cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Machine Learning-Based Upscaling of Finite-Size Molecular Dynamics Diffusion Simulations for Binary Fluids

Molecular diffusion coefficients calculated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suffer from finite-size (i.e., finite box size and finite particle number) effects. Results from finite-sized MD simulations can be upscaled to infinite simulation size by applying a correction factor. For self-diffusion of single-component fluids, this correction has been well-studied by many researchers including Yeh and Hummer (YH); for binary fluid mixtures, a modified YH correction was recently proposed for correcting MD-predicted Maxwell-Stephan (MS) diffusion rates. Here we use both empirical and machine learning methods to identify improvements to the finite-size correction factors for both self-diffusion and MS diffusion of binary Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid mixtures. Using artificial neural networks (ANNs), the error in the corrected LJ fluid diffusion is reduced by an order of magnitude versus existing YH corrections, and the ANN models perform well for mixtures with large dissimilarities in size and interaction energies where the YH correction proves insufficient.
Racial Discrimination Predicts Mental Health Outcomes Beyond the Role of Personality Traits in a Community Sample of African Americans

Despite a consistent body of work documenting associations between racial discrimination and negative mental health outcomes, the utility and validity of these findings have recently been questione...
Deoxyhypusine Synthase Promotes a Pro-Inflammatory Macrophage Phenotype

Obesity is characterized by adipose tissue expansion, macrophage infiltration, and the development of chronic low-grade meta-inflammation that drives insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF5A) is the only protein known to be uniquely post-translationally modified and activated by deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) to generate a hypusine (Hyp) residue. Activated eIF5A controls the translation of a subset of mRNAs that play a role in inflammation, but a role for the DHPS/eIF5AHyp axis in obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation has not been tested. We found DHPS/eIF5AHyp levels to be increased in the stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue from mice fed a high fat diet and in murine macrophages activated to a proinflammatory M1 phenotype. DHPS deficiency in M1 macrophages decreased global mRNA translation and protein synthesis of key inflammatory mediators, IL-1β and MIP-1α. Transcriptomes of LPS+IFN-γ-stimulated DHPS-deficient macrophages revealed reduced characteristics of an M1 signature and a phenotypic switch consistent with characteristics of an anti-inflammatory M2 signature. In support of these observations, macrophage migration in a zebrafish tailfin injury model was reduced with chemical inhibition of DHPS, and DHPS deficiency in myeloid cells of HFD-fed mice inhibited M1 macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue and improved glucose tolerance. Together, these findings indicate that DHPS is required for the translation of a subset of mRNAs required for inflammation and chemotaxis in macrophages and may contribute to a proinflammatory M1-like phenotype.
Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis-like toxicity (carHLH) after CD19-specific CAR T-cell therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy is associated with significant toxicities secondary to immune activation, including a rare but increasingly recognised severe toxicity resembling haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (carHLH). We report the development of carHLH in 14·8% of paediatric patients and young adults treated with CD19-specific CAR T-cell therapy with carHLH, occurring most commonly in those with high disease burden. The diagnosis and treatment of carHLH required a high index of suspicion and included multidrug immunomodulation with variable response to therapies. Compared to patients without carHLH, patients with carHLH had both reduced response to CAR T-cell therapy (P-value = 0·018) and overall survival (P-value = < 0·0001).
ViObject: A Smartwatch-based Object Recognition System via Vibrations

Today, in order to start an interaction with most digital technology, we must perform some sort of action to indicate our intention, such as shaking a computer’s mouse to wake it or pressing a coffee maker’s start button for your morning cup of coffee. Our system aims to help remove these currently necessary ”trigger actions” and aims to support an array of applications to create borderless and fluid interactions between the technological world and our own. Our system as has the potential for application within the world of accessible technology as well. The system we propose is a method of identifying held objects via a smartwatch’s accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. A preview demo video is available at https://youtu.be/1YCTzvjcJ18.
Utilization of Inorganic Nitrogen Compounds by Sphaerotilus natans Growing in a Continuous-Flow Apparatus.

Sphaerotilus natans was grown, attached, in a continuous-flow apparatus with inorganic nitrogen compounds (NH4Cl, NaNO2, or NaNO3) as the only sources of nitrogen. The growth rate with NH4+-containing medium did not differ from that with media containing glutamate or Casitone as the nitrogen source.
Labyrinth: Visually Configurable Data-Leakage Detection in Mobile Applications

