cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Alternative hydrocarbon solvents for cottonseed extraction

Hexane has been used for decades to extract edible oil from cottonseed. However, due to increased regulations affecting hexane because of the 1990 Clean Air Act and potential health risks, the oil-extraction industry urgently needs alternative hydrocarbon solvents to replace hexane. Five solvents,n-heptane, isohexane, neohexane, cyclohexane, and cylopentane, were compared with commercial hexane using a benchscale extractor. The extractions were done with a solvent to cottonseed flake ratio of 5.5 to 1 (w/w) and a miscella recycle flow rate of 36 mL/min/sq cm (9 gal/min/sq ft) at a temperature of 10 to 45°C below the boiling point of the solvent. After a 10-min single-stage extraction, commercial hexane removed 100% of the oil from the flakes at 55°C; heptane extracted 100% at 75°C and 95.9% at 55°C; isohexane extracted 93.1% at 45°C; while cyclopentane, cyclohexane, and neohexane removed 93.3, 89.4, and 89.6% at 35, 55, and 35°C, respectively. Each solvent removed gossypol from cottonseed flakes at a different rate, with cyclopentane being most and neohexane least effective. Based on the bench-scale extraction results and the availability of these candidate solvents, heptane and isohexane are the alternative hydrocarbon solvents most likely to replace hexane.
Effect of TGF-alpha on growth of normal human breast epithelial cells in serum-free primary culture using 3-dimensional collagen gels

The mitogenic effect of TGF-alpha, acidic-FGF, basic-FGF and lithium on normal human breast epithelial cells was studied in a collagen gel culture system using a serum-free 1:1 mixture of Ham's F12 and DME medium containing insulin, cholera toxin and bovine serum albumin. TGF-alpha elicited a strong mitogenic response in a dose dependent manner. Addition of cortisol to TGF-alpha stimulated growth over and above that achieved with TGF-alpha alone. A consistent observation has been the effect of a combination of TGF-alpha and cortisol on growth stimulation of normal human breast epithelial cells resulting in 3-12 fold growth after 11-13 days in culture. Acidic-FGF, basic-FGF and lithium were not growth promoting.
One look into the future of CMOS chip design

Both the physics and financial challenges of CMOS scaling to 22nm and beyond will be discussed. The effects of the possible slowing of future CMOS technology generations on CMOS chip design and methodology will be hypothesized.
Anti-clotting activity of endothelial cell cultures and heparan sulfate proteoglycans.

Abstract Endothelial cell culture medium inhibits the thromboplastin-stimulated conversion of prothrombin to thrombin and induces a lengthening of the clotting time which is concentration dependent. Antibodies to the heparan sulfate proteoglycans synthesized by this endothelial cell line abolish the inhibitory effect on clotting. Our results suggest that heparan sulfate proteoglycans may be the cell products that impart the property of blood-compatibility to the endothelial cell surface.
Distributed visualization in the command and control environment for constructive simulations

GIAC, the Graphical Input Aggregate Control System is a distributed visualization and command and control environment for constructive simulations. The GIAC system creates a distributed environment utilizing distributed databases to capture and distribute simulation objects. GIAC provides an interactive visual representation of simulation objects from multiple constructive simulations. GIAC allows command and control of the simulation objects from anywhere in the world.
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Is a Candidate Signaling Molecule in the Mitochondria-to-Nucleus Retrograde Response Pathway

Intracellular communication from the mitochondria to the nucleus is achieved via the retrograde response. In budding yeast, the retrograde response, also known as the RTG pathway, is regulated positively by Rtg1, Rtg2, Rtg3 and Grr1 and negatively by Mks1, Lst8 and two 14-3-3 proteins, Bmh1/2. Activation of retrograde signaling leads to activation of Rtg1/3, two basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper transcription factors. Rtg1/3 activation requires Rtg2, a cytoplasmic protein with an N-terminal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding domain belonging to the actin/Hsp70/sugar kinase superfamily. The critical regulatory step of the retrograde response is the interaction between Rtg2 and Mks1. Rtg2 binds to and inactivates Mks1, allowing for activation of Rtg1/3 and the RTG pathway. When the pathway is inactive, Mks1 has dissociated from Rtg2 and bound to Bmh1/2, preventing activation of Rtg1/3. What signals association or disassociation of Mks1 and Rtg2 is unknown. Here, we show that ATP at physiological concentrations dissociates Mks1 from Rtg2 in a highly cooperative fashion. We report that ATP-mediated dissociation of Mks1 from Rtg2 is conserved in two other fungal species, K. lactis and K. waltii. Activation of Rtg1/3 upregulates expression of genes encoding enzymes catalyzing the first three reactions of the Krebs cycle, which is coupled to ATP synthesis through oxidative phosphorylation. Therefore, we propose that the retrograde response is an ATP homeostasis pathway coupling ATP production with ATP-mediated repression of the retrograde response by releasing Mks1 from Rtg2.
Structure of the Ag/Si(111) surface by scanning tunneling microscopy.

