cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression and purification of the cardiac sodium channel Na V 1.5 for cryo-EM structure determination.

Voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.5 is responsible for initiating and propagating cardiac action potentials by selectively conducting Na+ into cardiomyocytes. Class-I antiarrhythmic drugs target NaV1.5 for treatment of arrhythmias. During the last few years, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has become a powerful technique to determine the structures of ion channels at atomic level. In order to reveal the structural features of NaV1.5 and the structural basis for its interaction with antiarrhythmic drugs by cryo-EM, NaV1.5 protein must be expressed at high levels and purified to homogeneity. In this chapter, we discuss the expression and purification of NaV1.5 in a mammalian expression system. We optimized the construct by deleting unstructured intracellular loops of rat NaV1.5 while retaining core functional regions. The resulting rNaV1.5C is fully functional and is blocked by Class-I antiarrhythmic drugs in a state-dependent manner. Protocols are presented for expressing and purifying sufficient sample of NaV1.5 for preparing cryo-EM grids. The resulting cryo-EM structure is briefly described.
Temporizing and Definitive Skeletal Fixation for the Mangled Upper Extremity

Initial skeletal management of a mangled upper extremity may be temporary or definitive depending on the fracture, location, and patient condition. Scapula and clavicle injuries can often be treated non-operatively; however unusual constructs may be employed to control these injuries. The humerus and elbow may be addressed with external fixation or temporizing internal fixation strategies to create a stable platform for neurovascular repair. The forearm and wrist may be treated with a combination of splinting, external and internal fixation. Each case varies, and we discuss a range of options with radiographic examples for these scenarios to help plan for definitive management. Through a discussion of the considerations surrounding the case and the patient’s resuscitation, skeletal fixation can be approached with creative approach with careful foresight of the final surgical needs of the patient and those of the entire treatment team.
Differing susceptibility of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice—parents of the murine BXD family, to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection

The ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by a novel coronavirus termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) that is closely related to SARS-CoV, poses a grave threat to global health and has devastated societies worldwide. One puzzling aspect of COVID-19 is the impressive variation in disease manifestations among infected individuals, from a majority who are asymptomatic or exhibit mild symptoms to a smaller, largely age-dependent fraction who develop life-threatening conditions. Some of these differences are likely the consequence of host genetic factors. Systems genetics using diverse and replicable cohorts of isogenic mice represents a powerful way to dissect those host genetic differences that modulate microbial infections. Here we report that the two founders of the large BXD family of mice—C57BL/6J and DBA/2J, differ substantially in their susceptibility to a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV, MA15. Following intranasal viral challenge, DBA/2J develops a more severe disease than C57BL/6J as evidenced by more pronounced and sustained weight loss. Disease was accompanied by high levels of pulmonary viral replication in both strains early after infection but substantially delayed viral clearance in DBA/2J. Our data reveal that the parents of the BXD family are segregated by clear phenotypic differences during MA15 infection and support the feasibility of using this family to systemically dissect the complex virus-host interactions that modulate disease progression and outcome of infection with SARS-CoV, and provisionally also with SARS-CoV-2.
Derivation of Analytic Formulas for the Sample Moments of the Sample Correlation over Permutations of Data

Pearson's correlation is among the mostly widely reported measures of association. The strength of the statistical evidence for linear association is determined by the p-value of a hypothesis test. If the true distribution of a dataset is bivariate normal, then under specific data transformations a t-statistic returns the exact p-value, otherwise it is an approximation. Alternatively, the p-value can be estimated by analyzing the distribution of the sample correlation under permutations of the data. Moment approximations of this distribution are not as widely used since estimation of the moments themselves are numerically intensive with greater uncertainties. In this paper we derive an inductive formula allowing for the analytic expression of the sample moments of the sample correlation under permutations of the data in terms of the central moments of the data. These formulas placed in a proper statistical framework could open up the possibility of new estimation methods for computing the p-value.
Sex Hormones and Aging Modulate Interferon Lambda 1 Production and Signaling by Human Uterine Epithelial Cells and Fibroblasts

Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) have potent effects on immune function in the human uterine endometrium which is essential for creating an environment conducive for successful reproduction. Type III/lambda (λ) interferons (IFN) are implicated in immune defense of the placenta against viral pathogens, which occurs against the backdrop of high E2 and P levels. However, the effect of E2 and P in modulating the expression and function of IFNλ1 in the non-pregnant human uterine endometrium is unknown. We generated purified in vitro cultures of human uterine epithelial cells and stromal fibroblast cells recovered from hysterectomy specimens. Poly (I:C), a viral dsRNA mimic, potently increased secretion of IFNλ1 by both epithelial cells and fibroblasts. The secretion of IFNλ1 by epithelial cells significantly increased with increasing age following poly (I:C) stimulation. Stimulation of either cell type with E2 (5x10-8M) or P (1x10-7M) had no effect on expression or secretion of IFNλ1 either alone or in the presence of poly (I:C). E2 suppressed the IFNλ1-induced upregulation of the antiviral IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) MxA, OAS2 and ISG15 in epithelial cells, but not fibroblasts. Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) blockade using Raloxifene indicated that E2 mediated its inhibitory effects on ISG expression via ERα. In contrast to E2, P potentiated the upregulation of ISG15 in response to IFNλ1 but had no effect on MxA and OAS2 in epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate that the effects of E2 and P on IFNλ1-induced ISGs are cell-type specific. E2-mediated suppression, and selective P-mediated stimulation, of IFNλ1-induced ISG expression in uterine epithelial cells suggest that the effects of IFNλ1 varies with menstrual cycle stage, pregnancy, and menopausal status. The suppressive effect of E2 could be a potential mechanism by which ascending pathogens from the lower reproductive tract can infect the pregnant and non-pregnant endometrium.
The Worst Things in Life are Free: The Role of Free Heme in Sickle Cell Disease

Hemolysis is a pathological feature of several diseases of diverse etiology such as hereditary anemias, malaria, and sepsis. A major complication of hemolysis involves the release of large quantities of hemoglobin into the blood circulation and the subsequent generation of harmful metabolites like labile heme. Protective mechanisms like haptoglobin-hemoglobin and hemopexin-heme binding, and heme oxygenase-1 enzymatic degradation of heme limit the toxicity of the hemolysis-related molecules. The capacity of these protective systems is exceeded in hemolytic diseases, resulting in high residual levels of hemolysis products in the circulation, which pose a great oxidative and proinflammatory risk. Sickle cell disease (SCD) features a prominent hemolytic anemia which impacts the phenotypic variability and disease severity. Not only is circulating heme a potent oxidative molecule, but it can act as an erythrocytic danger-associated molecular pattern (eDAMP) molecule which contributes to a proinflammatory state, promoting sickle complications such as vaso-occlusion and acute lung injury. Exposure to extracellular heme in SCD can also augment the expression of placental growth factor (PlGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), with important consequences to enthothelin-1 (ET-1) secretion and pulmonary hypertension, and potentially the development of renal and cardiac dysfunction. This review focuses on heme-induced mechanisms that are implicated in disease pathways, mainly in SCD. A special emphasis is given to heme-induced PlGF and IL-6 related mechanisms and their role in SCD disease progression.
The Interaction of Talk and Text

This paper shows how discourse analysis of local Bible-study groups re-contextualises understandings of biblical interpretation. The paper first considers how literature on biblical interpretative practice commonly works with ideal types of reading and readers, with little attention paid to actual readers. Drawing on an empirical study of three Bible-study groups, the paper offers a very different hermeneutical picture, of meaning achieved in social interaction, involving subtle negotiation. The paper demonstrates the significance of conversational structure for understanding groups’ interpretation. Further, it shows how attention to the interaction of different ‘voices’ challenges the use of labels such as ‘traditional’ or ‘liberal’. This analysis, it is argued, suggests a hermeneutic driven, not by a quest for knowledge, but rather by relational concerns; and by the hope that in ‘fellowship’ and learning together, group members will discover ‘insight’. The analysis thus reveals how Bible-study offers a distinctively practical theology of biblical interpretation.
Studies on pulmonary surfactant. Effects of cortisol administration to fetal rabbits on lung phospholipid content, composition and biosynthesis.

Abstract Corticosteroids are known to accelerate maturation of the fetal lung and production of surfactant. We examined the effect of cortisol administration to fetal rabbits on the phospholipid content and composition of lung lavage and lung tissue, as well as on the activities of enzymes involved in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylglycerol, the major surface-active components of surfactant. Cortisol was administered by intrauterine injection at 25 days' gestation and the fetuses were delivered at 27 days (full term, 31 days). Saline-injected fetuses, littermates of the cortisol-treated as well as non-littermates, were used as controls. The amount of phospholipid in lung lavage from the hormone-treated fetuses was almost double that of the saline-injected controls and was similar to that of an untreated fetus of more than 30 days' gestation. Similarly, the phospholipid composition of lung lavage from the hormone-treated fetuses was similar to that of an untreated fetus at a greater gestational age. These data, therefore, suggest that cortisol acts by accelerating physiological development. Cortisol administration stimulated the activity of cholinephosphate cytidylyltransferase and lysolecithin acyltransferase to a small, but statistically significant extent. This is also consistent with an acceleration of normal development. The stimulation of lysolecithin acyltransferase is of interest, since this enzyme is believed to be involved in the synthesis of dipalmitoylglycerophosphocholine, the major surface-active species of phosphatidylcholine. Cortisol administration had no effect on the activities of pulmonary choline kinase, cholinephosphotransferase, lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase and glycerolphosphate phosphatidyltranferase, although we have previously shown the latter enzyme to be stimulated following a longer period of exposure to the hormone. Saline injection produced some maturational effects presumably as a result of stress, which may be mediated by corticosteroids or other hormones.
AN ENERGY-BASED ANALYSIS OF INTERIOR ILLUMINATION SYSTEMS IN OFFICE BUILDINGS

