cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of Pull-Through Resistance of Substrate Boards for Commercial Roofing Using Different Techniques

The substrate boards of commercial roofs are secured with mechanical fasteners and plates. The pull-through resistance (PTR) of the substrates depends on the material composition and fastener/plate configuration. Three different testing apparatuses are available for determining the PTR: universal testing machine Instron pull-through (IP), automated pull-through (AP), and manual pull-through (MP). To quantify the accuracy of these three test apparatuses, the National Research Council Canada completed an experimental program. The test matrix consisted of four types of substrate boards: gypsum-based board (GB), perlite-based board (PB), wood-fiber based board (WB), and polyisocyanurate insulation based (IB), two fastener plate geometries (round and hexagonal), and two types of fasteners (#12 and #14). In addition, the effect of operator ability and loading mechanisms were respectively examined for the MP and IP by employing three different operators and two different loading mechanisms, respectively. Experimental error, deviation error, and total deviation values are calculated. The findings are, respectively summarized as follows: (1) Data obtained using IP and AP showed no significant difference in the PTR values. However, the MP results varied with operators. (2) Similarly, neither the size of the specimen, the type of fasteners, nor the fastener plates resulted in significant variation in the PTR values obtained from the three apparatuses. (3) Failure analysis of the substrate boards confirmed that larger specimens absorbed energy elastically by deflecting across the board's longer span whereas smaller specimens dissipated energy by cracking across the board.
Improving MP2 bandgaps with low-scaling approximations to EOM-CCSD.

Despite its reasonable accuracy for ground-state properties of semiconductors and insulators, second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) significantly underestimates bandgaps. In this work, we evaluate the bandgap predictions of partitioned equation-of-motion MP2 (P-EOM-MP2), which is a second-order approximation to EOM coupled-cluster theory with single and double excitations. On a test set of elemental and binary semiconductors and insulators, we find that P-EOM-MP2 overestimates bandgaps by 0.3 eV on average, which can be compared to the underestimation by 0.6 eV on average exhibited by the G0W0 approximation with a Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof reference. We show that P-EOM-MP2, when interpreted as a Green’s function-based theory, has a self-energy that includes all first- and second-order diagrams and a few third-order diagrams. We find that the GW approximation performs better for materials with small gaps and P-EOM-MP2 performs better for materials with large gaps, which we attribute to their superior treatment of screening and exchange, respectively.
A Randomized Trial of Brief Online Interventions to Facilitate Treatment Seeking for Social Anxiety.

This study developed and evaluated a brief, single-session online intervention designed to facilitate treatment seeking among adults with clinically significant social anxiety (SA) symptoms, who ge...
Quasilinear Schrödinger Equations III: Large Data and Short Time

In this article we prove short time local well-posedness in low-regularity Sobolev spaces for large data general quasilinear Schrodinger equations with a nontrapping assumption. These results represent improvements over the small data regime considered by the authors in Marzuola et al. (Adv Math 231(2):1151–1172, 2012; Kyoto J Math 54(3):529–546, 2014), as well as the pioneering works by Kenig et al. (Invent Math 158:343–388, 2004; Adv Math 196(2), 402–433, 2005; Adv Math 206(2):373–486, 2006), where viscosity methods were used to prove the existence of solutions for localized data in high regularity spaces. Our arguments here are purely dispersive. The function spaces in which we show existence are constructed in ways motivated by the results of Mizohata, Ichinose, Doi, and others, including the authors.
Geomorphology of Shallow Water Coral Reef Environments in the Red Sea

In this chapter, we examine the different processes that control the orientation and arrangement of shallow water coral reef environments in the Red Sea. Particular focus is paid to the diversity, distribution, and abundance of coral reefs in Saudi Arabia, where shallow water (<30 m) environments have been mapped into one of sixteen types of ‘coral reef system’. Each of these types of coral reef system represents the terminal node in a decision tree that differentiates reef environments based on distinctive planar morphology, that is, viewed from above and audited from high-resolution satellite imagery. The wide variation in morphology of the Red Sea reefs is primarily governed by the width of the coastal shelf. Coral reef systems can be described as either ‘shore-attached’ or ‘detached’ on the basis of the depth of water separating them from a landmass. The morphology of attached systems ranges from the simple arrangement of fringing reefs and sediments to more complex forms that extend into the Red Sea basin and are incised by channels, large lagoons, and repetitive reef lineaments. There is also considerable diversity in morphology in detached coral reef systems, which are as abundant overall as those that are shore-attached. Several morphological types of coral reef system are restricted to narrow regions of latitude. Such distributional trends may be explained in process terms by the rift tectonics of the Red Sea basin, spatial variability in the presence of sub-seafloor evaporites, the input of siliciclastic (non-carbonate) detritus onto the coastal shelf via wadis, and eustatic sea-level control. These processes act in concert, but at different spatial and temporal scales, to deliver diverse coral reef morphologies throughout the Red Sea basin.
The memory support system for mild cognitive impairment: randomized trial of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention.