Mobile devices have revolutionized many aspects of our lives. We use smartphones and tablets as portable computers and, often without realizing it, we run various types of security-sensitive programs on them, such as personal and enterprise email and instant-messaging applications, as well as social, banking, insurance and retail programs. These applications access and transmit over the network numerous pieces of private information, including our geographical location, device ID, contacts, calendar events, passwords, and health records, as well as credit-card, social-security, and bank-account numbers. Guaranteeing that no private information is exposed to unauthorized observers is very challenging given the level of complexity that these applications have reached. Furthermore, using program-analysis tools with out-of-the-box configurations in order to detect confidentiality violations may not yield the desired results because only a few pieces of private data, such as the device's ID and geographical location, are obtained from standard sources. The majority of confidentiality sources (such as credit-card and bank-account numbers) are application-specific and require careful configuration. This paper presents Labyrinth, a run-time privacy enforcement system that automatically detects leakage of private data originating from standard as well as application-specific sources. Labyrinth features several novel contributions: (i) it allows for visually configuring, directly atop the application's User Interface (UI), the fields that constitute custom sources of private data, (ii) it does not require operating-system instrumentation, but relies only an application-level instrumentation and on a proxy that intercepts the communication between the mobile device and the back-end servers, and (iii) it performs an enhanced form of value-similarity analysis to detect data leakage even when sensitive data (such as a password) has been encoded or hashed. Labyrinth supports both Android and iOS. We have evaluated Labyrinth experimentally, and in this paper we report results on production-level applications.
Understanding La Francophone in the Context of the Business French Curriculum

This article proposes a framework by which la Francophonie can be presented to students within the context of the business French class. The goal may not be to pursue an in-depth analysis of each and every country and region, but rather to provide a variety of approaches according to which these political entities may be compared, not only to each other, but to the rest of the world. By adopting a comparative perspective on the French-speaking world, the instructor will avoid the dilemma of having to choose on which states/regions to focus, and the pitfalls of teaching a subject matter that may not be within the instructor’s realm of expertise. One of the greatest challenges faced by faculty teaching business French is the general lack of cultural content in textbooks designed for use in the business French (or French for specifi c/professional purposes) classroom. Of the twelve textbooks in print at the time of the writing of this article, none attempt to present any cultural information in a systematic fashion if, by “culture” in the context of business language, we imply such topics as general economic information, geography, institutions (educational and political, for example), etiquette, current affairs, consumer habits, individual companies, or holidays. Eight of the twelve texts do include some readings and exercises pertaining to culture, but in most cases this information is only indirectly related to the business world, and is presented in such a manner that students do not acquire a systematic knowledge of the basic infrastructure of the economy, business environment, and demographics of the French-speaking world. In many respects, the absence of cultural information in these works is hardly surprising. Most business French textbooks focus on preparation for the examinations of the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris, which do not test such cultural knowledge, and hence the authors of these textbooks have not perceived the need for including this content in their works. In addition, cultural information can quickly become out-dated, and textbook authors, one might
Diverse diagnostic and behavioural patterns amongst people with a dual diagnosis

People who have both an intellectual disability and a mental illness diagnosis are gaining more attention in the mental health and developmental disabilities service systems. This interest is partly because of the challenging behaviours and the complexities of the problems in this population. The present study analyses the diagnoses, behaviour problems and demographic characteristics of a group of people with a dual diagnosis to determine if specific patterns are evident which distinguish this set of subjects. A group of 940 people who were part of a class action lawsuit in North Carolina, USA, were investigated. A factor analysis was conducted to determine whether or not distinct patterns or factors were evident. This analysis revealed six distinct patterns primarily based on the behaviour problems of this group and secondarily based on their diagnoses. These six factors are referred to as: (1) aggressive/disturbing behaviour; (2) withdrawal/asocial behaviour; (3) inappropriate behaviours; (4) sociopathic characteristics; (5) suicidal or runaway crises; and (6) pica disorder. The findings suggest that mental illness is a prominent characteristic of some of the six factors but not of others. Furthermore, an intellectual disability diagnosis and the particular level of intellectual disability are reflected very differently amongst all of these factors.
The longitudinal movement of stratospheric ozone waves as determined by satellite

With total ozone sensors on earth-orbitung satellites the ozone distribution over the entire earth may be measured daily. The conclusions from some of the Nimbus III measurements are discussed in this paper. A comparison of time-longitude variations of stratospheric radiance values at 60°S with values of the total ozone indicated that low (high) radiance values correspond very closely with the low (high) total ozone amounts. The speed at which these ozone ‘waves’ progress eastward is greatest in the winter hemisphere. The speed of eastward progression decreases as one approaches the lower latitudes in the winter hemisphere. In the equatorial region the progression of the ozone ‘waves’ appears to be slowly westward. In the Northern Hemisphere the waves progress slowly eastward during summer. The intensity of the ozone ‘waves’ was also observed to change with latitude. These temporal and spatial fluctuations are related mainly to the motion of dynamic tropospheric systems. The extremely tight ozone gradients, which may be seen in the winter hemisphere data, have been shown to be associated with strong baroclinic zones in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere, which are moving eastward. Assuming uniform zonal velocity we found Rossby wavelengths that varied from 2500 to 3700 km.
Investigation of the reflection and transmission of nano-scale gold films

The reflection and transmission of thin gold films with thickness varying from 2.5 nm to 30 nm are experimentally investigated. A theory is proposed and explains all experimental data.
The Art of Identity: African Sculpture from the Teel Collection