Various interior electric lighting system designs are evaluated in terms of power demand and illumination capability. The primary objectives of the work described were to: (1) identify practical, energy-efficient approaches to providing quality illumination, addressing the specific issues of illuminance requirements, interior design, and electric lighting hardware and (2) provide fundamental background in establishing base conditions for ongoing parametric energy analyses of daylighting in office buildings.
Reaction Rates of Superoxide Radicals with the Essential Amino Acids

Upper limits for the rates of reaction of amino acids with superoxide radicals have been determined spectrophotometrically by the stopped flow method. Rate measurements at 23 degrees C for the reaction of HO2 with amino acids were made in the pH range between 1 and 2; similar measurements for O2- were taken near pH 10. The results show that, overall, amino acids are relatively unreactive toward both HO2 and O2-. Computed second-order rate constants for their interaction with HO2 range from 101 mol-1s-1 for aliphatic amino acids to about 600 1 mol-1s-1. The second-order rate constants for the interaction of amino acids with O2- are smaller and range from 0.1 to about 20 1 mol-1s-1.
A Simple Constraint-Based Algorithm for Efficiently Mining Observational Databases for Causal Relationships

This paper presents a simple, efficient computer-based method for discovering causal relationships from databases that contain observational data. Observational data is passively observed, as contrasted with experimental data. Most of the databases available for data mining are observational. There is great potential for mining such databases to discover causal relationships. We illustrate how observational data can constrain the causal relationships among measured variables, sometimes to the point that we can conclude that one variable is causing another variable. The presentation here is based on a constraint-based approach to causal discovery. A primary purpose of this paper is to present the constraint-based causal discovery method in the simplest possible fashion in order to (1) readily convey the basic ideas that underlie more complex constraint-based causal discovery techniques, and (2) permit interested readers to rapidly program and apply the method to their own databases, as a start toward using more elaborate causal discovery algorithms.
Maternalism and Citizenship in Weimar Germany: the Gendered Politics of Welfare

The three papers collected here present important arguments concerning the gendered context and content of the Weimar welfare state. They unsettle our abilityto judge the origins, the efficacy, and the abstract political value of the welfare state and its democratic claims; they have much to say about twentieth-century women's history and the coordinates of feminist politics in the period between the early 1900s and the 1960s; they have vital lessons for a politics of democratic citizenship; and they all demonstrate the payoff of taking gender seriously as a useful category of historical analysis. In fact, gender seems to have acquired particular salience, in especially public and visible ways, in the period dealt with by these papers.
Frequency Dependence of the Speed of Light in Space

To characterize the possible dispersion of the velocity of light in space (vacuum) a Cauchy-type formula, ${n}^{2}=1+\frac{A}{{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{2}}+B{\ensuremath{\nu}}^{2}$, is used. It is shown that relativity only allows a nonzero $A$ term, independent of the nature of the waves or a quantization thereof. Recent experimental data provide upper bounds for $A$ and $B$, limiting thereby the dispersion in the microwave, infrared, visible, and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum to less than one part in ${10}^{20}$.
Youth access to tobacco in two communities.

Purpose: To describe the availability of tobacco to youth in two urban communities, as a basis for designing a community-based intervention program. Design: Two Midwestern U.S. urban communities were the setting for unannounced tobacco compliance checks. The population of retailers for this study included all convenience stores, grocery stores, pharmacies, and discount stores licensed by the state to sell tobacco products in the two communities. Establishments where entry is restricted to adults were not included. The total population of retailers was used as the sample, and two purchases were attempted at each retail outlet. Methods: Cigarette purchases by female teens and the location of cigarettes in stores were documented. Compliance-check procedures were planned with needed protections for retailers and youth. Findings: Adolescent tobacco purchase rates were near the federal recommendations for the two urban communities. Retailer use of self-service displays was higher than expected. Availability of the designated brand for self-service was significantly associated with the purchase rate of tobacco by underage youth. Conclusions: Self-service displays provide increased availability of tobacco to teens. Teen smoking and youth access to tobacco could be limited by legislation and policies to restrict retailer use of self-service displays.
The influence of positive end-expiratory pressure on pulmonary blood volume changes in adult respiratory distress syndrome

