cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Financing Conservation: Texas’ Water Infrastructure Bank and the 20 Percent Set-Aside

In the early 2010s, Texas suffered a historic drought that drew attention to the long-term limits and vulnerabilities of its water system and that prompted the state legislature, in its 2013 session, to take on water as one of its key policy issues. With near unanimity, the Legislature passed a package of bills that – with voter approval, in the form of Proposition 6 – created a new water infrastructure bank, the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT). SWIFT is intended to provide the state-level financial assistance that water utilities had previously estimated they needed to implement the water strategies recommended in the State Water Plan (SWP). The legislature capitalized SWIFT with a $2 billion appropriation and established a set-aside – codified at Texas Water §15.434(b)(2) – that requires twenty percent of SWIFT monies go toward SWP strategies for conservation or reuse. This set-aside helped to win support for SWIFT and Proposition 6 among environmentalists and other stakeholders potentially wary of new large-scale infrastructure projects. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) has been tasked with implementing SWIFT and the set-aside according to a statutorily mandated schedule. In this white paper, the Center for Global Energy, International Arbitration and Environmental Law at The University of Texas School of Law (Energy Center) identifies the most important challenges that the agency will face in doing so.
INCIPIENT GENOME DIFFERENTIATION IN GOSSYPIUM. III. COMPARISON OF CHROMOSOMES OF G. HIRSUTUM AND ASIATIC DIPLOIDS USING HETEROZYGOUS TRANSLOCATIONS

Hybrids between upland cotton (G. hirsutum, genome constitution 2AhDh) and either A-genome or D-genome diploid species exhibit 26 paired and 13 unpaired chromosomes at metaphase I. The Ah and Dh genomes are therefore considered homoeologous with those of the respective diploids. Previous studies, nevertheless, revealed a low level of ("incipient") differentiation between Dh and various diploid D genomes. The diploid A genomes have been regarded as more closely homologous to Ah on the basis of low preferential pairing and autotetraploid segregation ratios in allohexaploids.—The present study addressed the following questions: Are the diploid A genomes differentiated from Ah in meiotic homology? If so, is the differentiation manifested equally by all 13 chromosomes or is it localized in certain chromosomes?—Three diploid A-genome lines representing G. herbaceum and G. arboreum were hybridized by in ovulo culture of embryos (1) with a standard line of G. hirsutum, which differs from G. herbaceum by two and from G. arboreum by three naturally occurring reciprocal translocations involving chromosomes 1–5, and (2) with six lines homozygous for experimental translocations involving chromosomes 6, 7, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Chiasma frequencies in hybrids were compared with those in appropriate G. hirsutum controls. In every comparison overall chiasma frequencies were slightly lower in the hybrids. Therefore Ah appears to be differentiated from the diploid A genomes. No localized differentiation was detected in chromosomes marked by experimental translocations. The differentiation may be localized mainly in chromosomes 4 and 5.
Experimental Testing and Validation of Tangential Steering Wheel Vibrations Due to Tire Nonuniformity

This paper describes the experimental testing and validation of the analytical models developed in our companion paper (IMECE2005-81581) for the nonlinear kinematics and dynamics of the suspension linked to a nonlinear rack and pinion steering system model. More specifically, the experimental results are used to cross verify the numerical simulations of the nibble using custom built analytical and ADAMS models, described in the companion paper. For this, shop floor based quasi-static Kinematic and Compliance (K&C) and dynamic testing results along with track testing on special purpose track at Michelin are presented. Other results include impulse testing of the steering system, as mounted on the vehicle, as well as shaker testing to verify the results. Road testing is also carried out at speeds close to the vehicle critical speed in order to compare and validate the suspension models using the quasi-static K&C testing. The road testing results demonstrate the variation of forces in the steering system due to tire imbalances, emphasizing the nonlinear effects in the vehicle system modeling as well as the variation of the shimmy phenomenon with vehicle speed and tire imbalance.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
TWO-PHASE PULMONARY CLEARANCE OF INSOLUBLE PARTICLES IN MAMMALIAN SPECIES

Existing experimental data on pulmonary clearance of low-toxicity, poorly soluble particles in several mammalian species including the rat, mouse, guinea pig, dog, monkey, and human have been analyzed using a two-exponential time-decay function with one exponential representing the fast clearance phase and the other for the slow clearance phase. Mass fractions of both clearance phases and the corresponding clearance rates were determined from the lung burden data for different specific initial lung burdens (initial lung burden/ lung weight). It was found that the slow clearance mass fraction increased with lung burden for all species, and it approached almost 100% when the specific initial lung burden exceeded 1 mg/ g lung. However, the slow clearance mass fraction at low lung burdens was found to be much higher for the slow-clearing species (guinea pig, dog, monkey, and human) than for the fast-clearing species (rat and mouse). It was also found that the fast clearance rate was nearly a constant, but the...
Phylogeny of the phylum Rotifera: a workshop

As Wiley (1981) points out, phylogenetic studies can provide insight into fundamental questions of the evolution of organisms as well as addressing related issues. Unfortunately this type of work can become very speculative. Thus, phylogenetic studies are open to serious criticism. Although Hyman was protesting conjecture using limited information on the broad questions of the origin of Metazoa and Bilateria, her commentary (cited above) issues an emphatic caution against excessive extrapolation at any level.
N-acetylaspartylglutamate acts as an agonist upon homomeric NMDA receptor (NMDAR1) expressed in Xenopus oocytes.