THE ART OF IDENTITY: AFRICAN SCULPTURE FROM THE TEEL COLLECTION. Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (November 30, 1996-ongoing) Curators: Suzanne Preston Blier, Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Harvard University; Aimee Bessire, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Fine Arts, Harvard University; and Mark Bessire, Africa Fulbright Fellow-1996.
Multivariate Control Charts, Interpretation of

Signal interpretation is straightforward when only one variable is being monitored in a process. This is because separate charts can be constructed to monitor changes in the location and/or changes in the variation of the variable of interest. For a multivariate process consisting of p variables, signal interpretation is more complex because the signaling statistic can potentially be a function of all p variables. Not only do we have to detect location and variation changes in the p variables, but we also have to detect changes in the relationships (i.e., correlations) among the many variables. Further, procedures that identify the particular variable or group of variables that cause or contribute to the signal are limited. In this presentation, we discuss two procedures that are useful in signal interpretation when using Hotelling's T2 statistic in multivariate process control and briefly describe several alternative methods. Keywords: multivariate process control; MYT decomposition; phase I; phase II; principal components; T 2 statistic
Does levodopa improve vision in albinism? Results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial

Background Dopamine is an intermediate product in the biosynthesis of melanin pigment, which is absent or reduced in albinism. Animal research has shown that supplying a precursor to dopamine, levodopa, may improve visual acuity in albinism by enhancing neural networks. This study examines the safety and effectiveness of levodopa on best-corrected visual acuity in human subjects with albinism. Design Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked clinical trial conducted at the University of Minnesota. Participants Forty-five subjects with albinism. Methods Subjects with albinism were randomly assigned to one of three treatment arms: levodopa 0.76 mg/kg with 25% carbidopa, levodopa 0.51 mg/kg with 25% carbidopa, or placebo and followed for 20 weeks, with best-corrected visual acuity measured at enrollment, and at weeks 5, 10, 15, and 20 after enrollment. Side-effects were recorded with a symptom survey. Blood was drawn for genotyping. Main Outcome Measures Side-effects and best-corrected visual acuity 20 weeks after enrolment. Results All subjects had at least one mutation found in a gene known to cause albinism. Mean age was 14.5 years (range: 3.5 to 57.8 years). Follow up was 100% and compliance was good. Minor side-effects were reported; there were no serious adverse events. There was no statistically significant improvement in best-corrected visual acuity after 20 weeks with either dose of levodopa. Conclusions Levodopa, in the doses used in this trial and for the time course of administration, did not improve visual acuity in subjects with albinism.
The Human Development Index in 1994: Impact of Income on Country Rank

The Human Development Report published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) computes for each country a Human Development Index (HOI). The HOI is a composite index constructed from measures of life expectancy, education, and per-capita income. This paper argues that the UNDP's method of estimating the contribution of per-capita income to human development is inappropriate and leads to misleading country HDI rankings. For countries below the world-average per-capita income, the UNDP's estimation formula allows percapita income to make a large contribution to development, as measured by each country's HDI. But for countries above the world-average per-capita income, their higher incomes are effectively estimated to make no additional contribution to their human development, as measured by HDI. An alternative treatment of income is illustrated. The consequent modified HDls result in an appreciable alteration of the country rankings.
Inactivating and noninactivating Ca(2+)- and voltage-dependent K+ current in rat adrenal chromaffin cells

The properties of Ca(2+)- and voltage-dependent K+ currents and their role in defining membrane potential were studied in cultured rat chromaffin cells. Two variants of large-conductance, Ca2+ and voltage- dependent BK channels, one noninactivating and one inactivating, were largely segregated among patches. Whole-cell noninactivating and inactivating currents resulting from each of these channels were segregated among different chromaffin cells. Cell-to-cell variation in the rate and extent of whole-cell current decay was not explained by differences in cytosolic [Ca2+] regulation among cells; rather, variation was due to differences in the intrinsic properties of the underlying BK channels. About 75% of rat chromaffin cells and patches express inactivating BK current (termed BKi) while the remainder express noninactivating BK current (termed BKs). The activation time course of both currents is similar, as is the dependence of activation on [Ca2+] and membrane potential. However, deactivation of BKi channels is slower than that of BKs channels. The functional role of these BK channel variants was studied in current-clamp recordings. Although both BKi and BKs currents contribute to action potential repolarization, cells expressing BKi current are better able to fire repetitively in response to constant current injection. Blockade of BKi current by charybdotoxin abolishes this behavior, showing that afterhyperpolarizations mediated by BKi current are permissive for repetitive firing. Thus, important properties of chromaffin cell membrane excitability are determined by the type of BK current expressed.
Leaders in Ancient Times: Joseph, Plato, and Alcibiades