Objective Individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have few empirically based treatment options for combating their memory loss. This study sought to examine the efficacy of a calendar/notebook rehabilitation intervention, the memory support system (MSS), for individuals with amnestic MCI. Methods Forty individuals with single domain amnestic MCI and their program partners were randomized to receive the MSS, either with training or without (controls). Measures of adherence, activities of daily living, and emotional impact were completed at the first and last intervention sessions and again at 8 weeks and 6 months post intervention. Results Training in use of a notebook/calendar system significantly improved adherence over those who received the calendars but no training. Functional ability and memory self-efficacy significantly improved for those who received MSS training. Change in functional ability remained significantly better in the intervention group than in the control group out to 8-week follow-up. Care partners in the intervention group demonstrated improved mood by 8-week and 6-month follow-ups, whereas control care partners reported worse caregiver burden by 6-month follow-up. Conclusions Memory support system training resulted in improvement in activities of daily living and sense of memory self-efficacy for individuals with MCI. Although activities of daily living benefits were maintained out to 8 weeks post intervention, future inclusion of booster sessions may help extend the therapeutic effect out even further. Improved mood of care partners of trained individuals and worsening sense of caregiver burden over time for partners of untrained individuals further support the efficacy of the MSS for MCI. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid Ligase ISOLATION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE HOMOGENEOUS ENZYME FROM ESCHERICHIA COLI

Abstract DNA ligase of Escherichia coli has been purified to homogeneity as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by analytical ultracentrifugation. The molecular weights of the native, and the denatured and reduced forms of the enzyme are 74,000 ± 3,000, hence, ligase consists of a single polypeptide chain. When the unadenylylated form of the enzyme is incubated with diphosphopyridine nucleotide, approximately 1 mole of adenosine 5'-monophosphate becomes covalently linked per 74,000 g of protein.
Abstract T MP44: Different Predictors of Treatment Gains in Lacunar and Non-lacunar Stroke

Introduction: Numerous predictors of treatment-induced behavioral gains after stroke have been identified. However, only a few types of predictors have generally been examined at a time. The current study examined multiple categories of established predictors in parallel among patients enrolled in a motor therapy study, hypothesizing that brain injury and function are of greatest predictive value. Furthermore, given that clinical relationships often differ according to stroke pathophysiology, the hypothesis was also tested that predictors of treatment gains vary according to stroke subtype. METHODS: Patients with age>18 yr, stable arm paresis, and stroke 11-26 wks prior were enrolled in a study ([NCT01244243][1]) that provided 3 weeks of standardized robotic arm therapy. The primary outcome measure was change in Fugl-Meyer (FM) and Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) scores. A total of 6 categories of baseline assessments were evaluated as potential predictors of treatment gains: [1] demographics/history, [2] behavior, [3] genetics, [4] neurophysiology (TMS), [5] brain injury (3T MRI), and [6] brain function (3T fMRI). For each category, the strongest bivariate predictor of gains (when significant) was advanced into a multivariate model. RESULTS: At baseline, the 29 patients had substantial motor deficits (FM=36±15), medium-sized infarcts (33±48cc; 8 lacunar, 21 non-lacunar), and were 4.3 months post-stroke. Patients improved significantly (p<0.0005) on the FM (3.7±3.5) and ARAT (4.1±6.3) scores. In non-lacunar stroke, extent of corticospinal tract injury and baseline behavior survived as predictors of treatment gains in the multivariate model (r=0.60, p=0.02). In lacunar stroke, the model found that extent of activation within ipsilesional primary motor cortex was the sole predictor of gains (r=0.79, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Measures of brain injury, brain function, and behavior are the strongest predictors of arm motor gains among patients in the early phase of chronic stroke. Different factors predict gains across stroke subtypes. Current results may be useful for patient selection in a clinical trial setting, where effective stratification can reduce variance and increase study power. [1]: /lookup/external-ref?link_type=CLINTRIALGOV&access_num=NCT01244243&atom=%2Fstrokeaha%2F45%2FSuppl_1%2FATMP44.atom
Reflections on Information Systems Journal's thematic composition

This article analyses the scholarly output of Information Systems JournalISJ in relation to its seven peer journals in the Association for Information Systems Senior Scholars' Basket of Eight journals SSB8 since ISJ's inception in 1991. To do so, cluster analyses are generated using metadata i.e. titles, keywords and abstracts from the articles published. The analysis results reveal commonalties and some distinguishing differences between ISJ and its peer journals. The findings illuminate that ISJ has published articles in the area of information systems development at a much higher rate than its counterparts. The analyses also illustrate that ISJ has embraced broader philosophical and methodological underpinnings than other SSB8 journals.
WSi, FeSi, and CuSi interfaces