Pathophysiologic changes associated with the Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), such as the presence of pulmonary vascular occlusions, decreased vascular compressibility, or inceased intrapulmonary shunting, could limit the effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) upon pulmonary blood volume (PBV). Accordingly, we determined the effect of 5 and 15 cm H2O PEEP upon the PBV changes of normal volunteers (n = 9) and patients with moderate or severe ARDS associated with acute pulmonary hypertension (n = 10). Changes of PBV were estimated from equilibrium blood pool scans using Technetium-99m-labeled erythrocytes. The change of PBV induced by PEEP was assessed by measuring the count density over a region of the left lung during 0, 5, and 15 cm H2O continuous positive airway pressure in the volunteers and during mechanic ventilation with 5 and 15 cm H2O PEEP in the ARDS patients. Biventricular ejection fractions using gated blood pool angiocardiography and central hemodynamics were also measured in the ARDS patients. In volunteers, 5 and 15 cm H2O continuous positive airway pressure decreased pulmonary activity by 10% ± 4% and 24% ± 9%, respectively (mean ± SD, P = .0001). In ARDS patients, PBV appeared to be unaffected by decreasing PEEP from 15 to 5 cm H2O, despite an increased stroke volume, biventricular end-diastolic volume, and venous admixture. Pulmonary vascular resistance and right and left ventricular ejection fraction were unchanged. The ability of PEEP to reduce PBV appears to be decreased during acute lung injury.
Interference Fragmentation Functions and Valence Quark Spin Distributions in the Nucleon

We explore further applications of the twist-two quark interference fragmentation functions introduced earlier. We show that semi-inclusive production of two pions in the current fragmentation region in deep inelastic scattering of a longitudinally polarized electron on a longitudinally polarized nucleon can provide a probe of the valence quark spin (or helicity difference) distribution in the nucleon. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Prediction and reversal of blunted ventilatory responsiveness in patients with hypothyroidism.

To define the prevalence of impaired ventilatory responses in hypothyroidism, clinical and chemical parameters predicting their presence, and the potential for their acute reversal, ventilatory responses to hypercapnia and hypoxia were studied in 38 hypothyroid patients before treatment, and after short-term (seven days) and long-term (12 to 24 weeks) thyroid hormone therapy. Before treatment, hypercapnic ventilatory responses were blunted in 10 of 29 patients (34 percent), whereas hypoxic ventilatory responses were abnormal in eight of 30 patients (27 percent). Hypothyroid women and patients with marked pretreatment elevation of the serum thyrotropin concentration (greater than 90 mU/liter) were significantly more likely to have impaired ventilatory responses. In patients with an abnormal pretreatment response, parenteral thyroid hormone therapy (25 to 50 micrograms of L-triiodothyronine or 100 micrograms of L-thyroxine per day for seven days) significantly enhanced hypercapnic (0.75 +/- 0.06 to 1.19 +/- 0.16 liters/minute/mm Hg, p less than 0.05) and hypoxic (93 +/- 12 to 176 +/- 31 liters.mm Hg/minute, p less than 0.05) ventilatory responsiveness acutely. In seven of nine patients with abnormal pretreatment hypercapnic responses, and six of eight patients with abnormal hypoxic responses, normal ventilatory responsiveness was restored after one week of therapy. It is concluded that: (1) a subset of hypothyroid patients have blunted ventilatory responses to hypercapnia and/or hypoxia; (2) hypothyroid women and patients with a serum thyrotropin greater than 90 mU/liter more often manifest this abnormality; and (3) thyroid hormone therapy for one week reverses impaired ventilatory responses in hypothyroidism.
Resistivity probing of an “exponential” earth with a homogeneous overburden

Abstract A method is derived for computing the normalized apparent resistivity of an earth having the electrical conductivity σ = σ 1 for depth z d , and σ = cσ 1 exp[ β ( z − d )] for depth z > d . Integral expressions are derived for the potential due to a point direct current source on the surface, and for the apparent resistivity as given for two common fourelectrode configurations. These reduce to closed form expressions for d = 0. In each case, the electrodes are located in a straight line with spacing a. Soudning curves are dependent on the three parameters βa , βd , and c . These are presented for unit contrast and various values of βd , and are plotted versus βa . The results are relevant to determining the subsurface conductivity structure from surface based measurements. Possible applications are to remote-sensing of coal seams and to permafrost layers in the earth.
Crystal structures of apo-form and binary/ternary complexes of Podophyllum secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in formation of health-protecting and plant defense lignans.