Abstract The electrophysiological effects of N -acetylaspartylglutamate (NAAG), an endogenous peptide restrictively distributed in the central nervous system, were studied using, Xenopus oocytes injected with RNAs transcribed from cloned glutamate receptor cDNAs. NAAG induced an inward current, dose dependently, in oocytes injected with RNA for an N -methyl- D -aspartate receptor subunit (NMDAR1), In contrast, the oocytes injected with RNAs for AMPA-selective glutamate receptors (GluR1, GluR3, GluR1+GluR2 and GluR2+GluR3) scarcely responded to NAAG, and the oocytes injected with RNA for kainate receptor (GluR6) did not respond to NAAG. The half-maximal response (ED 50 ) value of NAAG on expressed NMDAR1 was 185 μM, which shows that NAAG is about 115-times less potent than L -glutamate (Glu), the ED 50 of which value was 1.6, μM. The maximal current amplitude induced by NAAG was about 70% of that by Glu. NAAG-induced current in NMDAR1-injected oocytes was potentiated by glycine, dose-dependently antagonized by DL -2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid, and blocked by magnesium ions in a voltage-dependent fashion. These results suggest that NAAG is one of the endogenous agonists selective for NMDAR1.
The Polycystic Kidney Disease-1 Promoter Is a Target of the β-Catenin/T-cell Factor Pathway

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) results from loss-of-function mutations in the PKD1 gene. There are also reports showing abnormally high levels of PKD1 expression in cystic epithelial cells. At present, nothing is known about the molecular mechanisms regulating the normal expression of thePKD1 gene or whether transcriptional disregulation of the PKD1 gene has a role in cyst formation. We have analyzed a 3.3-kb 5′-proximal portion of the human PKD1gene. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of consensus sequences for numerous transactivating factors, including four T-cell factor (TCF) binding elements (TBEs). Transcriptional activity of the 3.3-kb fragment and a series of deletion constructs was assayed in HEK293T cells. A 2.0-kb proximal promoter region containing one of the four TBEs (TBE1) was inducible up to 6-fold by cotransfection with β-catenin. β-catenin-mediated induction was inhibited by dominant-negative TCF and by deletion of the TBE1 sequence. 15- or 109-bp sequences containing the TBE1 site, when cloned upstream of a minimal promoter, were shown to respond to β-catenin induction. Gel shift assays confirmed that the TBE1 site is capable of forming complexes with TCF and β-catenin. To determine whether expression of the endogenous PKD1 gene responds to β-catenin, HT1080 cells were treated with LiCl, and HeLa cells were stably transfected with β-catenin. In both cases, endogenous PKD1 mRNA levels were elevated in response to these treatments. Taken together, these studies define an active PKD1 promoter region and suggest that the PKD1 gene is a target of the β-catenin/TCF pathway.
Uptake of Fluoride by Cells of Streptococcus mutans in Dense Suspensions

Fluoride uptake by nongrowing cells of Streptococcus mutans GS-5 was assessed by means of the space technique. Uptake was highly concentrative at low fluoride concentrations or low pH. In all, it appeared that fluoride uptake is predictably related to its weak-acid properties and that fluoride can be used, as certain other weak acids are, to estimate intracellular pH.
Injection marination strategies for remediation of pale, exudative broiler breast meat

Abstract Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) breast meat is caused by a rapid postmortem pH decline while carcass temperatures are still warm. The resulting protein denaturation leads to a pale color and a decrease in water-holding capacity, causing excessive yield losses to producers. If some of this protein damage could be prevented or reversed, and water-holding capacity increased, these excessive yield losses could be avoided. Therefore, this study evaluated the use of prerigor injection of broiler breast fillets with sodium phosphates (STPP) and sodium bicarbonate to determine the effects on PSE and normal meat. A total of 200 prerigor broiler breast fillets were collected at 2 h postmortem (PM) at a commercial processing plant and were classified by L* value as pale (L* >54) or normal (L*
Retinal ganglion-cell densities and soma sizes are unaffected by long-term monocular deprivation in the cat.

Abstract Three cats were raised with monocular deprivation for 5.2–7.2 years, and ganglion-cell densities and soma sizes were measured in their flat-mounted retinae. The retinae were Nissl-stained so that ganglion cells could be measured whether or not they maintained normal central projections. Measurements were made in the area centralis, peripheral binocular segment, and monocular segment of the retinae. There were no significant differences between the deprived and non-deprived retinae in the densities or soma-sizes of α cells or other (non-α) ganglion cells at any of these retinal locations. These results support the view that the most distal effects of monocular deprivation occur at the retino-geniculate contact, and they suggest that even after long-term monocular deprivation, effects in the lateral geniculate nucleus do not produce secondary, retrograde changes in the retina.
Mechanisms by which epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) elicit cardioprotection in rat hearts