We present the first real-space images, obtained by scanning tunneling microscopy, which show the ordered atomic structures of the Ag/Si(111) surface for several submonolayer coverages. The (\ensuremath{\surd}3 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} \ensuremath{\surd}3 )R30\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{} surface is shown to be of the honeycomb structure, and the room-temperature coverage is determined to be theta=(2/3). The (1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}3) overlayer consists predominantly of rows of Ag atoms separated by two empty rows. At low coverage the surface shows long-range 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7 order, but patches occur within the 7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}7 cells whree Si adatoms are absent.
Milestones in ecological thought — A canon for plant ecology

Scientific progress in plant ecology is at risk of being obscured by increasing ignorance of major works in the field. The driving force seems to be the twin seductions of novelty and crowd psychology. I illustrate this tendency with three examples from plant community ecology that span the past thirty years of ecological research. I offer, as one solution, the concept of a canon: a short list of essential books that we assume all students and co-workers have read, a short list that summarizes the wisdom of the discipline. A canon can be likened to DNA, be it in music, art, or science, as it carries forward through time the key ideas that have worked in the past. Without a canon, there is no memory of past achievement, no context for appreciating current work, and no way of judging the quality of newer productions. I suggest 20 essential books (the short canon), and 22 complementary readings, for a total of 42 books needed in any young professional's library on plant ecology.
FREQUENCY SPECTRUM OF THERMAL FLUCTUATIONS IN PLASMAS

The frequency spectrum of electron density fluctuations arising from thermal motions of the particles in a plasma is computed by means of an extension of Richardson's noise theory. Calculations based on the relaxation-model kinetic equation, which is tsken to represent a plasma in which the dominant collision processes are those between charged particles and neutral particles, lead to the usual collisionfree results in the limit of vanishing collision frequency. For the collision-dominated plasma, this model leads to spectral widths proportional to the ion-diffusion coefficient. Calculations based on the Fokker-Planck model kinetic equation, which is taken to represent a plasma in which the dominant- collision processes are those between charged particles, lead to spectral widths which are also proportional to the ion-diffusion coefficient. (auth)
Milestones in Fungicide Discovery: Chemistry that Changed Agriculture

Abstract Fungicides have repeatedly altered the way crops are grown and farmers' expectations of crop health. This review focuses on the inventions that were turning points in agriculture and the e...
Nucleation, growth, and overall transformation kinetics of grain boundary allotriomorphs of proeutectoid alpha in Ti-3.2 At. Pct Co and Ti-6.6 At. Pct Cr alloys

The nucleation, growth, and overall transformation kinetics of grain boundary α allotriomorphs were measured in Ti-3.2 at. pct Co and Ti-6.6 at. pct Cr alloys with optical microscopy. Nucleation kinetics were interpreted with classical heterogeneous nucleation theory, using the pillbox model of the critical nucleus. Growth kinetics of allotriomorphs were significantly accelerated by the rejector plate mechanism, but much less so than allotriomorphs formed in fcc substitutional matrices at comparable homologous temperatures. Overall transformation kinetics were accounted for with a modified version of Cahn’s theory of grain boundary nucleated reactions.
Gene Control of Copper-Sensitivity in Saccharomyces

AN extensive study of the adaptation of yeasts to copper by Prof. Joji Ashida and his associates1 revealed that yeasts are trained to high concentrations of copper by a two-step process. On agar containing copper, they found that copper-sensitive yeast cells grew as a thin film which became spotted with brown colonies of copper-resistant cells. Cells which they selected from the brown colonies proliferated rapidly on transfer to a copper medium, producing dense brown subcultures. Studies by the Ashida group indicated that many factors affect pigmentation of the copper-resistant cells. They inferred that the ability to resist copper-poisoning could be transferred to sensitive cells by ribonucleic acid extracted from closely related resistant organisms, but not by ribonucleic acid from sensitive organisms. They showed that the difference between resistant and sensitive cells was clearly expressed in medium containing 1 mM/l. of copper sulphate. In the cultures of Saccharomyces tested by Ashida and his group copper-resistant variants did not arise without training; none grew rapidly on a copper medium without previous selection by the two-step process described above.
Civic Virtue Out of Necessity: Patriotism and Democratic Education