Abstract (-)-Matairesinol is a central biosynthetic intermediate to numerous 8–8′-lignans, including the antiviral agent podophyllotoxin in Podophyllum species and its semi-synthetic anticancer derivatives teniposide, etoposide, and Etopophos®. It is formed by action of an enantiospecific secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase, an NAD(H)-dependent oxidoreductase that catalyzes the conversion of (-)-secoisolariciresinol. Matairesinol is also a plant-derived precursor of the cancer-preventative “mammalian” lignan or “phytoestrogen” enterolactone, formed in the gut following ingestion of high fiber dietary foodstuffs, for example. Additionally, secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase is involved in pathways to important plant defense molecules, such as plicatic acid in the western red cedar (Thuja plicata) heartwood. To understand the molecular and enantiospecific basis of Podophyllum secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase, crystal structures of the apo-form and binary/ternary complexes were determined at 1.6, 2.8, and 2.0 A resolution, respectively. The enzyme is a homotetramer, consisting of an α/β single domain monomer containing seven parallel β-strands flanked by eight α-helices on both sides. Its overall monomeric structure is similar to that of NAD(H)-dependent short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases, with a conserved Asp47 forming a hydrogen bond with both hydroxyl groups of the adenine ribose of NAD(H), and thus specificity toward NAD(H) instead of NADP(H). The highly conserved catalytic triad (Ser153, Tyr167, and Lys171) is adjacent to both NAD+ and substrate molecules, where Tyr167 functions as a general base. Following analysis of high resolution structures of the apo-form and two complex forms, the molecular basis for both the enantio-specificity and the reaction mechanism of secoisolariciresinol dehydrogenase is discussed and compared with that of pinoresinol-lariciresinol reductase.
Generating strings for bipartite Steinhaus graphs

Abstract Let b ( n ) be the number of bipartite Steinhaus graphs with n vertices. We show that b ( n ) satisfies the recurrence, b (2) = 2, b (3) = 4, and for k ⩾ 2, b (2 k + 1) = 2 b ( k + 1) + 1, b (2 k ) = b ( k ) + b ( k + 1). Thus b(n) ⩽ 5 2 n − 7 2 with equality when n is one more than a power of two. To prove this recurrence, we describe the possible generating strings for these bipartite graphs.
Incidence estimates of late stages of trachoma among women in a hyperendemic area of central Tanzania

The purpose of this study is to estimate 5-year incidences of conjunctival scarring and trichiasis, and 10-year incidence of corneal opacities due to trachoma, using prevalence data from a population sample of 6038 women living in a trachoma-hyperendemic area of central Tanzania. Previous surveys have documented the age-specific prevalence of scarring, trichiasis, and corneal opacities in women in hyperendemic areas. Using the age-stratified prevalences of these different clinical signs, corresponding incidence rates were estimated. Transition rates from one sign to the next were also obtained by restricting the risk group to only women with a specific trachoma sign. Thus, the 5-year incidence of trichiasis among women with conjunctival scarring, and the 10-year incidence of corneal opacities among women with trichiasis were estimated. Incidences of all the signs markedly increased with age. For scarring, 5-year incidence rates increased from 3.1% in the 15-19 age category to 14.3% for women between 55 and 59 years. The 5-year incidence of trichiasis ranged from 0.3% in the 15-19 age category to 7.5% in the age group 55-59. Corneal opacities due to trachoma were highest in the age group 45-54; the 10-year incidence increased to 2.8%. The 5-year incidence of trichiasis among only women with scars increased from 3.2% in the 15-19 age group to 15.1% in women in the 55-59 age group. Once trichiasis is present, almost one-third of the women below 35 and more than 40% of the women older than 45 will develop corneal opacities in a 10-year interval. These estimates are important in understanding the dynamics of progression of trachoma from conjunctival scarring to the potentially blinding signs of trichiasis and corneal opacities. They provide important information for planning adequate services in areas where trachoma is endemic and surgery for trichiasis is a key factor to avoid blindness from trachoma. They also provide clues to the pathogenesis that may be useful in the development of new methods of control.
Proteomics in neurodegenerative diseases

Many neurodegenerative diseases share a common feature: aggregation and deposition of abnormal proteins. The cellular mechanisms that cause these diseases can be studied by animal models. A novel approach to determine changes in protein expression is proteomics, i.e. separation of complex protein mixtures by two-dimensional-electrophoresis and subsequent identification of the proteins by mass spectrometry. In this contribution Huntington's and Parkinson's disease have been studied in two distinct mouse model systems using this approach. We identified disease-related proteins further upstream or downstream of the main disease pathway and proteins changed as a consequence of disease. Moreover, we found up-/down-regulated proteins which both diseases have in common. By comparing these results with protein changes associated with ageing in mice we identified shared protein changes as well. These data indicate that neurodegenerative diseases and ageing possibly affect the same cellular pathways.
The probabilistic estimates on the largest and smallest $q$-singular values of random matrices

Abstract. We study the q-singular values of random matrices with preGaussian entries defined in terms of the q-quasinorm with 0 < q ≤ 1. In this paper, we mainly consider the decay of the lower and upper tail probabilities of the largest q-singular value s 1 , when the number of rows of the matrices becomes very large. Based on the results in probabilistic estimates on the largest q-singular value, we also give probabilistic estimates on the smallest q-singular value for pre-Gaussian random matrices.
A COMPUTATIONAL STUDY OF EMPIRICAL DECISION HORIZONS IN INFINITE HORIZON, MULTIPERIOD NETWORK FLOW PROBLEMS