The story of Joseph is one of the most fascinating, detailed, and complex stories in the Bible. Although there is no direct archeological evidence that relates the Israelites to Egypt, it is assumed that the Israelites who emigrated from Canaan (Palestine) to Egypt in search of a more fruitful land were the Hyksos, Semitic tribes who invaded Egypt in 1730 BC and ruled Egypt for 150 years.
Antigenic cooperation among intrahost HCV variants organized into a complex network of cross-immunoreactivity.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has the propensity to cause chronic infection. Continuous immune escape has been proposed as a mechanism of intrahost viral evolution contributing to HCV persistence. Although the pronounced genetic diversity of intrahost HCV populations supports this hypothesis, recent observations of long-term persistence of individual HCV variants, negative selection increase, and complex dynamics of viral subpopulations during infection as well as broad cross-immunoreactivity (CR) among variants are inconsistent with the immune-escape hypothesis. Here, we present a mathematical model of intrahost viral population dynamics under the condition of a complex CR network (CRN) of viral variants and examine the contribution of CR to establishing persistent HCV infection. The model suggests a mechanism of viral adaptation by antigenic cooperation (AC), with immune responses against one variant protecting other variants. AC reduces the capacity of the host’s immune system to neutralize certain viral variants. CRN structure determines specific roles for each viral variant in host adaptation, with variants eliciting broad-CR antibodies facilitating persistence of other variants immunoreacting with these antibodies. The proposed mechanism is supported by empirical observations of intrahost HCV evolution. Interference with AC is a potential strategy for interruption and prevention of chronic HCV infection.
The nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine preferentially inhibits cocaine vs. food self-administration in rats

Nicotinic acetylcholine systems play important roles in addiction, and nicotinic receptor stimulation stimulates dopamine release while the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine reduces it. Reid et al. [Neuropsychopharmacology 20 (1999) 297.] recently found in human cocaine addicts that mecamylamine reduced cue-elicited cocaine craving. The current study assessed the impact of mecamylamine on cocaine self-administration in rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats (N=7) were implanted with intravenous (iv) catheters and trained to lever press for cocaine (0.32 mg/kg/infusion FR-1 with a 60-s timeout) in 45-min sessions. After 2 weeks of training, the rats were injected with saline or mecamylamine (1, 2, or 4 mg/kg sc) 10 min before the session. They received the same dose for 1 week with 1 week of uninjected testing between doses. Mecamylamine, compared to saline, significantly (P<.05) reduced the number of cocaine infusions per session with each of these doses. This effect did not appear to be due to a generalized reduction in behavioral activity. Another set of female Sprague-Dawley rats (N=8) were trained to lever press for food reinforcement. In these rats, the 1 and 2-mg/kg mecamylamine doses had no effect on food self-administration. Significant reductions in food self-administration were not seen unless the high dose of 4-mg/kg mecamylamine was used. Nicotinic antagonist treatment reduces cocaine self-administration in rats at doses that do not cause generalized effects on food-reinforced responding. Nicotinic antagonistic treatment may be a useful new approach to treat cocaine addiction.
CHANGES IN THE MICROFLORA OF PACKAGED FRESH TOMATOES

Fresh tomatoes were shrink-wrapped in film, sealed in gas-flushed film pouches, or stored in cardboard packing crates. All samples were stored at 13°C, and changes in populations of total aerobes, psychrotrophs, yeasts and molds, members of Enterobacteriaceae, and lactic acid bacteria followed. Shrink-wrapping and gas-packaging increased aerobic counts over no packaging, and selected for yeasts and molds. Shrink-wrapping additionally selected for lactic acid bacteria. The greatest number of psychrotrophs but the least number of yeasts and molds developed in unpackaged tomatoes. Shrink-wrapped and gas-packaged tomatoes remained unspoiled at least 6 weeks whereas controls spoiled in 4 weeks.
On a problem of integral geometry related to the Dirichlet problem for an ultrahyperbolic equation

We study the nontrivial solvability of the homogeneous problem of integral geometry on the family of spheres formed by sections of the (n − 1)-dimensional unit sphere by hyperplanes perpendicular to the generators of a given cone. By using a relationship between this problem and the Dirichlet problem for an ultrahyperbolic equation in a ball and a criterion for the failure of uniqueness of the solution of the latter problem in terms of zeros of classical Jacobi polynomials, we obtain a criterion for the uniqueness of the solution of the former problem.
The development of complex sentence processing strategies

Abstract Children aged 3, 4, and 5 years and adults heard sentences with clauses connected by after, and, or before, saw a picture, and indicated whether or not the picture matched one of the events of the sentence. Response times were taken as a measure of immediate accessibility to the meaning of the clause that the picture was about. Temporal organization of sentence meanings was dominant in 3-year-olds and adults, but not in 4- or 5-year-olds. The 3-year-olds and especially the adults processed and-sentences as implicitly temporal. The results for 4- and 5-year-olds are interpreted as indicating experimentation with alternate strategies for organizing sentences based on the structural/presuppositional properties of clauses.
Conversion of Estrogen Receptor from a State with Low Affinity for Estradiol into a State of Higher Affinity Does Not Require 4S to 5S Dimerization