Should patriotism be considered a legitimate part of schooling in a democracy? This question has been contested in the scholarly literature as well as by policy-makers for decades.Terrorism and conflict exacerbate this debate by adding a sense of urgency to both the demand to love thy country and the concern for individual freedom. In this article I suggest that the social circumstances of conflict substantiate the claim for teaching patriotism in schools, while maintaining a strong commitment to their democratic educational mission.While patriotism should be regarded as a civic rather than a moral virtue, its contribution to solidarity and to endurance in wartime warrants the attention of educators, scholars and education policy-makers. The implementation of patriotic teaching should thus be incorporated into the broader democratic vision which public schools should endorse and with which they should engage the next generation of citizens.
Complications of combined modality treatment of primary lower extremity soft-tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND. Correlations between various patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics and complications in patients undergoing combined modality treatment for primary lower extremity soft-tissue sarcomas were investigated. METHODS. Using the M. D. Anderson Radiation Oncology database, the records of the subset of patients treated with combined radiation and limb-sparing surgery for primary lower extremity soft-tissue sarcomas were retrospectively reviewed from the years 1960 to 2003. RESULTS. In all, 412 patients were identified. With a median follow-up of 9.3 years, there were a total of 113 (27%) acute wound complications and 41 (13% at 20 years) chronic radiation-related limb complications. Preoperative radiation and tumor sizes >5 cm were associated with an increased risk of acute wound complications (34% preoperative vs. 16% postoperative, P 5 cm vs. 17% ≤5 cm, P = .005). At 20 years the radiation-related complication rate was higher in patients with a groin or thigh tumor location (16% vs. 4% other; P = .008), prior acute wound complications (20% vs. 10% no surgical complication), and a radiation dose ≥60 grays (Gy) (18% vs. 9% for dose < 60 Gy; P = .04). Five fractures occurred, resulting in a crude overall fracture rate of 1.2%. CONCLUSIONS. Patients treated with preoperative radiation for larger tumors are more likely to have acute surgical wound complications. Acute wound complications followed by postoperative radiation are associated with chronic radiation-related limb problems, as are higher radiation dose and proximal tumor location. The fracture rate is so low that prophylactic fixation is not warranted. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Surface of Venus: Possible sulfides

The surface reflectivity of Venus at radar wavelengths of 17 cm varies from very ‘bright’ areas, such as the Maxwell Montes and other elevated regions like Terra Aphrodite, to the darkest regions, which are located in low-lying valleys. Radar altimeter data received from the instrument aboard the Pioneer Venus Orbiter are showing good correlations between brightness and surface elevations, but the indications are that the bright regions are too bright to be explained by radar reflections from dry terrestrial-type rocks. The dielectric constant (K) of rocks that radar reflect as the elevated regions of Venus' surface must be high, probably on the order K=9 or more. On Venus bright areas have K between 11 and 20, presenting difficulties in the interpretation of the surface materials. In a study by G.H. Pettengill, P.G. Ford, and S. Nozette (Science, Aug. 13, 1982), the high-reflectivity regions of Venus are interpreted as being due possibly to the presence of free metal or, more likely, to pyrite (FeS2), one of the few minerals with sufficiently high conductivity (1–105 mho/m).
Health Status And The Cost Of Expanding Insurance Coverage

This paper uses data on health spending and health status from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to estimate the differences in health spending across different types of insurance and across incomes that are attributable solely to health status differences. The results show that the uninsured are less costly than those on Medicaid, based on health status alone, but are more costly than those with employer-sponsored insurance. Adults and children with private nongroup coverage are also less expensive than average, because of better-than-average health. Finally, the data show that expenditures fall (health status improves) with income, regardless of type of coverage.
Allocations of Colleges and Economists

States is practiced in the two major citadels of agricultural intelligence, namely, colleges of agriculture and the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Research and educational programs in these two major public institutions, as well as the structure of income transfers flowing from the USDA, have come under growing criticism in recent years. Foundation of the criticisms has been that of equity and the concentration of public payments and benefits of research and education to the wealthy, while the poor and disadvantaged of rural areas are neglected. The most recent, and perhaps the most devastating, attack on programs of the agricultural colleges include the recent Congressional activity through the Migratory Labor Subcommittee hearings on Land Grant Colleges and the hurried paperback, Hard Tomatoes, Hard Times by Hightower [11]. Appearance of these two communications caused a scurry among land grant university administrators, who generally have reacted to these criticisms through "white papers" defending ongoing patterns or "promising to do more."
Prediction of laboratory and in situ protein fractions in legume and grass silages using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Abstract Legume and grass silage samples (n=121) were collected from commercial forage testing laboratories (trial 1). Samples were dried at 55°C for 48h, ground, scanned on a near-infrared reflectance spectrophotometer, and analyzed for crude protein (CP), soluble CP, acid detergent fiber (ADF) CP, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) CP by wet chemistry methods. Sixty samples were selected for calibration development, and the remaining samples were used for equation validation. Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy accurately predicted the CP content of the silages (R 2 =0.96), but prediction of soluble CP, ADF CP, and NDF CP was markedly less accurate. The coefficients of determination and standard errors of calibration for CP, ADF CP, NDF CP (percentage of DM), and soluble CP (percentage of CP) were as follows (0.96 and 0.80, 0.77 and 0.24, 0.72 and 0.71, and 0.82 and 4.40). In a second study, legume and grass silage samples (n=32) were dried at 55°C and ground (2mm). Duplicate dacron bags containing 5g of silage were incubated in the ventral rumen of three ruminally cannulated cows for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72h. In situ protein fractions, including rapidly degraded protein, slowly degraded protein, undegradable protein, degradation rate, and rumen-undegradable protein, were determined. Original samples were reground (1mm) and scanned. Previously defined near-infrared spectroscopy calibration procedures were conducted. Coefficients of determination for in situ CP fractions were R 2 >0.92 with the exception of degradation rate (R 2 =0.87). Data suggest that in situ protein fractions are better predicted by near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy than by laboratory protein fractions.
A comprehensive in vivo kinematic, quantitative MRI and functional evaluation following ACL reconstruction — A comparison between mini-two incision and anteromedial portal femoral tunnel drilling