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) epoxygenases and their arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, the epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), have been shown to produce reductions in infarct size in canine myocardium following ischemia-reperfusion injury via opening of either the sarcolemmal K(ATP) (sarcK(ATP)) or mitochondrial K(ATP) (mitoK(ATP)) channel. In the present study, we subjected intact rat hearts to 30 min of left coronary artery occlusion and 2 h of reperfusion followed by tetrazolium staining to determine infarct size as a percent of the area at risk (IS/AAR, %). The results demonstrate that the two major regioisomers of the CYP epoxygenase pathway, 11,12-EET (2.5 mg/kg, iv) and 14,15-EET (2.5 mg/kg, iv) significantly reduced myocardial infarct size (IS/AAR, %) in rats as compared with control (41.9+/-2.3%, 40.9+/-1.2% versus 61.5+/-1.6%, respectively), whereas, a third regioisomer, 8,9-EET (2.5 mg/kg, iv) had no effect (55.2+/-1.4). The protective effect of pretreatment with 11,12- and 14,15-EETs was completely abolished (61.9+/-0.7%, 58.6+/-3.1%, HMR; 63.3+/-1.2%, 63.2+/-2.5%, 5-HD) in the presence of the selective sarcK(ATP) channel antagonist, HMR 1098 (6 mg/kg, iv) or the selective mitoK(ATP) channel antagonist, 5-HD (10 mg/kg, iv) given 10 min after 11,12- or 14,15-EET administration but 5 min prior to index ischemia. Furthermore, concomitant pretreatment with 11,12- or 14,15-EET in combination with the free radical scavenger, 2-mercaptopropionyl glycine (2-MPG), at a dose (20 mg/kg, iv) that had no effect on IS/AAR (57.7+/-1.3%), completely abolished the cardioprotective effect of 11,12- and 14,15-EETs (58.2+/-1.6%, 61.4+/-1.0%), respectively. These data suggest that part of the cardioprotective effects of EETs in rat hearts against infarction is the result of an initial burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent activation of both the sarcK(ATP) and mitoK(ATP) channel.
Pre-Development Groundwater Conditions Surrounding Memphis, Tennessee: Controversy and Unexpected Outcomes

Reliance on groundwater resources by differing governing bodies can create transboundary disputes raising questions of ownership and apportionment as the resource becomes strained through overuse or threatened by contamination. Transboundary disputes exist at varying scales, from conflicts between countries to smaller disputes between intrastate jurisdictions. In 2005 within the United States, the State of Mississippi filed a lawsuit against its political neighbor and their utility, the City of Memphis and Memphis Light, Gas, and Water, for groundwater deemed owned by the State of Mississippi to be wrongfully diverted across the state line and into Tennessee by the defendants. The basis of the lawsuit was potentiometric maps of groundwater levels for the Memphis aquifer that showed under suggested pre-development conditions no flow occurring across the Mississippi-Tennessee state line, but subsequent historic potentiometric maps show a cone of depression under the City of Memphis with a clear northwesterly gradient from Mississippi into Tennessee. The suggested pre-development conditions were derived from limited groundwater level observations between 41 and 74 years post-development. A new pre-development map is constructed using historic records that range 0-17 years post-development that shows the natural flow is northwesterly from Mississippi into Tennessee and transboundary groundwater quantities have actually decreased since pre-development conditions.
A comparison of the formation and evolution of magnetic flux ropes in solar coronal mass ejections and magnetotail plasmoids

[1] Solar coronal mass ejections and their interplanetary counterparts often show evidence of a twisted flux rope structure that is nearly identical, though of vastly different spatial scale, to plasmoids observed in the Earth's magnetotail. This paper reviews the current understanding of flux rope formation, morphology, and evolution in coronal mass ejections and magnetotail plasmoids. It highlights the idea that flux rope formation is a common space physics phenomenon and that the physical mechanisms responsible for flux rope formation occur over a wide range of plasma conditions wherever current sheets exist.
Is There a Need for Performance Measures for Cochlear Implant Centers

Performance measures (PMs), or quality indicators, are metrics based on objective data that allow one to assess whether a system achieves a prespecified goal. Given the relatively high level of resource utilization and potential morbidity associated with cochlear implantation (CI), PMs could be used to evaluate quality of care provided by implant centers and, ultimately, optimize care delivery. This article discusses PMs currently in use, how PMs are developed, potential downsides of using PMs, and various examples of PMs that could be used in CI centers.
On Achievable Rate and Ergodic Capacity of NAF Multi-Relay Networks with CSI