This study was undertaken to establish whether the heat-promoted conversion of receptor-estradiol complex (RE2) from a state with fast into a state with slow E2 dissociation requires 8S/4S to 5S transformation. The calf uterine estrogen receptor labeled with [3H]E2 at 0 C (state with low affinity for E2) was immobilized on hydroxylapatite (HAP) in the absence (8S oligomer) or presence (4S monomer) of 0.4 M KCl and heated at 28 C in the presence of unlabeled diethylstilbestrol. Under these conditions, the dissociation of [3H]E2 was biphasic and occurred at rates similar to those obtained with R[3H]E2 free in cytosol. In contrast to the latter, however, the heat-promoted conversion of HAP-immobilized R[3H]E2 into a state of higher affinity for E2 was not accompanied by receptor dimerization, since the HAP eluate (0.4 M phosphate buffer) contained only the 4S monomer; upon reheating or desalting of this eluate, 4S to 5S dimerization occurred. The heat-promoted formation of 4S RE2 monomers with higher affinit...
The fate of cyanide in leach wastes at gold mines: An environmental perspective

Abstract This paper reviews the basic chemistry of cyanide, methods by which cyanide can be analyzed, and aspects of cyanide behavior that are most relevant to environmental considerations at mineral processing operations associated with gold mines. The emphasis is on research results reported since 1999 and on data gathered for a series of U.S. Geological Survey studies that began in the late 1990s. Cyanide is added to process solutions as the CN − anion, but ore leaching produces numerous other cyanide-containing and cyanide-related species in addition to the desired cyanocomplex of gold. These can include hydrogen cyanide (HCN); cyanometallic complexes of iron, copper, zinc, nickel, and many other metals; cyanate (CNO − ); and thiocyanate (SCN − ). The fate of these species in solid wastes and residual process solutions that remain once gold recovery activities are terminated and in any water that moves beyond the ore processing facility dictates the degree to which cyanide poses a risk to aquatic organisms and aquatic-dependent organisms in the local environment. Cyanide-containing and cyanide-related species are subject to attenuation mechanisms that lead to dispersal to the atmosphere, chemical transformation to other carbon and nitrogen species, or sequestration as cyanometallic precipitates or adsorbed species on mineral surfaces. Dispersal to the atmosphere and chemical transformation amount to permanent elimination of cyanide, whereas sequestration amounts to storage of cyanide in locations from which it can potentially be remobilized by infiltrating waters if conditions change. From an environmental perspective, the most significant cyanide releases from gold leach operations involve catastrophic spills of process solutions or leakage of effluent to the unsaturated or saturated zones. These release pathways are unfavorable for two important cyanide attenuation mechanisms that tend to occur naturally: dispersal of free cyanide to the atmosphere and sunlight-catalyzed dissociation of strong cyanometallic complexes, which produces free cyanide that can then disperse to the atmosphere. The widest margins of environmental safety will be achieved where mineral processing operations are designed so that time for offgassing, aeration, and sunlight exposure are maximized in the event that cyanide-bearing solutions are released inadvertently.
Experience with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in the management of complicated pneumonia in children.

Abstract Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of video assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) in the management of empyema in children. Methods: This report involves cases of complicated pneumonia in children requiring surgical intervention after failure of medical treatment with antibiotics, with or without drainage from November 1997 to October 1999. The impact of VATS has been studied prospectively from October 1998 when VATS was introduced. The results have been compared with the previous year when similar cases were dealt with open thoracotomy. These 2 groups of patients with VATS (V) or without VATS (O) were studied for their progress in hospital and the final outcome. Results: A total of 39 immunocompetent children with community-acquired pneumonia were studied. There were 17 cases in O and 22 in V. There were 2 conversions to open thoracotomy in V. Both of these cases required resection of the lung parenchyma for severe necrosis and bronchopleural fistula. The mean age in years was 5.3 (O) and 4.9 (V). Parameters that were significantly less in V compared with O include timing of referral (O, 13.6 days; V, 5.3 days), number of lung resections (O, 8; V, 2), blood transfusion (O, 14; V, 2), analgesia requirements (O, 7.8 days; V, 2.9 days), postoperative length of stay in hospital (O, 10.4 days; V, 4.6 days), time to become normothermic (O, 5.6 days; V, 1.7 days); and time to removal of chest drains (O, 6.0 days; V, 2.7 days). Cosmesis is superior in cases of VATS compared with open thoracotomy. All the children recovered well on follow-up with resolution of symptoms and no recurrences. Conclusions: (1) VATS has ushered in a new era of hope for patients with complicated pneumonia. (2) Thoracotomy, lung resections, and the attending morbidity rate have decreased. (3) Patients are being referred earlier by the physicians because the management protocol is changing. J Pediatr Surg 36:316-319. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Cutaneous Deposition of Immune Complexes in Chronic Serum Sickness of Mice Induced with Cationized or Unaltered Antigen