Abstract Background Multiple techniques are used for femoral tunnel drilling in ACL reconstruction, including the Mini-two Incision Method (MT) and Anteromedial Portal Technique (AM). Both techniques allow for independent placement of the femoral tunnel, though there are no reports comparing kinematics and cartilage health after these reconstructions. We hypothesized that both techniques would result in the restoration of normal knee kinematics and show no evidence of early cartilage degeneration. Methods A total of 20 patients were evaluated one year after ACL reconstruction, including 10 patients after MT and 10 patients after AM. MR-imaging was acquired bilaterally with the knee loaded in extension and flexion to evaluate the kinematics of the reconstructed knee compared with the normal knee. Quantitative cartilage imaging was obtained and compared with 10 matched control subjects. The Marx Activity Rating Scale and KOOS survey were administered. Results The tibia was positioned significantly more anteriorly in extension and flexion relative to the contralateral knee for the MT group. The tibial position in the AM group was not significantly different from the patient's contralateral knee. T 1 ρ values in the central-medial tibia were significantly elevated in the MT group compared with the Control group. KOOS Symptom scores were significantly better for the MT group compared with the AM group. Conclusions We have observed in vivo differences in knee kinematics and early cartilage degeneration between patients following MT and AM ACL reconstructions. Both techniques allow for anatomic ACL reconstruction, though the MT group shows significant early differences compared with the patient's normal knee. Level of evidence Level III — retrospective comparative study
PIG-A mutations in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and in normal hematopoiesis

PIG-A is an X-linked gene that is essential for the first step in the biosynthesis of glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) anchors. A rare clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), is caused by mutations in the PIG-A gene. PNH is an acquired disease that may arise de novo or emanate from aplastic anemia. PNH blood cells have an absence or marked deficiency of all GPI anchored proteins. Interestingly, rare GPI anchor deficient blood and marrow cells that harbor PIG-A mutations can also be found in most healthy controls. This review examines the clinical and biological relevance of PIG-A mutations in PNH, aplastic anemia and healthy controls.
Linear Cost Sharing in Economies with Non-Samuelsonian Public Goods: Core Equivalence

We consider an economy with non-Samuelsonian public goods and we focus on linear cost sharing. In a linear cost sharing equilibrium all agents in the economy optimize given a certain fixed cost share to be contributed towards the provision of public goods in the economy. Hence, each agent pays a certain fraction of the total establishment costs of public goods and these cost shares are common knowledge. We show that for a certain fixed contribution scheme the resulting linear cost share equilibria are equivalent to corresponding core allocations, in which the core is based on the integral of the individual cost shares. We also show that there is no equivalence of the Foley core with cost share equilibria, even in well-behaved large economies.
Radiation survival of two human cervical carcinoma cell lines after multifraction irradiation

Abstract Purpose: Multifraction irradiation may contribute to radiation therapy treatment failure is selection of radiation resistant subpopulations occurs. We sought to determined whether surviving cells following daily fraction irradiation of two human cervical squamous cell carcinoma lines would express different radiation survival characteristics compared to the unirradiated parent. Methods and Materials: A late-passage line (HTB35) and an early-passage line 9RECA) received daily 2 Gy x-irradiation. Two stable HTB35 cell lines were extablished after 40 and 60 Gy (HTB3540 and HTB3560). A single line was established from RECA after 30 Gy (RECA-30). High dose rate (74 cGy/min) acute radiation survival curves were prepared from the three nre lines and the unirradiated parents. Potentially lethal damage repair (PLDR) and sublethal damage repair (SLDR) responses were detailed for HTB35, HTB3540 and HTB3560. Low dose rate (1.27 cGy/min) survival was measured dfor HTB35 and HTB3560. Clones were derived from HTB35 and from HTB3560 and the survivung fraction at 2 Gy (SF 2 ) values were determined. Results: The two parent lines (HTB35 and RECA) differed in acute radiation survival. The surviving lines following multifraction irradiation (HTB3540, HTB3560, and RECA) showed no change in acute radiation response compared to the appropriate parent. HTB3540 and HTB3560 were repair proficient, demonstrating similar PLDR anmd SLDR recovery ratios as the parent. Likewise, low dose rate survival of HTB35 and HTB3560 was similar. Nine clones derived deom HTB35 lacked a consistent difference in SF 2 compared to the original culture. A single clone of seven derived from HTB3560 was consistently radiation resistant (SF 2 = 0.81 ± 0.06 compared to the original culture (SF 2 = 0.50 ± 0.09). Conclusion: No evidence was obtained that cell lines generated following multiple daily fractions of x-irradiation in vitro possessed acute radiation survival or repair characteristics that were different from the unirradiated parent.
Hormonal Regulation of Testicular Luteinizing Hormone and Prolactin Receptors