This paper investigates the achievable rate and ergodic capacity of a non-orthogonal amplify-and-forward (NAF) half-duplex multi-relay network where multiple relays exploit channel state information (CSI) to cooperate with a pair of source and destination. In the first step, for a given input covariance matrix at the source, we derive an optimal power allocation scheme among the relays via optimal instantaneous power amplification coefficients to maximize the achievable rate. Given the nature of broadcasting and receiving collisions in NAF, the considered problem in this step is non-convex. To overcome this drawback, we propose a novel method by evaluating the achievable rate in different sub-domains of the vector channels. It is then demonstrated that the globally optimal solution can be derived in closed-form. In the next step, we establish the ergodic channel capacity by jointly optimizing the input covariance matrix at the source and the power allocation among the relays. We show that this is a bi-level non-convex problem and solve it using Tammer decomposition method. This approach allows us to transform the original optimization problem into an equivalent master problem and a set of sub-problems having closed-form solutions derived in the first step. The channel capacity is then obtained using an iterative water-filling-based algorithm. Finally, we analyze the capacity-achieving input covariance matrix at the source in high and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regimes. At sufficiently high SNRs, it is shown that the transmit power at the source should be equally distributed in all broadcasting and cooperative phases. On the other hand, in low SNR regions, the source should spend all its power in the broadcasting phase associated with a relay having the strongest cascaded source-relay and relay-destination channels.
Synthesis of mixed-ligand coordination polymers containing 1,2,4-triazole, oxalate, and cadmium

Abstract Four new 3D coordination polymers containing cadmium and 1,2,4-triazole (trz), [Cd3(trz)5(NO3)(H2O)](H2O)0.866 (1): space group C2/c, a = 19.6971(9) A, b = 17.3615(8) A, c = 13.8979(6) A, β = 90.9010(10)°; [Cd2(trz)2(oxalato)] (2): space group Pnna, a = 10.1681(8) A, b = 13.5490(11) A, c = 8.4116(7) A, [Cd6(trz)10(NO3)2(EtOH)(H2O)](H2O) (3): space group Cmc21, a = 10.2454(7) A, b = 33.542(2) A, c = 13.4739(9) A; and [Cd4(trz)2(oxalato)3] (4): space group Cmca, a = 7.3616(8) A, b = 13.2834(14) A, c = 17.4096(19) A, have been synthesized solvothermally and structurally characterized. Structures 2 and 4 are mixed-ligand frameworks in which the oxalate ligands were synthesized in situ.
Global Sea Floor Topography from Satellite Altimetry and Ship Depth Soundings

A digital bathymetric map of the oceans with a horizontal resolution of 1 to 12 kilometers was derived by combining available depth soundings with high-resolution marine gravity information from the Geosat and ERS-1 spacecraft. Previous global bathymetric maps lacked features such as the 1600-kilometer-long Foundation Seamounts chain in the South Pacific. This map shows relations among the distributions of depth, sea floor area, and sea floor age that do not fit the predictions of deterministic models of subsidence due to lithosphere cooling but may be explained by a stochastic model in which randomly distributed reheating events warm the lithosphere and raise the ocean floor.
Antiphospholipid antibodies: proposed mechanisms of action.

Antiphospholipid antibodies (APA) are a family of immunoglobulins that react with anionic phospholipids, or anionic phospholipids-protein complexes. Recent evidence would support the latter definition. Lupus anticoagulants (LA) inhibit in vitro phospholipid dependent coagulation tests [e.g., activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and dilute Russell viper venom time (dRVVT)]. This inhibition appears to be specific for reagent phospholipids. The addition of freeze-thawed platelets or activated platelets will result in correction of the LA-induced abnormality. Anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) are related to LA but appear to be distinct. ACA are detected by solid phase assays (ELISA, RIA) and require a plasma cofactor: beta 2 Glycoprotein-I (beta 2 GPI). ACA and LA activities can be separated in individual patient plasmas by affinity chromatography. In some instances they are of differing isotypes. Preliminary evaluation of beta 2 GPI in coagulation assays suggests it may function as a cofactor for LA activity. Recent work also suggests human prothrombin may represent a necessary cofactor for in vitro LA activity. Paradoxically, patients with LA/ACA may sustain thromboembolic events involving both venous and arterial sites. The prothrombotic properties of LA/ACA have not been satisfactorily characterized. A number of proposals have been reported, including inhibition of prostacyclin (PGI2) generation by endothelial cells, decreased activity of the protein C system, impaired fibrinolysis, and inhibition of beta 2GPI. Among these various hypotheses, down regulation of the protein C system appears most plausible. Also, LA/ACA may interfere with the phospholipase A2-phospholipid substrate complex involved in the generation of arachidonic acid from membrane phospholipids.
Reaction of (CO)5W(THF) with triphenylmethyl azide and triptycyl azide

Abstract Reactions of (CO)5(THF) with the sterically azides RN3(R CPh3 or triptycyl) yield products that are consistent with decomposition of the transient zero-valence metal nitrene complexes (CO)5W NR. When R CPh3, triphenyl imine results from phenyl migration to the electrphilic nitrogen of the short-lived nitrene complex. When R triptycyl, the migration pathway is shut down by ring constraints and triptycyl amine is formed, presumably via hydrogen abstraction by the highly reactive metal nitrene.
Difficult Airway Simulator Intubation Success Rates Using Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems Training Standards