The formation and properties of metal-silicon interfaces are of great technological interest in semiconductor, high temperature material, and corrosion applications. Si can be deposited and diffused on metal surfaces to increase corrosion resistance in aqueous acidic environments, oxidation resistance at high temperatures, and erosion resistance. Siliconization of steel to increase its oxidation resistance is performed above 900 C to permit diffusion of Si into the metal. However, the deposition of Si on metals has not been studied in depth. Recently, the authors developed a new coating technique based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) that allows deposition of Si at much lower temperatures than conventional CVD or pack siliconization techniques. The authors have been able to deposit silicon on W, Fe, and Cu from 350 to 850 C. This paper describes some of the preliminary findings on the metal-Si interfaces formed at these low temperatures.
Amicus Brief of Economists Ackerman et al. in Entergy v. Riverkeepers

A group of academic economists filed this amicus brief in a pending Supreme Court case, Entergy v. Riverkeepers. The amicus brief addresses questions pertaining to the nature and limits of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and thus contributes to the ongoing scholarly debate about CBA's role in environmental law. The case raises the question of whether EPA may consider CBA in writing standards based on the "best technology available for minimizing environmental impacts" from intake of water to cool industrial facilities. This intake kills fish and disrupts eco-systems. The brief explains that cost-benefit balancing may be inappropriate for an agency implementing foundational normative commitments embodied in the constitution or legislation. It then argues that engineering analysis identifies the best technology and financial analysis comparing costs to the regulated industry's economic capabilities (rather than to benefits) assesses a technology's availability. Finally, the brief explains that the radical incompleteness of the CBA done in this case could have been avoided by using a traditional technology-based approach.
Fichte, Carlyle and the British Literary Reception of German Idealism

This article reconsiders the relationship of Carlyle’s Sartor Resartus to German Idealism in light of Frederick Beiser’s revaluation of Fichte’s influence on early German Romanticism in German Idealism: The Struggle against Subjectivism (2002). Beiser claims that for Novalis, Holderlin, and Friedrich Schlegel, “drama and novel became the only proper medium to explore and resolve philosophical problems.” I argue that Carlyle, like these writers, found in the representation of particular lives a unique literary form through which to further develop Fichte’s efforts to ground philosophical truth in individual moral action. In particular, the role of the fictional editor in Sartor Resartus foregrounds Carlyle’s Fichtean effort to work through the correspondences of his imagined German Idealist philosopher Diogenes Teufelsfdrockh’s biography and philosophy.
Connective Tissue and Repair in the Heart

The heart is composed of highly differentiated cardiac myocytes, which constitute parenchyma, and stroma or connective tissue. Fibrillar collagen turnover in the heart and its valve leaflets, in particular, is dynamic and essential to tissue repair. Emerging evidence further suggests connective tissue is a metabolically active entity, where peptide hormones are generated and degraded and, in turn, these peptides regulate collagen turnover. This concept arose from quantitative in vitro autoradiography using an iodinated derivative of lisinopril (125I-351A) as ligand to localize angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) binding density within the heart. A heterogeneous distribution was found: low-density ACE binding within atria and ventricles; high ACE binding density at sites of high collagen turnover, such as valve leaflets, adventitia, and fibrous tissue of diverse etiologic origins. ACE-producing cells at these latter sites were identified by monoclonal ACE antibody. They included valvular interstitial cells (VIC) and fibroblast-like cells each of which also contained alpha-smooth muscle actin and the transcript for type I collagen (in situ hybridization). Substrate utilization in cultured VIC was found to include angiotensin I and bradykinin. Angiotensin II and bradykinin receptor-ligand binding was observed in VIC and at fibrous tissue sites. Connective tissue ACE is independent of circulating angiotensin II. In vivo, fibrous tissue formation is attenuated by ACE inhibition or antagonism of AT1 receptor. Angiotensin II and bradykinin are stimulatory and inhibitory, respectively, to cultured adult cardiac fibroblast collagen synthesis suggesting a paradigm of reciprocal regulation to fibroblast collagen turnover. Stroma and its cellular constituents represent a dynamic metabolic entity that regulates its own peptide hormone composition and turnover of fibrillar collagen. These findings may provide insights that could be used to advantage to either promote or forestall fibrous tissue formation depending on the nature of cardiovascular disease.
Calvinism and Middle Knowledge

AbstractIn his recent work, Providence and Prayer, Terrance Tiessen considers a variety of views on divine providence ranging from those in which God’s sovereignty is a risky business to so-called no-risk views. Tiessen tentatively settles on a no-risk view he dubs ‘A Middle Knowledge Calvinist Model of Providence.’ I argue that, given a compatibilist account of free will, an essential feature of Calvinism, there is no room for the threefold distinction between God’s natural, middle, and free knowledge. The knowledge a Calvinist God possesses must be entirely free knowledge or entirely natural knowledge.
A spatial entropy analysis of temperature trends in the United States

[1] The United States Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) temperature database shows a significant upward trend over the past half century. In this investigation, we calculate the spatial entropy (dissimilarity or disorder) associated with the temperature trends of 1,221 stations in the fully adjusted USHCN. We find that over the network, the spatial entropy levels are significantly and positively related to the observed temperature trends suggesting that stations most unlike their neighbors in terms of temperature change tend to have a higher temperature trend than their neighbors. These results suggest that the USHCN contains some questionable warming signals at some stations, despite the many attempts to quantitatively control for these contaminants.
Lifetime measurements of the 7p levels of atomic francium