The effects of gonadotropic stimulation on testicular LH and PRL receptors were examined in the absence and presence of elevated serum PRL levels. In adult male rats, the administration of ovine LH (oLH) caused an increase in both PRL and LH receptors within 40–120 min. This initial rise in testicular receptors was followed by the transient loss and recovery of PRL sites and a more prolonged loss of LH receptors. In contrast, the administration of bovine PRL or the elevation of circulating PRL levels during metoclopramide infusion caused no change in the lactogenic sites. A significant positive effect of increased serum PRL levels on testicular LH receptors was observed during metoclopramide infusion, but this did not prevent the loss of LH receptors caused by the administration of oLH. Similarly, prior treatment with bovine PRL failed to prevent the LH-induced loss of testicular LH receptors. These findings demonstrate that PRL and LH receptors exhibit concomitant but distinct forms of regulation during ...
Developmental Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls Interferes with Experience-Dependent Dendritic Plasticity and Ryanodine Receptor Expression in Weanling Rats

BackgroundNeurodevelopmental disorders are associated with altered patterns of neuronal connectivity. A critical determinant of neuronal connectivity is the dendritic morphology of individual neuro...
A Public Praise with Neither Purse Nor Scrip: Old Elizabeth and Womanist Theological Ways

Using Scripture to contest eighteenth- and nineteenth-century societal norms, Elizabeth’s memoir of her life in slavery contests the legal and cultural structures that rendered her as secondary, in...
Observations of Saturn's satellites 1789-1972

A data-collection and literature search has yielded over 22,000 observations of the known satellites of Saturn, made from 1789 through 1972. The type (photographic, micrometer, etc.) and number of observations are tabulated in ten-year increments, and a complete bibliography is referenced.
Clinical considerations in the use of missing tissue compensators for head and neck cases.

Abstract The irregular shape or contour of the patient’s surface in the treatment field can alter the dose distribution resulting in non-uniformity of dose in the treatment volume. Missing tissue compensators have been most commonly used to improve this non-uniformity, especially in head & neck, breast, lung and supraclavicular regions. Two or three dimensional compensators have been typically designed to make the dose uniform at a specific depth. This compensation shifts the dose distribution within the treatment volume so that some structures may be under or over compensated. This study will examine how various sites in head and neck cases are affected by compensators. We have also analyzed the uncertainty in compensated dose due to the daily variations in patient repositioning. Computer isodose plans using Cobalt-60 gamma rays and 6 and 18 MV x-rays were generated using coronal contours. Results show that the dose uniformity is improved for the treatment sites, especially for the thinner sites, like the larynx and the anterior cervical neck nodes. Finally, patient movement or positioning errors of ±1.0 cm will cause a change in dose distribution.
Regulating the response to targeted MEK inhibition in melanoma: enhancing apoptosis in NRAS- and BRAF-mutant melanoma cells with Wnt/β-catenin activation.

The limitations of revolutionary new mutation-specific inhibitors of BRAFV600E include the universal recurrence seen in melanoma patients treated with this novel class of drugs. Recently, our lab showed that simultaneous activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and targeted inhibition of BRAFV600E by PLX4720 synergistically induces apoptosis across a spectrum of BRAFV600E melanoma cell lines. As a follow-up to that study, treatment of BRAF-mutant and NRAS-mutant melanoma lines with WNT3A and the MEK inhibitor AZD6244 also induces apoptosis. The susceptibility of BRAF-mutant lines and NRAS-mutant lines to apoptosis correlates with negative regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by ERK/MAPK signaling and dynamic decreases in abundance of the downstream scaffolding protein, AXIN1. Apoptosis-resistant NRAS-mutant lines can sensitize to AZD6244 by pretreatment with AXIN1 siRNA, similar to what we previously reported in BRAF-mutant cell lines. Taken together, these findings indicate that NRAS-mutant mel...
Studies on the consumption of ‘fibre‐filler’ for twelve weeks in humans: effects on iron status and plasma zinc

Forty adult subjects (14 male, 14 female omnivores; five male, seven female vegetarians) were given a daily fibre supplement of cereals, fruits and nuts (‘fibre-filler’, F-plan diet, Eyton, 1982) incorporated into their normal diet for twelve weeks. Various haematological parameters were monitored from fasting blood samples taken at regular intervals throughout the study. Two-way analysis of variance of the data from the initial blood samples showed that habitual diet had no effect on any of the measured variables, but that there was a significant difference between men and women for all but % transferrin saturation. Mean Hb levels gradually increased during the course of the study, and there were fluctuations in plasma zinc. No other parameters changed with time. It was concluded that the fibre supplement under investigation, which contributed an additional 12 mg iron and 2.6 mg zinc to the daily intake, had no adverse effect on iron or zinc status when consumed by subjects as part of their normal diet.
The postnatal accumulation of S-100 protein in mouse central nervous system. Modulation of protein synthesis and degradation☆