Abstract Objectives This study was undertaken to evaluate difficult airway simulator intubation success rates using Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) initial and maintenance intubation training standards on transport-RN novice intubators over a 1-year period. Methods Twelve transport nurses were blinded to and randomly assigned five or six of 64 different difficult airway simulator scenarios. Intubation success rates were measured 1 month before training, 1 month after training, and 1 year later, following CAMTS initial and maintenance intubation standards. Outcome measurements included first attempt intubation rate, overall intubation success rate, number of attempts to intubation, time per attempt, time to intubation, and time between attempts. During the study, participants received no additional training or opportunities to intubate. Results First-attempt intubation rates significantly improved (P 5 .022) from 19% 1 month before training to 36% 1 month after training, but did not significantly change (P > .999) 1 year later following CAMTS maintenance standards (34%). Mean cumulative success rates did not significantly improve after four attempts or after 3.5 minutes. The overall mean time per attempt and time between attempts declined with subsequent intubation attempts. Conclusions Using initial and maintenance CAMTS standards, simulator difficult airway intubation success rates are low in novice intubators. Our results suggest that one intubation/quarter may be enough to maintain difficult airway intubation success rates. Training significantly improves intubation rates. Little advantage occurs in intubation rates after four attempts or 3.5 minutes.
The electronic potential in a metal close to a surface edge

Abstract An approximate solution of the Schrodinger-Poisson-Hartree equation for a 90° metallic wedge shows that the Friedel oscillations get sizeably enhanced because of the two dimensional discontinuity. Such a result may have profound chemical effects in a transition metal, with level rearrangement and charge transfers which may explain the different chemical reactivity of metallic edges and steps.
The low frequency sound from multipole sources in axisymmetric shear flows. II

A previous analysis of the acoustic radiation from multipole sources is extended to include additional components of the dipole and quadrupole sources. It is found that, unlike the components of the sources considered in the previous paper, the exponent of the Doppler factor now depends on the location of the sources within the jet.
Nonexistence of positive solutions for a class of semilinar elliptic systems in a ball

We prove the nonexistence of positive solutions to the system $$\begin{aligned} \left\{ \begin{array}{l} -\Delta u=\lambda f(v)\text { in }B, \\ -\Delta v=\mu g(u) \text { in }B, \\ u=v=0\text { on }\partial B, \end{array} \right. \end{aligned}$$ where $$B$$ is the open unit ball in $$\mathbb {R}^{N}$$ , $$\ N>1,\ \lambda ,\mu $$ are positive constants bounded away from $$0$$ with $$\lambda \mu $$ large, $$f,g$$ are smooth functions with $$f(0),g(0)<0,\ f\circ (cg)$$ and $$g\circ (cf)$$ growing at least linearly at $$\infty $$ .
Medicine: silencing viruses with RNA.

Our cells have a built-in mechanism for 'silencing' genes, called RNA interference. This capability has now been exploited to protect cells in culture dishes from HIV-1 and poliovirus.
Effect of alloying on the Fermi surface

We obtain a theoretical expression for the change in Fermi-surface areas when dilute impurities are introduced in a nearly-free-electron-like host metal or in a $d$-band host metal having no resonances in the immediate vicinity of the Fermi energy. Following Stern, we obtain the Fermi surface from the real part of the self-energy. The self-energy is derived within a pseudopotential $T$-matrix formalism which is developed as an extension of usual scattering theory. We approximate the crystal lattice Green's function by a free-electron propagator in the $T$-matrix equation. The final expression for Fermi-surface changes involves impurity scattering phase shifts and pseudo-wave-function angular momentum expansion coefficients. These are the same parameters which enter the expression for the electron lifetime. The theoretical results are in agreement with recent de Haas-van Alphen measurements in dilute lead and magnesium based alloys.
Kinetic Control of Surface Reactions: Regioselectivity in the Reaction of 2-Methylcyclopropylmethanol on Mo(110)−(6×1)−O†

The reactions of a diastereomeric mixture of 2-methylcyclopropylmethanol are investigated on oxygen-modified Mo(110) as a means of probing the influence of lifetime and stability of hydrocarbon radicals formed in a surface reaction on selectivity. 2-Methylcyclopropylmethanol forms 2-methylcyclopropylmethoxide at ∼250 K. The C−O bond of 2-methylcyclopropylmethoxide subsequently breaks near 350 K, yielding the (2-methylcyclopropyl)methyl radical. The (2-methylcyclopropyl)methyl radical can undergo fast rearrangement to two different linear C5 homoallyl radical species. The two different ring-opening pathways are due to the asymmetric methyl substitution of the cyclopropyl unit. Only one pathway results in a surface-bound product: adsorbed 4-penten-2-oxide is formed via rearrangement to 4-penten-2-yl radical and subsequent trapping on surface oxygen. The 4-penten-2-oxide is identified by comparison of infrared and temperature-programmed reaction data for the reaction product to analogous data for the refere...
Stretch receptors in regenerated rat muscle.

