cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tolerance of aquifer stoneflies to repeated hypoxia exposure and oxygen dynamics in an alluvial aquifer

Aquatic insects cope with hypoxia and anoxia using a variety of behavioral and physiological responses. Most stoneflies (Plecoptera) occur in highly oxygenated surface waters, but some species live underground in alluvial aquifers containing heterogeneous oxygen concentrations. Aquifer stoneflies appear to be supported by methane-derived food resources, which they may exploit using anoxia-resistant behaviors. We documented dissolved oxygen dynamics and collected stoneflies over five years in floodplain wells of the Flathead River, Montana. Hypoxia regularly occurred in two wells, and nymphs of Paraperla frontalis were collected during hypoxic periods. We measured mass-specific metabolic rates (MSMR) at different oxygen concentrations (12, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0.5 mg/L, and during recovery) for 111 stonefly nymphs to determine whether aquifer and benthic taxa differed in hypoxia tolerance. Metabolic rates of aquifer taxa were similar across oxygen concentrations spanning 12 to 2 mg/L (P>0.437), but rates of benthic taxa dropped significantly with declining oxygen (P 12 hours) exposures resulted in lower survival (38-91%) and lower metabolic rates during recovery. Our work suggests that aquifer stoneflies have evolved a remarkable set of behavioral and physiological adaptations that allow them to exploit the unique food resources available in hypoxic zones. These adaptations help explain how large-bodied consumers might thrive in the underground aquifers of diverse and productive river floodplains.
CO2 char gasification: A systematic review from 2014 to 2020

Abstract Global efforts to mitigate climate change are based on forecasts of future warmer temperatures on the earth’s surface. Climate warming is caused by the positive radiative imbalances triggered by the accumulated Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions. The energy sector accounts for more than 75% of the CO2 emissions. Recycling CO2 to useful molecules is the most desirable path. However, the high thermodynamic stability of CO2 makes this path expensive. The forward Boudouard reaction also called char gasification (C + CO 2 → 2CO) represents a possible method of recycling CO2. This reaction is highly endothermic at relatively low temperatures. The char for the reaction is necessary and available from pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials. Pyrolysis of typical carbonaceous material consist of initial fast devolatilization followed by relatively slow char gasification. Therefore, char gasification with CO2 reduction is the rate limiting step. This review is focused on the recent (2014-2020) literature involving acceleration of this important step. Pretreatment of char including the use of microwave heating may be a useful technique. The use, recovery and reuse of catalysts to enhance the rates of the forward Boudouard reaction at manageable temperatures is discussed. In situ imaging and management of the evolution of the char microstructure as a means of maintaining and enhancing the gasification rates has significant potential.
On the emergence of antibacterial and antiviral copper cold spray coatings

In this literature review, the antipathogenic properties and contact-mediated antibacterial and antiviral performance of copper cold spray surfaces are assessed and compared with alternative antimicrobial materials that are able to kill and/or inactivate infectious agents via direct contact. Discussion is also provided concerning the suitability of copper cold spray material consolidations as biocidal and viricidal surfaces that retain long-term functionality as a preventative measure against fomite transmission of pathogenic agents and hospital-acquired infections from contaminated high-touch surfaces. Numerable alternative antimicrobial coatings and surfaces that do not rely upon the oligodynamic action of copper are detailed. Given the ongoing need for recognition of said alternative antimicrobial materials by authoritative agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the relevant literature on non-copper-based antipathogenic coatings and surfaces are then described. Furthermore, a wide-ranging take on antipathogenic copper cold spray coatings are provided and consideration is given to the distinctive grain-boundary mediated copper ion diffusion pathways found in optimizable, highly deformed, copper cold spray material consolidations that enable pathogen inactivation on surfaces from direct contact. To conclude this literature review, analysis of how copper cold spray coatings can be employed as a preventative measure against COVID-19 was also presented in light of on-going debates surrounding SARS-CoV-2’s non-primary, but non-negligible, secondary transmission pathway, and also presented in conjunction with the inevitability that future pathogens, which will be responsible for forthcoming global pandemics, may spread even more readily via fomite pathways too.
The relationship between heart disease and cognitive impairment.

Abstract Neurodegenerative dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease, and vascular cognitive impairment were once considered unrelated processes. Emerging evidence, however, shows that both conditions often coexist and that vascular risk factors in midlife predispose to the development of cognitive decline later in older adults. In addition, recent advanced in basic science research have elucidated key underpinnings of this association. In this chapter, we review the clinical and basic science data that explain the relationship between vascular risk factors, heart disease, and cognitive decline.
The Association Between Persistently Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus-Infected Calves and Pen Levels of Morbidity and Mortality in an Iowa Feedlot

As persistently infected (PI) cattle are the primary reservoirs of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) in cattle populations, there is general agreement that effective control of BVDV-induced losses requires the detection and elimination of these carriers from dairy and cowcalf herds. However, the significance of the presence of PI calves in pens of feedlot cattle is unknown. Our long-range goal is to determine whether identification and removal of PI calves prior to shipment to feedlots would be economically advantageous to feeders, and if such testing should be incorporated into preconditioning programs. As the first step toward answering this question, the objective of this study is to determine whether differences exist in morbidity and mortality in groups of calves that include PI calves and groups that do not include PI calves. If PI calves negatively impact morbidity and mortality, then future studies can be designed to examine the feasibility and economic impact of including BVDV PI testing in preconditioning programs.
Advancing management of urban forested natural areas: toward an urban silviculture?