Abstract A study was made of the rates of synthesis and degradation of the S-100 protein during the postnatal development of the mouse central nervous system. From 3 to 15 days the S-100 concentration remains constant. From 16 to 21 days S-100 accumulates, rising from about 4 μg per brain to a level of approximately 16 μg per brain. From 21 days to 10 mo of age, the S-100 concentration remains constant. The zero-order rate constant of synthesis and the first-order rate constant for degradation were determined during these periods by means of isotope incorporation studies. Initiation of accumulation is accompanied by an increase in both rates of synthesis and degradation. During accumulation of S-100 the rate of degradation remains constant while the rate of synthesis continually increases. Cessation of accumulation is caused by a decrease in both rates of synthesis and degradation. Therefore the control of the accumulation of this protein during mouse central nervous system development is a result of modulation of both rates of synthesis and degradation.
Urban Fathers' Role in Maternal Postpartum Mental Health

Postpartum depression (PPD) leads to poor outcomes for mothers and families, yet for many reasons across various ecological strata, it remains difficult to identify. The potential role of fathers in maternal mental health has largely been unexplored. We use an ecological model to examine urban fathers’ role in identifying maternal depressive symptoms and providing partner support. In 31 qualitative interviews with urban fathers, seven fathers identified depressive symptoms such as depressed mood and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities and fifteen reported providing emotional, instrumental, and stability support. Implications of our findings and the potential roles that fathers can assume in the ecological strata are discussed.
Analysis of right ventricular function in the exercising horse: use of the fourier transform.

Summary The objective of this study was to develop and test a technique to allow dynamic cardiac function to be studied during exercise in the horse. Blood pressure waveforms in the exercising horse are difficult to interpret because of the large influence of stride and respiration. A method has been devised to study dynamic right ventricular variables during high-speed exercise in the horse. A Fast Fourier Transform was performed on the digitised pressure waveforms and the frequency components associated with stride and respiration were removed. An inverse Fourier Transform was then performed to generate a time-domain pressure signal. Several dynamic right ventricular variables were calculated using the derived signal. Various parameters associated with removing frequencies from the frequency-domain pressure signal were changed to determine their influence on the variables. Most of the variables were not sensitive to these parameters. When compared during separate exercise bouts, some variables differed among runs, while others were not significantly different. Using the signal separation technique described here, right ventricular function of an exercising horse can be critically analysed.
Medical Visions: Producing the Patient through Film, Television, and Imaging Technologies Kirsten Ostherr. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.

Medical Visions: Producing the Patient through Film, Television/ and Imaging Technologies Kirsten Ostherr. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.Medical images surround us. In a doctor's office, we undergo various imaging examinations from x-rays to MRIs. In our living rooms, we have seen TV programs like ER and Grey's Anatomy or medical reality shows. Even a rudimentary biology class comes with a textbook filled with microscopic pictures. We rely on imaging technology so much that not only are microbes and bacteria simply too miniscule for our eyes to see, but also something as subjective as pain must be visually confirmed with an image. This is why pain in a calf muscle is only a concern, medically speaking, after an ultrasound or MRI shows a tear, and not before, regardless of the agony the patient is experiencing. Ostherr's work traces this medical reliance on images back to the early twentieth century and demonstrates how patients have been created through visualization. In its process, sponsorship, attempts to bridge entertainment and education, wars, and other social contexts affected how medical visualization took place.Ostherr begins her analysis with a case study of a health film produced by the Rockefeller Institute. Its first film, entitled Unhooking the Hookworm (1920), enabled the audience to see what was only viewable under a microscope. This not only signaled a technical advancement but also started our obsession with visualization, created two distinctive groups of audience between experts and lay people, and enabled American medical dominance abroad. Medical visualization during the World War II period was a combination of actual images and animations. For example, the author provides an example of an EKG reading and electric signals from a heart. Rather than show a real heart, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) used animation to teach how an electrocardiograph records heart activity. Similarly, an animation of a hernia was combined with an actual image of a surgeon. This animation simplified the human anatomy so that the viewing students could focus on the hernia itself.Visualization projects in the first half of the twentieth century solidified hierarchy within and outside of the medical field. The ACS attempted to standardize procedures by recording and repeating ideal surgical techniques. Some training films distinguished between seasoned physicians and those in training. With their reach beyond the professional medical field, visualization projects represented Africa as a continent with underdeveloped medicine with diseases that had to be rescued by America's advanced medicine. …
A Theory of Radio Scattering in the Troposphere