We present lifetime measurements of the ${7p}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ and ${7p}^{2}{P}_{1/2}$ levels of Fr. We use a time-correlated single-photon counting technique on a cold sample of ${}^{210}\mathrm{Fr}$ atoms in a magneto-optic trap. We excite the atoms with the trapping and repumping beams of the magneto-optic trap and detect the decay of the atomic fluorescence. The results are a precision experimental test of the atomic many-body perturbation theory applied to the heaviest alkali metal. The lifetime results are 21.02(11) ns and 29.45(11) ns for the ${7p}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ and ${7p}^{2}{P}_{1/2}$ levels, respectively. This gives a line strength ratio ${\mathcal{S}}_{1/2}$/${\mathcal{S}}_{3/2}$ of 0.526(3) for these levels in Fr. To study sources of systematic errors we measure the lifetimes of ${5p}^{2}{P}_{3/2}$ and ${5p}^{2}{P}_{1/2}$ in stable ${}^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ and obtain 26.20(9) ns and 27.64(4) ns, respectively.
Human bone marrow niche chemoprotection mediated by cytochrome P450 enzymes

// Salvador Alonso 1 , Meng Su 1 , Jace W. Jones 2 , Sudipto Ganguly 1 , Maureen A. Kane 2 , Richard J. Jones 1 , Gabriel Ghiaur 1 1 Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA 2 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, USA Correspondence to: Gabriel Ghiaur, e-mail: gghiaur1@jhmi.edu Keywords: drug resistance, leukemia, microenvironment, CYP, multiple myeloma Received: January 31, 2015 Accepted: March 14, 2015 Published: April 10, 2015 ABSTRACT Substantial evidence now demonstrates that interactions between the tumor microenvironment and malignant cells are a critical component of clinical drug resistance. However, the mechanisms responsible for microenvironment-mediated chemoprotection remain unclear. We showed that bone marrow (BM) stromal cytochrome P450 (CYP)26 enzymes protect normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from the pro-differentiation effects of retinoic acid. Here, we investigated if stromal expression of CYPs is a general mechanism of chemoprotection. We found that similar to human hepatocytes, human BM-derived stromal cells expressed a variety of drug-metabolizing enzymes. CYP3A4, the liver’s major drug-metabolizing enzyme, was at least partially responsible for BM stroma’s ability to protect multiple myeloma (MM) and leukemia cells from bortezomib and etoposide, respectively, both in vitro and in vivo . Moreover, clarithromycin overcame stromal-mediated MM resistance to dexamethasone, suggesting that CYP3A4 inhibition plays a role in its ability to augment the activity of lenalidomide and dexamethasone as part of the BiRd regimen. We uncovered a novel mechanism of microenvironment-mediated drug resistance, whereby the BM niche creates a sanctuary site from drugs. Targeting these sanctuaries holds promise for eliminating minimal residual tumor and improving cancer outcomes.
Imagined Communities and Language Socialization Practices in Transnational Space: A Case Study of Two Korean “Study Abroad” Families in the United States

This is a yearlong ethnographic case study of 2 study abroad South Korean families' language socialization practices in their home. It explored how these parents', particularly the mothers', future visions of their returning community in South Korea influenced their home language socialization practices. As their future vision, it employed the notion of “imagined communities” (ICs) (Anderson, 1991; Kanno & Norton, 2003; Norton, 2001; Norton & Pavlenko, 2007). The data from interviews and participant observations revealed that these 2 mothers not only created different ICs, but also aligned themselves differently with their ICs. I argue that each family's unique negotiation of multiple memberships among communities they left behind, local ones, and ones they hoped to become part of in the future caused that diversity, which led to their divergent practices and attitudes toward different languages in their home. Furthermore, having membership renewal as the main goal in their IC, these families strived to maximize their language learning opportunities overseas and at the same time imposed constraints on their daily practices through language ideologies brought from their ICs.
The Sir4 C-terminal coiled coil is required for telomeric and mating type silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sir4p plays important roles in silent chromatin at telomeric and silent mating type loci. The C terminus of Sir4p (Sir4CT) is critical for its functions in vivo because over-expression or deletion of Sir4CT fragments disrupts normal telomeric structure and abolishes the telomere position effect. The 2.5 A resolution X-ray crystal structure of an Sir4CT fragment (Sir4p 1217–1358) reveals a 72 residue homodimeric, parallel coiled coil, burying an extensive 3600 A 2 of surface area. The crystal structure is consistent with results of protein cross-linking and analytical ultracentrifugation results demonstrating that Sir4CT exists as a dimer in solution. Disruption of the coiled coil in vivo by point mutagenesis results in total derepression of telomeric and HML silent mating marker genes, suggesting that coiled coil dimerization is essential for Sir4p-mediated silencing. In addition to the coiled coil dimerization interface (Sir4CC interface), a crystallographic interface between pairs of coiled coils is significantly hydrophobic and buries 1228 A 2 of surface area (interface II). Remarkably, interface II mutants are deficient in telomeric silencing but not in mating type silencing in vivo . However, point mutants of interface II do not affect the oligomerization state of Sir4CT in solution. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that interface II mimics a protein interface between Sir4p and one of its protein partners that is essential for telomeric silencing but not mating type silencing.
UPTAKE OF TRITIATED ALDOSTERONE BY RAT TISSUES.