We have previously shown that cationic proteins localize to the dermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) after i.v. injection in experimental animals. In the present studies, cationized rabbit IgG was used as antigen for induction of chronic serum sickness in C57BL/6J mice over a period of 4 weeks. The formation of immune deposits was examined by immunofluorescence microscopy at weekly intervals during chronic antigen administration and at 7 weeks from the initiation of studies. Chronic administration of the cationized antigen led to immune complex deposits at the DEJ, while administration of the same antigen in native form did not lead to these deposits. Junctional immune deposits increased with higher doses of cationized antigen and paralleled renal extraglomular deposition in intensity, persistence, and morphology. Mice given cationized antigen also demonstrated vascular immune complex deposits without complement, while mice given native antigen had complement deposits and developed perivascular inflammation. No inflammation or complement deposition was detected at the DEJ in either group. Charge properties of circulating antigens are important in determining tissue sites of immune complex deposition and inflammation. Circulating cationic antigens can lead to immune deposits at the DEJ.
Integrated Weed Management Techniques to Reduce Herbicide Inputs in Soybean

Information on integrated weed management systems is needed so that producers can develop systems that minimize the environmental impacts of weed control without sacrificing profitability of crop production. Reduced rates of broadcast- or band-applied alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide] plus metribuzin [4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] and rotary hoeing, each in combination with between-row cultivation, were evaluated for weed control in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. One or two between-row cultivations allowed for a 50 to 75% reduction in the amount of herbicide used without reducing weed control or soybean yield. Reducing herbicide rates also decreased soybean injury []
Detached Eddy Simulation of Unsteady Stall Flows of a Full Annulus Transonic Rotor

This paper uses the advanced Delayed-Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) of turbulence to simulate rotating stall inception of NASA Rotor 67. The rotor is a low-aspect-ratio transonic axial-flow fan with a tip speed of 429 m/s and a pressure ratio of 1.63. A full annulus simulation was employed with the time accurate compressible Navier-Stokes code in order to accurately capture the the formation of long-length disturbance and a short-length inception (spike). The validation for all numerical methods used in this study was accomplished by the comparisons of the CFD solutions with the test data in advance of unsteady simulations. Self-induced rotating stall development is simulated holding the same back pressure at the near stall experiment without any throttling. Spike type rotating stall occurs and rotates at roughly 50% of rotor speed counter to the rotation. After spike onset, rotating stall fully develops approximately within 2 rotor revolutions. Two distinct characteristics that can advance the mechanism of spike type rotating stall are observed. First, the passage shock is fully detached from rotor and decays during the spike inception. Consequently the shifted sonic line at the upstream of rotor allows stalling flow to propagate to the neighboring passage. Second, the trailing edge back flow contributes to the build up of a fully developed stall cell by pushing tip clearance flow toward blade leading edge and inducing tip spillage flow. Tip vortex originated from the leading edge dies out during spike inception as the swirl angle of incoming tip flow decreases, while in the unstalled passages it develops without breakdown. DDES challenge for the complete blade row reflects well the sequence of rotating stall and its unsteady behavior.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
On average complexity of global optimization problems

We discuss the average case complexity of global optimization problems. By the average complexity, we roughly mean the amount of work needed to solve the problem with the expected error not exceeding a preassigned error demand. The expectation is taken with respect to a probability measure on a classF of objective functions. Since the distribution of the maximum, maxxf(x), is known only for a few nontrivial probability measures, the average case complexity of optimization is still unknown. Although only preliminary results are available, they indicate that on the average, optimization is not as hard as in the worst case setting. In particular, there are instances, where global optimization is intractable in the worst case, whereas it is tractable on the average. We stress, that the power of the average case approach is proven by exhibiting upper bounds on the average complexity, since the actual complexity is not known even for relatively simple instances of global optimization problems. Thus, we do not know how much easier global optimization becomes when the average case approach is utilized.
Effect of intestinal inflammation on neuronal survival and function in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus.