The minimum cost, multiperiod network flow model is an important optimization model for solving problems in many application areas including resource scheduling, planning and distribution. This network model describes decision making problems over time. In earlier work, we discussed the development, implementation and computational testing of a new technique, the forward network simplex method, for solving linear, minimum cost, multiperiod network flow problems. The forward network simplex method exploits the natural decomposition of multiperiod network problems, by limiting its pivoting activity to the date of the last few time periods. Both the solution CPU time and pivot count are linear in the number of time periods. For standard network optimization codes, the pivot count is linear while the solution time is approximately quadratic in the number of periods. Here we present a computational study of the natural decomposition of, or empirical decision horizons for, an “infinite” horizon, multiperiod net...
Line intensities of methane in the 2700-2862-kayser region

Individual strengths and wave numbers of 2080 methane absorption lines have been measured between 2700 and 2862 kaysers at an average resolution of 0.023 kayser using a grating spectrometer. The results include all lines with strengths greater than 0.00003 per sq cm/atm observable at 296 K with a maximum path of 32 m and a pressure of 4 torr.
City folk: Survival strategies of tradition-bearing organizations☆

Abstract Tradition-bearing organizations are those organizations in which the explicit mission is the preservation and protection of a tradition that is purported to transcend the organization. These organizations institutionalize specific definitions of polyschematic traditions. Such organizations face unique obstacles when adapting to changes in their environment. Through an in-depth case study of one such organization, the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, Illinois, USA, this paper examines the strategies available to tradition-bearing organizations in such circumstances. Tradition-bearing organizations may choose to abandon their mission of preserving tradition in order to survive. For those dedicated to retaining their tradition-bearing status, strategies available include embodied identification, in which the organization is equated with the tradition it bears, making whatever it does tradition. This allows a shift in authenticity claims, which in turn legitimates expansion and translation. With these strategies an organization may retain its tradition-bearing status and still adapt to its environment.
Approaches to Controlling Escherichia coli 0157:H7, a Foodborne Pathogen and an Emerging Environmental Hazard

Escherichia coli is a ubiquitous bacterium that lives commensally in the guts of most mammals, including man; however, some types of E. coli are pathogenic to humans, including the enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), of which E. coli 0157:H7 is the most well-known member. Escherichia coli 0157:H7 is a natural member of the gastrointestinal microflora of domestic ruminants (e.g., cattle, goats, sheep) and has been isolated from several wildlife species (e.g., deer, rabbits), and transmission may occur from any of these reservoirs. Although E. coli 0157:H7 is primarily thought of as a foodborne pathogen, recent outbreaks have demonstrated other important routes that lead to human exposure, such as contaminated water and dust. Because E. coli 0157:H7 represents a significant and widespread environmental health hazard, much effort has been directed toward the development of intervention strategies. Because of the relationship between ruminant animals, wildlife, and E. coli 0157:H7, many of the strategies have focused on reducing levels in live animals. In this review article, we examine this virulent pathogen and explore several of the recently developed pre-harvest intervention strategies (including pro-biotic and anti-pathogen strategies, as well as environmental/management changes) and their potential to reduce zoonotic transmission of E. coli 0157:H7 and other EHEC to man.
Clinical profiles of non dry eye patients and correlations with tear protein levels.

An accurate clinical description of the normal patient must be established before the dry eye patient can be accurately profiled. The current study was designed to (a) determine normal values for, and to seek correlations between, clinical tests used for the evaluation of non dry eye patients' tear film and ocular surface, and (b) compare clinical findings with previously reported levels of non-stimulated and stimulated tear proteins for the same group. Thirty non-contact lens wearing patients (age range 20–64 years) were determined to be free of dry eye based on the results of a series of clinical tests. McMonnie's dry eye questionnaire was used as an initial screening step. Clinical tests included lacrimation kinetics (using sealed, calibrated filter paper strips), non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT) measurement by Xeroscope, biomicroscopic evaluation of the anterior segment, assessment of tear prism height and regularity, and fluorescein and Rose Bengal staining. No significant correlations were found between age, questionnaire score, lacrimation kinetics final tear secretion rate or NIBUT. However, NIBUT results did vary by gender. Mean NIBUT for females was 46.3 ± 16.6 (standard deviation) seconds and for males 59.3 ± 2.1 seconds. Some significant correlations were found between clinical test results and levels of non-stimulated and stimulated tear proteins. Overall, the results indicate that this battery of clinical tests will be appropriate for distinguishing between normal and dry eye patients. Combined with tear protein assay, this clinical approach may improve our current understanding of the different types of dry eye.
Small particles in plumes of Mount St. Helens