As Tait et al.1 have pointed out, the half-life of aldosterone in plasma does not reflect metabolism alone. The calculated ‘volumes of distribution’ for the body compartments exceed that of total body water, suggesting that aldosterone is selectively taken up by some region of the body2. The work recorded here shows that injected tritiated aldosterone is unevenly distributed in the various tissues, that the rate of its disappearance from the tissues varies, and that in the liver the radioactivity is found predominantly in the supernatant fraction.
A maximum entropy approach to the specification of distributed lags

The maximum entropy (ME) criterion is used to justify three different specifications of distributed lags. For lag distributions in several dimensions, the ME criterion yields a considerable simplification.
Undergraduate medical education in critical care.

Objective:To review the current status of critical care education of medical students, focusing on how early, vigorous undergraduate training may address the needs of the learners and society.Data Sources:Literature review of focused PubMed searches, online databases, and reference lists of recent p
Shrews of the Ruby Mountains, Northeastern Nevada

Within the Great Basin, diversity of shrews (Soricidae) generally is low. We present information on distribution and ecology of shrews from the Ruby Mountains of northeastern Nevada, an area that is exceptional in supporting six species. The assemblage includes two habitat generalists and four species that are more ecologically specialized, three of which are poorly known. The high species richness of shrews in the Ruby Mountains reflects the large area, the ecological complexity, and the geographic overlap of several species.
Akt-dependent NF-κB activation is required for bile acids to rescue colon cancer cells from stress-induced apoptosis

Conjugated secondary bile acids promote human colon cancer cell proliferation by activating EGF receptors (EGFR). We hypothesized that bile acid-induced EGFR activation also mediates cell survival by downstream Akt-regulated activation of NF-κB. Deoxycholyltaurine (DCT) treatment attenuated TNF-α-induced colon cancer cell apoptosis, and stimulated rapid and sustained NF-κB nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity (detected by NF-κB binding to an oligonucleotide consensus sequence and by activation of luciferase reporter gene constructs). Both DCT-induced NF-κB nuclear translocation and attenuation of TNF-α-stimulated apoptosis were dependent on EGFR activation. Inhibitors of nuclear translocation, proteosome activity, and IκBα kinase attenuated NF-κB transcriptional activity. Cell transfection with adenoviral vectors encoding a non-degradable IκBα ‘super-repressor’ blocked the actions of DCT on both NF-κB activation and TNF-α-induced apoptosis. Likewise, transfection with mutant akt and treatment with a chemical inhibitor of Akt attenuated effects of DCT on NF-κB transcriptional activity and TNF-α-induced apoptosis. Chemical inhibitors of Akt and NF-κB activation also attenuated DCT-induced rescue of H508 cells from ultraviolet radiation-induced apoptosis. Collectively, these observations indicate that, downstream of EGFR, bile acid-induced colon cancer cell survival is mediated by Akt-dependent NF-κB activation. These findings provide a mechanism whereby bile acids increase resistance of colon cancer to chemotherapy and radiation.
The Lung Immune Niche in Tuberculosis: Insights from Studies on Human Alveolar Macrophages

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease that continues to cause global mortality and morbidity. Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) occurs by aerosol transmission from an infected case, making the lung the primary portal of entry for the bacterium. Alveolar macrophages are the frontline cells involved in the control of subsequent replication and spread of disease. Although animal models have provided important information in the field of macrophage immunology and cell biology, human TB disease has several unique features. Therefore, an understanding of human alveolar macrophage biology and their interactions with Mtb is important, not only to understand how to address TB control at various stages of the disease but also to develop optimal future vaccination and drug strategies. Despite limitations of human sample access, technical expertise in cell processing, and access to reagents, significant advances have been made in the field providing critical insights into host-pathogen interactions This review describes the unique features and the immune responses of human alveolar macrophages in the context TB infection.
Indexing: what you find is what you get

Abstract A progress report is given on the status of the NASA Astrophysics Data System Abstract Service as an index to the literature of astronomy.
Intravital microscopy: a new in vivo technique for visualizing and quantifying effects of regulatory peptides on choledochoduodenal junction motility