Background The effects of intestinal inflammation on the central nervous system are unknown. The dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) integrates peripheral and central signals and sends efferent signals to the gastrointestinal system. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of intestinal inflammation on the DMNV in an animal model and in vitro. Methods Carbocyanine dye (DiI) was injected into the stomach wall of rats to label retrogradely the neurons of the DMNV. Colitis was induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Tissue was examined under fluorescent microscopy. In vitro studies were performed using primary culture of DMNV neurons. Cell proliferation was measured by BrdU incorporation. Apoptosis was measured by an enzyme sandwich-linked immunosorbent assay. Single-cell cytoplasmic calcium transients were determined using the fluorescence dye fura-2-AM. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of glutamate receptor was performed. Results Animals treated with TNBS ate less and lost weight compared with controls. Microscopic analysis demonstrated a 77% decrease in DiI labeling in the DMNV of TNBS animals compared with controls. Cell proliferation in DMNV neurons after 24-hour exposure to the cytokines interleukin- (IL)-1β, IL-6, or tumor necrosis factor- (TNF)-α was significantly decreased. Similarly, apoptosis of DMNV neurons after 24 hours of incubation with IL-1β or TNF-α was significantly increased, but no changes resulted with IL-6. Exposure to each cytokine resulted in decreased glutamate-induced intracellular calcium transients. Transcription of glutamate receptor was decreased after 24-hour exposure to TNF-α. Conclusions DMNV neurons projecting to the stomach are reduced in number after induction of colitis in rats. In vitro, proinflammatory cytokines diminish DMNV cellular proliferation, increase apoptosis, and alter calcium responses to glutamate. These results indicate that intestinal inflammation affects adversely neuronal survival and function in the DMNV.
What about process? Limitations in advance directives, care planning, and noncapacitated decision making.

Just as noncapacitated decision making will forever be a feature of clinical medicine, so will the quest for effective advance care planning and serviceable documentation of these preferences. “Re-...
Side Chain Disorder and Phase Transitions in Alkyl-Substituted, Conjugated Oligomers. Relation to Side-Chain Melting in P3ATs

Certain 4,4‘-alkyl substituted 2,2‘-bithiazole and bithiazole-thiophene oligomers display an endothermic transition in their DSC trace below their respective melting points. Variable-temperature FTIR, MAS-1H NMR, UV−vis spectra, and XRD all indicate that the thermal transition is due to a crystal−crystal phase transition that we have labeled α → β. FTIR shows a stepwise increase in the concentration of gauche defects at the α → β transition temperature, but MAS NMR spectra show little increase in the side chain motion until the mp is reached. UV−vis spectra demonstrate that the conjugated main chains remain essentially planar through the α → β transition, and significant deviations from planarity occur only at higher temperatures, but well below the mp. The close similarity of this behavior to the phase transitions in long chain n-paraffins and the “side-chain melting” phenomenon in poly(3-alkylthiophenes), P3ATs, suggests that the latter may actually be more accurately described as a crystal−crystal phas...
Conformation of acyclic derivatives of sugars. Part VIII: Conformations of the 2,3,4,5-tetra-O-acetylpentose dimethyl acetals in solution

Abstract The conformations of the peracetylated aldopentose dimethyl acetals having the d - ribo ( 1 ), l - arabino ( 2 ), d - xylo ( 3 ), and d - lyxo ( 4 ) configurations have been studied in chloroform- d solution by n.m.r. spectroscopy at 100 and 220 MHz. The arabino derivative 2 adopts a planar, zigzag conformation almost exclusively, whereas the other three examples adopt conformations in which parallel 1,3-interactions between substituents, that would be present in the extended forms, are relieved. In the lyxo derivative 4 , rotation about C-1—C-2 from the extended form is involved. The ribo derivative 1 tends to adopt a sickle conformation through rotation about C-2—C-3 to bring C-1 out of the approximate plane of the other atoms in the chain; the xylo derivative behaves similarly, but with rotation about C-3—C-4 to bring C-5 out of the plane. The derivatives 1–4 exhibit mass-spectral fragmentation pathways very similar to those of the peracetylated aldose diethyl dithioacetals.
An Economic Comparison between Conventional and No-Tillage Farming Systems in Burleson County, Texas

Tillage systems that reduce the number of cultivation steps can, according to soil scientists, save soil moisture, fuel, labor, and machinery costs, as well as reduce wind and water erosion. However, many producers in South Texas are reluctant to adopt these practices. The objective of this study was to compare the economics of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) systems on three commercial crops produced in South Texas: grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. When considering the economics of both tillage systems, three areas affecting profit were addressed: changes in cost per hectare, changes in yield per hectare, and the impact on net income risk. Empirical distributions of net income for different tillage systems under risk were estimated using a Monte Carlo simulation model of net income per hectare. Certainty equivalents were used to rank the tillage systems because they can be used to rank risky alternatives for risk-averse decision makers. The risk premium for risk-averse decision makers who prefer NT over CT ranges between $12.60 and $34.25 per hectare for all five crop rotations. Risk-neutral decision makers would prefer continuous sorghum and sorghum-wheat-soybean rotation over all other rotations under CT and NT, respectively. However, risk-averse decision makers would prefer continuous sorghum over all other rotations either under CT or NT. The results suggest that under risk-neutral rankings, NT would be preferred over CT in three out of the five crop rotations tested. However, assuming a risk-averse decision maker, NT would be preferred over CT in all five crop rotations.
Nuclear Spin-Lattice Relaxation in Magnetic Insulators