Cities worldwide are engaging in large-scale greening projects motivated by the wide range of documented ecological, economic, and social benefits of urban forests. Urban forested natural areas are a critical component of the total urban forest but are often overlooked and typically lack formal management frameworks. One approach to addressing this deficiency may be to borrow from traditional ecological management frameworks and practices (that is, silviculture). Although urban forested natural areas share similarities with rural forests, the impacts of urbanization on forest stand dynamics may require modification of these methods and in some cases development of novel silvicultural guidelines. We present an urban silviculture framework through which we synthesize emerging research and identify challenges and opportunities for advancing goal setting, assessments, and on-the- ground management strategies. Adapting silvicultural practices to cities can improve the long-term sustainability of urban forests and establish management approaches that address future conditions in forests across the urban–rural continuum.
Transducin: The Molecular Switch in Visual Excitation and a Model for Biological Coupling Enzymes

Visual excitation in vertebrate rod photoreceptor cells involves a light-activated cGMP cascade (for a review see Liebman, et al., 1987). Photoexcitation of rhodopsin leads to the activation of a latent cGMP phosphodiesterase (PDE) in the rod outer segments and results in the rapid hydrolysis of cGMP to 5’-GMP. The transient decrease of cGMP concentration causes the closure of the cation channels within the plasma membrane and the subsequent hyperpolarization of the photoreceptor cell. Transducin, a GTP-binding protein which is composed of three polypeptides (Tα, Mr 40,000 and Tsγ, Mr 37,000 and 8,000), has been shown to mediate the light activation signal from photolyzed rhodopsin to the PDE. The excitation occurs in a two stage amplification cascade. In the dark-adapted state, transducin exists in its latent form where Tα-GDP is associated with Tsγ. Photolyzed rhodopsin catalyzes the exchange of bound GDP for GTP in hundreds of transducin molecules. The Tα-GTP and Tsγ subunits of the activated transducin then dissociate from the rod outer segment membrane. The Tα-GTP activates the latent PDE complex (Pαs, Mr 88,000 and 84,000 and Pγ, Mr 14,000) by removing the inhibitory constraints imposed by Pγ upon the Pαs catalytic sites.
Cell Volume Regulation in Lower Vertebrates

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the cell volume regulation in lower vertebrates. The early amphibians that are thought to have evolved from freshwater fishes had to cope with a relatively desiccating environment. As with the fishes, they were faced with the dual problems of maintaining the volume and composition of both the extracellular and cellular fluids constant. Some amphibians returned to a total freshwater existence, and a few invaded brackish environments. Similarly, while most reptiles live on land, several have become semiaquatic and even totally marine. Again, the osmotic problems associated with migration from a terrestrial to semiaquatic or marine habitat had to be accompanied by physiological adaptations that would allow the cells to cope with the new osmotic environment. The osmotic challenges that lower vertebrates faced during evolution are recapitulated in the periodic excursions that some of the present lower vertebrates make into environments of different salinities and/or water availabilities. The chapter highlights changes in cell composition during osmotic stress. In invertebrates and lower vertebrates, changes in both inorganic electrolytes and organic solutes participate in the osmotic adjustments taking place inside the cells during osmotic stress. The extracellular fluid concentration of a solute is important in the dynamics of its distribution between the intracellular and extracellular compartments.
Interpretation of the ϒ ( 9.5 ) as Evidence for Another Quark

We interpret the broad dimuon resonance at 9.5 GeV as two or three unresolved narrow states of a $b$ quark and antiquark. We calculate the energy spectrum of $b\overline{b}$ states using a linear plus one-gluon-exchange potential.
Hurry up and slow down: lessons in drug development from the COX-2 inhibitors.