Particles in the size range 0.1-25 microns were sampled by aircraft carrying a quartz crystal microcascade in the Mount St. Helens plume on three dates in August and September 1980. Two of the sampling dates represented 'typical' emissions of the volcano between plinian eruptions. One sampling flight was made 1-4 hours before the small plinian eruption of August 7, 1980 when the plume had become discontinuous and visibly darker. The plume sampled on August 7, before the eruption, contained mainly approximately 2-micron diameter silicic glass particles, fragments of the Mount St. Helens magma. The typical plumes sampled on September 22 and August 6 had much smaller concentrations of particles, trimodal size distributions with peaks at 10, 0.4, and 0.1 microns. The particles were largely nonsilicate and apparently represented Cu-Zn oxide (10 micron peak), Al sulfate, chloride, and oxide, and sulfuric acid (smallest size peak).
An experimental investigation into the influence of ZrN and TiN coatings on drills in drilling Hasteloy

SUMMARY This paper presents a comparison of the performance characteristics of titanium nitride (TiN) and zirconium nitride (ZrN) coatings on drills. The objective of this work was two-fold: to choose the best coating for machining tough materials tike Hasteloy; and to determine a method of predicting the wear of drills. A longer life of drills leads to increased productivity of drilling holes in certain components of environmental-control systems and fuel-control assemblies (in the aerospace industry) made of tough materials like Hasteloy. The comparison of the two coatings and tool wear was based on the measurement of static and dynamic forces and torques, power spectral density and acoustic-emission plots. The measurements were carried out using piezoelectric dynamometers and an acoustic-emission device. Upon analysis of the data, it was found that drills coated with TiN performed better than those coated with ZrN. It was also observed that the root-mean-square value of the acoustic-emission density an...
In the midst of economic disaster, can the USA still care about green accounting? .... Which is more important a sustainable economy or a sustainable environment?

The Obama administration has called for a heightened amount of transparency in financial reporting culminating from the recent debacle on Wall Street. Interestingly, as our economy wavers between recession and or depression, the worldwide economy is focused on gross domestic product or GDP which measures the total production and consumption of goods in our domestic economy (Curwood, 2004). How much transparency can there be reported when GDP does not include the costs of the 'greening of the economy?' Many of the costs and benefits associated with environmentally sound business practices are intrinsic in value and therefore difficult to place a realistic value on (Patrut et al., 2008) US generally accepted accounting practices or GAAP has resisted including contingent environmental assets to be reported on the balance sheet or environmental cost savings on the income statement because they have no GDP value (Fuld, 2009).
Semantic clusters based manifold ranking for image retrieval

We propose a novel weighted manifold-ranking based image retrieval method to improve the effectiveness of traditional manifold methods. Specifically, we apply the SVM-based relevance feedback technique to create semantic clusters for computing the reliability score of each database image. We then incorporate the reliability scores into the affinity matrix to construct a weighted manifold structure. We finally create an asymmetric relevance vector to store users' positively and negatively labeled information. Our system ensures to propagate the labels in the relevance vector to the images with high reliability scores and discriminately spread the ranking scores of positive and negative images via the weighted manifold structure. Extensive experiments demonstrate our system outperforms the other manifold systems and SVM-based systems in the context of both correct and erroneous feedback.
A numerical approach for predicting volumetric inactivation of food borne microorganisms in liquid substrates by pulsed light treatment

Abstract Pulsed light (PL) technology is able to effectively destroy a wide variety of food spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. However, the effectiveness of PL treatment depends on direct exposure of the target microorganisms to the short, high energy pulses of light. The complex physical and chemical properties of foods affect the way light propagates through a given food substrate, and thus there is a real potential for insufficiently or non-uniformly treated products. The objective of this work was to develop a method for predicting levels and spatial distribution of microbial inactivation in PL treatment of liquid substrates, and to validate the predictions with experimental data. Three liquids with different composition and optical properties (BPB, TSB, apple juice) were inoculated with either Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 or Listeria innocua FSL C2-008 and treated with PL, in two different geometries. The Weibull model was used to describe the microbial inactivation kinetics for each organism. The kinetic equations were coupled with previously determined equations describing either the total fluence ( F total ) or UV fluence ( F UV ) distribution in each of the liquids, for either cylindrical or rectangular prismatic geometries. COMSOL simulation software was used to generate maps of spatial distribution of microbial inactivation and to predict the average volumetric inactivation for each substrate. The model that used F total provided gross over-estimations for microbial inactivation, while using F UV as the treatment dose yielded reasonably good predictions of microbial inactivation, especially for the more opaque and turbid substrates. This approach can help processors determine which substrates would be suitable for PL treatment, and to design highly effective and uniform PL treatments.
The association of television and video viewing with fast food intake by preschool-age children.