First-order nuclear spin-lattice relaxation arises in magnetic insulators when a nuclear spin directly interacts with one or more spin waves via the hyperfine interaction. The direct process, in which a single magnon is emitted, is not ordinarily allowed on the basis of energy conservation, since the energy of a nuclear spin flip is considerably lower than the minimum energy of a spin wave. When the hyperfine interaction is isotropic and the axes of quantization of the nuclear and electronic spins are collinear, the conservation of the $z$ component of spin angular momentum forbids the Raman process, in which a thermal magnon is scattered to a state of different wave vector, accompanied by a nuclear spin flip. The three-magnon process is usually allowed. We consider here some second-order two- and three-magnon processes which arise when a virtual magnon, emitted in the direct process, is scattered by thermal magnons via the exchange interaction or the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction. This is possible, since (1) the magnon spectrum is lifetime broadened to overlap the nuclear spin resonance frequency, and (2) the dipole interaction does not conserve spin angular momentum. The second-order three-magnon process, arising from the four-magnon exchange interaction, enhances the three-magnon process relaxation rate by a factor of 8 in ferromagnets, and results in a temperature-dependent enhancement of about one order of magnitude in antiferromagnets. Three-magnon terms in the dipole-dipole interaction may induce a two-magnon process in both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets, which is of significance when the first-order Raman process is forbidden. We also calculate the relaxation rate due to second-order exchange-scattering-induced two-magnon process which is often more important than the first-order process in canted antiferromagnets of both the "easy-axis" and the "hard-axis" anisotropy type.
Hospital-associated microbiota and implications for nosocomial infections

The rise of high-throughput sequencing technologies and culture-independent microbial surveys has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of how microbes colonize, move about, and evolve in hospital environments. Genome analysis of individual organisms, characterization of population dynamics, and microbial community ecology are facilitating the identification of novel pathogens, the tracking of disease outbreaks, and the study of the evolution of antibiotic resistance. Here we review the recent applications of these methods to microbial ecology studies in hospitals and discuss their potential to influence hospital management policy and practice and to reduce nosocomial infections and the spread of antibiotic resistance.
Effects of Furanocoumarins from Apiaceous Vegetables on the Catalytic Activity of Recombinant Human Cytochrome P-450 1A2

Inhibition of cytochrome P-450 1A2 (CYP1A2)-mediated activation of procarcinogens may be an important chemopreventive mechanism. Consumption of apiaceous vegetables (rich in furanocoumarins) inhibits CYP1A2 in humans. Because many furanocoumarins are potent inhibitors of several CYPs, we characterized the effects of three furanocoumarins from apiaceous vegetables on human CYP1A2 (hCYP1A2). We assessed hCYP1A2 methoxyresorufin O-demethylase (MROD) activity using microsomes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing hCYP1A2. Isopimpinellin exhibited mechanism-based inactivation (MBI) of hCYP1A2 (Ki = 1.2 μM, kinact = 0.34 min−1, and partition ratio = 8). Imperatorin and trioxsalen were characterized as mixed inhibitors with Ki values of 0.007 and 0.10 μM, respectively. These results indicate that even if present at low levels in apiaceous vegetables, imperatorin, trioxsalen and isopimpinellin may contribute significantly to CYP1A2 inhibition and potentially decreased procarcinogen activation. Moreover, the in vivo effect of isopimpinellin on CYP1A2 may be longer lasting compared to reversible inhibitors.
Faculty Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion: Barriers for Women

Women faculty continue to experience academe differently than male faculty. A review of recent literature indicates that women's representation on university faculties has advanced slowly; women are less likely to be tenured or promoted compared to male faculty; and women faculty earn less than their male colleagues. A recurring theme is that the intellectual and social isolation of women faculty affects their research productivity. Gender stereotypes held by colleagues, departmental and college administrators, and students also contribute to the difficulties women face in the reappointment, tenure, and promotion process. A personal perspective on the reappointment process is provided in order to illustrate how isolation and naivete regarding the social structure of academe can affect a woman's career advancement. The benefits of greater representation of women on university faculties are reviewed, and departmental and college administrators are reminded of the important role they play in ensuring future ...
Two-photon in vivo imaging of cells

In vivo imaging of cells gives a glimpse into the world of biology in a natural setting unparalleled by any other venue. Two-photon imaging of fluorescently labeled cells has become the standard to obtain high-resolution, dynamic images of living specimens with great specificity. This review focuses on providing the reader with a short history of, and impetus behind, two-photon imaging, its working mechanics, and emerging technologies related to biological multiphoton imaging.
The Ring Generated by the Elements of Degree 2 in H*(Un(Fp), Z)

Abstract We compute all the relations in cohomology satisfied by the elements of degree two of H*(Un( F p), Z ) where p ≥ n and Un( F p) is the group of upper triangular matrices of GLn( F p) with 1 on the main diagonal.
Analytical techniques for the prediction of elastic properties of textile reinforced composites

The previous section presented various analytical methods for textile structural composites. Experimental work dealing with different composite systems was used in a comparative way to help in evaluating the different models. The logical sequence of results was also incorporated in the evaluation procedure.