Google™ search performed for this editorial using the terms “COX-2 inhibitor” and “lawyer” had 292,000 hits. Certainly a swarm of legal attention has marked the end of a six-year period that saw the introduction of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor analgesics (1999), their growth to include millions of prescriptions annually worldwide at an estimated cost exceeding $Cdn 6 billion, and the equally sudden almost complete disappearance of these agents from the market due to safety concerns. The apparent blind spot in drug development methods exposed by this course of events has raised serious concerns. How did a process designed to provide assurance of safety and efficacy in the search for new drugs simultaneously fail in so many countries, including Canada, the United States, and European countries? The consequences of this misadventure have resulted in patient harm, physician alarm and concern, and litigious actions that are still playing out for the large drug companies. 1,2 Furthermore, these events have eroded confidence regarding already available drugs (e.g., aprotinin), 3 questioning the sufficiency of safety evaluations based on the large randomized double-blind controlled trials traditionally used as evidence for regulatory approval. There are obvious and important implications for all disciplines of medicine, including anesthesia and perioperative medicine. Undeniably, in recent years there has been increasing pressure to speed up drug development, both from the medical field and the drug industry. Physicians see needless suffering occurring while better therapies wade through perceived excessive red tape, while drug companies also protest that unnecessary delays in approval add cost and shorten the patent-protected marketing period. In the market of pain relief, COX-2 inhibitors were envisioned to be more ideal compared to available analgesics. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) provide good pain relief but cause an estimated 15,000 deaths and over 100,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States alone, primarily from gastrointestinal complications. Similarly, respiratory depression and abuse complicate the use of opioid analgesic agents and cause significant morbidity and mortality. Thus COX-2 inhibitors emerged, appearing to safely tease apart therapeutic benefit from side effect by more selectively targeting the analgesic properties of NSAIDs. Basic science research was important in this part of the drug discovery process. Animal studies identified two subtypes of COX, 4 the enzyme that mediates the generation of prostacyclin and thromboxane from arachadonic acid, that is inhibited non
Standardized Uptake Value and InfluxConstant: Relationships and Variabilities, withModel Interpretation and Clinical Implications

Abstract Useful characterizing parameters have been derived from historical positron emission tomography (PET) standardized uptake values (SUV) and influx constants K. Meta-analysis was performed on 30 multipatient PET oncological studies providing same patient SUVs and K’s. Averaged results for fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and l -methionine respectively were: SUV vs. K correlation coefficients = 0.89 and 0.80; SUV/K ratios = 192 and 63 minutes as average tracer clearance times T in these populations. For cancers, coefficients of variation (CV) for K’s were 0.61 and 0.46, notably larger than the CVs (0.50 and 0.40) for SUVs. A Monte Carlo simulation model, matching these results, represents 1/T as (an effective tracer clearance rate) × (its initial distribution volume). We conclude that T is a characteristic tracer clearance time that is independent of cancer type. A measurement model is introduced that might help improve protocols. The higher CVs of K’s vs. SUVs is worth noting clinically when seeking an effective diagnostic marker. Also, SUV conversions to K can provide some quality assurance in K measurements.
Sequences in the 3'-untranslated region of the human cellular glutathione peroxidase gene are necessary and sufficient for selenocysteine incorporation at the UGA codon

Glutathione peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.9) is one of a unique group of prokaryotic and eukaryotic enzymes that contain the unusual amino acid selenocysteine. The genes for these selenoproteins encode for the atypical amino acid at a TGA codon (UGA in the mRNA transcripts), which normally functions as a termination signal. The present studies analyzed the functional importance of sequences in the coding and 3'-untranslated regions of transcripts of the primary human cellular glutathione peroxidase gene (GPX1) to the insertion of selenocysteine at this UGA codon. Deletions in potential stem-loop or hairpin structures in the coding region did not substantially diminish incorporation of selenocysteine into glutathione peroxidase transiently expressed by the pCMV4 vector in COS-1 cells. However, selenocysteine insertion was completely abolished by deletion of four-nucleotide sequences in the 3'-untranslated region from within a conserved "selenocysteine insertion sequence" motif also found in the 3'-untranslated region of mammalian genes for other selenoproteins. Moreover, in constructs fusing the glutathione peroxidase 3'-untranslated region to the coding region of rab5b (an unrelated protein normally without any selenium moiety), the glutathione peroxidase 3'-untranslated region was sufficient to direct the translation of an opal (UGA) mutation as selenocysteine. Thus, our data directly demonstrate the importance of the selenocysteine insertion motif in the glutathione peroxidase gene and specifically show that sequence elements in the 3'-untranslated region are both necessary and sufficient for translational insertion of selenocysteine at a UGA codon in eukaryotic mRNA.
Autologous endometrial co-culture in patients with repeated failures of implantation after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer.

Purpose: Our purpose was to evaluate the effect of co-culture on preembryo development and clinical outcome. Methods: Enrolled patients underwent a luteal-phase endometrial biopsy. The tissue was then enzymatically digested (collagenase) and the stromal and glandular cells were separated by differential sedimentation rates. These cells were cultured to confluence, released, and then cryopreserved until the patient's in vitro fertilization (IVF)–embryo transfer (ET) cycle. All normally fertilized oocytes were then placed on the co-cultured cells until transfer on day 3. Preembryo development on co-culture was compared to that in the patient's noncocultured previous cycle. Implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were compared to those in a control group of patients undergoing IVF during the study period who were matched for age, stimulation protocol, number of oocytes retrieved, and preembryos transferred. Results: Twenty-nine women underwent 31 cycles of IVF-ET. On day 3 the overall mean number of blastomeres per preembryo on co-culture compared to that in the patient's previous cycle was 6.3 ± 1.8 vs. 5.6 ± 1.2 (P = 0.04). The average percentage of cytoplasmic fragments on co-culture compared to the previous cycle was 16 ± 9% vs. 19 ± 9% (P = 0.32). At transfer, after preembryo selection, the mean number of blastomeres per preembryo on co-culture compared to that in the patient's previous cycle was 6.8 ± 1.6 vs. 6.6 ± 1.3 (P = 0.5). The implantation and clinical pregnancy rates between co-culture and the matched control group were 15% (14/93) vs. 13% (16/124) (P = 0.79) and 29% (9/31) vs. 25% (10/40) (P = 0.45). Conclusions: There was a significant improvement in the average number of blastomeres per preembryo on co-culture compared to that in the patient's previous noncoculture cycle. The overall implantation and clinical pregnancy rates between co-culture and a matched control group were not significantly different.
Isolation of a coaggregation-inhibiting cell wall polysaccharide from Streptococcus sanguis H1.