The theory of scattering by a turbulent medium is applied to scattering of radio waves in the troposphere. In the region below the horizon of the transmitter, energy is received (1) by diffraction round the curved surface of the earth (modified as appropriate by atmospheric refraction), and (2) by scattering from turbulence in the region of high field strength above the horizon. At distances beyond the horizon that are not too great, we may think of (1) as giving the mean signal received, and (2) as giving the fading. However, contribution (2) usually decreases with distance more slowly than contribution (1). Beyond a certain distance, therefore, contribution (2) becomes predominant and the mean signal is no longer given by (1). (See Fig. 3.) Values of the scale of turbulence and of the departure of refractive index from mean expected on meteorological grounds are fully adequate to explain the scattered field strengths observed experimentally.
HIV and HCV Activate the Inflammasome in Monocytes and Macrophages via Endosomal Toll-Like Receptors without Induction of Type 1 Interferon

Innate immune sensing of viral infection results in type I interferon (IFN) production and inflammasome activation. Type I IFNs, primarily IFN-α and IFN-β, are produced by all cell types upon virus infection and promote an antiviral state in surrounding cells by inducing the expression of IFN-stimulated genes. Type I IFN production is mediated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) 3 in HCV infected hepatocytes. Type I IFNs are also produced by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) after sensing of HIV and HCV through TLR7 in the absence of productive pDC infection. Inflammasomes are multi-protein cytosolic complexes that integrate several pathogen-triggered signaling cascades ultimately leading to caspase-1 activation and generation pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-1β. Here, we demonstrate that HIV and HCV activate the inflammasome, but not Type I IFN production, in monocytes and macrophages in an infection-independent process that requires clathrin-mediated endocytosis and recognition of the virus by distinct endosomal TLRs. Knockdown of each endosomal TLR in primary monocytes by RNA interference reveals that inflammasome activation in these cells results from HIV sensing by TLR8 and HCV recognition by TLR7. Despite its critical role in type I IFN production by pDCs stimulated with HIV, TLR7 is not required for inflammasome activation by HIV. Similarly, HCV activation of the inflammasome in monocytes does not require TLR3 or its downstream signaling adaptor TICAM-1, while this pathway leads to type I IFN in infected hepatocytes. Monocytes and macrophages do not produce type I IFN upon TLR8 or TLR7 sensing of HIV or HCV, respectively. These findings reveal a novel infection-independent mechanism for chronic viral induction of key anti-viral programs and demonstrate distinct TLR utilization by different cell types for activation of the type I IFN vs. inflammasome pathways of inflammation.
Cementitious porous pavement in stormwater quality control: pH and alkalinity elevation.

A certain level of alkalinity acts as a buffer and maintains the pH value in a stable range in water bodies. With rapid urban development, more and more acidic pollutants flow to watersheds with runoff and drop alkalinity to a very low level and ultimately degrade the water environment. Cementitious porous pavement is an effective tool for stormwater acidic neutralization. When stormwater infiltrates cement porous pavement (CPP) materials, alkalinity and pH will be elevated due to the basic characteristics of cement concrete. The elevated alkalinity will neutralize acids in water bodies and maintain the pH in a stable level as a buffer. It is expected that CPP materials still have a certain capability of alkalinity elevation after years of service, which is important for CPP as an effective tool for stormwater management. However, few previous studies have reported on how CPP structures would elevate runoff alkalinity and pH after being exposed to rainfall-runoff for years. In this study, three groups of CPP specimens, all exposed to rainfall-runoff for 3 years, were used to test the pH and alkalinity elevation properties. It was found that runoff pH values were elevated from 7.4 to the range of 7.8–8.6 after infiltrating through the uncoated specimens, and from 7.4 to 8.5–10.7 after infiltrating through aluminum-coated specimens. Runoff alkalinity elevation efficiencies are 11.5–14.5% for uncoated specimens and 42.2% for coated specimens. The study shows that CPP is an effective passive unit operation for stormwater acid neutralization in our built environment.
Zodiac Calendar and Market Returns

Throughout history, Chinese zodiac astrology has significantly influenced the way people in that area think, feel, or make daily decisions. In the zodiac calendar, each year is marked by one of twelve symbolic animals and each animal is associated with its own specific traits. Previous literature suggests investors’ mood, attitude, and behavior are influenced by natural events such as cloudy or sunny weather, or lunar cycles. Cultural events such as holidays or religious feasts are also shown to have impact on investing decisions. In this paper we study the stock market returns in different lunar years in the zodiac calendar. We find that Hang Seng’s mean returns are higher in Rat years and both mean and median returns are lower in Snake years. These results are statistically significant despite a small sample size. For S&P 500, only Snake and Rooster years show lower, statistically significant, holding period return. Results are inconclusive for other animal-years or other categorizations in the zodiac astrology.
A report on the current status of grand rounds in radiology residency programs in the United States.