Abstract Using intravital microscopy, we studied the in vivo effects of regulatory peptides on choledochoduodenal junction motility in guinea pigs. During basal and hormone-stimulated periods, intravital microscopy documented rhythmic, asymmetrical, “milking” contractions of the sphincter ductus choledochi (SDC) which occurred independent of sphincter ampullae (SA) contractions or were followed by SA contractions. Cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) (≥ 0.01 μg/kg) increased the frequency of SDC contractions and at higher doses (≥ 0.1 μg/kg) increased the frequency of SA contractions. Pentagastrin (≥ 1.0 μg/kg) and secretin (10 μg/kg) decreased the contraction frequencies of both sphincters. Biliary manometry demonstrated similar effects of these peptides on the frequency of the SDC and SA contractions, but also showed that CCK-8 (0.1 μg/kg) increased the amplitude of SDC and SA contractions while pentagastrin (1 μg/kg) decreased the amplitude of only SDC contractions. Tetrodotoxin and atropine did not affect hormone-induced changes in frequency, but tetrodotoxin reduced the increase in amplitude of contraction caused by CCK-8. We concluded that intravital microscopy provides a sensitive, in vivo technique to visualize and quantify the complex motility of a small structure like the choledochoduodenal junction.
What has become of reality in modern physics

In starting to prepare an address having to do with reality it seems not in appropriate to go to the dictionary and see what it has to say about the word, so I went to the dictionary. I will not tell you all that it said. It seemed to be having a hard time trying to say anything ; and, indeed, I came to wonder whether the dictionary would permit me to say that the moon is real. I became more convinced of the truth of a statement I have had occasion to make several times during the past few years, and to the effect that "words are merely imita tive grunts invented by mankind for the purpose of putting minds into harmony with one another." They are the catalysts of thought ; but, it always remains for the parties concerned to become adjusted in their thinking, so that each gains a correct comprehension of what the other wishes to convey. Any fairly general concept such as that of reality is apt to have about it, in addition to the elements which really matter, other elements of an irrelevant nature. These irrelevant garnishings frequently asborb most of the limelight ; and, being frail tinselled things of the type which catch the eye of the mind most readily, they are the things most vulnerable to the attack of anyone who sets out to question the logical meaning of the concept and the basic foundations beneath it. Even as the eye of vision sees more readily the surface of things than the structure within, and seeing that surface sees frequently for the most part the dust of other things which has fallen upon it rather than its true self, so the eye of the mind, in looking at the concepts of nature, sees first the surface rather than the inner structure which binds it together ; and, in that surface itself sees many things which have fallen upon it and become entangled with it, but are no part of its fundamental nature. Sometimes it is difficult to find the real working element which forms the essential part of a concept on account of its complete entanglement with the irrelevant parts which obscure it. There are three states of sophistication in physics, and particularly in modern physics. In the first, one accepts, in a superficial way, everything at face value. In the second, he sees that many of the verbal statements require qualification. Some of the concepts are not unambiguous in meaning. Certain conclusions are limited in their validity. The significance of the statements is not quite what is implied by the words. The arguments presented are not a proof of something, but an analytic expression of a hypothesis, and so forth. In this state of sophistication one frequently thinks by analogy in the belief that con cepts with which he is familiar in one line of knowledge can be transported with out change to another. State of sophistication No. 2 is destructive rather than constructive. There is a tendency to look, not for the rose, but for the thorns.
On the theory of charging of aerosol particles by unipolar ions in the absence of an applied electric field

Abstract The charging of aerosol particles by unipolar ions in a gaseous medium and in the absence of an applied electric field has been analyzed from the standpoint of the kinetic theory and compared with theories based upon the macroscopic diffusion of ions and experimental data. It is shown that the quasi-steady charging rate can be expressed by the simple equation, d γ d τ = e −γ , where γ is a dimensionless particle charge and τ is a dimensionless particle charging time. The particle charging rate is shown to be unaffected by the mean free path of the ions, and hence by pressure. The theoretical equation shows good agreement with the experimental data when the mean thermal speed of the ions is taken as 1.18 × 104 cm./sec., which corresponds to a molecular weight of 460 for the corona ions used in the charging experiments. It is also shown that the theory based upon the solution of the continuous macroscopic diffusion equation for ions cannot be applied to the electrical charging of aerosol particles in the micron and submicron size range because of the low concentration of ions normally encountered and the essentially discontinuous nature of the charging process.
Three-Stage Optical Parametric Oscillator Conversion From 1 µm to the 8-12 µm Region

The performance of a three-stage, all solid-state 1 µm to 8-12 µm optical parametric oscillator conversion scheme is reported that uses the 2.596 µm secondary signal output from a KTA OPO to pump a CdSe OPO.
Halogen-substituted trimetoquinol analogs as thromboxane A2 receptor antagonists in platelets and aorta.