Coaggregation between Streptococcus sanguis H1 and Capnocytophaga ochracea ATCC 33596 cells is mediated by a carbohydrate receptor on the former and an adhesin on the latter. Two methods were used to release the carbohydrate receptor from the gram-positive streptococcus, autoclaving and mutanolysin treatment. The polysaccharide released from the streptococcal cell wall by either treatment was purified by ion-exchange chromatography; this polysaccharide inhibited coaggregation when preincubated with the gram-negative capnocytophaga partner. After hydrolysis of the polysaccharide by hydrofluoric acid (HF), the major oligosaccharide of the polysaccharide was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography. By analysis of the HF hydrolysis of the polysaccharide and the purified oligosaccharide, this major oligosaccharide appeared to be the repeating unit of the polysaccharide, with minor components resulting from internal hydrolysis of the major oligosaccharide. Gas chromatography results showed that the oligomer was a hexasaccharide, consisting of rhamnose, galactose, and glucose, in the ratio of 2:3:1, respectively. By weight, the purified hexasaccharide was a fourfold-more-potent inhibitor of coaggregation than the native polysaccharide. Resistance to hydrolysis by sulfuric acid alone and susceptibility to hydrolysis by HF suggested that oligosaccharide chains of the polysaccharide are linked by phosphodiester bonds. Studies with a coaggregation-defective mutant of S. sanguis H1 revealed that the cell walls of the mutant contained neither the polysaccharide nor the hexasaccharide repeating unit. The purification of both a polysaccharide and its constituent hexasaccharide repeating unit, which both inhibited coaggregation, and the absence of this polysaccharide or hexasaccharide on a coaggregation-defective mutant strongly suggest that the hexasaccharide derived from the polysaccharide functions as the receptor for the adhesin from C. ochracea ATCC 33596. Images
Identification of hydrogen peroxide as a Streptococcus pneumoniae toxin for rat alveolar epithelial cells.

Streptococcus pneumoniae infections of the lung are associated with significant damage to the alveolar epithelium. Host phagocytes and pneumolysin, a cytolytic toxin of S. pneumoniae, are believed to contribute to this cellular damage, yet experiments in which these elements are absent demonstrate the presence of an additional soluble S. pneumoniae factor that is toxic to alveolar epithelium. We examined the effects of S. pneumoniae-associated alveolar epithelial cell injury by factors other than S. pneumoniae-derived pneumolysin or phagocyte products by exposing cultured rat type II alveolar epithelial cells (RAEC) to S. pneumoniae mutants that lacked pneumolysin activity. We found that mutant pneumolysin-deficient strains of S. pneumoniae produced injury to RAEC similar to that produced by the parent strains. A toxin of type 14 S. pneumoniae was distinguished from pneumolysin by physiochemical (i.e., molecular mass and heat stability) and functional (i.e., hemolytic activity and cytotoxic activity) properties and was identified as hydrogen peroxide. All S. pneumoniae strains tested produced hydrogen peroxide, and in many strains hydrogen peroxide production was comparable to that of activated neutrophils. We conclude that S. pneumoniae produces hydrogen peroxide in concentrations that are cytotoxic to RAEC in vitro and that alveolar epithelial damage due to hydrogen peroxide may be involved in the pathogenesis of host cellular injury in pneumococcal pneumonia.
Radiometry and crystallization history of the Buchanan granite massif, Texas, USA

The Buchanan massif is a Precambrian pluton covering about 100 square miles in the central Texas area, midway between the towns of Llano and Burnet. It shows a roughly concentric zonation from finegrained rocks in the interior of the pluton to coarse-grained and porphyritic rocks near the margin. Trends of modal composition indicate an increase in acidity toward the margins. This reverse zonation can be explained by an equilibrium (equal fugacity) distribution of water in the intruded magma shortly after emplacement. The higher water content of the cooler, outer zones depressed the crystallization temperature of the magma below the actual temperature in the outer regions, thus allowing the interior to crystallize first. Progressive crystallization outward further increased the water content of the margins, and pegmatitic segregations attest to the saturation of the melt in the outer regions. The high water content maintained crystallization in the two phase, subsolidus feldspar region throughout most of the pluton. Radiometric data are characterized by high Th/U ratios (greater than 5) and a decrease of radioactive constituents with increasing differentiation. These abnormal concentrations and trends indicate substantial secondary redistribution of thorium and uranium, and probably other elements, after primary crystallization.
THE COBBLER'S CLOCKWORK