Abstract Although muscle spindles are known to be present in regenerated muscles, it has not previously been reported whether they have any electrophysiological activity. In the present study, rat extensor digitorum longus muscles were traumatized so as to cause all muscle fibers to degenerate; the muscle nerves were either left intact to promote subsequent reinnervation or severed to impede reinnervation. After 2–4 months of regeneration, the muscles were subjected to stretch stimuli and sensory activity was recorded electrophysiologically. Many of the muscles contained stretch-sensitive units that behaved like muscle spindles, although the responses were often highly adaptive and somewhat erratic. In general, the responses from muscles with the nerve left intact were more normal than those from muscles in which the nerve had been severed. Silver staining of the same muscles showed that morphologically recognizable muscle spindles were present, but all were abnormal to varying degrees. These results demonstrate that regenerated muscles can regain some degree of sensory activity in addition to motor functions. The prospect of restored sensory activity may be critical in evaluating the efficacy of graft or transplant procedures for human muscles.
Involvement of carboxyl groups in the divalent cation permeability of rat parotid gland basolateral plasma membrane

Divalent cation permeability of rat parotid gland basolateral plasma membranes was examined in dispersed parotid acini (by Ca2+ or Mn2+ entry) and in isolated basolateral plasma membrane vesicles (BLMV, by45Ca2+ influx). Mn2+ entry (fura2 quenching) was about 1.6 fold higher in internal Ca2+ pool-depleted acini (Ca2+-depl acini) than in unstimulated cells. Mn2+ entry into Ca2+-depl acini was increased at external pH>7.4 and decreased at pH<7.4. Pretreatment of Ca2+-depl acini with the relatively hydrophobic carboxylic group reagent, N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD, 50 μM for 30 min) resulted in the inhibition of Mn2+ entry into Ca2+-depl acini to unstimulated levels. Another hydrophobic carboxyl group reagent, N-ethoxycarbonyl-2-ethoxy-1,2-dihydroquinoline (EEDQ) and the relatively hydrophilic carboxyl group reagents, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and 1-cyclohexyl-3-(2-morpholinoethyl)carbodiimide (CMCD) did not affect Mn2+ entry.
Role for SUR2A in Coupling Cardiac K ATP Channels to Caveolin-3

ATP-sensitive K+ channels in the heart are localized in the caveolae. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying the caveolar targeting of those ion channels. The present study was designed to explore the molecular compositions involved in the interaction between cardiac KATP channels and caveolin-3. The HA-tagged wild-type (Kir6.2/SUR2A) or mutant KATP channel (Kir6.2C4A or Kir6.2Δ36) subunits were transiently transfected into COS-7 cells with or without caveolin-3. Both Kir6.2C4A and Kir6.2Δ36 are able to form tetrameric Kir6.2 channels on the cell membrane without SUR subunit. We demonstrated that caveolin-3 co-immunopreciptiated Kir6.2 in COS-7 cells transfected with Kir6.2/SUR2A/caveolin-3, whereas Kir6.2 was not detected in the caveolin-3 immunoprecipitates in cells transfected with either caveolin-3 or Kir6.2/SUR2A alone. In cells transfected with Kir6.2C4A/caveolin-3, Kir6.2C4A was detected with anti-HA antibody but at a significantly lower level in the caveolin-3 immunoprecipitates when compared with Kir6.2 detected in cells transfected with the Kir6.2/SUR2A/caveolin-3. Kir6.2C4A was not co-immunoprecipitated with caveolin-3 in cells transfected with caveolin-3 or Kir6.2C4A alone. The application of caveolin-3 scaffolding domain peptide, corresponding to amino acid residues 55-74 of caveolin-3, largely blocked the co-immunoprecipitation of caveolin-3 and Kir6.2/SUR2A octameric channels but did not prevent the co-immunoprecipitation of caveolin-3 and the Kir6.2 tetrameric channels. Disrupting caveolae with methyl-β-cyclodextrin significantly attenuated association of tetrameric Kir6.2 channels with caveolin-3. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that a higher percentage of cells showed significant colocalization of caveolin-3 with Kir6.2 than colocalization of caveolin-3 with Kir6.2C4A or Kir6.2Δ36. We further confirmed that in adult rat cardiac myocytes the association of endogenous octameric KATP channels with caveolin-3 was largely prevented by caveolin-3 scaffolding domain peptide but not control peptide. We concluded that SUR2A is important for coupling cardiac KATP channels to caveolin-3, possibly through the caveolin-3 scaffolding domain.
Functional reach in wheelchair users: The effects of trunk and lower extremity stabilization

Our purpose was to compare the effects of using wheelchair trunk and lower extremity stabilization on sitting trunk mobility and functional reach of wheelchair users. Seven subjects with paraplegia who averaged 35.6 years of age and nine able-bodied control subjects with an average age of 26.0 years participated in this study. Each subject's functional reach in the transverse and sagittal planes was video-recorded in each of three conditions, randomized in order: (1) without a belt; (2) with a neoprene chest belt; and (3) with a webbing thigh belt. The area circumscribed by each subject's functional reach under each condition was processed using the Motion Analysis Expert Vision Flextrak program. Functional reach in each belting condition was compared within each subject and between able-bodied controls and subjects with high and low thoracic levels of paraplegia. This study showed that in the sagittal plane, subjects with both high and low thoracic levels of paraplegia were able to substantially increase the area of their functional reach when using a chest belt when compared with the thigh belt or no-belt condition. The mean area of their sagittal plane functional reach increased by over 50% by stabilizing the chest to the wheelchair using a neoprene belt. However, in the transverse plane, only those individuals with lower thoracic paraplegia (T8 to L1) gained substantial benefit from chest strapping, increasing the area of their functional reach by a mean of 24%. In contrast, able-bodied control subjects gained no benefit in functional reach from either belting condition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cancer detection using a novel contrast mechanism via infrared transillumination