Abstract Trimetoquinol (TMQ) is a non-prostanoid compound that blocks prostaglandin H2/ thromboxane A2 (TXA2) receptor-mediated responses initiated by a prostaglandin (PG) H2 analog, U46619, in human platelets and rat aorta. Ring flourine-substituted TMQ analogs selectively antagonized PG-dependent human platelet activation induced by U46619, arachidonic acid, collagen, ADP or epinephrine; and were about 300-fold less potent as inhibitors of PG-independent responses mediated by thrombin or bacterial phospholipase C. For each inducer of the PG-dependent pathway, the rank order of inhibitory potency was identical (TMQ > 8-fluoro-TMQ > 5-fluoro-TMQ). Iodine substitution yielded a similar rank order of antagonism against U46619-induced platelet activation (TNQ > 8-iodo- TMQ > 5-iodo-TMQ), and all TMQ analogs inhibited platelet aggregation in whole bloods as well as in platelet-rich plasma. Inhibition of specific [3H]SQ 29,548 binding by TMQ analogs was highly correlated with inhibition of functional responses to U46619. Radioligand binding experiments using TMQ analogs with rat platelets showed no interspecies differece in comparison with human platelets. The rank order of inhibitorypotencies for the fluorinated (but not iodinated) TMQ analogs changed in rat thoracic aorta with 8-fluoro-TMQ > TMQ ⩾ 5-fluoro-TMQ as antagonists of U46619-induced vascular contraction. These findings demonstrate that the primary mechanism of antiplatelet action of TMQ analogs is related to a blockade of TXA2 receptor sites, and ring-halogenated TMQ analogs distinguish between TXA2-mediated functional responses in vascular smooth muscle and platelets.
Bohr-sommerfeld orbits in the moduli space of flat connections and the Verlinde dimension formula

We show how the moduli space of flatSU(2) connections on a two-manifold can be quantized in the real polarization of [15], using the methods of [6]. The dimension of the quantization, given by the number of integral fibres of the polarization, matches the Verlinde formula, which is known to give the dimension of the quantization of this space in a Kahler polarization.
Long wavelength VCSEL based transceivers for aerospace communication

In summary, a long wavelength VCSEL/Metal-Semiconductor-Metal (MSM) PD transceiver has been fabricated using heterogenous integration. The VCSEL integrated with the device is designed to emit at 1.3 µm wavelength. The VCSEL signal transmits through the silicon based PD. The device has been developed based on simple, low cost process anoped based on simple, low cost process an customization for parallel processing.
Specificity and site of action of a mammary gland thioesterase which releases acyl moieties from thioester linkage to the fatty acid synthetase

Abstract Previous work from this laboratory (L. J. Libertini and S. Smith, 1979, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 192 , 47–60) has shown that thioesterase II, a mammary gland-specific enzyme, modifies the product specificity of the fatty acid synthetase multienzyme by removing acyl chains attached to the multienzyme through thioester linkage. In this study, two experimental approaches were used to identify the site of action of thioesterase II. (i) The two thioesterase I domains were removed from the fatty acid synthetase with trypsin. The modified multienzyme was incubated with [2- 14 C]malonyl-CoA, acetyl-CoA, and NADPH to form [ 14 C]acyl-multienzyme thioesters, which were shown to be susceptible to hydrolysis by thioesterase II. Following peptic digestion and [ 14 C]acyl-peptide purification, the site of attachment of the acyl moiety to the modified multienzyme was identified as a pantetheine thiol. (ii) The ability of thioesterase II to hydrolyze a number of cysteine- and cysteamine-containing thioesters was compared. Cysteamine thioesters were good substrates for thioesterase II, which showed the following preference: S -decanoyl-pantetheine > S -decanoyl-CoA > S -decanoyl N -acetylcysteamine. None of the cysteine thioesters were effective substrates for thioesterase II. These two lines of evidence clearly indicate that the site of action of thioesterase II is the thioester bond linking the acyl moiety to the 4′-phosphopantetheine component of the fatty acid synthetase.
Reduction of current density at disk electrode periphery by shaping current pulse edges

Previous studies reveal that the primary distribution of the current density is sharply enhanced at the edge of a disk electrode submerged into a semi-infinite space of conductive solution. The current enhancement will cause the double layer capacitance at the periphery of the electrode to be charged much faster compared to the center, and can also lead to severe corrosion at the edge. While several studies focused on the geometric design of the electrode to reduce this enhancement, we explore the feasibility of achieving similar effect by shaping the edges of the current input. The simulation uses finite element analysis software to solve the system of partial differential equations and results show that the edge enhancement could be greatly reduced without significantly changing the input efficacy of current and/or charge.
Analysis of threshold (p,. pi. /sup 0/) reactions

A procedure is derived for analyzing ( p,..pi../sup 0/) reactions near threshold where pions are present in only s- and p-wave states. The pions, which decay into two gammas, have an angular distribution in the center of mass which can be correlated to the angular distribution of its decay gammas in the laboratory. Functions are calculated which give the laboratory distribution of both gammas in terms of parameters describing the angular distribution of pions in the center of mass. By fitting these functions to the observed gamma distribution, the pion differential cross section is determined.
Cytokinins and mitotic inhibition in “gamma-plantlets”

After irradiation of dry grains with 500 krads of gamma rays, the cytokinin content of wheat seedlings germinating without cell division rose from a barely detectable quantity in the dry grains to an amount similar to that in seedlings from unirradiated controls. The chromatographic mobility of the cytokinins from the two sources suggests that they are identical. Treatment of the “gamma-plantlets” with cytokinins and several combinations of other growth substances failed to induce cell division. It is concluded that accumulation of extractable cytokinins can be uncoupled from cell division and that failure of cell division in gamma-plantlets is not due to a gross deficiency of extractable cytokinins.
Influence of dietary fatty acid chain-length on metabolic tolerance in mouse models of inherited defects in mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation

Fasting-induced metabolic disease of all inherited deficiencies of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenases is characterized by hypoglycemia, hypoketonemia, and organic aciduria. Mice with these enzyme deficiencies are cold intolerant. To evaluate the potential role that dietary fatty acid chain-length has on a patient's ability to compensate during a metabolic challenge, we fed long-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD) deficient and short-chain acyl CoA dehydrogenase (SCAD) deficient mice a diet rich in medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) or long-chain triglycerides (LCT). To elucidate the importance of maintaining adequate serum glucose concentrations on compensation mechanisms during metabolic challenge, we treated LCAD-/- mice with a solution of 12.5% glucose or saline prior to fasting and a cold-challenge. We found that feeding SCAD deficient mice the LCT diet from weaning increased survival from 40 to 94% during metabolic challenge of cold tolerance. In contrast, there was no benefit to feeding the MCT diet at weaning to LCAD-/- mice; however, there was significant benefit when LCAD-/- mice were fed the MCT diet from the beginning of gestation. Survival during cold-challenge increased from 50 to 93%. In the LCAD-/- mice treated with glucose, despite maintaining serum glucose concentrations at normal or higher concentrations, the LCAD-/- mice were still unable to compensate during metabolic challenge. These results indicate the important influences dietary fatty acids may have by providing enhanced metabolic tolerance in patients with inborn errors of fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, these studies demonstrate that there may be crucial variables involved in the treatment of these patients, including the patient's specific enzyme deficiency, the quantity and chain-length of dietary fat, which may provide positive effects, as well as the time in development when it was administered.
Surface plasmon contribution to SERS

Abstract The contribution of surface plasmon excitation to SERS has been experimentally investigated with molecules adsorbed on 5 and 57 nm evaporated Ag films coated on a hemicylindrical prism which enabled direct excitation of surface plasmons in the Kretschmann configuration. Surface plasmon excitation increases SERS intensities by at least 10 × while metal islands of Ag give much larger SERS intensities.
On a Physics-Based Model of the Electrical Impedance of Ionic Polymer Metal Composites

In this paper, we analyze the chemoelectrical behavior of ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) in the small voltage range with a novel hypothesis on the charge dynamics in proximity of the electrodes. Specifically, this paper introduces a so-called composite layer which extends between the polymer membrane and the metal electrode. This homogeneous layer describes the charge distribution at the electrode via two species of charge carriers, that is, electrons and mobile counterions. Charge dynamics is described by adapting the multi-physics formulation based on the Poisson-Nernst-Planck (PNP) equations through the incorporation of the electron transport in the composite layer. Under the hypothesis of small voltage input, we use the linearized PNP model to derive an equivalent IPMC impedance model with lumped elements. The equivalent model is represented as a resistor connected in series with the parallel of a capacitor and a Warburg impedance element. These elements idealize the phenomena of charge build up in the double layer region and the faradaic impedance related to mass transfer, respectively. We validate the equivalent model through measurements on in-house fabricated samples addressing both IPMC step response and impedance.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The dissociation paradigm and its discontents: how can unconscious perception or memory be inferred?

Abstract Erdelyi does us all a great service by his customarily incisive discussion of the various ways in which our field tends to neglect, confuse, and misunderstand numerous critical issues in attempting to differentiate conscious from unconscious perception and memory. Although no single commentary could hope to comprehensively assess these issues, I will address Erdelyi’s three main points: (1) How (and if) the dissociation paradigm ( Erdelyi, 1986 ) can be used to validly infer unconscious perception; (2) The implications of below-chance effects; and (3) The role of time. I suggest that (a) significant progress on construct validity issues is possible; (b) below-chance effects are part of a more general bidirectional phenomenon, very likely unconscious, and do not threaten absolute subliminality; and (c) practice/learning effects pose potential difficulties for time-based dissociation paradigms.
Acidosis of synovial fluid correlates with synovial fluid leukocytosis.

Abstract The antibacterial activity of aminoglycoside antibiotics is significantly reduced by lowering the pH of the incubation medium. Since gram-negative septic arthritis responds poorly to aminoglycoside antibiotic therapy, we sought to determine whether synovial fluid acidosis contributes to this poor outcome. Synovial fluid samples from 22 patients with various forms of acute and chronic arthritis were examined for white blood cell count and pH. A close correlation (r = −0.92, p
Extension of the Known Range of Marmota monax in Alaska

During the Summer of 1951, the Arctic Aeromedical Laboratory at Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, had in its collection of experimental animals a large woodchuck ( Marmota monax ) reported to have been captured on the base. Since the range of this species had not been reported to extend this far northward, an attempt was made to collect additional specimens for study. On July 11, 1952, personnel from …