title RIASSUNTO /title Il planetario meccanico, uno strumento che rappresenta e il moto e le posizioni dei pianeti del sistema solare e i ?CTRLerr type="1" mess="Doute Cars isoles avec recollage" ?moti annui e diurni della terra e della luna, divenne molto popolare durante il XVIII secolo. Tra quelli costruiti in Inghilterra ve ne sono molti tipi, dai pi semplici ai pi sofisticati, anche di notevoli dimensioni. Quello costruito da James Giles di Gravesend di modesta fattura e non si distingue per innovazioni nei dettagli e nella tecnica di costruzione. tuttavia di particolare interesse se si pensa che opera di un ciabattino di campagna, autodidatta in matematica e astronomia e nella tecnica di costruire orologi; il planetario meccanico di James Giles fu utilizzato a scopi didattici nella scuola locale, della quale l'autore divenne direttore.
Heuristic model of hypervelocity impact, normal and oblique cratering, erosion, and multi-layer penetration

To gain physical insight, deduce plausible scaling laws, explain observed trends in the data, and provide structure for improved correlation of experimental and numerical results in hypervelocity impact, a heuristic analytical approach is attempted. Aerospace situations of interest include heatshield erosion, aeroshell perforation, and composite heatshield-metallic substrate rupture by airborne particles impacting hypersonically at normal and oblique angles. A contact phase followed by a stress wave attenuation approach reproduces and outstrips conventional correlations for normal heatshield erosion. The approach also reproduces a conventional one-layer ballistic limit penetration/perforation correlation and offers a new form of correlation for the two-layer case. An extension of the approach to highly oblique cases is outlined. (Author)
Development and evaluation of a decision aid on mammography screening for women 75 years and older.

Importance Guidelines recommend that women 75 years and older should be informed of the benefits and risks of mammography before being screened. However, few are adequately informed. Objectives To develop and evaluate a mammography screening decision aid (DA) for women 75 years and older. Design We designed the DA using international standards. Between July 14, 2010, and April 10, 2012, participants completed a pretest survey and read the DA before an appointment with their primary care physician. They completed a posttest survey after their appointment. Medical records were reviewed for follow-up information. Setting and Participants Boston, Massachusetts, academic primary care practice. Eligible women were aged 75 to 89 years, English speaking, had not had a mammogram in 9 months but had been screened within the past 3 years, and did not have a history of dementia or invasive or noninvasive breast cancer. Of 84 women approached, 27 declined to participate, 12 were unable to complete the study for logistical reasons, and 45 participated. Interventions The DA includes information on breast cancer risk, life expectancy, competing mortality risks, possible outcomes of screening, and a values clarification exercise. Main Outcomes and Measures Knowledge of the benefits and risks of screening, decisional conflict, and screening intentions; documentation in the medical record of a discussion of the risks and benefits of mammography with a primary care physician within 6 months; and the receipt of screening within 15 months. We used the Wilcoxon signed rank test and McNemar test to compare pretest-posttest information. Results The median age of participants was 79 years, 69% (31 of 45) were of non-Hispanic white race/ethnicity, and 60% (27 of 45) had attended at least some college. Comparison of posttest results with pretest results demonstrated 2 findings. First, knowledge of the benefits and risks of screening improved (P Conclusions and Relevance A DA may improve older women’s decision making about mammography screening.
Which body condition index is best

Body condition indices are widely used by ecologists, but many indices are used without empirical validation. To test the validity of a variety of indices, we compared how well a broad range of body condition indices predicted body fat mass, percent body fat and residual fat mass in mice Mus musculus. We also compared the performance of these condition indices with the multiple regression of several morphometric variables on body fat mass, percent body fat and residual fat mass. In our study population, two ratio based condition indices – body mass/body length and log body mass/log body length – predicted body fat mass as well as or better than other ratio and residual indices of condition in females. In males one ratio based condition index (log body mass/log body length) and one residual index (residuals from a regression of pelvic circumference on body length) were best at predicting body fat mass. All indices were better at estimating body fat mass, and residual fat mass than at estimating percent body fat. The predictions of body fat were much better for females than for males. Multiple regressions incorporating pelvic circumference (i.e. girth at the iliac crests) were the best predictors of body fat mass, residual fat mass, and percent body fat, and these multiple regressions were better than any of the condition indices. We recommend 1) that condition be precisely defined, 2) that predictors of condition be empirically validated, 3) that pelvic circumference be considered as a potential predictor of fat content, and 4) that, in general, multiple regression be considered as an alternative to condition indices.
Retinal Irradiance from Vitrectomy Endoilluminators