We present a novel differential near infrared transillumination imaging modality using inspiratory contrast agents as a possible route to specific imaging of tumors. The advantages and possible pitfalls in whole animal imaging are presented.
Chlorination of 5-methoxyindole derivatives

Abstract 5-Methoxyindole-2-carboxylic acid and its methyl ester have been subjected to reaction with N,N-dichlorourethane (DCU) in acetic acid. both glacial and aqueous. The probable role of water in these substitution reactions has been elucidated. Novel chlorinated isatins and oxindoles have been obtained and reaction mechanisms for their formation suggested.
Optimal planar point location

Given a fixed distribution of point location queries among the regions of a triangulation of the plane, a data structure is presented that achieves, within constant multiplicative factors, the entropy bound on the expected point location query time.
Identification of Critical Pathways Altered by Radiation Exposure and Drug Target Analysis

A rigorous, in-depth meta-analysis of public transcriptomics data from 5 hand-curated studies for human cells exposed to 2, 5, or 10 Gy of ionizing radiation from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) online repository was performed. These data sets were categorized into two groups based on the type of cell line (normal or cancer), and each group was analyzed separately, comparing irradiated and non-irradiated samples. Gene expression and pathway analysis was performed on each data set. In addition, a drug target analysis was performed to identify drugs that significantly target the genes and pathways that were found to be differentially expressed. The meta-analysis of these data sets found pathways that were significantly enriched for individual data sets. In addition, the following pathways were found to be significantly enriched across all cancer group data sets: Cell Cycle Mitotic, DNA Replication, Mitotic M-M/G1 phases, AKT phosphorylates targets in the cytosol, M Phase, and Mitotic Prometaphase. Finally, the following putative candidate drug targets for these pathways were identified: POLA1, POLA2, PLK1, CENPE, AURKB, CDKN1B, and RB1.
The effect of tracking network configuration on GPS baseline estimates for the CASA Uno experiment

The effect of the tracking network on long (greater than 100 km) GPS baseline estimates was estimated using various subsets of the global tracking network initiated by the first Central and South America (CASA Uno) experiment. It was found that best results could be obtained with a global tacking network consisting of three U.S. stations, two sites in the southwestern Pacific, and two sites in Europe. In comparison with smaller subsets, this global network improved the baseline repeatability, the resolution of carrier phase cycle ambiguities, and formal errors of the orbit estimates.
Potential involvement of Brugia malayi cysteine proteases in the maintenance of the endosymbiotic relationship with Wolbachia

Brugia malayi, a parasitic nematode that causes lymphatic filariasis, harbors endosymbiotic intracellular bacteria, Wolbachia, that are required for the development and reproduction of the worm. The essential nature of this endosymbiosis led to the development of anti-Wolbachia chemotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of human filarial infections. Our study is aimed at identifying specific proteins that play a critical role in this endosymbiotic relationship leading to the identification of potential targets in the adult worms. Filarial cysteine proteases are known to be involved in molting and embryogenesis, processes shown to also be Wolbachia dependent. Based on the observation that cysteine protease transcripts are differentially regulated in response to tetracycline treatment, we focused on defining their role in symbiosis. We observe a bimodal regulation pattern of transcripts encoding cysteine proteases when in vitro tetracycline treated worms were examined. Using tetracycline-treated infertile female worms and purified embryos we established that the first peak of the bimodal pattern corresponds to embryonic transcripts while the second takes place within the hypodermis of the adult worms. Localization studies of the native proteins corresponding to Bm-cpl-3 and Bm-cpl-6 indicate that they are present in the area surrounding Wolbachia, and, in some cases, the proteins appear localized within the bacteria. Both proteins were also found in the inner bodies of microfilariae. The possible role of these cysteine proteases during development and endosymbiosis was further characterized using RNAi. Reduction in Bm-cpl-3 and Bm-cpl-6 transcript levels was accompanied by hindered microfilarial development and release, and reduced Wolbachia DNA levels, making these enzymes strong drug target candidates.
Residual stresses in the failure of W–Pt–Ag metallizations on oxidized Si

Abstract Compressive decohesion failure of W–Pt–Ag metallizations on oxidized Si was examined by separating the thermal residual and intrinsic stresses. Two kinds of experiments were performed. In the first kind, the thermal and intrinsic stresses were obtained independently. Intrinsic stresses in films of W, Pt, or Ag on SiO 2 /Si were found by measuring the Si substrate curvature. W films 200 nm and 400 nm thick were deposited by d.c. magnetron sputtering under a variety of Ar pressures and a variety of deposition power settings, while Pt and Ag thicknesses were fixed at 200 nm and 4100 nm, respectively. It was found that higher intrinsic stresses in the W result when the film thickness is small, the Ar pressure is low, and the deposition power is low. The W–Pt–Ag metallization intrinsic stress was obtained by superposing the individual film stresses. The measured intrinsic metallization stress was then added to a calculated thermal stress to determine the W–Pt–Ag metallization total stress state. In the second kind of experiment, a large number of metallizations experienced a thermal cycle, and the fraction of decohesion failures was observed. The total metallization stress state for various processing conditions was then correlated with the fraction of decohesion failures, which in turn led to a threshold value of stress, below which the probability of decohesion failure was essentially zero.
Impacts of a nuclear war in South Asia on rice production in Mainland China

