27 m and 45 m levels, when a slightly more-primitive HTQ magma was injected into the Palisades sill chamber. Zones of elevated Mg# and Cr, 6 to 10 m thick, at these two horizons may indicate the thickness of the hybrid magma formed by the mixing of these two compositions. Geochemical models indicate that the rocks at these levels have accumulated excess orthopyroxene relative to samples from the rest of the sill. Normal faulting in the Fort Lee area at the 95 m level has caused repetition of the stratigraphic section, and hence, the sharp reversal observed at this level.
SANS study of cellulose extracted from switchgrass.

Lignocellulosic biomass, which is an abundant renewable natural resource, has the potential to play a major role in the generation of renewable biofuels through its conversion to bioethanol. Unfortunately, it is a complex biological composite material that shows significant recalcitrance, making it a cost-ineffective feedstock for bioethanol production. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was employed to probe the multi-scale structure of cellulosic materials. Cellulose was extracted from milled native switchgrass and from switchgrass that had undergone a dilute acid pretreatment method in order to disrupt the lignocellulose structure. The high-Q structural feature (Q > 0.07 A−1) can be assigned to cellulose fibrils based on a comparison of cellulose purified by solvent extraction of native and dilute acid pretreated switchgrass and a commercial preparation of microcrystalline cellulose. Dilute acid pretreatment results in an increase in the smallest structural size, a decrease in the interconnectivity of the fibrils and no change in the smooth domain boundaries at length scales larger than 1000 A.
Loop-Directed Mutagenesis of the Blue Copper Protein Amicyanin from Paracoccus versutus and Its Effect on the Structure and the Activity of the Type-1 Copper Site

Four loop-mutants of the blue copper protein amicyanin from Paracoccus versutus have been constructed and characterized. The mutations replaced the loop containing three (Cys93, His96, Met99) of th...
The Social Distribution of Primary Social Isolation among the Aged: A Subcultural Approach

This is a report of research on subcultural variation in primary social isolation in a representative sample of older persons in an urban area. The research classifies the respondents by subcultural status and examines the rates of primary social isolation. Most persons (85%) can be classified in sixteen of forty hypothetical subcultures, but only seven subcultures contain enough respondents to be numerically important. Two subcultures are identified with above average rates of primary social isolation and three with below average rates of primary social isolation. Sociologically, it makes sense to look at primary social isolation as a group phenomenon.
NMR evidence for mechanical coupling of phosphate BI-BII transitions with deoxyribose conformational exchange in DNA

Abstract The conformational exchange of the phosphate and deoxyribose groups of the DNA oligomers d(GCGTACGC) 2 and d(CGCTAGCG) 2 have been investigated using a combination of homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR techniques. Two-state exchange between phosphate B I and B II conformations and deoxyribose N and S conformations was expressed as percent population of the major conformer, %B I or %S. Sequence context-dependent variations in %B I and %S were observed. The positions of the phosphate and deoxyribose equilibria provide a quantitative measure of the ps to ns timescale dynamic exchange processes in the DNA backbone. Linear correlations between %B I , %S, and previously calculated model free 13 C order parameters ( S 2 ) were observed. The %B I of the phosphates were found to be correlated to the S 2 of the flanking C3′ and C4′ atoms. The %B I was also found to be correlated with the %S and C1′ S 2 of the deoxyribose ring 5′ of the phosphates. The %B I of opposing phosphates is correlated, while the %B I of sequential phosphates is anti-correlated. These correlations suggest that conformational exchange processes in DNA are coupled to each other and are modulated by DNA base sequence, which may have important implications for DNA-protein interactions.
Striatal dopamine turnover and MIF-I

Abstract Because of conflicting reports of the actions of the antiparkinsonian agent L-prolyl-L-leucyl-glycine amide (PLG, MIF-I) on the turnover of Striatal dopamine (DA), this process was reinvestigated. In the present series of studies, it was found that neither our MIF-I (200 ng ICV) nor the MIF-I used by Versteeg et al. [25]was effective in altering the rate of decline of endogenous DA in the caudate nucleus of rats pretreated with α-methyl- p -tyrosine (300 mg/kg IP). In addition, our MIF-I (1 mg/kg IP) did not change endogenous dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) or homovanillic acid (HVA) in rat striatum. These studies indicate that MIF-I does not alter the turnover rate of DA in nigrostriatal neurons. It is possible that MIF-I or some substance released by MIF-I acts at a posfsynaptic receptor site.
Effect of ruminally protected amino acids on milk yield and composition of Jersey cows fed whole cottonseed

The objectives of this experiment were to determine whether ruminally protected amino acids (AA) increased milk protein when this content was depressed by the addition of whole cottonseeds in the diets of early lactation Jersey cows. Treatments were 1) a control diet, 2) a diet containing whole cottonseed, and 3) a diet containing whole cottonseed and ruminally protected lysine and methionine. Cows were assigned to treatments at a mean of 7 d postpartum and remained on the experiment for 18 wk. Dry matter intake and yields of milk, milk fat, fat-corrected milk, and energy-corrected milk were not affected by treatment. Milk fat content tended to decrease for cows fed diets containing whole cottonseed. However, the percentages of milk protein, total N, and casein N were depressed by the addition of whole cottonseed and were increased by the addition of ruminally protected AA. Plasma concentrations of methionine, but not lysine, were increased when ruminally protected AA were fed, suggesting that lysine was the most limiting.
Attitudes and beliefs for effective pediatric nurse practitioner and physician collaboration.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and beliefs of pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) and pediatricians concerning collaborative practice relationships and to explore the themes that emerged to establish a definition of collaborative practice between PNPs and pediatricians as it applies to current practice trends. Methods Twenty-four PNP and pediatrician dyads were identified through a random sampling technique from a list of names of certified PNPs obtained from the National Certification Board of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Nurses. Questionnaires were mailed to certified PNPs and the collaborating pediatrician. Data were collected and analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methodology. Results All PNPs and pediatricians were board certified and most had 6 or more years experience in a collaborative practice. The qualitative data revealed that open communication and a relationship built on mutual trust and respect, sharing of knowledge, and clinical expertise are essential components of a collaborative practice relationship if the shared goal of excellent patient care is to be achieved. Attitudes of importance in a collaborative practice relationship rated significantly higher by the PNPs included “respect for you as a professional” and “advocate for child health issues.” Conclusion The data revealed that the words “supervision” and “independence” should be changed to “consultation” when describing a contemporary collaborative practice relationship between a nurse practitioner and physician.