We compared the maximum light output of selected 19- and 20-gauge continuous-fiber and detachable-tip endoilluminators to the retinal damage threshold for intravitreal fiber-optic light in the owl monkey. Because of cumulative light toxicity to the retina there is a substantial risk of retinal damage from endoillumination when the endoilluminator is close to the retina (for example, during membrane peeling procedures) and especially when the continuous-fiber endoilluminator with high light output is used.
Dynamic and structural signatures of lamellar actomyosin force generation

The regulation of cellular traction forces on the extracellular matrix is critical to cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Diverse lamellar actin organizations ranging from contractile lamellar networks to stress fibers are observed in adherent cells. Although lamellar organization is thought to reflect the extent of cellular force generation, understanding of the physical behaviors of the lamellar actin cytoskeleton is lacking. To elucidate these properties, we visualized the actomyosin dynamics and organization in U2OS cells over a broad range of forces. At low forces, contractile lamellar networks predominate and force generation is strongly correlated to actomyosin retrograde flow dynamics with nominal change in organization. Lamellar networks build ∼60% of cellular tension over rapid time scales. At high forces, reorganization of the lamellar network into stress fibers results in moderate changes in cellular tension over slower time scales. As stress fibers build and tension increases, myosin band spacing decreases and α-actinin bands form. On soft matrices, force generation by lamellar networks is unaffected, whereas tension-dependent stress fiber assembly is abrogated. These data elucidate the dynamic and structural signatures of the actomyosin cytoskeleton at different levels of tension and set a foundation for quantitative models of cell and tissue mechanics.
Structure and Protein–Protein Interactions of Methanol Dehydrogenase from Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath)

In the initial steps of their metabolic pathway, methanotrophic bacteria oxidize methane to methanol with methane monooxygenases (MMOs) and methanol to formaldehyde with methanol dehydrogenases (MD...
99mTc-labelled diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine liposomes: in Vitro and in Vivo studies

The uniquely structured diphytanoylphosphatidylcholine (DphPC) forms liposomes more stable than conventional straight chain phospholipids. In this study DphPC and pegylated DphPC (DphPC-PEG) liposomes were radiolabelled and evaluated in vitro and in vivo. 99mTc-DphPC liposomes were found to be nontoxic to human white blood cells in vitro. In addition 99mTc labelled DphPC-PEG liposomes were evaluated as a nonspecific infection imaging agent in a mouse model. Infection sites were imaged within 30 min postinjection, and the radiopharmaceutical exhibited a remarkable in vivo stability. As their biodistribution and pharmacokinetic patterns can be size-modulated, DphPC-based lipsomes are excellent candidates for diagnostic and therapeutic applications.
EXAMINATION OF BONE CONTENT IN MECHANICALLY DEBONED POULTRY MEAT BY EDTA AND ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC METHODS

Mechanically deboned poultry meat from broiler parts, spent layer carcasses and turkey racks was evaluated for percent bone solids (PBS) by EDTA titration and atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The PBS for the deboned meat ranged from 0.33–1.44 with the higher values being from the more mature types of poultry. In comparing the EDTA and spectrophotometric methods, the PBS values correlated very well (r = 0.99).
Calcification in implants of tendon.

Behandlung von Hasenmuskeln vor der Implantation mit Kalzium- und Phosphatlosungen bei 2‡C ergibt Mineralisierung der Sehnen bis zu 60–80%, mit 15 molaren Kalziumlosungen bis zu 8–23%. Zur Kalzifikation sind grossere Ca++-Mengen notig: werden gleichzeitig Kalzium- und Phosphationen verwendet, so sind kleinere Mengen zur vermehrten Apatitablagerung notwendig.
Production, purification and characterization of a 50-kDa extracellular metalloprotease from Serratia marcescens

The extracellular metalloprotease (SMP 6.1) produced by a soil isolate of Serratia marcescens NRRL B-23112 was purified and characterized. SMP 6.1 was purified from the culture supernatant by ammonium sulfate precipitation, acetone fractional precipitation, and preparative isoelectric focusing. SMP 6.1 has a molecular mass of approximately 50 900 Da by sodium dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The following substrates were hydrolyzed: casein, bovine serum albumin, and hide powder. SMP 6.1 has the characteristics of a metalloprotease, a pH optimum of 10.0, and a temperature optimum of 42° C. The isoelectric point of the protease is 6.1. Restoration of proteolytic activity by in-gel renaturation after SDS-PAGE indicates a single polypeptide chain. SMP 6.1 is inhibited by EDTA (9 μg/ml) and not inhibited by antipain dihydrochloride (120 μg/ml), aprotinin (4 μg/ml), bestatin (80 μg/ml), chymostatin (50 μg/ml), E-64 (20 μg/ml), leupeptin (4 μg/ml), Pefabloc SC (2000 μg/ml), pepstatin (4 μg/ml), phosphoramidon (660 μg/ml), or phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (400 μg/ml). SMP 6.1 retains full activity in the presence of SDS (1% w/v), Tween-20 (1% w/v), Triton X-100 (1% w/v), ethanol (5% v/v), and 2-mercaptoethanol (0.5% v/v). The extracellular metalloprotease SMP 6.1 differs from the serratiopeptidase (Sigma) produced by S. marcescens ATCC 27117 in the following characteristics: isoelectric point, peptide mapping and nematolytic properties.
Societal learning, political systems and education: Some prospects and priorities for the future