Objective: To examine the extent to which television (TV) and video viewing is associated with consumption of fast food by preschool-age children. Research Methods and Procedures: In a cross-sectional study of 240 parents of children ages 2.0 to 5.9 years, parents reported the number of hours their child watched TV/videos on an average weekday and weekend day in the past month; a daily, weighted average of TV/video viewing was then calculated. The main outcome was parents’ report of their children's fast food intake, using the question, “How many times a week does your child eat at fast food restaurants such as McDonald's, Burger King, or Kentucky Fried Chicken?” dichotomized to (never/<1 vs. ≥1 time/wk). The association of TV/video viewing with fast food intake was evaluated by multiple logistic regression before and after adjusting for several potential confounders. Results: Twenty-two percent of parents reported that their child ate at fast food restaurants at least once per week. After adjusting for parents’ age, race/ethnicity, and household income as well as child's age and sex, for each 1-hour increase of TV/video watched per day, the odds ratio (OR) for consuming fast food ≥1 time per week was 1.60 (95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 2.49). After further adjustment for socio-environmental factors that might serve as proxies for the availability of healthy food options, such as parental time constraints and the availability and high cost of fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighborhoods, the OR for consuming fast food ≥1 time per week was minimally attenuated (OR, 1.55; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 2.31). Discussion: TV/video viewing was correlated with fast food consumption among preschool children in this study. Our findings raise the possibility that greater exposure to TV and videos may influence preschool children's consumption of unhealthful foods.
Ground state energy for non-relativistic bosons coupled to Chern-Simons gauge fields

Abstract We calculate the ground state energy for a gas of non-relativistic bosons self interacting through a repulsive Dirac delta interaction and minimally coupled to gauge fields whose dynamics is governed by a Chern-Simons term.
Cobalt alters the growth of a manganese oxide film.

The mobility of dissolved heavy metals in natural waters is partially regulated by interactions with manganese oxide films. In the current work, the effects of aqueous cobalt(II) on manganese oxide film growth are studied by atomic force microscopy. The film is grown on the (1014) surface of rhodochrosite (MnCO3). In the presence of O2(aq) and at circumneutral pH, film growth begins as manganese oxide islands that expand laterally across the surface. Addition of Co2+(aq) leads to the partial or complete dissolution of the manganese oxide film. Simultaneously, there is growth of new islands having multilayer structures that are unrestrained in the z-direction. The chemical composition of these new islands appears to include both Co and Mn ions. Empirical rules governing the growth of the two types of islands can be developed for the absence and the presence of Co2+(aq). In the absence of Co2+(aq), islands grow as flat two-dimensional rhombohedral islands of nearly uniform height (2.4 ± 0.3 nm). These isla...
The relationship between genetic deafness and fear-related behaviors in nervous pointer dogs.

Nervous pointer dogs have been extensively characterized as an animal model for some human pathological anxiety states. During our work with these animals suspicion developed that some of these dogs had a hearing deficit. We decided to systematically evaluate this observation and to study the relation between hearing status and fear-related behaviors in the nervous pointer dogs. Our results revealed that a majority of the nervous dogs in our colony (75%) suffer from bilateral deafness as demonstrated by complete absence of brain stem auditory evoked response. Furthermore, behavioral ratings revealed that hearing and deaf dogs do not differ in their pathological response to the characteristic fear-provoking stimuli (e.g., human interaction) and that both hearing and deaf nervous dogs markedly differ from normal dogs in that respect. The relation between these abnormalities and their implications for research involving breeding of animals for selected traits are further discussed in this report.
Isolation of Illudin S from the Mature Basidiocarp of Omphalotus Illudens, and Isolation of Illudins S and M from the Fermentation Broth of Omphalotus Olearis

Abstract The cytotoxic sesquiterpene illudin S was isolated from the fruiting body of the fungus Omphalotus illudens. From the fermentation broth of Omphalotus olearis, ATCC-11719, both illudin S and illudin M were isolated. Normal and reverse phase HPLC analytical methods for the title compounds were developed.
Immunolocalization of muscarinic acetylcholine subtype 2 receptors in rat cochlear nucleus

It has been suggested that cholinergic effects in the rat cochlear nucleus (CN) are mediated by muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. In this study, immunohistochemistry for muscarinic subtype 2 (m2) receptors using a monoclonal subtype-specific antibody (Levey et al. [1995] J. Comp. Neurol. 351:339-356) revealed an m2-like system in the rat CN. A prominent lamina of m2-immunoreactive fibers and puncta was located in a subgranular layer of the caudal anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) and the posteroventral cochlear nucleus (PVCN). The superficial granular layer of the rostral AVCN and the medial sheet region also contained notable immunoreactivity for m2. Some labeled somata and their processes were found in magnocellular regions of the ventral CN. A network of neurites and puncta was located in the fusiform soma and deep layers of the dorsal CN. The olivocochlear bundle and its branches to the CN were also m2 immunoreactive and possibly contributed m2-labeled fibers and terminals to the CN. Some similarities and some differences were found between this m2 receptor distribution pattern and previous results for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor immunohistochemistry and binding in the CN. The results suggest that m2 receptors that are located both pre- and postsynaptically mediate many cholinergic effects in the rat CN.