A regional nuclear war between India and Pakistan with a 5 Tg black carbon injection into the upper troposphere would produce significant climate changes for a decade, including cooling, reduction of solar radiation, and reduction of precipitation, which are all important factors controlling agricultural productivity. We used the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer agricultural simulation model to simulate regional nuclear war impacts on rice yield in 24 provinces in China. We first evaluated the model by forcing it with daily weather data and management practices for the period 1980–2008 for 24 provinces in China, and compared the results to observations of rice yields in China. Then we perturbed observed weather data using climate anomalies for a 10-year period from a nuclear war simulation. We perturbed each year of the 30-year climate record with anomalies from each year of the 10-year nuclear war simulations for different regions in China. We found that rice production would decline by an average of 21 % for the first 4 years after soot injection, and would slowly recover in the following years. For the next 6 years, the reduction in rice production was about 10 %. Different regions responded differently to climate changes from nuclear war. Rice production in northern China was damaged severely, while regions along the south and east coasts showed a positive response to regional nuclear war. Although we might try to adapt to a perturbed climate by enhancing rice planting activity in southern and eastern China or increasing fertilizer usage, both methods have severe limitations. The best solution to avoid nuclear war impacts on agriculture is to avoid nuclear war, and this can only be guaranteed with a nuclear-weapon-free world.
A discriminative model for semi-supervised learning

Supervised learning—that is, learning from labeled examples—is an area of Machine Learning that has reached substantial maturity. It has generated general-purpose and practically successful algorithms and the foundations are quite well understood and captured by theoretical frameworks such as the PAC-learning model and the Statistical Learning theory framework. However, for many contemporary practical problems such as classifying web pages or detecting spam, there is often additional information available in the form of unlabeled data, which is often much cheaper and more plentiful than labeled data. As a consequence, there has recently been substantial interest in semi-supervised learning—using unlabeled data together with labeled data—since any useful information that reduces the amount of labeled data needed can be a significant benefit. Several techniques have been developed for doing this, along with experimental results on a variety of different learning problems. Unfortunately, the standard learning frameworks for reasoning about supervised learning do not capture the key aspects and the assumptions underlying these semi-supervised learning methods. In this article, we describe an augmented version of the PAC model designed for semi-supervised learning, that can be used to reason about many of the different approaches taken over the past decade in the Machine Learning community. This model provides a unified framework for analyzing when and why unlabeled data can help, in which one can analyze both sample-complexity and algorithmic issues. The model can be viewed as an extension of the standard PAC model where, in addition to a concept class C, one also proposes a compatibility notion: a type of compatibility that one believes the target concept should have with the underlying distribution of data. Unlabeled data is then potentially helpful in this setting because it allows one to estimate compatibility over the space of hypotheses, and to reduce the size of the search space from the whole set of hypotheses C down to those that, according to one's assumptions, are a-priori reasonable with respect to the distribution. As we show, many of the assumptions underlying existing semi-supervised learning algorithms can be formulated in this framework. After proposing the model, we then analyze sample-complexity issues in this setting: that is, how much of each type of data one should expect to need in order to learn well, and what the key quantities are that these numbers depend on. We also consider the algorithmic question of how to efficiently optimize for natural classes and compatibility notions, and provide several algorithmic results including an improved bound for Co-Training with linear separators when the distribution satisfies independence given the label.
Preliminary studies of brine reinjection at the Cerro Prieto geothermal field

Abstract At the present time, Units 1 and 2 of the Cerro Prieto power plant generate 75 MW of power. For this purpose, about 2200 t/h of fluids are produced. Of this, 700 t/h of steam are sent to the plant and 1500 t/h of spent brine are discarded into an evaporation pond. The thermal energy extracted is estimated to be on the order of 723 × 10 9 cal/h, of which about 260 × 10 9 cal/h is lost with the discarded water to the atmosphere. If, instead of disposing this water, it were possible to recirculate it by sending it back into the reservoir, most of the energy presently dissipated into the atmosphere could be returned underground. Reinjection would also lengthen the productive life of the reservoir because it would constitute an additional source of fluid recharge. Furthermore, reinjection of separated brines would solve the problem of surface disposal. About 1500 t/h of brine are presently sent to the evaporation pond, and the problems will become more acute when units 3 and 4, each with a 37.5-MW capacity, go on line in mid-1979. At present, a number of studies are being conducted to evaluate alternative methods of injection. The methods being considered are: cold or hot injection with open, closed or mixed systems. For each of these systems, laboratory tests will be carried out using columns packed with different grain-sized sands. The sands used are from alluvial fans of the Cucapa range. The purpose of these tests is to establish the scale-forming tendencies of the water when injected under different conditions (Figs. 1–3. Later, similar tests will be made on models built with natural sandstones. Because of its favorable characteristics, well M-6 (see Fig. 1) might be used in a pilot injection field test. The feasibility of reinjecting into two different levels, at 300 m, and between 527 and 741 m depth, is being evaluated. Other possible wells for reinjection could be M-3 and M-7.