During the last fifty years many of the world's political systems have learned to perform new operations they could not perform before. The challenges that face humankind now and in the next decades will require even more dramatic learning, invention and innovation. Conditions for increased learning performance that pertain to any large system help to clarify how societies and political systems learn. What will it mean to tune our educational systems to increase our learning capacity, to facilitate our transition to an intensive information society and to meet the economic, political and social challenges of the coming decades?
Analysis, verification, and management toolsuite for cyber-physical applications on time-varying networks

Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) are increasingly utilizing advances in wireless mesh networking among computing nodes to facilitate communication and control for distributed applications. Factors such as interference or node mobility cause such wireless networks to experience changes in both topology and link capacities. These dynamic networks pose a reliability concern for high-criticality or mixed-criticality systems which require strict guarantees about system performance and robustness prior to deployment. To address the design- and run-time verification and reliability concerns created by these dynamic networks, we are developing an integrated modeling, analysis, and run-time toolsuite which provides (1) network profiles that model the dynamics of system network resources and application network requirements over time, (2) design-time verification of application performance on dynamic networks, and (3) management of the CPS network resources during run-time. In this paper we present the foundations for the analysis of dynamic networks and show experimental validations of this analysis. We conclude with a focus on future work and applications to the field.
Exploiting regularities in large cellular spaces

Abstract We informally describe a computer algorithm for simulating deterministic cellular automata. It grows “smarter” by selectively recording intermediate computations while operating on a compressed representation of the cellular space-time. No information is lost because configurations do not actually evolve. Instead, the simulator accomodates random exploration of place-times in the future of initial configurations embedded in an effectively unbounded void. We use Conway's Life automaton as a model, but the idea extends easily to other geometries, dimensions, and number of states.
Ductile-Regime Grinding Of Brittle Materials: Experimental Results And The Development Of A Model

Ductile-regime grinding is a new technology made possible by the use of real-time control and precision engineering in the grinding process. By ensuring that the abrasive grinding forces do not exceed a threshold value, it is possible to grind materials that are normally considered "brittle" in such a way that the material removal takes place through plastic deformation rather than fracture. The material surfaces produced by ductile-regime grinding exhibit excellent contour accuracy along with surface finishes that previously could only be achieved through polishing or lapping. This paper describes an analytical and experimental investigation of the machining parameters and material parameters that influence grinding ductility.
Paul Ramsey and Reinhold Niebuhr on a Public Theology of Tragedy and the Problem of Dirty Hands

[Modern discussions of the problem of ‘dirty hands’ often draw upon a tradition of thinking in American public theology that wrestles with political conflicts between moral limitations and responsibilities. This article examines the problem of dirty hands through the way two significant figures in the field, Paul Ramsey and Reinhold Niebuhr, employ concepts of tragedy in their public theological writings. The analysis suggests that Ramsey and Niebuhr provide several starting points for describing the ambiguous realities of the political context and establishing limits on morally permissible political behaviour. This offers a significant challenge to the idea that ‘tragedy’ can be used to describe the liberal failings of either scholar and asserts the potential helpfulness of their arguments as the church seeks to exchange reasons in a democratic culture., Modern discussions of the problem of ‘dirty hands’ often draw upon a tradition of thinking in American public theology that wrestles with political conflicts between moral limitations and responsibilities. This article examines the problem of dirty hands through the way two significant figures in the field, Paul Ramsey and Reinhold Niebuhr, employ concepts of tragedy in their public theological writings. The analysis suggests that Ramsey and Niebuhr provide several starting points for describing the ambiguous realities of the political context and establishing limits on morally permissible political behaviour. This offers a significant challenge to the idea that ‘tragedy’ can be used to describe the liberal failings of either scholar and asserts the potential helpfulness of their arguments as the church seeks to exchange reasons in a democratic culture.]
Human mobility and population heterogeneity in the spread of an epidemic

Little is known on how different levels of population heterogeneity and different patterns of human mobility would affect the course of an epidemic in terms of timing and impact. By employing a large-scale spatially-explicit individual-based model, based on a highly detailed model of the European populations and on a carefully analysis of air and railway transportation data, we provide quantitative measures of their effects at European level. Our results show that Europe must prepare to face a fast diffusion of an epidemic, mostly because of the early importation of the first cases from abroad and the synchronization of the local epidemics, determined by the high mobility of the European population. We found that the cumulative attack rate is positively correlated with the average households size and the fraction of students in the population, and negatively correlated with the fraction of inactive population. These results have potentially strong implications in terms of mitigation and control, and suggest that the effectiveness of interventions as antiviral treatment and prophylaxis, schools closure and travel restrictions should be evaluated on a country basis.
Break-up of invariant surfaces in action—angle—angle maps and flows