Rationale and Objectives A national needs assessment of radiology program directors was performed to characterize grand rounds (GR) programs, assess the perceived educational value of GR programs, and determine the impact of the recent economic downturn on GR. Materials and Methods A 28-question survey was developed querying the organizational logistics of GR programs, types of speakers, content of talks, honoraria, types of speakers invited, response to the economic downturn, types of speaker interaction with residents, and perceived educational value of GR. Questions were in multiple-choice, yes-or-no, and five-point Likert-type formats. The survey was distributed to the program directors of all radiology residencies within the United States. Results Fifty-seven of 163 programs responded, resulting in a response rate of 36%. Thirty-eight programs (67%) were university residencies and 10 (18%) were university affiliated. Eighty-two percent of university and 60% of university-affiliated residencies had their own GR programs, while only 14% of community and no military residencies held GR. GR were held weekly in 18% of programs, biweekly in 8%, monthly in 42%, bimonthly in 16%, and less frequently than every 2 months in 16%. All 38 programs hosting GR reported a broad spectrum of presentations, including talks on medical education (66%), clinical and evidence-based medicine (55%), professionalism (45%), ethics (45%), quality assurance (34%), global health (26%), and resident presentations (26%). All programs invited speakers from outside the institution, but there was variability with regard to the frequency of visits and whether invited speakers were from out of town. As a result of recent economic events, one radiology residency (3%) completely canceled its GR program. Others decreased the number of speakers from outside their cities (40%) or decreased the number of speakers from within their own cities (16%). Honoraria were paid to speakers by 95% of responding programs. Most program directors (79%) who had their own GR programs either strongly agreed or agreed that GR are an essential component of any academic radiology department, and this opinion was shared by a majority of all respondents (68%). Almost all respondents (97%) either strongly agreed or agreed that general radiologic education of imaging subspecialists is valuable in an academic radiology department. A majority (65%) either strongly agreed or agreed that attendance at GR should be expected of all attending radiologists. Conclusions GR programs among radiology residencies tend to have similar formats involving invited speakers, although the frequency, types of talks, and honoraria may vary slightly. Most programs value GR, and all programs integrate GR within resident education to some degree. The recent economic downturn has led to a decrease in the number of invited visiting speakers but not to a decrease in the amounts of honoraria.
On the theory of signal detectability: An optimum nonsequential observation-decision procedure

Observation-decision procedures which associate a cost with observing are generally sequential in nature in order to reduce the observation length. Presented in this paper is the optimum nonsequential procedure in the sense of minimum expected loss for a terminal decision. The procedure is presented in generality and evaluated for normal observation statistics. Two numerical examples are presented for normal observation statistics.
Chromatofocusing nonporous reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry of proteins from human breast cancer whole cell lysates: a novel two-dimensional liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method

A novel two-dimensional two-column liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) technique is described in this work, where chromatofocusing (CF) has been coupled to nonporous reversed-phase (NPS-RP) HPLC to separate proteins from human breast epithelial whole cell lysates. The liquid fractions from NPS-RP-HPLC are readily amenable to direct on-line analysis using electrospray ionization orthogonal acceleration time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOFMS). A key advantage of this technique is that proteins can be 'peeled off' in the liquid phase from the CF column according to their isoelectric points (pI) in the first chromatographic separation dimension. The NPS-RP-HPLC column further separates these pI-focused fractions based upon protein hydrophobicity as the second chromatographic dimension. The third dimension involves on-line molecular weight determination using ESI-TOFMS. As a result, this method has the potential to be fully automated. In addition, a 2-D protein map of pI versus molecular weight is generated, which is analogous to a 2-D gel image. Thus, this technique may provide a means to study differential expression of proteins from whole cell lysates.
Atomic-level physics of grain boundaries in bcc molybdenum

We present a systematic trend study of the symmetric tilt grain boundaries about the $〈110〉$ axis in molybdenum. Our results show that multiple structural phases, some incorporating vacancies, compete for the boundary ground state. We find that at low external stress vacancies prefer to bind to the boundaries in high concentrations, and moreover, that external stress drives structural phase transitions which correspond to switching the boundaries on and off as pipe-diffusion pathways for vacancies.
Fluorine electron double resonance imaging for 19F MRI in low magnetic fields.

This work demonstrates the feasibility of generating fluorine NMR images at a very low magnetic field of 0.015 T by making use of the Overhauser enhancement of 19 F NMR signal brought about by a stable, water-soluble, narrow-line paramagnetic contrast agent. The enhancement in the 19 F NMR images depends on the concentration of the single electron contrast agent, the pO2, and the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) irradiation power. The applicability of this technique for 19 F NMR imaging is demonstrated with phantom samples, where a time resolution of 4 ‐10 min is achieved. Proton electron double resonance imaging (PEDRI) and fluorine electron double resonance imaging (FEDRI) images were also obtained from rat kidneys ex vivo, perfused with 10 mM Oxo63 and 10 M trifluoroacetic acid. The spatial and temporal resolutions of these images are comparable to those obtained at magnetic fields 2‐3 orders of magnitude larger. Constant NMR frequency (628 kHz) operation permits both FEDRI and PEDRI of identical slices without removing the object under investigation. This feasibility of coregistration of proton-based anatomical PEDRI image with physiological FEDRI image offers good potential for studying fluorine-containing tracers. Magn Reson Med 48: 523‐529, 2002. Published 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. †