Abstract An important class of three-dimensional volume-preserving maps and flows arises as a perturbation from integrable action–action–angle maps and flows. The properties of this class of maps and flows are discussed. While action–angle–angle volume-preserving maps admit an analog of the KAM theorem, general results on nonexistence of two-dimensional invariant manifolds of action–action–angle maps are proven here. Nonexistence of such two-dimensional invariant manifolds means possibility of global transport and a mechanism for such transport — the local mechanism of resonance-induced dispersion [Phys. Rev. Lett. 75 (1995) 3669] — is studied perturbatively. Resonance-induced dispersion is shown to arise from the existence of periodic orbits that survive perturbation at places where two-dimensional invariant manifolds break down.
Using Fuzzy Logic and Expert System Approaches in Evaluating Flexible Pavement Distress: Case Study

Fuzzy logic and expert system techniques are effective in evaluating the flexible pavement distress. Distress classification has usually been performed by visual inspection of the surface of the pavement or from the data gathered by automated distress measuring equipment. Consistency in this process can be increased and subjectivity is minimized by using an expert system. A methodology has been developed that uses fuzzy logic for the categorization of distresses. An expert system was developed in C language using fuzzy logic for reasoning. The objective of the developed methodology was to use automated techniques for quick, efficient, and consistent classification for flexible pavement distresses using data from the automated distress measuring system. The developed expert system has been designed to be used as a module within a pavement management system. This will help to completely automate pavement condition evaluation and strategy development for maintenance and rehabilitation of pavements, thus eliminating subjectivity and inconsistency in the process. According to the experts, mostly highway officials, the differences between the actual measured data and results from fuzzy logic expert system approaches were well within acceptable ranges.
Mercury inhibits the transport of d-glucose by the intestinal brush border membrane vesicles of fish

Abstract Mercury compounds (HgCl 2 and CH 3 HgCl) in polluted coastal waters accumulate in the food chain. When the food is digested in the gut of invertebrates and fish Hg 2+ and CH 3 Hg + bind to the brush border membrane of the enterocytes facing the lumen of the intestine. It has been shown that under in vivo or in vitro tissue incubation the bound mercury inhibits the absorption of nutrients such as amino acids and sugars. In order to differentiate the membrane effect from intracellular metabolic effects brush border membrane vesicles were prepared and purified. These vesicles showed 6–7-fold enrichment for alkaline phosphatase, leucine aminopeptidase, and maltase—all membrane enzymes that face the lumen. There was little or no enrichment for Na + K + ATPase considered to be on the basolateral membranes of the enterocyte. The vesicles transported glucose when provided with a Na + electrochemical gradient. This transport was abolished in the absence of Na + electrochemical gradient or in the presence of Phlorizin. At 0·1mM glucose, HgCl 2 (20 ppm) abolished 90% of this transport and CH 3 HgCl (20 ppm) abolished 30% of the transport. At 1mM glucose the inhibition values were 70% and 32% respectively. In the case of HgCl 2 inhibition of transport is significant even at 5 ppm. These findings confirm that mercury compounds can interact with intestinal brush border membranes to inhibit nutrient absorption in fish feeding in polluted waters.
An infrared negative‐index layer based on single‐species particles in a polaritonic host

For this article, a simple design procedure based on effective-media analysis (including higher-order multipoles), simple optimization, full-wave numerical simulations, and a postprocessing retrieval algorithm is used to synthesize a negative-index metamaterial based on a single-species cubic array immersed in a polaritonic host. In order to verify the predicted performance based on effective media and ultimately validate the design methodology, a full-wave massively-parallel numerical simulation for a “bulk” (5 layer thick) sample is performed. Published 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.† Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26159
Design and Fabrication of an MRI-Compatible, Autonomous Incubation System

Tissue engineers have long sought access to an autonomous, imaging-compatible tissue incubation system that, with minimum operator handling, can provide real-time visualization and quantification of cells, tissue constructs, and organs. This type of screening system, capable of operating noninvasively to validate tissue, can overcome current limitations like temperature shock, unsustainable cellular environments, sample contamination, and handling/stress. However, this type of system has been a major challenge, until now. Here, we describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of an innovative, autonomous incubation system that is compatible with a 9.4 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Termed the e-incubator (patent pending; application number: 13/953,984), this microcontroller-based system is integrated into an MRI scanner and noninvasively screens cells and tissue cultures in an environment where temperature, pH, and media/gas handling are regulated. The 4-week study discussed herein details the continuous operation of the e-incubator for a tissue-engineered osteogenic construct, validated by LIVE/DEAD® cell assays and histology. The evolving MR quantitative parameters of the osteogenic construct were used as biomarkers for bone tissue engineering and to further validate the quality of the product noninvasively before harvesting. Importantly, the e-incubator reliably facilitates culturing cells and tissue constructs to create engineered tissues and/or investigate disease therapies.
The evacuation of industry in the Soviet union during world war II

(1983). The evacuation of industry in the Soviet union during world war II. Soviet Studies: Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 90-102.